New witness claims Thames death student Ricky Reel was murdered

 
P29 Ricky Reel
Murray Sanders
Justin Davenport13 March 2013
WEST END FINAL

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The family of an Asian student whose body was found in the Thames after he was racially abused say a new witness has come forward claiming to have information that he was murdered.

Ricky Reel, 20, disappeared in October 1997 after a night out with friends in Kingston-upon-Thames.

His group were racially abused by two white youths and there was a confrontation during which Ricky vanished. His body was found a week later in the Thames nearby. A post-mortem examination found he had drowned.

Two major police investigations were launched into his death following criticism of the way officers handled the early stages of his disappearance.

The family have said detectives did not take the case seriously because Ricky was Asian and they have always maintained that he was murdered.

Now his mother, Sukhdev Reel, says she has received a letter from an anonymous woman who claims to have information about a convicted murderer who may have been involved in his death.

In an interview to be shown on BBC London tonight, she says: “She gave a name as to who he is and where he is. He is currently in prison for a murder. He murdered a man and is spending life in prison.”

The family passed the information on to police who said the woman refused to talk to them. Mrs Reel says police told them that the woman may be too frightened to speak but she may also have learning disabilities.

Scotland Yard completely overhauled its response to reports of missing people in London following blunders in the way police handled the first inquiry.

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