02-08-2025
Woman went out for a drink with her dad and was never seen alive again
On January 4, 1996, 20-year-old Deborah Wood went out for a drink with her father and friends in Leeds. After leaving the pub, she was never seen alive again
On January 4, 1996, Deborah Wood spent the evening at a pub in Leeds with her father and friends. That same night, she disappeared and was never seen alive again.
Deborah, a 20-year-old from Holbeck, had been enjoying the company of her loved ones at Big Lil's Pub in Leeds city centre on that fateful evening. After Deborah said her goodbyes and left the pub, there was no sign of her for the next ten days.
Then, on January 14, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service was summoned to a fire at Burnley Railway Station. It was here that they discovered Deborah's body ablaze.
She had been severely burned, and it took dental records and DNA testing to conclusively identify her. A post-mortem examination revealed she had been murdered shortly after her disappearance, before presumably the murderer wrapped her in a rubbish bag, stored her in a cold place, and then discarded her.
This follows reports that a woman murdered by her ex made 13 calls to police, but nobody came to rescue her.
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The exact circumstances of Deborah's fate remain unknown to this day. However, her brother, Craig, suspects that convicted serial killer and rapist John Taylor may have been involved, reports Yorkshire Live.
During his appearance on Channel 4's In The Footsteps of Killers, Craig suggested that a necklace found in the boot of Taylor's car, following his arrest for the murder of Leanne Tiernan, could have belonged to Deborah.
Taylor has been connected to Big Lil's, where he was reportedly a frequent patron, as per former employees. Speaking to The Sun, Craig revealed: "I've been thinking about writing to him asking for answers. He's only in Wakefield prison - it's not more than seven miles away. I'd say to him, 'you've got nothing to lose - just tell me'. He's not getting out, so what's he got to lose? He's got nothing to gain from not telling the truth."
He continued, "If you look at all the circumstantial evidence, there is a lot to link Taylor to my sister's murder. But the biggest thing is that bar staff at Big Lil's have confirmed have Taylor used to drink there.
"He used to go around the tables being a pest to women and causing a nuisance. So we know he was a regular in the same pub where Deborah was last seen. To me, that's just too much of a coincidence."
Despite 29 years having passed since her vanishing, the full story remains elusive.
On the quarter-century anniversary of Deborah's disappearance, West Yorkshire Police issued a renewed call for information. Detective Inspector Paul Conroy from the force's Operation Recall team stated: "This crime may now be 25 years old, but time doesn't diminish our resolve to bring the person or persons responsible for this horrendous crime to justice.
"And likewise, her grieving family wants answers about what happened to Deborah. I would appeal to anyone who knows anything about this case to examine their conscience and come forward – your information could make all the difference.
"Deborah was given no dignity in death, with her body being burned to the extent that she was only identified using dental records and DNA.
"Previous attempts to bring her killer to justice, including an appeal and reconstruction on BBC Crimewatch, have so far failed. Hopefully, with the passage of time, people may feel more comfortable or able to come forward and tell us what happened.
"As with all unsolved murder enquiries, the case remains under investigation and a thorough forensic review remains ongoing."
