$26,000 Reward Offered For Anyone Who Can Solve 19-Year-Old Cold Case
Nineteen years ago, 29-year-old Martin Joyce mysteriously disappeared. He was reported missing on September 5th, 1999 — and has not been seen since.
According to the Independent, he was last seen giving his sister Mary a lift. After he dropped her off, he headed towards Ancoats, Manchester. He was reportedly going to have a night out, and headed to the Bank of England pub. There, they theorize that he was assaulted and murdered. However, no evidence to support this claim has come up.
The young father had no reason to run away, and all reports by family members say that he did not act oddly before his disappearance. As reported by Metro, detectives have made many inquiries into his proof of life, checking his passport and credit cards for any sign of activity after his disappearance. They’ve found nothing, and it seems that Joyce just vanished into thin air.
In 2016, the case became a murder investigation after a “credible” report that Joyce had been killed in a fight and buried underneath the pub. While the bar has since been shut down, police spent a two week period thoroughly searching it from top to bottom. No sign of Joyce’s body was found, and the claim was dismissed.
Police offer £20,000 reward to try to solve a 19-year mystery surrounding a missing man from Manchester. Detectives believe Martin Joyce was attacked and killed at a now disused pub. https://t.co/j9Lbftme4j pic.twitter.com/iAnMTObIzb
— Rob Smith (@robsmithitv) September 23, 2018
However, that was not to be the end of the investigation into Martin Joyce’s disappearance. According to BBC, detectives are now offering a financial incentive to anyone who can solve the case — directly or indirectly. They’re asking for information that might pertain to Joyce’s whereabouts — or the location of his body should it be known to anyone.
The reward is £20,000, which translates to over $26,000 in American currency. A hefty price for mere information — a sign that detectives want to close this cold case for good.
Martin’s sister, Mary, has not given up hope that her brother is still alive. “Martin, I love you, not a day goes by that I don’t think about you,” she said. “You’re always in my heart, always in my conversation.”
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart Wilkinson is hoping that the monetary reward will spur someone to come forward with information — but he is still baffled that those who possess this vital knowledge have stayed silent for all this time.
“How someone can live with themselves knowing exactly what happened to him for almost two decades and not come forward, I will never know. Someone, somewhere, knows. Twenty years is an extremely long time and, over such a long period, friendships, relationships and allegiances may have changed. Whatever you know, whatever you have to tell us, we’ll be waiting for your call.”
