by Thom Morris

tmorris@thekmgroup.co.uk

Murderers whose crimes have gone unpunished for decades are being warned they could still be brought to justice.

Figures released to the KM Group reveal more than 50 unsolved murders – some dating back to the 1960s – remain on the files of Kent Police.

The crimes continue to be investigated by the serious case review team, which is responsible for trying to solve years-old mysteries.

They vary widely, from a baby just minutes old strangled with a pair of tights to a 74-year-old man attacked with a hammer in his own home.

Other cases include 10 shootings, such as the death of David O'Leary, gunned down outside his Margate home in March 2008.

"criminals should be looking over their shoulder because one day, we could be on their doorstep." – det ch insp rob vinson, kent police

David Stevens, head of the serious case review team and a former detective superintendent, said: "We deal with all unsolved murders dating back to 1960 and sometimes beyond that, although that's usually the lifetime of the offender.

"We also cover all unsolved rapes and serious sexual assaults. These cases are never closed and we review them every two years.

"We work closely with the forensic science team and although some materials remain, we're going back 50 years and many of the exhibits are gone. What does remain are some slides of blood and materials which are kept because we can now apply DNA techniques to them."

Once a case can be built, it is handed over to investigators who can then carry out arrests and potentially bring long-forgotten perpetrators to court.

Det Ch Insp Rob Vinson, acting head of major crime at Kent Police, said: "Unfortunately we have people in the county and elsewhere who have committed some awful crimes.

"They might think they've got away with it but as far we're concerned, they should be looking over their shoulder because one day, we could be on their doorstep."

Mr Stevens added: "Victims' families deserve justice and that's why it's important to look at these cases.

"When people know something it often falls into two categories – the people who know something but won't come forward, perhaps because they're implicated or are criminals, or the people who think they're going to bother us or they're frightened and don't want to get involved.

"All I would say is don't ever think that any information you have is irrelevant. Even the smallest piece of information could point to something we're working on and help us build a bigger picture."