The mother of a Sunderland teenager whose body was discovered in a makeshift grave has issued a heartfelt plea for information to help find his killers.

Tracey Williams was speaking as Crimestoppers offered a £20,000 reward for information which can help bring those responsible for the death of her son Kieran to justice.

The body of Kieran Williams, 18, was found on a disused industrial estate between the Northern Spire Bridge and Claxheugh Rocks, on May 31 last year.

placeholder image — The body of Kieran Williams, 18, was found on a disused industrial estate between the Northern Spire Bridge and Claxheugh Rocks, on May 31 last year.

Kieran Williams’ body was found on a disused industrial estate in Sunderland on May 31, 2022.

Two men were later charged in connection with his death and stood trial at Newcastle Crown Court, where they were both acquitted of murder.

One of the men, 20-year-old Louis Hackett, was found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for five years.

However, the court heard how other unidentified fingerprints were found around the grave, leading to the judge hearing the case to conclude that justice has still not been done.

He said: “The real perpetrator or perpetrators have got away with it. Justice has not been done."

Speaking in conjunction with the announcement of the reward, mum Tracey said: “As a mother I cannot express the horror and ongoing trauma that I feel.

“I wake up heartbroken and fall asleep crying. It’s an ongoing torture to know that I will never spend one more moment with my son.

“I am desperate for justice for Kieran, just as any other parent would be. I continue to walk the streets where Kieran was last seen in the hope that someone, anyone, will tell me what happened to my son and why.

“I know that there are people out there who know what happened to Kieran.

“I am a proud woman and a proud mother, but I am begging anyone with information to come forward.

“Please try to imagine just for a moment the pain and desperation I continue to feel every minute of every hour of every day.”

Fleur Brown, North East Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, added: “Kieran was only 18 years old and his murder was horrific. As the judge stated, the perpetrator or perpetrators are still out there.

“We believe there are people who know what happened but may have been too scared to come forward or because of misplaced loyalty. This is their chance to make things right whilst staying completely anonymous when you contact our charity.

“Crimestoppers, which is independent of the police, is reaching out to anyone who has stayed silent but now wants to do the right thing. Even if they think that what they know is insignificant, I urge them to tell us.

“Our charity hopes that by appealing for anonymous information and offering a reward, Kieran’s family, finally, will have the answers they desperately need.”

Crimestoppers

Information passed directly to the police will not qualify. This Crimestoppers reward will only qualify for information passed exclusively to the charity by calling 0800 555 111 or by completing a secure anonymous online form at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Anonymity: Crimestoppers guarantees complete anonymity, meaning that people who call or contact them online can pass on what they know without ever giving any personal details. Computer IP addresses are never traced. Telephone calls are never recorded, there is no caller line display and no 1471 facility.

Claiming a reward: The reward will only be payable for information passed directly to Crimestoppers and not to the police.

A reward code must be asked for when calling the charity on 0800 555 111. If you contact Crimestoppers via the anonymous online form, the 'keeping in contact’ facility must be used and a reward code must be requested on your initial contact with the charity.

More details about the rewards process – at the heart of which is ensuring you stay 100% anonymous - can be found on the Crimestoppers website.