Woman charged with historic murder of Sunderland teenager Scott Pritchard

Scott Pritchard, 19, was found fatally injured outside his home in Lyndsay Close, Hendon, in 2004.

Nobody was convicted in relation to the case at the time, but the investigation has remained open ever since.

Karen Tunmore, 36, of Killingworth, has today been charged with Scott’s murder and has been remanded in custody to appear before Bedlington Magistrates’ Court tomorrow morning.

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: “We continue to support Scott’s family at this difficult time.”

Scott was discovered just at the rear of his family home just after 7pm on Wednesday, January 7, 2004.

The teenager was found to be unconscious on the ground and was pronounced dead on arrival at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

Despite one of the biggest police hunts in Sunderland’s history, his murder remains unsolved.

Extensive inquiries, including a search of Mowbray Park lake, failed to find the murder weapon.

A post-mortem examination concluded Scott had died from injuries caused by a blunt instrument.

Speaking on the ninth anniversary of his death, in 2013, his mum Kathleen said: “There are people out there who know what happened to Scott but haven’t spoken up. They’re nothing but cowards.”

Kathleen refused to move from the home she shared with her son, despite the tragic memories that haunt her every day.

She said: “I couldn’t move from here. I need to live here because I feel closer to him in this place but one thing is for sure, I won’t rest until I get justice.

“Somebody out there knows what and why this happened. Somebody out there has the information that is going to make a difference.”

Huge resources were ploughed into finding the killer - with investigating officers taking more than 1,300 statements, conducting 115 interviews and collecting 2,141 exhibits.

At the time DCI Andy Potts, from Northumbria Police, said: “Unsolved murders are never closed and are all subject to periodic reviews.”

He added: “If any new information comes to light about Scott Pritchard’s death it will be fully investigated.”