Disappearance of Donna Keogh
1998 missing person case in Middlesbrough, England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Donna Keogh is a British teenage girl who disappeared in Middlesbrough, England on 28 April 1998. For 27 years the case has gone unsolved.[1]
Middlesbrough, England
Disappearance of Donna Keogh | |
|---|---|
Bolchow's Hospital, Hartington Road in 2005 (since been demolished) | |
| Born | England |
| Disappeared | 28 April 1998 Middlesbrough, England |
| Status | Missing for 28 years, 4 months and 3 days |
| Website | www |
Background
Donna Keogh was born into a military family and was raised in Middlesbrough where she attended Newlands and Sacred Heart Schools.[2] Her parents were Brian and Shirley Keogh.[3] Donna Keogh was described as a bubbly and ambitious girl.[4] Keogh worked at Ormesby Care Home and hoped to eventually join the Royal Navy.[5] At the time of her disappearance, she was living with her cousins at King House, Middlesbrough.[6] Her parents became aware their daughter had become involved with drugs just before her disappearance.[7] She had also reportedly been involved in prostitution.[8] Keogh was known to have travelled to Leeds in 1998.[9] She was reportedly sighted visiting the Chapeltown area of the city.[10]
Disappearance
Donna Keogh was last seen in Middlesbrough town centre on 28 April 1998.[9] At the time of her disappearance, she had reportedly visited a house with a friend and did not return.[11] She was last reported seen at a house on Bow Street in the Gresham area of Middlesbrough.[12] No further sightings were confirmed.[13] A police review of evidence established that on the day she disappeared she was reported seen in the Hartington Road, Aske Road and Bow Street areas of Middlesbrough.[14] One sighting reported she entered a red hatchback vehicle on Hartington Road.[15] There were unconfirmed sightings, now thought to be false, of her in the Zetland Road area in May 1998.[7]
There were a number of different accounts about where she had been spotted.[16] Her father believed that something sinister had happened.[17] Investigators did not believe she had runaway.[18]
Investigation
In March 1999, two individuals were detained on suspicion of murder but were released without charge.[15] The case received considerable media attention.[19] The case soon went cold and police suspected she had been murdered.[20] The parents of Donna Keogh were involved in publicising the case over the years.[21] They appeared in press conferences alongside police.[22]
Developments
The disappearance of Donna Keogh was re-examined by police in 2000 when 21-year-old prostitute Vicky Glass went missing.[23] In 2002, the case was reviewed again following the murder of Rachel Wilson.[24] She was a prostitute who was last seen in the same area.[25] In 2007, Cleveland Police made a renewed appeal.[26] Another appeal was made in 2010.[27] In 2013, a new public appeal was made for the 15th anniversary of the disappearance.[28] In 2015, Cleveland Police apologised to the family as it launched a review of the case.[29] This was after they publicly stated their disappointment with the investigation.[30] Her parents said they felt "let down" by the police.[31]
In 2016, following an independent review of the original police investigation, Cleveland Police launched Operation Resolute, a newly formed inquiry into the case.[32] In 2018, the disappearance of Donna Keogh, along with the unsolved cases of Rachel Wilson and Vicky Glass, were re-investigated by the force after it was awarded £3.77m by the Home Office.[33][34] Vicki Glass disappeared in September 2000 and her body was found two months later and Rachel Wilson disappeared in May 2002; her body was found 10 years later.[35] A new website was launched by police with vital information about the case.[36]
In June 2018, police began the excavation of a site in Middlesbrough.[37] Cleveland Police announced a specialist search team had begun work on a site in the Saltersgill area.[38] The site is a former allotment located near Troon Close.[39] The site had been long been derelict and is located in a residential area.[40][41] The search lasted three weeks.[42] The excavation however only uncovered medieval remains.[14]
In June 2025, the parents of Donna Keogh were informed that a man had been detained in Thailand and would be extradited back to the United Kingdom.[43] Her father died on 26 July 2025.[44][45] A £20,000 reward from Crimestoppers UK was offered for information.[46] On 31 March 2026, the police confirmed that a man had been arrested.[47] The suspect was arrested by West Yorkshire Police.[48] In April 2026, police made a fresh appeal for information.[49] An arrest was made in July 2026 of a Manchester man.[50]