CCTV of teen WHEELING body after murder | Lindsay Birbeck | Murder Documentary UK

Lindsay Birbeck was cruelly taken away from her adoring family, friends and pupils by the barbaric actions of a prowling stranger.

In a matter of moments Rocky Price had turned their world upside down and plunged a community into fear, grief and turmoil.

This is the story of Lindsay's murder and the relentless 365-day battle to bring her killer to justice.

4pm. August 12, 2019. Lindsay Birbeck puts on her purple Rab jacket, Fitbit watch and Sketchers trainers and leaves home to visit the Coppice.

There was nothing unusual about this. It was a haven the keep-fit enthusiast loved to walk and run around and she had been there countless times before without incident.

The day had began so normally. It was the school holidays for the high level teaching assistant and she had just spent an enjoyable time shopping in Blackburn with her 16-year-old daughter Sarah for her college uniform.

This was to be the last milestone they would share. Before cooking tea for Sarah and her boyfriend Brandon, she decided to go for a quick stroll. She never returned.

Lindsay last seen on CCTV at 4.06pm casually walking down Burnley Road before turning onto Peel Park Avenue and venturing towards the Coppice.

It was broad daylight and nobody could have dreamt that she was putting herself in the path of danger. That danger came in the form of 16-year-old stranger Rocky Price, lying in wait.

Lindsay's crime? Absolutely nothing. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time as Price was on the prowl targeting lone females. He was looking for a woman to kill and didn't care who that was. This was the entirely random killing of a stranger.

Just minutes before her fatal demise another Coppice walker, Zoe Braithwaite, had a 'lucky escape' after 'rumbling' stalker Price. Her 'sixth sense kicked in' after seeing the hooded teenager with hands in his pockets walking alone on a parallel path. She was 'instantly wary' as he looked 'out of place in the woods for that time of year', an area normally frequented by dog walkers, families and older residents.

When Ms Braithwaite realised Price had quickly closed the gap between them she feared the worst. She ran as fast as she could down the hill, hoping to see someone heading her way or something heavy on the ground in case she needed to defend herself.

However her quick-thinking actions managed to startle Price who fled the scene. He didn't like the idea of his victim being 'alert to her presence' and wouldn't make the same mistake again.

She was lucky. Lindsay was not. She entered the Coppice just moments later.

Nobody ever witnessed the murder, but the evidence pointed to this happening very quickly. Dog walker Judith Bibby reported seeing a 'red garment' hanging on a barb wire fence off the Cardiac Hill path which was likely to have been Lindsay's jacket. She also 'heard a single voice' believed to be child but heard no struggle, shouting or screaming.

By 4.30pm Lindsay’s phone was not receiving messages and had been switched off or destroyed by Price. The wicked deed had been done.

Two hours after using 'significant force' to fracture her neck, he was seen on CCTV calmly emerging onto Burnley Road bare chested with his tracksuit unzipped and wet knees.

Without panic or fluster, Price acting alone then put a plan in motion to dispose of Lindsay's body by putting her in a blue wheelie bin 'like a piece of rubbish' and then burying her in shallow grave at Accrington Cemetery wrapped in two plastic bags.

This is the same place where his grandfather, who shares his name, and other family members are buried.

Price made two return trips to the Coppice on the evening of August 12. The first was at 6.55pm when he was seen on CCTV carrying a black rucksack to assist him in some way with Lindsay's body. The next was at 8.28pm when dog walker Anthony Dewhurst saw him pulling the "hollow sounding" bin.

At the same time Price was taking meticulous steps to cover up his crime, Lindsay's daughter Sarah was anxiously waiting outside her home with Brandon. They had arranged to meet with Lindsay at 6pm for tea but when they arrived at her home the door was locked and they got no answer.

Sarah was worried about her mum as it was out of character for her not to be home when arrangements had been made. She sent her a text message saying "Where are you? I was sat outside for an hour and rang six times." When she received no answer Sarah sent another message with a series of question marks but again got no reply.

She later returned to Lindsay's home at 11.45pm with her father Tim Birbeck and a set of keys but there was no one inside. The house seemed normal and there was nothing out of place.

At 00.11am on August 13, Tim contacted police and told the operator: "My ex-wife seems to have gone missing and my daughter’s just got me up and been to her house and had a look and we can’t find her. It’s not like her."

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