Julie Jones, 32, was last seen alive on June 27, 1998, on the corner of Canal Street in Manchester. Her body was discovered a week later, wrapped in carpet, hidden in undergrowth near the disused Smithfield Market. Helen Sage, 22, was last seen on August 17, 1998, working the red light district of Minshull Street. Both women were sex workers and young mothers, and their cases have remained unresolved for over two decades.

Unsolved Murders in Manchester’s Red-Light District

Jones’ body was found in a state of severe disarray, with injuries indicating she may have been subjected to a brutal attack. Police believe she was murdered elsewhere before her body was hidden near the market. Her injuries were comparable to those sustained from being hit by a car or falling from a high building. The investigation into her death remains open, with a £50,000 reward still on offer for information leading to a conviction.

Helen Sage disappeared shortly after Jones was found dead. Police have not dismissed the possibility that she was also murdered. In a statement to the Manchester Evening News, Martin Bottomley, head of Greater Manchester Police’s Cold Case Unit, said: ‘We have not been able to formally establish a link between the Julie and Helen cases, but several men have been arrested over the years and questioned in relation to both investigations.’

Jones was the mother of two children, including a two-year-old son, Josh. She had left home at 1 a.m. on the night she disappeared, intending to return after finding a few clients. Her mother, Theresa Hulme, described her as a devoted mother who never stayed out for more than two hours at a time. Jones had a troubled past, including a stint in prison for benefits fraud and a period of drug use, which led her to work in the sex industry to support her son.

Possible Link Between the Cases

Helen Sage, who was also a mother, had a six-month-old daughter and was said to be devoted to her. Police believe it is unlikely that she would have abandoned her child. In September 1998, a month after her disappearance, Det Supt Andy Tattersall stated: ‘With each day that Helen remains missing we become more fearful. The Helen inquiry is still officially a missing persons investigation but we are setting up a full incident room with all the urgency of a murder hunt.’

Bottomley said that while there is no formal link between the two cases, police have not ruled out the possibility that both women were victims of the same killer. ‘Julie and her family deserve justice, the fact that she was a sex worker makes no difference. We are determined to solve this case.’

Jones’ body was discovered by a dog walker, and several individuals were arrested at the time. One man was later convicted of raping other women. However, no one has been convicted in connection with her murder. Bottomley added: ‘A marked change in someone’s demeanour and behaviour, and signs of anxiety, will have been noticed by a friend, relative, or partner of the killer, and they will not have forgotten it.’

Family’s Search for Justice

Jones’ mother, Theresa Hulme, has long believed she knows who the killer is, but lacks the evidence to prove it. In 2013, she told the Manchester Evening News: ‘It hasn’t got any easier. It never goes away. Every day I still think about her. People will know who has done this to my daughter and it’s for them to have a conscience and get in touch with the police and let us put Julie to rest.’

Jones was a bright student in her youth, excelling in netball and Sunday school in Abergele, Wales. Her life took a downward turn after her parents’ divorce, and she ended up in Manchester, where she fell into drug use and eventually turned to sex work. Theresa said she was shocked when she learned of her daughter’s profession. ‘If I had known, I would have done everything to help her and got her help – like any mother would.’

Police have dismissed theories linking Christopher Halliwell, a convicted double murderer, to the cases of Julie and Helen. In a book published in 2021, Halliwell was alleged to be connected to 27 more unsolved murders across the country, but Bottomley stated there is no evidence linking him to any murders in Greater Manchester.

The Smithfield Market, where Julie’s body was found, has since been transformed into the Northern Quarter, a thriving area in Manchester. However, the question of who left her body there and whether Helen was also killed remains unanswered. Anyone with information about either case is urged to contact the GMP Cold Case Unit or Crimestoppers anonymously.