Ashley Dighton was found dead in Ashford sixteen years ago. His sister says new information has come to them over night.
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00:00 16 years with little progress. Ashley Dighton was found dead in 2007. A murder investigation
00:08 launched but no killer ever found. Kent Police are reopening the investigation and the family
00:14 hope the passage of time will bring answers.
00:17 "So I would like people to come forward, whoever's got information, how big or small,
00:23 at the end of the day us family need this justice and not to be scared and come forward
00:28 because you do not know this could be someone you love or someone close to you."
00:33 Ashley went missing in June 2007. He was last seen at this supermarket. He was caught on
00:41 CCTV. After that a witness believes he was seen walking towards a woodland.
00:48 "Dighton then wasn't seen for a month but on July 11th a 19 year old was found in the
00:55 woodland just behind me."
00:58 But for time the coroners ruled they were unable to conclude the cause of Ashley's death.
01:03 But now the family says they are starting to receive new information following the appeal
01:08 which was launched yesterday at lunch.
01:10 "We just really want to know what happened to him at the end of the day. We deserve that
01:14 as a family to know what led to his murder."
01:18 "Do you feel like you're any closer?"
01:20 "I do feel a bit we are closer. We know stuff, we've got members of the public coming forward
01:26 luckily enough. But it's all about the evidence and we need the public because we can't just
01:32 go to Kent Police with this evidence without the public backing us up."
01:36 Kent Police's investigation has seen more than 1,000 people spoken to, hundreds of hours
01:42 of CCTV footage examined and more than 2,000 exhibits seized.
01:47 In a statement Detective Chief Inspector Neil Kimber said "no case is ever completely closed"
01:53 and they're determined to get answers for the family.
01:56 He went on to say "I urge anyone who may be able to assist us to come forward so that
02:01 we and Ashley's family can have a better understanding of what's happened to him."
02:06 After 16 years Ashley's sister has a message for his killer.
02:11 "I just feel they've dealt with things the wrong way. Maybe things weren't supposed to
02:17 happen the way they did and from a mental health point of view just get it off your
02:22 chest because you will feel a lot better and we just want to know as a family."
02:28 As the appeal continues into Ashley's death, his family says he has been in their hearts
02:33 for the past 16 years and always will.