Tracy Mertens

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

cheshire-constabulary

Offense Location:

Nechells, Birmingham

Summary:

Tracey Mertens, 31, a mother of two and former school dinner lady from Rochdale, was abducted from her former home in Birmingham on December 23, 1994, and driven approximately 60 miles to Eaton churchyard near Congleton, Cheshire, where she was doused in petrol and set on fire by two men. She sustained 95% burns and survived long enough to provide police with descriptions of her attackers before dying on Christmas Eve. The murder remains unsolved, with extensive investigations yielding no convictions.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On December 22, 1994, Tracey travelled from her home in Rochdale to Birmingham to collect her benefits book and belongings from her former home at Cattells Grove in Nechells, where she had lived with her partner Joey Kavanagh. She stayed overnight at her sister-in-law's house. On December 23, shortly before midday, she returned to the empty house on Cattells Grove. Two men knocked at the door, forced their way inside, and repeatedly demanded to know 'Where's Joey?' When they realized Joey was not there, they grabbed Tracey, blindfolded her, and forced her into the rear of a tatty yellow Mark II Ford Escort. A passer-by observed the abduction but did not intervene. The two men then drove Tracey approximately 60-70 miles to Eaton churchyard near Congleton in Cheshire. Shortly after 4:10pm, resident Robert Wilson heard someone asking for help at the church steps and discovered Tracey, who was severely burned and still alive. Her clothes were still smouldering and a petrol can was found nearby. Tracey was taken to North Staffordshire Hospital with burns covering approximately 95% of her body. Despite her severe injuries, she managed to remain conscious for approximately 12 hours, during which time she provided police with detailed information about what had happened to her, including descriptions of her two attackers. She died in the early hours of Christmas Eve.

Additional Details:

Tracey's partner, Joey Kavanagh, had been involved in drug dealing or was deeply indebted to Birmingham drug dealers. The family's sudden move from Birmingham to Rochdale in the weeks prior was believed to be motivated by Kavanagh's debts. Tracey and Kavanagh had been together for approximately 15 years and had met when she was 16 years old. They had planned to marry in March 1995, though their relationship had been strained by Kavanagh's drug addiction. During a period of temporary separation from Kavanagh earlier in 1994, Tracey had exhibited fearful behavior, taping curtains together and sealing her letterbox. The family's former home in Nechells had been vandalized with the word 'death' smeared on a window weeks before the abduction. Following Tracey's murder, another couple who owed money to drug dealers received a threatening call stating that if they did not pay, they would 'get what Tracey Mertens got,' indicating the killing was a message related to drug debts. A Birmingham man was charged with conspiracy to murder in 1995, but the charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence. Extensive investigations have been conducted, including arrests, forensic reviews, and Crown Prosecution Service advice. Police have DNA evidence on file, but no match has been identified. The case was featured on Crimewatch in 2010 and 2012, which generated over 100 new pieces of information that were followed up by detectives. Detective inquiries have described the two men as black males around 30 years old, heavy-set, with Birmingham accents, and speaking in Jamaican Patois. Kavanagh was questioned repeatedly but never arrested or charged. A reward of £30,000 has been offered for information leading to a conviction. The case remains open under Operation Eaton.

Case Last Updated:

Sep 09, 2026