Reward for Missing St Albans Man

27 August 2010, 06:00 | Updated: 27 August 2010, 10:56

The parents of Murray Thompson, who has been missing since April, are offering a reward of up to £5,000 from their savings about what has happened to their son.

They have also made a short video, which can be seen below, which sees Murray’s parents talking about him as a child and what they have been through since he went missing.

Murray, who is 34 years old, was reported missing from St Albans on April 20th. His work van was seen in the area of St Albans Road in Watford and a flat in the same road was discovered as having been visited by him around the time he went missing. Scenes of Crime officers have since conducted a forensic investigation at the property. Murray’s van was later found abandoned in Bushey on May 4th.

Four men have been arrested on suspicion of his murder; a 21 year old, a 45 year old and a 23 year old, all from Watford, and a 56 year old from Chiswell Green. They have all been released on police bail whilst enquiries continue.

Murray’s parents, Geraldine Woodstock and Tony Thompson, are desperate for information of his whereabouts and are offering the reward in the hope that someone will come forward.

The reward, which is facilitated through Crimestoppers (an independent charity) will be given to anyone who supplies information which leads to the whereabouts of Murray being identified or information which could lead to the conviction of anyone involved in his disappearance.

Geraldine and Tony said: “We just want our son back - it has been too long and we need answers. Not knowing where he is or what’s happened to him is heartbreaking. It is like a living hell, you wake up every morning and wonder whether it will be the day we will get the news we need, which is why we have decided to put up this reward.

“There is someone out there who knows what has happened to Murray. They may be trying to protect themselves or others close to them, but they are not helping the people who love him.

“We are pleading to anyone who knows anything about Murray’s disappearance to contact Crimestoppers. You can remain anonymous and your information, even if you feel it is small or insignificant, could help us get Murray back.”

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Ross from the Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said: “We’re four months into this investigation and our enquiries continue. Murray’s parents were keen to offer this reward to help find Murray and we welcome their support.

“We strongly believe there are people who know what has happened to Murray and they need to understand the effect that withholding this information is having on his family, who are desperate for answers, as well as the police investigation. I would urge you to think twice about your actions and contact Crimestoppers.”

Anyone with information about Murray’s disappearance is urged to call Crimestoppers, the independent charity, anonymously on 0800 555111 or contact police via the incident room on 01707 355959.