A dad seeking justice for his son’s brutal murder for 24 years has revealed the shocking email he received about his son’s killers.
Mark Corley, 23, was “executed by a brutal shooting” and his body was found on farmland on 13 December 2000 – five months after he went missing.
Despite five suspects being charged nobody has ever been convicted after police were involved in a “bugging” operation.
His dad Tony Corley, 70, has spent nearly 25 years seeking justice and put up a $26,064.30 reward for anybody who gives evidence leading to a conviction.
And 24 years – this month – since his son disappeared he has revealed the last shred of new evidence to emerge, for the first time.
Tony, a divorced former builder says he received a mysterious email from someone who said he knew the killers.
But it said they needed time to decide if they wanted to tell all.
Heartbroken Tony is hanging on to hope that one day they will change their mind.
Speaking about it for the first time, Tony, from Nottingham, said: “A long time after the reward was offered I had an email from someone saying they used to know the perpetrators but had changed their ways.
“They said they needed time to decide if they wanted to say anything to me.
“I contacted the police about the potential tip and they took the email and phone number and tracked down the person who gave us the tip.
“They investigated and said it was true, but the tipster was frightened of perpetrators and they couldn’t force him to give any information.”
He added: “It’s been 25 years – 25 years of my life wasted but at least I can say I’m trying to get justice for Mark.
“I’ve never been the same person since, but you’ve just got to learn to deal with it so day to day that’s all I can do.
“It’s made me very bitter – it’s traumatised me. It’s broken friends away from me because I’m short tempered, it’s changed my life completely.
“I’ve got no real friends, my partner left me at the time and it’s had knock on effects that people don’t understand. It’s like I’m doing my own life sentence.
“I’ve lost complete faith in the police – why is it somebody can get away with murder?
“This has destroyed my life; I just exist. I want the police to understand and feel how I have done.
“[When they were charged] I thought we’d see justice and I’d see them sent down but that never happened and it’s a horrible feeling.”
Dad-of-one Mark went missing from his home in Grantham without a trace. The alarm was raised in July 2002.
Tony believes Mark had fallen in with the wrong crowd and says they’d fallen out before he went missing over decisions Mark was making.
He was last seen by his mother in late June when he went away for supposedly a few days – but when he didn’t return Tony’s daughter called to tell him the news.
Police searched for him for six months and ‘missing person’ posters went up before his remains were found by drainage workers in December 2000 in a field near Darlington.
One man denied murder and four others denied conspiracy to murder.
But the case was thrown out after it was revealed police had carried out an unlawful bugging operation.
Hidden microphones were installed in exercise yards outside police stations, the court heard, so privileged conversations between detained men and their solicitors were recorded.
Tony, who wrote the book ‘More Questions Than Answers’ about the murder, says he was shocked when he found out the case had been thrown out.
He is still offering a £20,000 reward and the case is still classed as open by Lincolnshire Police.
“The trial came about and sadly enough the judge said there would be no trial – he said the police would be prosecuted for breaking law,” said Tony.
“The police never came and apologised. It was terrible.
“It’s so depressing and really hard, there’s so many anniversaries – Mark’s birthday, the time he went missing which was around May or June, when they found him and the court case.
“I’ve always had hope and I honestly believe that nobody knows what’s around the corner.
“I’ll never give up – it’s how far I can push to keep the story out there. There’s a reward, I’ve written my book and I’m trying my best really.
“The police said to wait and see and if they had any new evidence to act on they would.”
A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Police said: “Nobody has been brought to justice for the murder of Mark Corley.
“Whilst Lincolnshire Police are not actively reviewing this case, should additional evidence or information be forthcoming, discussions will be held with the Crown Prosecution Service.”
Speaking in 2019,. Deputy Chief Constable Craig Naylor, of Lincolnshire Police, said: “Whilst nobody has been brought to justice for the murder of Mark Corley, we do hold reviews of the case periodically in line with force policy.
“Should additional evidence or information be forthcoming, discussions will be held with the family and the Crown Prosecution Service and every effort will be made to progress the case.”