The small town of Hebden Bridge, nestled in West Yorkshire, has been haunted for more than three decades by the unsolved murder of 13-year-old Lindsay Rimer. Now, in a dramatic development, West Yorkshire Police have arrested a serving prisoner on suspicion of Lindsay’s murder, reigniting hope for answers in a case that has long weighed heavily on the community and the Rimer family.
According to BBC News and multiple other sources, the arrest took place on Monday, October 13, 2025, at an undisclosed UK prison. The man, whose identity has not been released, is currently serving a sentence for unrelated offences. Police confirmed he would be interviewed over the course of Monday and Tuesday before being bailed and returned to prison while inquiries continued.
Lindsay Rimer’s disappearance in November 1994 set off one of the largest searches in West Yorkshire Police history. The facts, as pieced together from the investigation and reported by outlets including BBC and PA Media, are as chilling as they are heartbreaking. On the evening of November 7, 1994, Lindsay left her home on Cambridge Street at around 10:00 PM GMT, making a brief stop at the Trades Club—a local members club and music venue—where her mother was working. She then made her way to the Spar shop on Crown Street to buy a box of cornflakes.
Surveillance footage captured Lindsay purchasing the cereal about twenty minutes after she left home. The last confirmed sighting of the teenager came shortly after, when she was seen leaning against a wall near the Memorial Garden. She never returned home that night, and from that moment, a community’s nightmare began.
Months of searches followed, involving local volunteers, police officers, and even national media appeals. The search for Lindsay became one of the most extensive operations ever undertaken by West Yorkshire Police. Tragically, in April 1995, two canal workers discovered Lindsay’s body in the Rochdale Canal, about a mile from her home. Her body had been weighted down with a stone, a detail that underscored the grim nature of the crime and the determination of her killer to conceal her remains.
The Rimer family’s agony was compounded by the lack of answers over the years. As reported by BBC, the family has described the enduring uncertainty as “like living a life sentence.” For them, the pain of not knowing who took Lindsay’s life, or why, has been a relentless burden.
Despite the passage of time, the investigation has never been closed. The last arrest in the case occurred in 2017, but yielded no breakthrough. Now, with this new arrest, police are cautiously optimistic but quick to manage expectations. Detective Chief Inspector James Entwistle, the senior investigating officer on the case, confirmed the arrest and explained the ongoing process. “We remain very firmly committed to doing everything we can to get justice for Lindsay, and to give her family the answers they still so desperately need after all these years,” Entwistle said in a statement released to the press.
He continued, “While we appreciate the understandable public interest that today’s arrest will bring, we do not anticipate any immediate developments at this stage.” The message from police is measured but resolute: this is a step forward, not a conclusion.
In tandem with the arrest, officers are now approaching a number of specific potential witnesses, primarily in the Hebden Bridge and wider Halifax area, who have been identified during the investigation. According to police statements cited by PA Media, these individuals could hold vital information that may finally bring closure to the case. “Although it is now more than 30 years since Lindsay was murdered, we remain convinced there is someone out there who has vital information that could finally help to ease her family’s pain,” Entwistle emphasized. “We urge them to do the right thing and tell us what they know.”
The renewed investigation has brought a flurry of activity in Hebden Bridge and Halifax. Officers are reaching out to identified witnesses, hoping that the passage of time might encourage someone with knowledge of the events of that night to come forward. The police have reiterated their commitment to keeping Lindsay’s family updated throughout the process, a small but important gesture for a family that has waited so long for answers.
For the people of Hebden Bridge, Lindsay’s case has become a somber touchstone—a reminder of vulnerability and the persistence of grief. The Spar shop on Crown Street, the Memorial Garden, and the Rochdale Canal are all etched in local memory, their ordinary presence transformed by the tragedy that unfolded. The search for Lindsay, which mobilized hundreds and drew national attention, is still spoken of in the town with a mixture of sorrow and determination.
Over the years, the case has generated periodic spikes of public interest, especially when new evidence or leads have surfaced. Yet, as police have repeatedly pointed out, the key to solving Lindsay’s murder may well rest with someone who has remained silent all these years. The hope is that renewed attention and the recent arrest will finally prompt that person to speak up.
Detective Chief Inspector Entwistle’s words capture the bittersweet reality of the moment: “The arrest we have made today comes as a result of our continued focus on progressing the investigation. We are keeping Lindsay’s family updated and, while we appreciate the understandable public interest that today’s arrest will bring, we do not anticipate any immediate developments at this stage.”
The process from here remains methodical. The arrested man will be interviewed by detectives, and the investigation team will continue to sift through evidence and pursue leads. Police are asking anyone with information—no matter how minor it may seem—to come forward and help bring resolution to a family and a community that have waited far too long.
As the investigation continues, the Rimer family and the people of Hebden Bridge are once again reminded of the enduring impact of loss and the power of persistence. The hope is that, after more than three decades, Lindsay’s story will finally have an ending that brings some measure of peace.
