Sunderland Murder - One Year On

23 June 2015, 05:00 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Police are continuing to appeal for information to the unsolved murder of a Sunderland man - one year after it happened.

Robert Hutchinson, 57, was last seen leaving his home in Corporation Road in the Hendon area at 6.20pm on Monday, June 23, last year. He has not been seen since.

Robert left his home in his blue Nissan Micra, which was later found abandoned at the end of Stewart Street, just off Chester Road.

Extensive enquiries were carried out to locate Robert which led police to believe he had come to harm and a murder investigation was launched.

Today police will be in Hendon and around Stewart Street and Chester Road in the city appealing for information to Robert's murder.

Northumbria Police's Detective Chief Inspector Lisa Theaker said:
"It's now a year since Robert was last seen and both us and his family need answers to what happened to him."

"There will be people within the community who will have information about his murder and information that can assist with our enquiry and we need them to come forward and speak to us."

"I want people to think back to this time last year and think about what they were doing and whether they saw anything that may help."

"Robert's car was found at the end of Stewart Street near to Chester Road, it had been left sometime overnight between Monday, June 23 and Tuesday, June 24."

"Chester Road is a busy road if anyone was in the area then again I'd ask them to get in contact."

"The past year has been incredibly difficult for Robert's family and friends, not least as they still do not have the answers they need as to what happened to him."