LIKE many little girls, Emma Childerley had a fear of things that go bump in the night.
However, it wasn’t the bogeyman she was terrified of, but a real-life monster who had bludgeoned her parents in the room next door when she was just five - and never been caught.
Her father Kevin, aged 30, died at the scene in in February 1990, while her mother Denise, then 32, was horrifically injured in what is thought to be an attack with an axe or a cleaver.
Incredibly, she survived but has been left with life-changing injuries.
With the killer still on the loose, Emma, 40, is now appealing for someone to come forward with information that will lead to the justice her family needs.
It comes as cops confirmed they had arrested a woman in connection with the case and stepped up their investigation.
Mum of three, Emma, now living in Blackburn, , says: “I was a daddy’s girl. We were so close, and his murder tore our family apart.
Robbed of memories
“We were robbed of a lifetime of memories, and instead I had a childhood filled with pain and fear. I missed him so much.
“Because Dad’s killer was never caught, I became terrified that the murderer was hiding in my built-in bedroom wardrobes, or in the garage outside.
“Mum was so badly injured that I didn’t even recognise her when she came out of hospital.
“Those months afterwards were hard, and though we’ve moved on with our lives, the pain never goes away. I think of my Dad every day.
“I need justice and closure, for Dad and for me.”
Before the horrific events of that night, Emma says she and her father were “best friends”.
She says: “I remember watching Top of the Pops with him, singing along to Madonna’s ‘True Blue’.
“He was a miner; he worked hard for his family. He was a joker too; we’d play tricks on my mum and make her laugh.
“Dad took me to school on his motorbike each morning. We both wore helmets, but he’d keep his on as he walked through the playground, so all my friends thought he was an astronaut, which I loved.
Happy normal family
“We were just a normal, happy family.”
The attack took place on what seemed to be a regular evening, on which Emma’s parents had gone out to a nearby social club while a babysitter had stayed with Emma and her five-month-old baby brother.
Her parents had come home and gone to bed before the attack took place and hearing the comotion, neighbours called the police.
She says: “I was woken in the night by a police officer telling me to get dressed, and not to switch on the light or open the bedroom door until he told me to.
“I did as he said, without questioning.
“I was taken to a neighbour’s overnight. The next morning, I went to a police station for my fingerprints and hair samples to be taken, and later I was placed in a foster home.
“A social worker told me Mum had broken both her legs and Dad was looking after her so I couldn’t go back home.
“I was only five years old, and I accepted that. But I hated being in the foster home. I was away from my family, and I missed them so much.”
It was several weeks before a social worker informed Emma that her father was dead and her mother was in hospital.
I screamed; I didn’t recognise my own mother, she was so badly hurt
Emily Childerley
She says: “I locked myself in the bathroom and sobbed. I couldn’t take it in.”
Eventually Emma was then told her mother was out of hospital and coming to take her home.
She says: “I was over the moon at first but the woman who arrived had a shaved head, an eye patch and scarring all across her face.
“I screamed; I didn’t recognise my own mother, she was so badly hurt. It wasn’t until she spoke that I realised who she was.”
The family moved house to try to escape the memories and rarely spoke of their trauma.
Family secrets
Emma says: “Nobody even told me dad had been murdered.
“I didn’t want to ask Mum any details because I didn’t want to upset her - she didn’t remember much and didn’t want to talk about it. I refused to go to Dad’s funeral because I was in denial.
“I found a newspaper photo of a woman on life support, and I remember saying how poorly she looked. I didn’t realise then it was a picture of my own mother.
“I was too young to be able to read the article.”
The family moved home again, hoping for a fresh start.
But aged 11, Emma came across newspaper cuttings that explained her father had been brutally murdered in a savage attack, with the motive unknown.
Two men had been arrested at the time but the case against them was discontinued.
Haunted childhood
Emma says: “I was horrified, and frightened that the killer was still out there.
“I wouldn’t even flush the loo at night in case I alerted the murderer.
“I’d slept through the attack on my parents, and I was worried I might sleep through my own murder too. I became very anxious and defensive.
“If someone stared at Mum’s injuries, I’d get annoyed and confront them, even though I was only a child. I had so much pent-up anger and grief.”
The pain from the murder carries on, through the generations
Emily Childerley
In 2022, Emma contacted the police and pleaded with them to review the case.
While Nottinghamshire Police say the case was never closed Emma says he hadn’t heard anything in years.
Kevin’s murder case is now active and Emma is appealing for information.
Cops have also urged anyone with information to come forward. They confirmed in April a 62-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice and bailed after interview.
Dad’s legacy
Emma now runs KC funeral services in Darwen, Lancashire, named in memory of her father.
She says: “I always regretted not going to dad’s funeral and I decided I wanted to give dignity to people in death.
“I named my firm after him because this is his legacy. He lives on through me, and my three children, who I know he’d be so proud of.
“It breaks my heart that they never met him. He’d have been a wonderful grandfather.
“The pain from the murder carries on, through the generations. I’d like people to think about that and, if they have information, please speak to the police.
“There will be no punishment for having waited so long, we will just be so grateful for any help you can give.”
Detective Chief Inspector Ruby Burrow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a savage attack which took the life of a much-loved father and left his wife with lifelong injuries.
“Throughout our investigations we have been determined to get justice for both victims in this case, as well as for their two children and the grandchildren who never got to meet their grandad.
“Kevin was a much-loved family man described as a ‘joker’ with a great sense of humour by those who knew him.
“The attack tore apart the family and robbed Kevin’s children of a lifetime of memories.
“The case has never been closed, and a dedicated team of detectives has been reinvestigating what happened that night using the latest investigative tools and technology.
“Following recent developments we have visited the neighbourhood to engage with a number of people we believe could help with our inquiries.
“It was a very positive exercise and I’d like to thank people for their cooperation.
“The arrest is also an important development and we have shared the news with Denise and other family members.
“We know the answer to Kevin’s murder lies within the community and we also believe allegiances and loyalties will have changed after the passing of more than three decades.
“I’d continue to encourage anyone with any information, no matter how small, to please continue to get in touch with our officers or anonymously through Crimestoppers.”
You can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111
