Cold Case Breakthrough: Killer Jailed Two Decades After Murder
Andrew Griggs, 56, has been locked up for at least 20 years for the murder of his wife Debbie Griggs back in 1999. Two days after a jury found him guilty, he was sentenced on 30 October 2019. To this day, he refuses to say where Debbie’s body is buried.
Mystery of Debbie’s Disappearance
Debbie, aged 34, vanished after a string of arguments with Andrew in May 1999. At the time, Andrew told kent-police/" title="Kent Police" data-wpil-keyword-link="linked">Kent Police she had simply gone missing. Her white Peugeot 309 was found abandoned about a mile from their home in Deal. The car’s boot lining was missing, and traces of Debbie’s blood were discovered inside.
Suspicious Movements and Failed Prosecution
Witnesses saw the car leave the Griggs home twice during the early hours of 6 May. Andrew was arrested on suspicion of murder weeks later but initially escaped prosecution due to lack of evidence. He later moved to Dorset in 2001, but police kept digging.
Justice Delayed, But Delivered
After fresh evidence emerged, the CPS charged Andrew with murder in 2018. He’s been in custody since his arrest at his Dorset home in March 2019. Detective Chief Inspector Kaye Braybrook of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate said:
“Debbie was a loving mother of three young sons, with a fourth on the way. Witnesses all agreed she would never have abandoned them. Andrew tried hard to paint her as unstable, but only he knows how he killed her and where her body is.”
“I urge him to come forward and bring some closure to the family. It’s not too late to do the right thing.”
“This verdict is thanks to tireless cold case detectives who make sure serious criminals like Andrew can’t escape justice — no matter how long it takes.”
