Police and the families of two teenage girls killed in a deliberate house fire in Salford have issued a poignant plea for information, two decades after their deaths left the community in shock.
Rhona Schofield and Vikki Preston, both 19, died on May 10 2005 after an intruder entered a terraced house on King Street in Higher Broughton. Once inside, the killer lit two fires in foam-filled furniture, creating an inferno that reached 1000°C within 20 minutes.
The girls were asleep upstairs as toxic fumes funnelled through the property. Despite the efforts of fire crews from Broughton, where Rhona had been a fire cadet, both girls perished from smoke inhalation.
Neal Keeling, a senior reporter at the Manchester Evening News who has covered the case for over 20 years, said the tragedy “decimated” two families.
“It’s not just about two girls dying,” Mr Keeling said in a podcast released by the Manchester Evening News. “It’s about the wreckage they have caused across two families who’ve been pulled apart.”
The deaths sent shockwaves through the Salford community. Rhona’s ambition had been to join the fire service and her funeral cortege was met with a guard of honour from firefighters at the station where she had trained.
However, for the families, the lack of justice made the grieving process impossible. Rhona’s father, Peter Schofield, died aged 54 before he could see any charges brought. His family believe he ‘almost gave up’ after the loss of his daughter.
“He was a man who was full of rage because he couldn’t get justice for his girl,” Mr Keeling said. “He was also scared of what he might do himself if he was out on the street and he crossed the path of a suspect.”
The fire followed a row at the property the previous day involving a group of friends. Despite five arrests over the years, no one has ever been charged.
A 2007 inquest returned a verdict of unlawful killing. The coroner described the perpetrator as “very dangerous” while police maintain the intent was to kill, not just to scare.
Senior Investigating Officer Martin Bottomley of Greater Manchester Police confirmed the targeted nature of the attack in an episode of the BBC’s Crimewatch series, stating: “There’s no doubt that this was arson with intent to kill. This was a murder inquiry.”
Mr Keeling agreed on the intent, telling the Manchester Evening News: “Whoever started this fire must have known that the front door was insecure.”
“You don’t just go along there, randomly finding an insecure door and thinking, ‘it’s open, I’ll go in and start a fire’.
“It’s blatantly obvious to me the person knew the door was insecure, went there equipped with whatever to start a fire and did so.”
Vikki’s mother, Jacqueline, and Rhona’s mother, Doreen, were “bonded in grief” and eventually left Salford to find peace.
Before her death, Doreen told the Manchester Evening News: “It might be 11 years, but it feels like 11 days to me. We have not moved away from 2005. Someone will say something eventually.”
The case is now the subject of a fresh appeal on BBC’s Crimewatch, where investigators hope the passage of time will encourage witnesses to break their silence.
SIO Bottomley issued a direct appeal to those who may have stayed quiet for years. “I’m appealing to somebody who would have known at the time who did it and why,” he said.
“Perhaps they didn’t come forward at the time but allegiances change and they need to search their conscience and come forward and tell us who did this.”
He emphasised that the investigation remains active and that a reward of £50,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible was available. Greater Manchester Police’s Cold Case Unit continues to review the evidence.
“Somebody knows what happened that night,” said Mr Keeling. “Do the right thing. Come forward. Find that courage and give two devastated, broken families the justice and the peace they deserve.”
Jolene Schofield, sister of Rhona, issued an emotion plea on Crimewatch for ‘closure’.
“We’re desperate for answers, we’re desperate for closure,” she told the BBC. “We need to grieve as a family. We just need peace in our lives now.”
• Anyone with information can contact GMP’s Cold Case Unit on 0161 856 5978 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111
