Reward raised in missing father and son murder case

Craig BuchanSouth East
News imageSussex Police Daniel and Liam look at the camera, both are smiling and wearing dark tops. Daniel has a grey and white beard and short hair and Liam, on the right, has short dark brown hair.Sussex Police
Daniel and Liam Poole travelled to Malaga in 2019, then disappeared

A reward for information that helps detectives investigating the disappearance of a father and son, believed to have been murdered in Spain, has been increased.

The charity Crimestoppers increased its offer from £20,000 to £30,000 for information about missing Daniel and Liam Poole, from Burgess Hill in West Sussex, that leads to a conviction.

The pair flew to Malaga on 31 March 2019 and their hire car was later found abandoned by Spanish police. They have not been heard from since.

Sussex Police took over the investigation in 2022 from Spanish authorities and classified it as a murder case, before arresting two suspects in December 2024.

Luggage and passports belonging to 46-year-old Daniel Poole, known as Danny, and son Liam Poole, 22, were discovered in their hotel room in the coastal town Estepona.

Their hired car was a grey Peugeot 308 with the registration 0254 KTM.

Lauryn Poole, Danny's daughter and Liam's sister, urged anybody who knew something, "however small", to contact Crimestoppers anonymously.

"Not a day goes by when we don't think about Danny and Liam," she said.

"Living without answers has been agonising. We need to know the truth, for them and for our family's peace of mind."

Poole added: "Your information could be the key to finally giving us justice we've waited almost seven years for."

Arrests in 2024

Sussex Police first offered a £10,000 reward for information related to the case in November 2024.

Crimestoppers increased the reward to £20,000 the following month, days after the force had arrested then released under investigation a man in his 30s from West Sussex and another in his 40s from Merseyside.

Sussex Police was contacted for comment.

Annabelle Goodenough, Sussex regional manager at Crimestoppers, said the reward was increased to "encourage anyone holding back to come forward".

"Even the smallest detail could make all the difference in finally bringing those responsible to justice," she said.

The charity said anyone contacting the charity "must request a reward code during their first contact" to be eligible for the money.

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