My sister was murdered at 14 – it sparked tragic chain of events that saw my mum, dad and brother all die too
A TORMENTED woman has revealed how her 14-year-old sister's brutal murder led to a tragic chain of events that tore her family apart.
Tracey Meade's body was pulled from the Grand Union Canal near Kensal Green in North West London on February 1, 1992.
The 14-year-old had been stabbed twice in the arm and stomach with her clothes found neatly folded on the bank nearby.
Despite police appeals and a high profile Crimewatch reconstruction, her gruesome murder remains unsolved.
Tracey's sister Emma Petrou, 41, has now told how her death sparked a domino effect that cruelly decimated her family.
Unable to cope with his grief, Tracey's dad Paul "Luggy" Petrou took his own life aged 45 after turning to drugs.
His wife Denise - Emma's mother - died from lung cancer after she also started taking drugs and Tracey's mother Kim Meade passed away in 2015.
In a further heartbreaking twist, Emma's brother Peter Petrou, 37, was stabbed to death in July 2020.
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Speaking to The Sun Online, Emma said: "Our life after Tracey's murder was horrendous.
"The downward spiral is unreal. My dad turned to drugs and I lost my mum who smoked drugs with him to lung cancer aged just 50.
"When I lost Peter it just broke me, like my fight was over.
"I just feel guilty for Tracey because she can't rest in peace and neither can my dad, mum, nan and everyone else who knew her."
On January 20, 1992, Tracey told her mum she was staying with her cousin who lived nearby.
Kim gave her £2 for pocket money and waved her goodbye unaware she would never see her again.
A frantic 12-day search was launched for the missing teenager with both her parents tirelessly knocking doors begging for information.
For Emma, who was just 11 at the time, Tracey's disappearance was completely out of character.
The "streetwise" teen would always keep in contact with her family and had made the same journey to her cousin's home numerous times.
Tragically, her body was found in the freezing waters of the canal nearly two weeks later.
Emma said: "One of my uncles came to my nan's house where we all were saying a body had pulled from the water.
"I remember the look on my dad's face. He had to go and identify her body.
"The police weren't sure how long she had be in there. My dad never got the image out of his head."
A murder probe was launched with Emma believing her sister was killed by someone who knew her.
She says Tracey "wasn't a silly girl" who would put herself in a dangerous situation with someone she didn't know.
Police believe she willingly travelled to the canal with pals when tragedy struck.
Her stab wounds were superficial - meaning she may have stumbled into the bitterly cold water to escape her attacker after being knifed.
Emma said: "She must have been freezing. I can't think how scared she would have been."
FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
What followed has been a 30-year fight for justice as Tracey's killer continues roaming the streets.
The case remains open but advances in forensic technology have failed to yield any positive results.
While police interest appears to have waned over the years, the tattered fragments left by Tracey's killing continue to torture her family.
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As a child, Emma was slapped with restrictions by her fearful parents and was banned from going out.
Birthdays and anniversaries became a painful reminder of a life Tracey could have lived, the incredible aunt she may have been to Emma's son, the children of her own she might have had.
Christmas turned into a miserable holiday where Tracey's dad would lock himself in his bedroom in a chilling echo of the heartache he buried deep within himself.
More than 1,000 people attended his funeral but Emma said not one person believed he was capable of taking his own life.
Sadly the only giveaway was the sight of Paul draped crying over his mum and Tracey's grave in the days before he killed himself.
To pile on to the family's heartbreak, Emma's brother Peter was stabbed to death in Kilburn in July 2020.
Heartbreakingly, Emma said she feels "guilt" after Chihab Saleh was convicted over her brother's death while Tracey's killer remains at large.
'UNANSWERED QUESTIONS'
She said: "I just feel guilty that the person responsible for Peter's death was found while Tracey seems to have been forgotten.
"People don't realise how an unsolved murder can affect so many others.
"I don't understand how anyone can live if they know what happened. How would they feel if this happened to their children?
"I hope whoever did this has lived a horrible life.
"I'm not a nasty person but they don't see the bigger picture.
"It's not just my family who have been affected but also the dad and son who found Tracey's body, her friend who was interrogated by police and doesn't speak to us anymore.
"There are so many unanswered questions. I just want justice for my sister."
The Met Police confirmed in a statement the case is still open.
They added: "Tracey was murdered in Feb 1992 aged 14. Her body was found drowned in the Grand Union Canal in Kensal Rise. The murder remains unsolved at this time.
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"No murder is ever closed with cases periodically reviewed to see if any advances, particularly forensic, can be made with the passage of time.
"Anyone who has information that could help police is encouraged to call 101 or attend a police station."
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
