For 26 agonising years, a mother has lived with the torment of not knowing exactly how her teenage daughter died on a dark country road. Rose Ozturkce is now sending a stark warning to those she believes hold the secrets to the death of her "beautiful" 15-year-old daughter, Lizzie Gilmour.
A Night of Tragedy and Unanswered Questions
The tragedy unfolded on January 15, 2000. Talented singer Lizzie Gilmour had left her home in Acomb, York, around 6.30pm to go babysitting with a friend. Later that evening, she was seen distressed and crying in the back of a car not far from her home.
Around 8.20pm, the teenager was struck by an Audi car as she lay on a road. The driver, found to be innocent and not speeding, could not have avoided the collision. However, her mother, a retired healthcare worker, is convinced her daughter was already dead when the vehicle hit her.
"She was laid in the road when the car went over her, her head was in the middle of the road," Rose told the Mirror. "Even the GP who came out to certify her death... said she was most certainly dead before the car hit her. There was no blood everywhere like there should have been."
Lizzie died from catastrophic head injuries that split her skull. An open verdict was recorded at her inquest due to the many unresolved questions about the circumstances leading to her death.
A Life of Promise Cut Short
Lizzie is remembered as a stunning and bubbly girl with a bright future. She was a gifted singer who had appeared on stage at York's Theatre Royal and was due to appear on television to pursue her dream that year. She also played the violin.
"She would have been something special in the entertainment world," her heartbroken mum said. "I used to look at her and say to myself 'that's my beautiful girl'. She used to melt my heart."
The loss was a devastating blow for Rose, who had previously lost a young daughter while living with the army in Germany. "I asked God not to put me through the loss of a child again," she said.
A Mother's Unending Torment and Plea
Rose Ozturkce believes her daughter did not walk the mile to the bypass alone in the dark and has always rejected any suggestion of suicide. The coroner, Donald Coverdale, also said he did not believe the "sensible and level-headed" youngster intended to take her own life.
Instead, Rose is convinced several people were involved in Lizzie being abducted and dumped on the road. She lives with the anguish that those who know the truth may be close by.
"How do they sleep at night?" she demanded, sending a message to those keeping secrets. "This is not going to go away. I am not going to stop fighting for justice for Lizzie... They need to be honest and come forward."
She added: "What hurts me more is that I live in the area where there are people who know what happened to Lizzie and how she got killed. Not knowing the truth eats you away."
North Yorkshire Police initially investigated the death and have stated they would revisit the case if any new information emerges, including the identity of anyone Lizzie was travelling with that night.
For Rose and Lizzie's family, the youngest of five children, the pain remains as raw as ever. "I still feel like it was yesterday when it all happened," she said. "It stopped my life in its tracks. People say time eases it, it just doesn't, it gets worse." Her vow, after 26 years, remains unchanged: to find the truth and let her daughter rest in peace.
