It's a murder mystery that casts a dark shadow over a Tyneside village.
When John "The Badge" Roberts was found battered to death at his home in Winlaton, Gateshead, it sparked one of Northumbria Police's biggest ever homicide probes.
Yet today, almost 10 years on, no one has been brought to justice for John's murder.
The tragic mystery is often on the minds of many who live in Winlaton and have spent the past decade wondering who killed John and why.
And the events of of December 2012 remain a dark chapter in the lives of a number of young people who knew John and were asked to help with police with the murder investigation, despite their tender ages.
Leah Bowles, who was just 15 at the time, was one of a number of teenagers asked to give DNA samples after John was killed.
And today she has told how she and her friends' childhoods have been blighted by becoming part of the murder probe.
The 25-year-old said: "I still think about it and I still wonder what happened to him. I can't think of any reason why anyone would want him dead. It's just a mystery.
"I always think that there's someone walking around knowing that they have killed him. People still wonder what happened to him because it's always been unsolved and it's always in the background."
John’s body was found on Sunday, December 16, 2012. Police officers on patrol in Winlaton noticed the door to his Park Terrace home had been left open and went to investigate.
The 32-year-old Newcastle United fan, last seen alive the previous Thursday, had been subjected to a violent attack and died of a serious head injury.
A huge manhunt was launched in a bid to find the killers, with detectives carrying out more than 2,500 house-to-house enquiries, and police handing out hundreds of leaflets to Toon fans on match days. An actor was even recruited to film a reconstruction of John's last movements.
The probe also involved taking numerous DNA samples from people who lived near John or had spent time with him.
And Leah and her friends were among those asked to be swabbed by police.
"It was quite scary," she said. "They went to everyone where we lived and asked us to give DNA. I had to go into the police station. It was quite a shock. I definitely found it weird being asked to help with a murder investigation."
Devoted Toon fan John lived a simple life, but was well-known around Winlaton and at St James Park. He earned his nickname selling pin-badges to fans on matchdays.
And he became something of a father figure to the young people who lived near him. Leah first got to know him when she was a child.
"I just knew him because he lived near us. He was dead canny. He was spot on. He was just someone you could talk to. When I was little I used to go round to his house," she said.
"He was like a father figure to people. He looked out for the young people in the area."
And the mum-of-two can still remember the moment she discovered he had been killed.
She added: "I saw all the police and that outside and I just knew straight away. I was really upset. "
What happened to John and why remains in the thoughts of the people of Winlaton, almost 10 years on.
Tracey Callison lives a few doors up from John's home, on Park Terrace.
The 58-year-old said while John was liked by many, there were also people who took advantage of him.
"I knew him, he was always around. I think he was just a person who got bullied," she said. "I had nothing bad to say about the man, but I know what people are like, they chat rubbish.
"There were people that used to go into his house and take advantage of him because he just let them in. He was just a nice bloke. "
And Tracey also remains troubled by the fact that John's killers have never been brought to justice.
"I'm surprised they have never convicted anyone," she said. "There's a lot of people walking around doing bad things, but for it to go on this long? Somebody is bound to know something. They just need to do the right thing."
A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said the force would continue working to bring John's killer or killers to justice.
She said: “This incident took place almost ten years ago and our thoughts remain with John’s family and friends.
“As a force, we will continue to act on any new lines of enquiry or information as we look to establish the circumstances surrounding John’s death.
“Unsolved murders are never closed and are all subject to periodic reviews. If any new information comes to light, we will ensure it is fully investigated.
“Anyone with information that could help us with any of our unsolved cases is asked to call 101 or pass information through independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
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