It was a crime as baffling as it was brutal.
When John 'The Badge' Roberts was found dead in his Winlaton home the tragic discovery sparked one of Northumbria Police's biggest ever murder probes.
Yet today, almost a decade on, who is responsible for the 32-year-old's violent death remains a mystery.
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Several different detectives have taken charge of the case over the past 10 years. And today we are taking a look at some of their theories about John's murder, and how they tried to crack the case.
Police officers found John's body on Sunday, December 16, 2012 after noticing the front door of his home in Park Terrace, Winlaton, was open. A post-mortem examination revealed the father-of-one died of head injuries.
The first detective to lead the investigation was Det Chief Insp Andy Potts, of Northumbria Police’s Major Crime Team, who later retired. Three weeks after the murder he explained how officers had been speaking to John's friends and associates to try and build a picture of his life.
He said: "Since the night that John's body was found in his home in Gateshead we have been carrying out numerous enquiries into his death and following a number of lines of enquiry. We have had a positive response from the public and spoken to a number of people who had seen John in the days leading up to his death.
"We are continuing to follow up a number of leads but are still extremely keen to hear from anyone who might have any information that could help us track down whoever was responsible for murdering John. He was a well known man in the area, particularly among Newcastle United fans and he had a wide network of friends and associates and we've spoken to a large number of these, but there could still be people who know something and haven't contacted us to pass it on.
"They may think it's not relevant or that it may not be helpful to police but I'd urge these people to ring us and share anything they can - it maybe more useful than they realise."
In January 2013, one month on from John's murder, there was a new detective in charge of the case.
And Det Supt Roger Ford told the told the Chronicle of his belief that Newcastle United fans could hold the key to identifying John's killers.
The focus of the murder investigation was turned onto St James' Park, where police mingled with fans ahead of a home game, and handed out leaflets bearing pictures of John.
Det Supt Ford said: "John was a big Newcastle fan, so we have spoken to supporters who attended the game on Saturday and asked them to contact us if they have any information that could help the investigation.
“There is the potential for someone among those thousands of fans to know something or have some piece of information that could lead to us tracking down whoever murdered John."
Six months on from John's murder Det Supt Ford, who was one of Northumbria Police's most experienced detectives at the time, revealed how the murder probe was one of the biggest of his career.
“This is an unsolved murder that we must solve,” Det Supt Ford told the Chronicle. “I absolutely will not stop until we have established the truth. There will be no let-up until we get justice for John’s family.”
“We have visited over 1,200 homes in the area which is a significant undertaking. The extent of the house-to-house is unprecedented, in my experience.
"I’m still sure someone out there in the local community has the answer to this. And I would once again urge that person to come forward.
“This is a very close-knit community. I have no doubt that someone in the community does know something and has the key to this.”
To mark six months since John's murder Northumbria Police also took the unusual step of using an actor to film a reconstruction of John’s last known movements.
Officers hoped the film will help jog people’s memories and encourage them to come forward.
“ We have held a reconstruction and we know that that has got people talking and that is very much what we want,” said Det Supt Ford. "We want to stimulate conversation about what’s happened. The response from the community has been absolutely overwhelming."
However, months and years then passed without John's killers facing justice.
On the fifth anniversary of his death Det Chief Insp Lisa Theaker, who has since left Northumbria Police for another force, revealed how John's dad David had died without getting answers over his son's death.
And the top cop revealed how John's murder kept her awake at night.
She said: "Your unsolved murders are the ones that always keep you awake at night and it is very frustrating.
“But is only a matter of time before we find out who’s responsible. And we won’t give up until we do.
“We are still no closer to establishing a motive. It is rare, we don’t get that many unsolved murders and it’s very frustrating from an SIO’s point of view, especially when I heard that John’s dad had died.
“They are a lovely family. John’s had some troubles in his life but they are a lovely family and they cared for him deeply. When you sit talking to them you feel their pain.”
A Northumbria Police spokeswoman today 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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