Brother of murdered schoolboy dies without seeing killer caught

The brother of a murdered schoolboy has died without discovering the truth or seeing the killer brought to justice. 

Allan Graham was found dead aged 11 in a ditch, 24 hours after going missing from Newcastle’s West End in 1970. 

The child, who lived with his mother Mary Wells in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, was staying with his brother Dennis Baron, and his late wife Moira, on Gerald Street in the neighbouring area of Benwell when he vanished. 

Dennis, who was one of the last people to see him alive, died last week at the age of 82 – more than five decades after his younger brother’s unsolved murder. 

Allan disappeared after walking to a sweet shop at the bottom of the road where his brother lived, which was three miles from his home, on Saturday January 24, 1970. 

The 11-year-old was found the next day strangled in a ditch at Callerton Grange Farm, near Ponteland, Northumberland. 

It is believed Allan was snatched as he walked the 50 yards back to his brother’s house.

His brother Dennis, who died on Friday after recently being diagnosed with dementia, is thought to have been one of the last people to see him before his murder. 

Allan’s last surviving brother Fred Baron has been left devastated that Dennis died without knowing the truth about what happened 56 years ago – and fears the day his brother died will soon be forgotten. 

The 83-year-old said: ‘It has hit me had. It is awful dying without knowing what happened. I am gutted I couldn’t get answers for Dennis. 

‘I just feel like another link to Allan and what happened has gone. It makes me wonder how many people are left that could be potential witnesses. 

‘It is all on me now, if I died there is no one else who would ask questions.’

Dennis, who lived in the village of Stargate, Tyne and Wear, said in 2014 he was tormented by his brother’s killer escaping justice – and he hoped one day they would be caught. 

He told the Chronicle at the time: ‘There is always a chance that somebody will eventually admit to it, or slip up and say something. What gets me is the not knowing, it is always in the back of your mind.’ 

‘I just want to know who did it and get some sort of justice. Killing a kid is the most serious crime there is,’ he added. 

Dennis believed his brother’s murderer would have been caught ‘straight away’ if the crime occurred in the 21st century. 

He continued: ‘It does bring it back whenever I hear a child being killed. When Ian Huntley was arrested I said to myself, “where were the police when our Allan went missing?” That’s when it hits you. Where were they and why couldn’t they catch his killer?’

‘Allan could have had a nice home and family,’ Dennis added. 

Dennis was joined by his brother Fred and sister Pauline Graham in 2023 as they returned to where Allan was last spotted to appeal for information about his death. 

Dennis, who was a father-of-three, died in University Hospital of North Durham last week, having been in hospital for 10 days after having a fall. 

His brother Fred said: ‘He was my last brother. Me and Dennis were the closest, from being little kids at school we were really, really close.’

Detectives from Northumbria Police launched a review of Allan’s case in 2014, which prompted a new witness to come forward.