A MOTHER has launched an emotional plea to the public to help catch her daughter's killer 10 years on from her brutal murder.

Sarah Melia was just 34 when she was found at her home with fatal knife wounds on January 14, 2008.

Her killer has never been brought to justice and her family are still waiting for answers.

Her mother, Marion Kitchen, is urging the public to think back to what happened and try and help them get justice for her daughter.

Ms Melia was stabbed six times in the back, suffered four superficial stab wounds in her chest and suffered damage to her ribs in the attack.

Her teenage daughter Meghan discovered her at the bottom of the stairs at their home in Catherine Street West, Horwich.

Mrs Kitchen said: "It just seems like yesterday. She is with us every single day. We always talk about her in tears or laughing.

"It is just hard, I have lost my child. It is the family that has the life sentence, not the person that has done it. We just want the person to feel something that we feel."

Sarah had two children – Meghan, who is now 24 and Ethan, who is now 20.

Her brother, Mark Kitchen, who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, was charged with Ms Melia's murder but two trials collapsed and he was found not guilty by a jury following the third and final trial in 2009.

He is now estranged from the rest of the family.

Mrs Kitchen, aged 64, urged anyone with information to help the family.

She said: "She was in her own home, minding her own business. Why would someone do that to her? Even the police still don't know why.

"Even now 10 years on we just don't know why. That is hard.

"This is why we are so consistent, it is keeping it in the mind of the public.

"We just want the culprit to know that we are not giving up, that we are still here fighting for justice for Sarah.

"That is what it is all about. We will get some measure of peace when we get justice.

"Every year I get in touch with the police and I just pray that they are going to say we have got some new evidence or we are going to reopen it.

"We want action, we want the police to reopen this case and we need the public to do that.

"Without the public the police are not going to do it."

The murder was the subject of widespread media attention and was even featured on Crimewatch.

Looking back on the events of 10 years ago, Mrs Kitchen said: "I remember everything. I saw Sarah the day before. I think most of the family saw her the day before. She was happy. We were happy.

"Everything was fine. I spoke to her in the morning she took Ethan to the doctors and she took him on to school. I always said love you at the end of a call.

"That was about half nine. I rang her at 10am and there was no answer. It just rang and rang. I rang numerous time in the day. There was no reason for her not to answer.

"I got a phone call at about half four. Megan rang to say she had found her mum. Derek (Mrs Kitchen's partner) picked me up and we went to Horwich to find our worst nightmare.

"It has been a nightmare for 10 years.

"There is somebody out there who knows something, either the person that did it or someone they spoke to. It is like a jigsaw and we have got one piece missing.

"I just want the public to help us. I never thought it would go on 10 years. Every year we live in hope that this is the year."

Martin Bottomley, of GMP's Cold Case Review Unit, said: “Ten years have now passed since Sarah was brutally murdered at her home in Bolton on January 14, 2008.

“As a force, we are constantly reviewing unsolved murders and will always act on new information that is passed to us.

“While we have not found the answers yet, this case will remain open until Sarah’s killer is found and brought to justice.

“Imagine if this was your mum or daughter. For the sake of Sarah’s family, if you have information about the person responsible, please contact us in absolute confidence.

“There may be something that you’ve put to the back of your mind because it was only something minor, but this detail could be the key to our investigation.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101 or make a report, anonymously, through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.