A fresh inquest into the death of Birmingham schoolboy Mark Billington, who was murdered more than 40 years ago, has been scheduled for November 2026. The 15-year-old was last seen riding his bike near his home in South Yardley in September 1984 and never returned. His body was found hanging from a tree in Meriden woodland approximately nine weeks later.
Case Reclassified as Murder
Initially treated as a suicide by West Midlands Police, the case was reclassified as a murder investigation in 2002. An inquest in 1998 had reached an open verdict, but the High Court recently quashed that conclusion and ordered a new inquest. A pre-inquest review will take place at Birmingham & Solihull Coroner's Court on Steelhouse Lane at 10am on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. The full two-day inquest is listed at the same city centre court from 10am on Monday, November 2, 2026.
Family Seeks Justice
Mark's sister, Cheryl Jeyes, said the High Court ruling did "not answer all of the questions surrounding Mark's death" but was a "significant step towards ensuring that all of the available evidence is properly examined in a fresh inquest." The family believes the teenager was not capable of tying the complicated knot used or cycling seven miles from his home.
Suspect Linked to Case
Farm labourer Brian Field, 87, who died at HMP Full Sutton in Yorkshire in February 2024, has historically been linked to Mark's killing. The youngster went missing on September 1, 1984, and was found dead on November 11 of that year.
