Deborah Steel, affectionately known as Debbie, was a lively and charismatic figure in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. Described by those who knew her as bubbly, flirtatious, and popular, she had taken on the role of landlady at the Royal Standard, a local pub on Fore Hill. At thirty-seven years old, Debbie was full of ambition; she had recently secured financing for a new catering business, had money in the bank, and owned properties. There seemed to be no reason for her to disappear voluntarily—she had plans, aspirations, and a life firmly rooted in Ely.
Debbie lived in Longfields, Ely, with her partner, Brian McDermott. Her family included her sister, Gini Secker, and her father, Bill, who passed away in 2010 without ever learning what happened to his daughter.
The events leading to Debbie’s disappearance unfolded on the evening of December 27th, 1997. After finishing her shift at the Royal Standard around one a.m. on December 28th, she left the pub and hailed a taxi for the short, one-mile journey home to Longfields. This was the last confirmed sighting of her.
Brian McDermott did not immediately report her missing. Believing she might have gone to London to visit friends—as she had done unannounced in the past—he waited several days before raising the alarm. This delay added an initial layer of complexity to the case, but police later determined there was no evidence suggesting Debbie had left willingly.
What started as a missing persons inquiry soon revealed troubling signs. There was no activity on Debbie’s bank accounts, no contact with friends or family, and no “footprint” indicating she was alive elsewhere in the UK. By September 2014, Cambridgeshire Police reclassified the case as a murder investigation, convinced that Debbie had met foul play in Longfields and that her body was concealed nearby, within easy traveling distance.
Led by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, the probe intensified. In 2014, detectives excavated the garden of Debbie’s former home in Longfields. The following year, in February and April 2015, they dug up the patio at the Royal Standard pub itself. Despite these efforts, no remains or significant evidence were uncovered.
Three men from Ely were arrested in connection with the case: one in November 2014 (aged seventy), and two others in January and June 2015 (aged fifty and seventy-three, respectively). All were released without charge, and no one has been formally accused or named as a suspect to this day.
The case lay relatively dormant until 2024, when a human leg bone was discovered in a garden in Ely. The find stirred emotions and briefly raised hopes among Debbie’s loved ones, as it reignited public and media interest in the disappearance. However, forensic analysis quickly determined the bone did not belong to Debbie; it is believed to be from a male and does not match anyone in the missing persons database. While unrelated, the discovery prompted police to issue a fresh appeal for information.
On December 23rd, 2024—just ahead of the twenty-seventh anniversary—Detective Sergeant Kelly Adams appealed to the public, urging anyone who was in the Fore Hill area or at the Royal Standard on the night of December 27th, 1997, to come forward. She emphasized that even seemingly insignificant details could crack the case, and with the passage of time, people might now feel safe sharing what they know. The investigation remains active, with regular cold case reviews, and will stay open until it is resolved.
Crime Immemorial 