“We know a lot of people come and go from that house”
07:00, 14 Oct 2025Updated 07:22, 14 Oct 2025
Julius Matera whose body lay unfound in Higher Broughton, Salford, for eight weeks.
Police are offering a £50,000 reward for information regarding an argument over a bottle of cider that may have cost a “joyful spirit” his life.
The remains of Tanyaradzwa Matera lay hidden in undergrowth for eight weeks before they were discovered at the edge of playing fields in Salford.
Now, on the second anniversary of his death, police have issued new details of how they think he died – and offered a £50,000 reward to anyone whose information leads to the conviction of his killers.
Known to his family as Julius, the 43-year-old attended a party at a house in Great Cheetham Street West on the evening of October 13 and 14, 2023.
It is understood that while there he was fatally stabbed in the neck.
His body was not found until December 7 that year, obscured by dense Japanese knotweed on the other side of a fence at the rear of the same property.
It was next to a pitch used by Broughton Cricket and Rugby Club.
The fencing over which police believe Julius Matera was either pushed or fell. His body was found in dense Japanese knotweed on the other side.
Three men were arrested on suspicion of murder. They have all been interviewed twice and have been released under investigation.
According to Greater Manchester Police, Julius was “vulnerable” and may have been bullied by others.
His family have described him as “chilled and calm” and “friendly, considerate, respectful, funny and adventurous”, someone who was “always ready to help when he could”.
He had moved to the UK from Zimbabwe in 2001. Living first in Leicestershire, he then came to Manchester in 2012.
Julius was living in accommodation in Eccles found for him by the Home Office while he awaited a decision on his status in the UK. He did not work as he was not able to while attempting to resolve his bid for legal residency.
Murder squad boss Detective Inspector Rachel Smith told the Manchester Evening News: “The house in question is one of multiple occupancy and they quite often have gatherings there.
“We know a lot of people come and go from that house.
Julius Matera who died two years ago. His body was found in dense vegetation 56 days after he is believed to have been stabbed.
“We do know that Julius’ phone put him in the location of the house that night. We know he was a regular visitor to that house. He knew people there. Some of the people who lived in the five flats were from the Zimbabwean community as were those who would come and go.
“Something has happened at that address and as a result Julius has possibly been stabbed in the neck, in the left side. He does have a wound to his neck. It appears to have been caused by a bladed implement.
“It was 56 days between whatever happened to him occurring and him being found.”
Julius was reported missing on October 24, 2023, by a tenancy support worker. One piece of evidence has helped police pinpoint his location the fateful night of October that year.
Police are offering a reward of £50,000 for information which leads to the conviction of those responsible for the death of Julius Matera.
DI Smith said: “There was a receipt in his jeans pocket. He had gone to Tesco’s at Pendleton. The receipt shows he was there at 8.45pm on October 13.
“He bought some Matteson’s sausages for £3 paid in cash. That store is one and a half miles away from the house (on Great Cheetham Street West).
“His phone is in the vicinity of that address at 9.44pm – an hour later.
“We have done a trawl of CCTV on the route from the store to the address, but because of the time lapse between him going missing and his body being found there is no sign of him. He never used his phone again after that.
“There are just some missed calls in the early hours of the morning made to him from a friend that were never answered. His phone was found with him and he was a constant user of his phone.”
An entomologist has been able to tell police that blow fly eggs were laid on Julius’ body between the 17 and 18 October, 2023. “Everything is pointing to him dying on that night of October 13/14 which is a Friday night into a Saturday morning,” said DI Smith
The Tesco receipt found in the pocket of Julius Matera’s jeans
“We do have a witness who has told us that at some point in October he could remember shouting coming from that address and the words ‘I will kill you, I will kill you’ being said.”
Police believe the party at the house, which has five separate flats, centred on a communal kitchen. A witness has told police that Julius was subjected to harm.
DI Smith said: “The witness was told Julius was dead and that it stemmed from an argument over stolen cider.”
She added: “I think something has happened, either in the kitchen or the garden at that address. There is a broken fence at the back and then quite drop to the vegetation where the body was found. A botanist has told us he has gone over where the fence is and dropped down. He thinks he has then crawled to where he has been found.
Two tents erected by forensic officers at the rear of a property in Great Cheetham Street West, Higher Broughton, Salford, as the murder inquiry began.
“He thinks he has not fallen on top of it as there is no damage to the canopy of knotweed. I think he has been assaulted and either fallen over or pushed over or jumped to get away not realising there was a drop, because he has really bad vision. We did find a pair of spectacles in the garden.
“I think people know what happened and they are scared to tell us. Or maybe they are protecting people in their own community.”
Julius’ body was found after police were tipped off of his links to the address. His disappearance had been raised to “high risk” as he had not been using his government issued vouchers to buy food, and had poor vision.
As well as searching the property police checked the rear of the house and found his body hidden in vegetation on the edge of the playing field.
“Kids had been playing sports on that field right next to where he was and no one had been able to see him. I think something has happened, maybe in the kitchen, maybe in the garden.
The location on the edge of playing fields at Broughton Cricket and Rugby Club where the body of Julius Matera was found.
“We need to speak to people who have been at that address on the dates in question. We do have a least of people who were there but others may have visited that night and gone.
“We would also like to speak to anyone who has been told anything since then.”
June Matera, Julius’ cousin, said: “Julius was an active local community member who enjoyed the company of others and was never a lonely person. We all miss his contagious laugh. He had a way of making people smile and a chuckle that captured his joyful spirit.”
Anyone with information can call 0161 856 3635, quoting log number 218 of 07/12/2023 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The case will also be featured in today’s BBC Crimewatch programme.