David Boyd, 55, lured seven-year-old neighbour Nikki to a derelict warehouse where he attacked her with a brick and stabbed her to death in 1992.
In the decades that followed, Boyd used seven different names as he evaded the authorities despite a history of sex offences involving children.
There was a huge cheer from the court's public gallery after the verdict was announced. The girl's mum Sharon Henderson, 56, wept tears of relief.
Nikki's emotional sister Stacey shouted: "Thank you, jury." Stacey, 39, said later: "We never thought we would see this day.
"It is an amazing feeling having that verdict. We are ecstatic.
"I was close to Nikki. It is justice at last for her - this is the best day of my life.
"We were starting to give up hope after 25 years. But my mum persevered. She is an amazing woman." CCTV images captured Nikki alive for the last time as she "skipped to her death" alongside Boyd. She trusted him because he was the boyfriend of her babysitter.
Boyd left Nikki's body with 37 stab wounds in the warehouse basement near her home.
His despicable crime finally caught up with him as the jury took less than two hours to convict him of murder.
BEAST
Nikki's mum never gave up her relentless search for the killer.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 13, 2023 من Daily Mirror UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 13, 2023 من Daily Mirror UK.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
SQUAD GAME
Southgate wields the axe once more and says: I have tough decisions to make and dropping these players proves I do NOT have favourites
Shutting the stable door after boss has bolted
BOEHLY BOASTED OF STABILITY BUT BLUES' ₤1BILLION PROJECT IS NOW BACK TO SQUARE ONE
Mowbray forced to quit as boss of Blues
TONY TO CONCENTRATE ON MAKING HIS RECOVERY FROM ILLNESS
ENGLAND JOF AND RUNNING
Captain Buttler excited to have Archer back but warns speedster must be given breathing space to find his feet again
KERR-CHING!
Josh determined to strike gold in track showdown of summer... and prove he's miles better than bitter rival Jakob on Saturday
Final salute to the Secret Spitfire teen who helped WW2 heroes take wing
Tributes to 'unsung' engineer Norman as he dies aged 98
Primary school skirt ban as some 'just too short'
A PRIMARY school has become the first in Britain to propose banning skirts because girls are wearing them too short.
Scarlett is losing Her voice
Actor's fury at chatbot's 'eerily similar' AI vocal
TELL ME WHY
Post Office scandal widow's plea for answers
Trump backflips and won't give evidence
Defence rests in porn star trial