The race against time to find justice for family of murdered 23-year-old Kirsty Jones

In June 2000, Kirsty Jones from Tredomen, near Brecon, set off on a round-the-world trip in search of adventure, excitement and discovery.

Only two months later, 23-year-old Kirsty's gap-year trip would come to an abrupt and violent end while she stayed at a backpackers hostel in the Chiang Mai province of Thailand.

On August 10th, Kirsty was raped and strangled in the hostel.

Her killer has never been found and despite numerous arrests, no one has been prosecuted for her murder.

Now, nearly 20 years on, Kirsty's family are facing the final deadline to get justice for her murder.

Thai law includes a 20-year Statute of Limitations, which in effect means you cannot be tried for a crime committed more than two decades previously. After August this year, Kirsty's family's fading hopes of finding justice will finally be over. Time is running out.

"In the early stages of the investigation, we hoped and prayed that they would find who did this to Kirsty," says Kirsty's mother Sue Jones.

"Then as the years have gone by and there have been no further developments we have lost faith with how the case has been conducted in Thailand.

"While the Foreign Office was helpful to start with, they have not been there in recent years. We know that it is unlikely that much will change between now and August or that anyone will come forward".

Dyfed Powys Police investigators have recently travelled to Thailand to continue liaising with the Thai authorities and support their investigation into Kirsty's murder.

"The primacy for the investigation rests with the Department of Specialist Investigations (DSI) in Thailand and Dyfed-Powys Police is committed to supporting the progression of this investigation", a spokesperson for the force said.

"Officers have recently been to Thailand and visited the scene in Chiang Mai, they met with the DSI investigation team, pathologist and scientist to obtain information on their investigation, and assist with the forensic examination of exhibits".

It had been the second long adventure Kirsty had been on. In 1996 she had travelled to Australia and had returned home via Thailand.

On returning home she started and completed an English and media studies degree at Liverpool University in 1999.

Her family said they felt no reason to worry second time around as Kirsty was older, wiser and more experienced.

Kirsty headed 435 miles north of Bangkok to the well-known trekking hub Chiang Mai - going on jungle hikes, riding elephants and visiting hill tribes.

But a month later her parents were given the devastating news that their daughter had been killed.

News of Kirsty's death was broadcast across the world and the Thai police explored various lines of investigation in the search for her killer. There was a string of witnesses and the guest house owner was initially charged with rape and murder before the evidence against him was declared not to be credible.

In 2012, a team from ITV Cymru Wales joined Dyfed Powys Police officers and Kirsty's mother, Sue, on a trip to Thailand to meet with Thai prosecutors.

At the time, Dyfed Powys Police announced a £10,000 reward for any information about the moments up to her murder.

News anchor Jonathan Hill was among those on that trip.

"The case has stayed with me for two decades because of the determination of Sue and the detectives who worked with her at Dyfed Powys Police to get justice for Kirsty", Jonathan said.

"They have never given up hope of finding the evidence to bring Kirsty's killer before the courts.

"Even when in 2012 I had the privilege of travelling with Sue Jones to Thailand to offer a cash reward for information, you always felt that the case was still detectable.

"Now it seems that right to justice will be taken away from the family because of the quirks of Thai law".

Even as the final deadline for justice fast approaches, Jonathan says he still thinks the killer could have been found.

"Be in no doubt that this case is solvable", Jonathan said. "Welsh detectives managed to recover a full DNA profile of the person who strangled Kirsty to death back in 2000 and they have shared this with the Thai authorities.

"A targeted DNA screening of local men in Chiang Mai would probably have revealed the killer's identity but the case was always uncomfortable for the Thai authorities and no doubt there will be those who would rather it be consigned to history, case closed.

"What is striking about the last two decades is how Sue Jones has conducted herself with such dignity. She never wavered from her promise to get justice for Kirsty and there can be no better demonstration of a mother's love for her daughter."

Police in Wales still hold some dwindling hope that the deadlock will be broken and some new information could come to light before the deadline.

A spokesperson said, "Dyfed-Powys Police is aware of the expiry of the Thai 20 year Statute of Limitations and the investigation continues with this firmly in mind”.

Sue Jones, who visited Thailand twice during her quest, is more philosophical. After such a long battle for justice, she is well aware she and her family are unlikely to ever see anyone prosecuted.

"I have very mixed feelings", Sue says.

"I do ask myself if there is anything more we could have done, if we should have gone to Thailand more.

"I just hope we did everything that we could for Kirsty, and that after 20 years she will be able to rest in peace."