A heartbroken mum whose teenage son was shot dead said her family would “feel so much better” if the person who pulled the trigger was caught.
Kevin Wilson was murdered when he was 17 when he was shot in the back and left to die at the junction of Smithdown Road and Holmes Street more than nine years ago. Detectives who have continued to probe the case believe Kevin was lured to the scene of his death at around 8.30pm on the night of February 7, 2015.
Police do not know what interaction, if any, took place between Kevin and his killers, but it ended with a single bullet from a 9mm Russian Baikal automatic pistol being pumped into his back. As Kevin lay dying from his injuries, local crook Curtis Connick disgustingly stepped over his body and stole his mobile phone which was ringing in his pocket.
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Kevin’s mum Jane spoke to the ECHO in December last year and urged the public not to forget her son following a year of high-profile murder cases which included schoolgirl Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Ashley Dale and Elle Edwards. Jane, who is from Glasgow but now lives in Cumbria, said the pain of her son’s death remains raw and overwhelming as she claws for some form of justice.
Jane said: “Every day. I think about him every day. He’s got a mum, he’s got a dad, he’s got sisters and brothers. The fact his life was cut so short, that’s what really hurts. We would feel so much better if they caught the guy who did it.”
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police told the ECHO this week that “the family are clearly devastated that they have not had justice for his death” but officers “remain determined as ever to find who was responsible”.
Describing the moment she first heard about Kevin’s death from his dad, Paul, in a late night phone call, Jane told the ECHO: “I could not take it in. I just could not take it in. My partner, William, had only died five weeks before that, so I could not take it in.
“I stayed up all night, I could not sleep, I could not believe it. I got myself ready, and walked down to the train station. I didn’t know what to do, and the lady from British Transport Police came over and asked if I was ok. I said my son, I need to get to Liverpool, my son’s dead. Then I collapsed.”
The officer arranged to have her taken to Liverpool where she had to identify Kevin’s body. She said: “I had to see him, I had to see him, he was my boy. I didn’t believe it until I saw him lying on the mortuary slab.”
Jane said that Kevin had a girlfriend in Liverpool, and would stay there while also living with his dad in London and visiting his native Glasgow. She said Kevin found himself mixing with a tough crowd, but added he was far from a serious criminal. She claimed: “He was just a silly boy, but he got mixed up with a really bad crowd”.
At an inquest into Kevin’s death in October 2015, the investigation team said they had exhausted all known lines of enquiry. Detective Constable Martin Cunningham told Liverpool Coroner’s Court that despite tracing the gun, it had not been possible to link it to the person who pulled the trigger.
The court heard on the night of his death, Kevin was called out to make a deal but was shot after meeting the unknown killer. DC Cunningham revealed that no-one had come forward to claim a £10,000 reward offered by police for information. He said: “People are either too frightened, or don’t have that knowledge. We’ve taken it as far as we can.”
Police admitted one of the main reasons for the stalled investigation was Connick’s theft of the phone. He admitted dumping the phone in a bin near Lime Street Station. Despite a three-day search effort at a rubbish dump, the phone was never recovered and any potentially crucial evidence it held was lost. Connick was jailed after admitting theft and perverting the course of justice.
A potential breakthrough did come when the murder weapon was uncovered during an open land search. But although violent criminal Malcolm Graham, then 19, was jailed in connection to possessing the Baikal pistol on a different occasion, police and prosecutors accepted he was not involved in Kevin’s murder. Graham has since made new headlines for illegally forging a rap career in prison under the name Mazza L20.
Kevin’s murder probe is currently being treated as a cold case and remains under review by Merseyside Police’s Serious Crime Review Unit. A Merseyside Police spokesperson told the ECHO: “It is now nine years since Kevin’s senseless murder and the family are clearly devastated that they have not had justice for his death. Although a considerable amount of time has passed Merseyside Police has a process for managing and reviewing unsolved murders and I want the public to know that no murder investigation is ever closed.
“We remain determined as ever to find who was responsible for Kevin’s death. We know the answers to solving this and bringing the killer to justice lies within our communities. There are people out there who know exactly what happened on that night and we need them to find the courage and do the right thing by coming forward and speak up.
“It may seem trivial or unimportant but any piece of information could be the key to progressing this investigation and getting closure for Kevin’s family. We know that people can be reluctant or fearful in coming forward, but please be rest assured there are special measures that we can put in place to protect witnesses.”
Anyone with any information is asked to direct message @MerPolCC on X (formerly Twitter) call 101 or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers UK, completely anonymously, via social media or by calling 0800 555 111.
The Liverpool Echo news communities
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
