Hunt for Britain's most-wanted fugitive after 2005 murder of mother

Telegraph

2 days ago

Detectives are hunting Britain's most-wanted fugitive 20 years on from the murder of a mother at her home.
Kevin Parle is wanted after Lucy Hargreaves, 22, was shot dead at her home in Walton, Liverpool on Aug 3 2005.
Ms Hargreaves was killed while she was asleep on the sofa after three men burst into her home, which they then set on fire. Her partner and two-year-old daughter were upstairs and had to escape through a window.
Police arrested 21 people as part of their investigations, but no one has been convicted.
Parle, who was believed to be living abroad, was also wanted in connection with the murder of Liam Kelly, 16, who was shot in the early hours of June 19 2004 in Dingle, Liverpool.
A comprehensive review into Ms Hargreaves' murder was started by Merseyside Police two years ago and remains active.
Detectives are also continuing to appeal for anyone with information about a gold Lexus car, believed to have been dumped shortly after the shooting on Richard Kelly Drive, Clubmoor, by a number of men who then ran in the direction of Normandale Road.
'She wasn't involved in criminality'
Howard Rubbery, head of the serious case review unit, said: 'The family remain absolutely devastated by Lucy's death.
'It's important to note Lucy is an absolutely innocent victim. She's not from a family of criminality. She wasn't involved in criminality.
'The hunt for Kevin Parle is very much on, and we ask anybody with information, anybody who is close to Parle and knows where he is, to please come forward.
'There were three males responsible for this offence and we are looking for justice for Lucy's family in relation to all three.
'I do believe that there are people out there who have yet to speak to the police, even though it's 20 years on, who hold information that's absolutely vital to our investigation.'
Two decades on, Ms Hargreaves' family released a previously unshared photograph of the mother-of-three, taken at college.
They said: 'Over the past 20 years, people will have talked with family and friends. A number of people were contacted by males using a phone that was stolen, along with a vehicle used in Lucy's murder.
'The people who received those calls, along with others, could have information which could be crucial in achieving justice for Lucy, her parents, sister, children and all her extended family and friends.
'We appeal directly to them to please come forward. Now is the time.'
Her family, who said they 'miss her every single day', welcomed a focus on tackling violence against women and girls in recent years.
They praised the families of other victims of gun crime, including Cheryl Korbel and Julie Dale, the mothers of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel and Ashley Dale, 28, who were shot in their homes in separate incidents in Liverpool in August 2022.
The family said: 'We greatly admire the determination and guts of the families of those who have more recently been killed as a result of gun crime here in Merseyside.
'The mums of both Ashley Dale and Olivia Pratt-Korbel have led a real and powerful community challenge to men of violence.'
The family added: 'We consider ourselves to be an ordinary local family with strong roots in the Walton, Norris Green, Croxteth and Dovecot areas of Liverpool.
'Lucy's nanny Joyce was a strong mother of eight who had to cope with the loss of three granddaughters in her lifetime - including Lucy.
'Her nanny Betty, left a widow aged 35 with six children to bring up, was awarded the British Empire Medal for her services to nursing as an auxiliary nurse in the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
'They were two strong local women typical of their generation, and Lucy too was a strong woman who could have achieved so much had she only been given the opportunity.'