In a case where 13 arrests were made and the murder weapon was recovered, it would have been reasonable to hope that justice would follow soon after.
But almost eight years on, no-one has been charged over the murder of 17-year-old Kevin Wilson, a Scotland native who moved to Liverpool and it is believed fell in with a bad crowd.
Detectives at the time believed Kevin had been lured to the junction of Smithdown Road and Holmes Street in Wavertree at around 8.30pm on February 7, 2015. What interaction took place, if any, between Kevin and his killers is not known, but it ended with a single bullet from a 9mm Russian Baikal automatic pistol striking the teenager in the back.
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The gunman fled down a narrow back alley off Holmes Street to make his escape, before he vanished among the warren of residential streets off Smithdown Road.
Detectives treated the incident as targeted and believe it was linked to a low-level drugs rivalry. The investigation into Kevin's death was massive, but at an inquest into his death in October, 2015, detectives admitted 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.
In a shocking twist, it later emerged one reason the murder likely remained unsolved was the despicable actions of opportunistic thief Curtis Connick, then 31, who came across Kevin as he lay dying in the street.
In an act described as the "lowest you can get," Connick, then of Hawkins Street, Kensington, was seen by a witness to nudge Kevin's body with his foot and then steal his phone.
But to make matters worse, Connick later dumped the phone - and any potentially crucial evidence it held - in a bin outside Lime Street station. Detectives believed the phone and any secrets it held could be so vital a team of officers spent three days searching a rubbish dump in a desperate but ultimately unsuccessful effort to retrieve it.
Connick was jailed for three years and three months at Liverpool Crown Court in October 2016, after admitting theft and perverting the course of justice.
In an effort to keep hope alive, Kevin's mum Jane issued a new appeal for information on the five year anniversary of his death in 2020. She said: "For everyone that knew him, the pain of losing Kevin is no less five years on and he is missed every day.
"We all feel that he would be more at peace knowing who is responsible for his murder, so if you know anything at all about who killed my son, please let the police know.
"Kevin would be 22 years old now and my heart breaks every birthday and anniversary that he is not with us. He was just a teenager when he was killed and it pains me to think about all the milestones he will never see.
"Kevin will never be forgotten by those that love him, so if you can find it in your heart to assist the police, please do. My son didn’t deserve to die, but the least his memory deserves is justice."
A potential breakthrough came 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.
At the time of his inquest in October, 2015, Liverpool area coroner Anita Bhardwaj heard that Kevin was involved in drug dealing and was known to police.
The court heard on the night of his death, Kevin was called out to make a deal but was shot in the back after meeting the unknown killer. DC Cunningham revealed that no-one had come forward to claim the £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.”
Despite the challenges, Merseyside Police said the investigation remains open and any new information could lead to a breakthrough.
Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Wilson said: “Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Wilson said: “We still need people to come forward and speak us so his family can have the answers they deserve and they can get justice for Kevin’s death.
"If you know something it is never too late. Any piece of information, no matter how small could prove vital to our investigation and I urge people to share information with police, or anonymously through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
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