A horrified daughter held her dad in his final moments after he was gunned down outside his mum-in-law's West Derby home.
Nicky Ayers, a 46-year-old amateur football manager, was shot seven times at close range on South Cantril Avenue in the early hours of April 29, 2010. The Western Approaches Sunday league boss had spent the evening having dinner at his relative's house and watching Crimewatch before heading to meet a friend on nearby Meadow Lane.
Mr Ayers returned back to his mum-in-law's from a local chip shop when he was confronted by a killer who fired multiple shots hitting the dad. His eldest daughter, who was pregnant at the time, heard the shots and looked out the window to see her dad bleeding on the ground.
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Lyndsay, who was 26 at the time, was asleep but was woken by the series of bangs. She previously told the ECHO how she ran out and rubbed her dad's shoulder while he took his final breaths.
Seventeen people were arrested in connection with the murder and the ECHO understands the name of the suspected killer was passed to police. However, nobody was charged with his murder.
Thirteen years on from the senseless murder, Kevin Clague, head of Merseyside Police's Serious Crime Review Unit, told the ECHO: "This year marks thirteen years since the shocking murder of 46-year-old Nicky Ayers and we remain committed to finding those responsible for his death on Thursday, April 29, 2010.
"His death devastated his whole family and we stand firm in our determination to get answers for them. The years that have now passed since this tragic murder may have given people who hold valuable information the courage to come forward.
"They may find themselves in different areas or circumstances in their lives. If that is you, please contact police directly or anonymously through Crimestoppers and we will take action."
The ECHO previously reported how the killing of Mr Ayers, who was previously jailed for his role in a plot to flood Jersey with ecstasy, lies at the top end of the criminal underworld. Sources claimed the dad-of-two was murdered after a "respect issue" with the brother of a feared crime boss. The killer, believed to have come from Stockbridge Village, was paid to shoot Mr Ayers.
It was also previously reported how a gangland rival went looking for the dad in the months leading up to his murder, which led to shots fired near a children's football pitch in Vauxhall. A man armed with a samurai sword also went looking for the dad as part of the attack while players from his team changed before their match.
And in another incident reports stated how guns were drawn ahead of a match between Western Approaches and its Croxteth rivals the Lobster. Merseyside Police had often provided a presence at matches including Western Approaches following outbreaks of violence and threats, with a particular flashpoint occurring in October 2007 when a man was stabbed at a match against the Oyster Martyrs.
Detectives investigating Mr Ayers' death previously put out a £25,000 reward for information, and put out grainy CCTV footage of a silver car driving erratically on Princess Drive and Snowberry Road near the scene. A motorbike was also seen in the area soon after the shooting, but neither vehicle was traced.
Speaking in the weeks following his death, Lyndsay said he was a "family man" who made a living for himself buying and selling cars. Lyndsay, who gave birth to Ria-Nicole two weeks after her dad's death, added: "Even though it’s only five months on, it feels like a nightmare that you don’t wake up from.
"Everything’s changed in a second. It’s like the rug’s been pulled from under our feet. It won’t be the same again."
If you hold any information, please contact detectives on 101, via Merseyside Police's social media desk @MerpolCC, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their online form at: Give information anonymously | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org).
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