RHYS MILFORD JONES 11YRS (9-27-1995 TO 8-22-2007) (KB-Sean Mercer- THE MURDER OF RHYS JONES April 18th, 2014 @3:57 PM Born: Rhys Milford Jones September 27th, 1995 Liverpool, England Died: August 22nd, 2007 (aged 11yrs) Croxteth Park Estate, Liverpool, England Cause Of Death: Gunshot Nationality: British Ethnicity: White British Known For: Murder victim Home Town: Liverpool Parents: Stephen Jones & Melanie Jones (nee Edwards) The murder of Rhys Milford Jones occurred in Liverpool, England, when he was shot in the back. A 16yr old youth, Sean Mercer, went on trial on October 2nd, 2008 and was convicted of murder on December 16th, 2008. Background Jones was the son of Stephen (born in Liverpool) and Melanie Jones (born in Wrexham) (née Edwards). They have an older son, Owen, who was born in 1990. Jones, who would have turned 12yrs one month after his death, had just left Broad Square Primary School on the Norris Green housing estate, and was due to start secondary school at Fazakerley High School in September 2007. His headteacher and neighbours said that Jones was a friendly, popular boy, and loved football. Incident Jones, who played for the Fir Tree Boys football club, was on his way home from football practice with two friends. As he was crossing the Fir Tree pub car park, on Fir Tree Drive South in the Croxteth Park estate, Liverpool, a hooded youth riding a silver mountain bike approached. He then held out a Smith & Wesson handgun at arms length firing three shots. It was originally believed that one of the shots hit Jones in the neck, but during the trial the pathologist revealed the bullet had entered his back above his left shoulder blade, and then exited from the front right side of his neck. The shooting occurred in daylight at 7:30 PM. Joness mother rushed to the scene when she heard what had happened. By the time his mother had reached him, he was unconscious. Paramedics tried for one and a half hours to resuscitate him, but he was pronounced dead some time later in Liverpools Alder Hey Childrens Hospital. Local radio station Radio City 96.7s programming on the night of the incident, in particular the 10 PM to 2 AM Pete Price show that changed its scheduling, was dedicated to an amnesty for witnesses and a talk on gun crime. Radio City also launched their anti-gun-crime campaign, In Rhyss Name Get Guns Off Our Streets, after the incident, later backed by Joness parents. Arrests And Investigation Detectives arrested and later released four people aged between 15yrs and 19yrs in connection with the crime. Two further arrests (both of teenagers) were made but both suspects were soon released on bail pending further enquiries. The police appealed to the public for information, stating that they needed help in finding those who had committed the crime. The murder weapon was described as a black handgun with a long barrel. More than 300 officers and gun crime specialists were deployed in the hunt for Joness killer. Joness parents made a fresh appeal for witnesses to come forward on September 19th – four weeks after the murder, which was reconstructed on Crimewatch on September 26th. In the episode, Joness mother appealed directly to the murderers mother to turn her son in. It led to 12 people calling into the programme giving police the same name. Despite reports that the killers name was widely known and had appeared on internet sites and in graffiti, police continued their appeal for witnesses to come forward. On April 15th, 2008, Merseyside police confirmed 11 people (all aged between 17yrs and 25yrs) had been arrested in connection with the case. Six more men of a similar age were arrested the next day in connection with the murder: one for murder and the other five for assisting an offender. One of these men had already been charged with possessing a firearm. All six of them were remanded in custody by Liverpool Magistrates on April 17th, 2008. Another man was charged in connection with the case on April 18th, 2008, and remanded the same day. On December 16th, 2008, at the end of a 9-week trial in the Crown Court at Liverpool before Mr Justice Irwin and a jury, Sean Mercer, a member of the Croxteth crew gang, was convicted of murder. Mercer, aged 18yrs, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years. Other gang members James Yates, 20yrs; Nathan Quinn, 18yrs; Gary Kays, 26yrs; and Melvin Coy, 25yrs as well as Boy M, 16yrs were convicted of assisting an offender and Boy K – Dean Kelly, 17yrs, was convicted of 4 related offences. Gary Kays and Melvin Coy were both sentenced to 7 years. In January, 2009, James Yates was sentenced to 7 years, Dean Kelly to 4 and Nathan Quinn to 2. A 16yr old was sentenced to a 2-year supervision order. Parents of the gang members, including Janette Mercer, Sean Mercers mother, and Francis Yates and Marie Yates, the parents of James Yates, were later tried and convicted for perverting the course of justice. On October 28th, 2009, James Yates had his sentence increased to 12 years imprisonment, following a referral to the Court of Appeal by the Solicitor General Vera Baird QC as being too lenient. On November 2nd, 2009, Mercer stabbed Jake Fahri (Jimmy Mizens murderer), apparently having crafted a makeshift knife from a pair of tweezers. Gangs Residents in Jones locality have said that there have been problems with anti-social behaviour, and in reaction to this, last year, Merseyside Police made the area around the pub into a designated area, meaning that officers could disperse groups and move people away from the area. The police vehemently stressed that the murder was not gang-related. It is still not clear what the motive was, but a case of mistaken identity is being considered. Jones may have been caught in the crossfire between gangs. Croxteth Crew Sean Mercer, and the others convicted of involvement in the murder, were known to be members of the Croxteth Crew – an active criminal gang in Croxteth. The murder came the day before the first anniversary of the killing of Liam Smith, an alleged member of a rival gang, the Norris Green Strand Crew, who was shot dead by members of the Croxteth Crew as he walked out of Altcourse Prison, Liverpool, on August 23rd, 2006. The youth gang phenomenon, and youth gangs of Liverpool in particular, drew high media attention after the murder. Tributes And Public Reaction Jones was a dedicated supporter of Everton Football Club, and had a season ticket along with his father and brother. Players of the team laid a floral tribute, football boots and football shirts at the scene of the shooting, and players and fans paid tribute to him in a minutes applause at the home game with Blackburn Rovers, held on Saturday, August 25th at Goodison Park. After a suggestion from Liverpool Echo columnist Tony Barrett in his blog, which was supported by many of its readers, in an unprecedented move arch rivals Liverpool agreed to play the beginning of the Z-Cars theme tune Johnny Todd – the song that traditionally greets the arrival of the Everton team onto the Goodison Park pitch – prior to the Liverpool theme tune of Youll Never Walk Alone ahead of their UEFA Champions League game with Toulouse on August 28th. This was followed by a period of applause, and the Liverpool players and staff, Toulouse players and match day officials wore black armbands during the game. Over 2,500 mourners attended Joness funeral, which was held in Liverpool Anglican Cathedral on September 6th, 2007. His family issued a public invitation for well- wishers to attend the service, where mourners were requested to wear bright clothes or football strips. During the service, Joness father read a poem he had written for his son. Everton footballer Alan Stubbs read from the Bible. After the service there was a private burial. If you suspect that a child is being abused or neglected...It is your duty to report it! :( Call this number to report child abuse ANY WHERE 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or National Center For Abused, Missing and Exploited Children 1(800)843-5678. Please Share!!! Thank you! ^_^ FOR Missing CHILDREN: 1-800-THE LOST (1-800-843-5678) Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.- Martin Luther King, Jr.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 23:03:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015