A £20,000 reward has been offered for information that could help solve the murder of a man in Liverpool. 22-year-old Sam Rimmer was shot in the back by a bullet from a Skorpion sub-machine gun two years ago. The dad-to-be from Bootle was hit by one of eight bullets fired from the deadly weapon on Lavrock Bank in the Dingle area of the city on Tuesday, August 16 in 2022. Police investigating the case believe he had no involvement in criminality and had been visiting friends inside an address on Lavrock Bank on the night of his murder, Liverpool Echo reports.
Later on that evening, at around 11.30pm, four suspects arrived on Lavrock Bank on two electric bikes before one of them opened fire towards Sam and his friends. Two years since the shooting, 10 people have been arrested and remain under investigation. However, no one has been charged with Sam’s murder. The charity Crimestoppers has now confirmed that it is supporting the investigation by offering up to £20,000 for information. They have appealed for various pieces of information, including who fired the gun; the names of those on the bikes at the time of the shooting; and what happened to the gun after it was used.
North west manager at Crimestoppers Gary Murray said: “Do you know who was involved in the ambush that led to Sam’s death? Despite extensive investigations with ten people being arrested and bailed since, this dreadful murder remains unsolved. Our charity knows that some people find it difficult to speak directly to the police. They want to make a difference, but fear of repercussions prevents them from coming forward. This is where we can help. Crimestoppers has always kept our promise of anonymity since our charity was formed in the 1980s. You can tell us what you know and you’re done. No police, no courts, no witness statements.
“Pass on what you know via the secure form on our website or speak to one of our specially trained call handlers at our 24/7 UK Contact Centre. You will stay completely anonymous and could be making a difference by helping the family and friends of Sam to see justice.” In a previous interview with investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath, the ECHO revealed the shooting came against the backdrop of a gang-related dispute that had been waged on the streets of Dingle.
McGrath said: “There were a number of incidents in and around the Dingle area over a 12 to 18 month period in the lead up to Sam’s murder. “This involved violence between individuals involved in localised drug dealing. We believe this might be part of that. Sam was of good character. Some of his associates are on the periphery of criminality and that’s why we believe this has happened. This is a group offence – what I believe is it’s a targeted attack on his group of friends and he has been in the middle of it.”
He added: “I am very confident one of those 10 people we have arrested was the one who pulled the trigger.” The investigating officer said he and his team believe they know who is responsible for the shooting but are still looking for “that final piece of the jigsaw” that will allow them to move forward with a successful prosecution. In a previous ECHO exclusive, it was revealed that a stray bullet went through a pensioner’s window on Lavrock Bank around five months before Sam’s murder.
DCI McGrath told the ECHO on the night of the shooting two electric bikes were tracked for a number of hours in the lead-up to the shooting. He said: “From the CCTV we have identified the two bikes coming into the area from the general direction of the city centre. They come into the Dingle area around 6pm. We have sightings of them in that period going around the estates. “They will have interacted with people in that time, they will have interacted with other groups and we think because of that they are looking to target particular individuals.”
Regarding the events on the night, DCI McGrath previously said his team have been given various accounts from people in the area but no one other than the two parties involved were a direct witness. He said: “One of our big hurdles is I don’t think these people have been completely honest with us. “We have appealed directly to them, they have provided information about being there but said they can’t assist us. Part of this is appealing directly to people who weren’t at the scene but know the offenders and have become knowledgeable about what happened. I understand they might not have been willing before, but if relationships have broken down or allegiances have changed, they can come forward with information to us.”
(Source: Wales Online)