4:32pm Monday 23rd November 2009
By Harry Miller
Detectives hunting the murderers of an innocent young man have offered a £20,000 reward for information that leads to their arrest.
On the first anniversary of Ricardo Cox’s death detectives investigating the case have launched the appeal to try and catch the gunman.
Police were called to Mitcham Road, Croydon at 9.20pm on November 26, 2008 following reports of a shooting.
Ricardo Cox, 20, of Mitcham Road, was rushed to hospital after being shot twice in the chest but was pronounced dead on arrival.
He was shot with what is believed to be a .22 calibre firearm, possibly a revolver.
Ricardo had been walking along Mitcham Road with his brother Oniel after returning from Kentucky Fried Chicken in the town centre.
As they were nearing their house a stolen black Honda Civic - registration DG56 XTR - pulled up alongside them asked if they knew the “DSN Byrd Gang.”
When they said no and continued to walk the car drove off, turned around and a passenger, believed to be in the front seats, fired a number of shots at the brothers, two of which hit Ricardo in the chest.
The gunman is described as a light-skinned black man, aged 18 to 20 years old, with short Afro style hair and clean-shaven. He had a deep voice and was wearing a thin black jacket.
The car was discovered on Monday, December 1 on Peall Road, having been abandoned by at least two men.
Juliette Mitchell, Ricardo's aunt, said: "Ricky your life was a short journey, yet we are of the past living in the future without our Ricky. Someone out there must have known something.
"Our lives have been destroyed by those responsible for Ricardo's murder.
"Help the police to stop them before they destroy other people's lives. There is a £20,000 reward for anyone with information leading to their conviction."
DCI Damian Allain, of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command, said: "It is likely that the people involved in this incident may have boasted of their crime to friends or associates and I would ask that these people contact us.
"Ricardo's family deserve to know what happened that night and have a right to see his killers brought to justice."
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