The person responsible for killing a 29-year-old man is still walking the street five years on.
Adam Ellison was assaulted in Market Place in Prescot in the early hours of November 4, 2017 after becoming involved in an altercation with two males onboard a scrambler bike. Adam was stabbed in the neck with an unknown weapon causing him to fall to the ground.
He was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after 2am. Since that day, several lines of enquiry have been carried out as part of an ongoing investigation and arrests have been made but, to date, nobody has been charged.
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On what marks the fifth anniversary, Adam's mum Joyce and sisters Nicola and Joanne have issued a heart-breaking appeal as they say his death has left them with "a black hole that will never be filled again".
In the video, mum Joyce said: "Everyday getting to his anniversary is hard. People still come up to you and say how sorry they are and about not having justice yet, it's lovely that people around us are saying about being strong, but we're not.
"People don't see how we are because it really hurts. We've got a black hole that will never be filled up again." Sister Nicola said it "still feels like yesterday" as Joyce added: "As we get nearer the time, sometimes I just want to curl up in a corner and just not be around here."
The ADAM Foundation (Achieving Dreams And Memories) set up in Adam's memory continues to campaign against knife crime across Merseyside and supports community initiatives in the Prescot area. Regularly visiting schools in the area, the family's aim is to prevent further devastation.
Speaking about knife crime, the grieving family said it was "devastating" as they ask "why is this happening to decent people?" They added it is "frightening".
Renewing their appeal, Detective Chief Inspector Cath Cummings, who is the senior investigating officer on the case, said: "A lot has happened in the five years since Adam’s murder but solving this case means as much to the investigation team now as it did then.
"We know that every day his killer walks the street his family continue to suffer and will not rest until the person responsible for his death is in prison. Since 2017 we have carried out numerous lines of enquiry and followed up on hundreds of pieces of intelligence, spoken to dozens of witnesses and trawled through hours of CCTV footage."
DCI Cummings urged people to "help a bereaved family to family have some peace and the chance to grieve". Information can be supplied directly to the investigating team by going to www.mipp.police.uk and clicking on the Merseyside Police badge.
DCI Cummings added: "Time is never a barrier to justice. Please come forward, tell us what you know. If you don’t want to speak to the police then please get in touch with Crimestoppers and give your information totally anonymously."
Anyone with information which could assist the investigation can DM @MerPolCC or call 101. @CrimestoppersUK can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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