Victorian detectives investigating the cold case murder of "forgotten gangster" Willie Thompson have released a composite image of a man they believe may hold clues to solving the fatal shooting.
Thompson, who had connections to a range of gangland figures, including convicted murderer Carl Williams, Jason Moran and Nick Radev, was shot dead beside his car on Waverley Road in Malvern East in 2003.
He had finished training at a martial arts gym and was returning to his car at around 8:30pm when a red Ford sedan drove across several lanes of traffic from a nearby carpark.
A male passenger and the driver got out of the vehicle and began firing shots at Thompson, who died at the scene.
Detectives now believe it's likely that a third person was there with the two men when Thompson was killed, and that a second vehicle was deliberately parked in front of his car in an attempt to box him in.
Police have released a composite image of a man they are hoping to identify, and are urging anyone who may recognise him to come forward.
"Even though it's been almost 16 years since Thompson's death, we still believe there are people out there with information about this case," Detective Acting Inspector Gerry McKenna said.
"We absolutely believe that it can be solved and the offenders can be brought to justice.
"Obviously circumstances can change, so people who did not feel comfortable speaking to police at the time may now be in a position to do so and this is why we are making this appeal for information again."
Thompson was known to be involved in trafficking amphetamines, and had links to Western Australia.
Last year, Victoria Police issued a $1 million reward for information leading to the conviction of his killers.
Thompson's murder, which came at the height of Melbourne's gangland war and prompted little public attention, led detectives to describe him as a "forgotten gangster".
