The mother of a man shot dead by attackers on electric bikes three years ago has made an agonising appeal for help finding his killers, saying “I died the day Sam did.”
Joanne Rimmer’s heartbreaking plea comes on the third anniversary of her son Sam’s murder in Liverpool, with ten arrests made but no charges brought despite extensive police investigations.
Sam Rimmer, 22, was shot in the back on 16 August 2022 when riders on electric bikes drove into Lavrock Bank in Dingle and fired at him and his friends. The young father-to-be was injured and died a short while later in hospital.
“I Function But I Do Not Live”
In an emotional statement marking three years since the killing, Mrs Rimmer revealed the devastating impact of losing her son and the haunting memories that plague her daily.
“It is three painful and traumatic years since Sam was murdered. The passing of time has not eased the pain,” she said. “People say to cherish the memories, but when I think of Sam, the memory I have is of his body in the morgue, staring at his chest, willing him to breathe. No parent should ever have to identify their child’s body.”
Mrs Rimmer’s anguish was palpable as she described her existence since the murder: “I died the day Sam did. I function but I do not live.”
The grieving mother pleaded directly with those who may have information: “If you know something and you are reading this, please, please speak up. No one will ever know as it will be completely anonymous.”
She revealed the image that continues to haunt her: “Sam was shot in his back. He was turned away from his killers. This image haunts me. In his final moments, was he scared? Was he in pain?”
Fatal Attack on Quiet Cul-de-Sac
The attack occurred at around 11.40pm on Tuesday 16 August 2022, when Sam was with a group of friends on Lavrock Bank, a quiet cul-de-sac in the Dingle area of Liverpool. Two electric bikes drove into the street and the riders fired multiple shots towards the group.
Sam, from Bootle, suffered a gunshot wound to his upper body. Despite the best efforts of police officers who performed CPR at the scene and ambulance staff, he was pronounced dead at hospital shortly after midnight.
Reports suggest eight bullets were fired from a Skorpion sub-machine gun by four suspects on two electric bikes. The shooting reportedly stemmed from a gang-related dispute involving drug dealing that had developed over 12 to 18 months.
First of Three Tragic Killings
Sam’s murder marked the beginning of one of the darkest weeks for gun crime on Liverpool’s streets. His death was followed by two more fatal shootings that shocked the city and the nation.
Five days later, on 21 August, 28-year-old Ashley Dale, a Knowsley Council environmental health officer, was shot dead in the back garden of her home in Old Swan. The following day, nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed when a gunman chasing another man burst into her home in Dovecot and opened fire, also injuring her mother Cheryl.
The gun that killed Sam was a Skorpion sub-machine gun – the same type of weapon used in Ashley Dale’s murder.
Father Who Never Met His Son
Adding to the tragedy, Sam was a father-to-be whose son was born in January 2023, sharing the same birthday month as Sam and his mother. The baby, also named Sam, will never know his father.
Mrs Rimmer said: “Unless you have experienced the murder of your child, you cannot begin to understand the agonising, torturous mental and emotional horror we endure daily.”
Police Need “Final Piece of Puzzle”
Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath, the senior investigating officer, said police “just need the final piece of the puzzle” to bring Sam’s killers to justice.
“Sam’s death has had a devastating impact on his family, and in particular his mum, and they deserve to get justice,” he said. “It has now been three years since Sam was tragically killed, but we are still determined as ever to find the person or people responsible.”
DCI McGrath revealed that suspects had been traced from the murder scene at 11.36pm through to Hunts Cross Avenue near the junction of Whitney Place in Woolton, where they were last seen at 12.04am.
“We know that there are people out there who live in the Dingle/Toxteth area who know who is responsible and my appeal is for those people to come forward and tell us what they know,” he urged.
He specifically asked: “Do you know who was riding on the bikes that arrived in Lavrock Bank that night? Do you know where they went afterwards or where they are being stored?”
Extensive Protection for Witnesses
DCI McGrath emphasised that any information would be handled carefully with “extensive measures” put in place to protect anyone who comes forward.
“At that time of night, the riding of two electric bikes at high speed in these areas will have been unusual,” he noted, appealing to anyone who may have seen or heard something without realising its significance.
Ten people have been arrested in relation to Sam’s murder over the past three years. Four males aged between 17 and 23 were initially arrested on suspicion of murder and remain on conditional bail. Additional arrests have followed, bringing the total to ten, but prosecutors have yet to bring charges against any suspect.
How to Help
Police are urging anyone who witnessed the incident, was in the area at the time, or has any other information to come forward. They stress that even seemingly insignificant details could prove crucial.
Anyone with information can contact Merseyside Police through their dedicated public portal, via @MerPolCC on X (formerly Twitter), or leave information anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
As Mrs Rimmer’s agonising wait for justice continues, her plea echoes across Liverpool: somewhere, someone knows who killed her son. Three years on, she hopes they will finally find the courage to speak up.
Follow for more updates on Britannia Daily
