Three years of agony - mother appeals for son's killers

Sam Rimmer (Merseyside Police/PA) Merseyside Police

A mother has made a heartbreaking appeal for information about her son's killers on the third anniversary of his murder. Joanne Rimmer said she had suffered "three painful and traumatic years" since Sam Rimmer was gunned down in Liverpool.

Sam Rimmer, 22, was with friends in Lavrock Bank, Dingle, when riders on two electric bikes drove into the cul-de-sac and fired shots at the group on August 16, 2022, at around 11.40pm. He was shot in the back while turned away from his attackers and died in hospital despite efforts to save him.

Ten people have been arrested in relation to the murder but no one has been charged. Police are still seeking the final breakthrough in their investigation.

Mother's devastating grief

Joanne Rimmer said: "It is three painful and traumatic years since Sam was murdered. The passing of time has not eased the pain. 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."

She added: "Unless you have experienced the murder of your child, you cannot begin to understand the agonising, torturous mental and emotional horror we endure daily. I died the day Sam did. I function but I do not live."

The grieving mother made a direct appeal to those with information: "My appeal is to the people who know who killed Sam. If you know something and you are reading this, please, please speak up. No one will ever know as it will be completely anonymous."

Police seek final breakthrough

Detective Chief Inspector Steve McGrath said Sam's family deserved justice and officers remained determined to find those responsible. He appealed specifically to people in the Dingle and Toxteth areas who might know the killers' identities.

McGrath 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?" He promised that information would be handled with care and protective measures would be put in place for those coming forward.

According to Manchester Evening News, 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.

Tragic context

Sam was a dad-to-be whose son was born in January 2023, sharing the same birthday month as Sam and his mother. Manchester Evening News reports the murder occurred during a devastating week that also saw the deaths of Ashley Dale and Olivia Pratt-Korbel in separate Liverpool shootings.

Anyone with information can contact Merseyside Police through their public portal, social media desk @MerPolCC on X, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111, quoting reference number 22000603397.

Sources used: "PA Media", "Manchester Evening News" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.