£20,000 the reward as murder still unsolved 20 years on
A£20,000 reward to finally solve the murder of Paul Savage on the 20th anniversary of his shocking murder has been offered.
At 7.15am on a bitterly cold February 4, 2003, a postman lay dying on the snow-covered drive of a Flintshire home.
Paul Savage had been midway through his rounds, in Mold, when he was repeatedly coshed around the head so violently the base of his skull was crushed.
So quickly and efficiently did his killer strike that no-one appears to have seen the crime, and if there had been a scream from the victim, noone heard it.
Indeed, the first the owner of Coleshill, the property in Clayton Road where Mr Savage was attacked, knew of the incident was when he went to his car shortly afterwards.
There he found the unconscious postman, who had been beaten “ferociously” with a blunt weapon – he would not have much longer to live.
As the 30-year-old father-of-one was rushed to Wrexham Maelor Hospital, the police operation to find his attacker was launched.
Later witnesses reported seeing two young men wearing hoodies near where Mr Savage had left his bicycle at about the time the attack took place. The pair were seen heading towards Mold town centre.
Immediate theories were that the postman had been the victim of a robbery gone wrong or, less likely, an unprovoked attack. He had left Mold Post Office at 5.50am.
Shortly before 11am, the detectives were no longer investigating a violent assault but a murder, as Mr Savage passed away. He died without regaining consciousness.
It did not take long, however, for officers to reassess their initial thoughts behind the killing.
As they probed into the postman’s past, a picture emerged that suggested it may not have been some random tragedy.
Originally from Sale, Greater Manchester, Mr Savage, they learned, had a lengthy criminal record stretching back some 10 years.
He was jailed for nine months by Blackfriars Crown Court in October 2001 for possessing drugs with intent to supply. He had been caught with cannabis worth more than £1m.
On leaving prison, he did not stay long around his old haunts, instead taking his wife Charlotte and fouryear-old daughter to north Wales, settling in the village of Gwernaffield, near Mold.
There he had joined the Royal Mail as a casual employee and had not long been working full-time. But with such a colourful and criminal past, police began to suspect he could have been killed in a gangland hit or grudge attack.
Over the next few days and weeks detectives sought the help of the public, revealing more details about the deadly assault.
They revealed that Mr Savage had been struck several times with an 18in (45cm) club, believed to have been fashioned from a banister rail. Analysis revealed that paint on the heavy spindle matched that found on Mr Savage’s hat.
Horrified locals did all they could to assist the police but that came to nothing. Greater Manchester Police intelligence unit also assisted in the investigation.
That spring there appeared to be a breakthrough when five people were arrested and questioned, but they were released without charge.
A £25,000 reward offer also failed to bring the killer or killers to justice.
But as officers delved deeper into Mr Savage’s death, they exposed a criminal network throughout the area. And in November an undercover operation codenamed Lion, that had been set up to investigate the murder, resulted in a series of arrests of suspected traffickers.
Welcoming the news at the time June White, Mr Savage’s mother, who continued to campaign for her son’s killers to be brought to justice, renewed her own pleas.
Speaking to the Daily Post, she said: “Somebody out there knows who killed my son and what happened. I just ask what kind of mother or grandmother can harbour their son who has left a wife without a husband and a little girl without her daddy? What kind of sister, cousin or friend can live with themselves? How can they? How can they sleep at night?
“I sometimes wonder do the people who did this to my Paul have children of their own now? How would they like to get a knock on their door saying their child had been killed?
“Somebody knows who murdered my son. I will never give up. I won’t.”
Fifteen years on from the horrific unsolved murder, it became the focus of BBC One’s Crimewatch Roadshow Live, and not for the first time the case was thrust back into the public consciousness.
Now in support of the investigation and to help bring the case to a conclusion, the charity Crimestoppers, independent of the police, yesterday renewed a cash reward offer of £20,000 for information that leads to the conviction of those responsible for Paul Savage’s murder.
Detective Inspector Myfanwy Kirkwood said: “We are thinking of Paul’s family today, who have still not had the closure that they deserve, and justice has not been brought for Paul’s death.
“We believe that there is someone or some people out there with vital information that would help us to bring this investigation to a positive conclusion.
“I understand that people may feel reluctant to come forward after so many years, but I give reassurance that any information received will be treated confidentially and we are only interested in securing information that will assist in this investigation.
“No unsolved case is ever closed, and anyone with any new and substantial evidence to provide is asked to come forward.”
Gary Murray, from Crimestoppers, added: “Every day we hear from people who tell us how difficult it is to speak up about crime.
“This is a terribly sad case and our charity is keen to support the police by offering up to £20,000 for information we receive anonymously that leads to a conviction.
“Remember, that with Crimestoppers, we never ask for or store any of your personal details such as your name or contact number. All we ask is that you tell us what you know.
“If you have information, please visit Crimestoppers-uk.org and fill in our anonymous online form, or call freephone 0800 555 111 anytime. When you are ready to tell us what you know we will be here for you.”
Anyone with information about the case can also make contact via the North Wales Police website or by calling 101.