FIFTEEN years to the day that Jesse Richards was killed in Evesham over a drugs debt, detectives have re-appealed for information to locate his body.
Det Insp Gareth Evans from West Mercia Police has asked for anyone who knows anything to “do the decent thing” so his family can put him to rest.
The father-of-three from Surrey was last seen during a business trip in Worcestershire in July 2009.
He was killed in a violent attack in Cleeve Prior on 31 July 2009 and in 2012 five men were jailed for a total of 50 years in prison. They have since served their sentences and been released.
Despite extensive enquiries and searches, Jesse’s body has never been found, leaving his family with unanswered questions and further suffering around his death.
Police are urging anyone with information or who knows where his body is to make contact and not to rely on someone else doing so.
Det Insp Evans said that despite any involvement in crime that Jesse had at the time of his death, his family did not and have been left to suffer for 15 years without the opportunity to lay him to rest.
He said: “Jesse would now be 55 and his mother, Lucy Richards, is all too aware that she will not be around forever. She lives with the hope that before it is too late for her, someone will do the decent thing and identify where his remains could be recovered from.
“Someone knows where his body is and I would ask that person to tell us. If it was your loved one, you would want to know. Alliance’s change over time so perhaps you didn’t feel you could come forward then, but can now.
“Put yourself in the family’s shoes and do the decent thing while Jesse’s mother can still put her son to rest.”
He reiterated that West Mercia Police still remains actively committed to finding Jesse and is imploring anyone with knowledge to provide the information required to assist in the enquiry – anonymously if necessary.
Each year since his death, Lucy Richards has appealed for anyone with information to come forward and hopes that this year someone will.
She said: “I have appealed for 15 years for the return of my Jesse and every year I hope for a positive result but so far have been bitterly disappointed. If you can’t come forward with the information I need for me and my family, then do it for the £10,000 reward that is available for the recovery of his body.
“I hope that this year is different and that this is the year I will be able to lay him to rest. I’m not getting any younger and it worries me that I may never get to do that.
“Every time I see on the news an unidentified body has been discovered I am put through the torture of wondering and waiting to see if it might be him, it doesn’t get any easier as the time passes but I live in hope and will keep doing so.
“I would again reiterate my previous plea that if anyone knows anything no matter how small it may seem, think about me, think about the rest of his family, think how you would feel if you were me and please, get in touch with the police.”
Anyone with any information that could help the searches is urged to contact Det Insp Evans on 07977 068033 or email [email protected]. Alternatively, they can contact the independent charity crimestoppers anonymously via crimestoppers-uk.org or 0800 555 111.
