Fresh appeal 20 years on from murder of man in Cinderford
32 year-old Shaun James died on 15 December 2002.
Police are making a fresh appeal for information - 20 years on from the murder of a man in Cinderford.
Shaun James was 32 when he was deliberately run over by a van and killed in a lane off of Steam Mills Road - after leaving the Upper Bilson Inn around 6.45pm on 15 December 2002.
Police who investigated the case at the time believed the incident was a hit and run.
In 2014, a cold case review of evidence led to the case being reclassified as murder.
In 2015 five people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit Shaun’s murder but were later released without charge.
Detective Inspector Paula Hannaford said: “The family feels the heartache of their loss every day but especially so each Christmas and 20 years is far too long to wait for justice.
“As police we have never given up hope of securing the key evidence that can help us bring people to court - over 1500 actions were carried out as part of our original enquiries - but now we need new information.
“We don’t need rumours people have heard over the years, we need first-hand information about what happened or first-hand information about those people involved. If you’re worried about your safety we can reassure you of measures that can be put in place for you to support a prosecution.
“Shaun's murder was unimaginably callous and now, 20 years later, my hope is that allegiances have changed and someone may feel able to provide evidence that could bring people to justice. If you have that information, I urge you to help us give the family a measure of closure and come forward."
Shaun's son Jesse James said: "It’s been 20 years since my dad was killed and seven since the case was last appealed.
"We know there are people still in the community that know something about what happened to him. Whatever reasons people have had not to come forward, we hope that the circumstances have changed enough over the course of time, particularly over the last few years, to give them the courage to do the right thing.
"People have died, relationships ended, loyalties changed and I would urge people to consider how it feels for our family not to know what happened, put yourself in our shoes and do the right thing and come forward."
Shaun's daughter Layla James said: "Every year that passes gets harder. My eldest child is the same age as I was when my dad was killed. I lived nearly my whole life wondering who could have killed my dad, I need answers, there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss my dad. I didn’t even get the chance to make him proud of me.
"So much has happened he will never get to meet his grandchildren and that kills me every single day. Please if you know anything that may bring justice for my dad please say. 20 years have passed, that’s nearly my whole life of missing my dad, he deserves justice as do we all."
Shaun's stepdaughter Laura Brownson said: "When the case reopened some seven plus years ago, arrests happened. This had an ongoing domino effect on our lives. Friendships were affected and lost. Life was literally never the same.
"This could have been avoided. It was a second chance for certain people to grow a conscience. Both cases went on for a number of years, the guilt must have been horrific. Or was it... instead of this, we were all left to suffer, yet again. It's been 20 years! It's high time you came forward!"
Shaun's family will be releasing balloons in Shaun's memory in the Triangle, Cinderford, at 6.45pm on Thursday 15 December and are asking the community to come along.