£200,000 is an enormous reward in Crimestopper history which is being offered to the person who will provide information leading to the conviction of Olivia Pratt-Korbel’s killer.
On Wednesday afternoon, Merseyside police and Crimestoppers held a press conference, reiterating their appeal for people to come forward a month after the murder of the nine-year-old.
Nine men have been arrested and released without any charge since Olivia Pratt Korbel was murdered at her residence in Liverpool.
Police said that Joseph Nee, the gunman’s target was injured by two bullets, remained in hospital.
Det Ch Supt Mark Kameen, the head of inquiries at Merseyside police, said detectives had been working more than 15,000 hours on the case, gone through 2,000 potential pieces of evidence and trawled thousands of hours of CCTV footage.
“Those involved in this horrendous crime are poison in the community, and we continue to bare our teeth and robustly target them. These people have crossed the line by shooting an innocent nine-year-old, and we all have a responsibility to put all those involved behind bars,” said Det Ch Supt Mark Kameen.
The Investigation of the horrific Olivia Pratt Korbel informs that two weapons were used in the shooting a .38 revolver used to kill Olivia and a Glock 9mm pistol used in at least two attacks in Merseyside over a two-and-a-half-year period.
Speaking directly to those who may be protecting Olivia’s killer, Kameen said: “Nobody wants this man around them or where they live. Nobody wants to be associated with him. Some people may tolerate him through fear, but even those people, given a choice, would want him locked away.
“Someone knows where these weapons are hidden, and I want to know where they are. So again, I am asking you for help finding these guns.”
The £200,000 reward offered by Crimestoppers has been put forward by the independent charity’s founder, Lord Ashcroft, and is far higher than any reward previously provided.
