A £20,000 reward has been offered to find the killers of a Welsh postman bludgeoned to death 20 years ago. Paul Savage, 30, was brutally killed while on his rounds on February 4, 2003, in Mold, Flintshire.
Mr Savage had been mid-way through his rounds when he was attacked at around 7.15am that morning. He was reportedly hit around the head so violently that the base of his skull was crushed. He was discovered lying in the snow a short time later by the owner of the property on Clayton Road where he was delivering.
The 30-year-old father-of-one was rushed to Wrexham Maelor Hospital and died shortly before 11am. A police investigation began but no-one has ever been charged with his murder.
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Witnesses later reported seeing two young men wearing hoodies near where Mr Savage had left his bicycle about the time the attack took place, reports North Wales Live. The pair were seen heading towards Mold town centre.
Immediate theories were that the postman had been the victim of an horrific robbery gone wrong or an unprovoked attack. However, as they probed Mr Savage's past a picture emerged that suggested it may not have been a random tragedy.
Originally from Sale, Greater Manchester, Mr Savage had a lengthy criminal record stretching back ten 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 £1 million.
On leaving prison he moved to Mold with his wife and four-year-old daughter and joined the Royal Mail as a casual employee. At the time of his death he had not long been working full-time. But with a 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 discovered Mr Savage had been struck several times with an 18-inch club, believed to have been fashioned from a banister rail. Analysis revealed that paint on the heavy spindle matched that of found on Mr Savage's hat.
Despite help from locals and the Greater Manchester Police intelligence unit, no breakthrough came until the spring of 2003 when five people were arrested and questioned but they were later released without charge. A £25,000 reward also failed to bring the killer or killers to justice.
June White, Mr Savage’s mother, previously told the Daily Post: “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 unsolved murder, Mr Savage's death became the focus of BBC One’s Crimewatch Roadshow Live, thrusting the case was thrust back into the public consciousness.
On Friday February 4 - the 20th anniversary of his death - the charity Crimestoppers renewed a cash reward offer of £20,000 for information that leads to the conviction of those responsible for his death.
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 the charity Crimestoppers added: “Every day we hear from people who tell us how difficult it is to speak up about crime, especially if it’s about people who you may be close to via family and friends.
"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 if that you tell us what you know so that we can pass that on for you and allow justice for Paul and his loving family.
“If you have information, please visit here 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 contact us via our website, or by calling 101."
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