The grieving family of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, who was shot dead in Liverpool, have received a well-wishing note near their house, signed from the ‘Nee family’ - possible relatives of the man who was the intended target.
Nine-year-old Olivia’s mother Cheryl opened the door to a disturbance on August 22 in the Dovecot area and Joseph Nee charged in, being chased by an attacker. The masked gunman was challenged by Cheryl - but as they grappled shots were fired which hit the mother and daughter, while Nee was also shot.
Cheryl was injured but Olivia died. Former convict Nee, meanwhile, was taken to hospital and has been arrested. It emerged on Monday that his family look to have shared a message, which reads: “So sorry for the loss of beautiful Olivia. Rest in peace. Thinking of your family, Nee family.”
It has not been officially confirmed if it is the same family - but widespread speculation suggests it is more than a coincidence.
Merseyside Police is continuing its appeal to bring the killer to justice, sharing an impactful tweet after Sam Rimmer and Ashley Dale were also shot dead in Liverpool area.
A statement released on Monday night read: “Our crackdown on serious organised crime and the pursuit of those responsible for the murders of Olivia Pratt-Korbel, Ashley Dale and Sam Rimmer is relentless and in the last 24 hours we have arrested a further 32 people and executed 11 search warrants.”