Shooting victim Jason Spence's family: Help us solve murder 16 years on
The family of a man who was gunned down in Great Barr have appealed directly to his killer to come forward 16 years after his death.
Father of three Jason Spence was shot at from a passing car in Cardington Avenue on November 13, 2002.
Now his family have spoken out in search of the truth.
Jason’s widow Jacqui Spence said: “Be a bigger man and say what the truth is and stop holding it back. It’s time to stop keeping your mouth shut.”
WATCH: Daughter calls for answers
Jason’s daughter Tammy Spence, now 22, added: “Your decisions have consequences, it has affected so many people’s lives and you have to pay for the things that you do. Someone has died and it’s your fault.”
The 31-year-old, of Kingstanding, was at the Bell pub in Booths Farm Road, and there was an altercation after he left between Jason and two men in a silver coloured Mitsubishi Gallant estate car.
Jason and his friends left but were followed by the Mitsubishi to Cardington Avenue where a further altercation took place and shots were fired from the car.
The car drove off and Jason was taken to Sandwell Hospital with gunshot wounds, but later died.
Tammy asked for anyone with information to “be a decent human being” and come forward.
She said: “16 years is a long time and it is his anniversary so it’s the right time to do an appeal.
“Come forward, it doesn’t matter how small it is, how insignificant it might be, just come forward it might help.
“Our family just wants answers like any other family would, put yourselves in our position, be a decent human being and come forward with what you know.
“We’ve not let it affect us we’ve all got careers.”
Jason’s daughter Cherree, 27, now has two young children of her own.
She said: “It’s not nice but they love him like they know him as we talk about him.
“It’s hard having to hide what happened from them as it would upset them and we don’t even have the answers to tell them the truth.”
Tammy added: “He was a really good member of the community, he helped out the elderly, he was a wonderful man who did wonderful things.
“We just want justice like anyone else would.”
Jacqui said it is now time to move on. She said: “I get up every day and I’m in this nightmare.
“It’s time to close the book now and get somebody responsible for it, it’s their time to pay.
“It’s justice for us and justice for Jason, it’s time for us to move on and put him to rest properly.
“If someone was actually caught I think it’d burst with pride, it would be the world.”
Detective Chief Inspector Alistair Orencas said two arrests were made in 2002 but they did not lead to prosecution.
He said: “This appeal really is to look deeper into the souls of these people.
“These are people who in the last 16 years could have become a dad, a grandad, they need to put themselves in the position of this family.
“I’m challenging people to hold themselves to account in terms of the information they might be sitting on.”
