Re-appeal following murder of James Taylor in Liverpool in 2019

Detectives investigating the 2019 murder of James Taylor in Liverpool are re-appealing for information two years on.

At around 8pm on Thursday 7 February 2019, emergency services were called to Addison Street, near to Liverpool City Centre, to reports of shots being fired. 34-year-old James was pronounced deceased at the scene.

James had been parked in Addison Street waiting to pick up his daughter from Marybone Youth and Community Association.

Since the murder of James, a total of 13 people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, and who remain under investigation. To date, nobody has been charged and extensive enquires continue.

Detective Chief Inspector Rachel Wilson, who is leading the investigation, said: “Two years have now passed since the brutal murder of James Taylor, whose death continues to cause devastation to his family and friends. Six children are now growing up without their father so we are doing all we can to get some answers. We want to remove from our community, those dangerous people involved.

“As time moves on our resolve to solve this crime does not waver, and we remain hopeful that people who hold information may come forward. They may now be in a different situation and feel more confident in speaking up. Please do so, for James’s loved ones, and to make all our streets safer. If you’re still feeling fearful about repercussions, we completely understand, but there are ways to get information to us anonymously. We will deal sensitively with anything you tell us.

“We know that there were people around the Addison Street/Holy Cross area that night who saw, heard or know something. Come forward and make the difference.

“We’re also today reissuing a video and images featuring vehicles, details of which could be absolutely vital in tracking down those responsible and putting them before the courts.

“We think the killers were in a black Ford Fiesta which was found burnt out 15 minutes later in nearby Summer Seat. We want to speak to anybody who saw that car around the time of the murder. We’re also keen to find the driver of a White Ford Transit van seen driving off from Freemasons Row shortly after the murder. We believe the suspects may have used this vehicle to make their escape. It has distinctive orange and yellow chevrons on the rear and is a 2006-2014 model.

“We also believe there was a blue taxi driving about in the area around that time so we would really like to talk to any taxi drivers who were working in the area that night. Also, a grey coloured Audi A3 'Black Edition' and a dark coloured Land Rover were seen in the area earlier that day, so we are keen to trace the drivers of these vehicles too – as they could have vital information.”

The video shows:
1) Freemasons Row, running parallel to Leeds Street in Liverpool centre. The location where the Ford Fiesta believed to have contained James’s killers parked up prior to the murder
2) An image of this Ford Fiesta found burnt out in nearby Summer Seat later that night
3) Addison Street, where James Taylor was parked up when he was fatally shot. Across the road is Marybone Youth and Community Association
4) White Ford Transit van driving off from Freemasons Row following the murder

Further images are of the following:
1) Ford Fiesta found burnt out in nearby Summer Seat later that night
2) A dark coloured Land Rover seen in Freemasons Row on the day of the murder
3) White Ford Transit van driving off from Freemasons Row following the murder
4) Audi A3 Black edition in grey seen on in the day of the murder, on the car park of Marybone Youth and Community Association

You can contact us directly via @MerPolCC, by calling 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report online at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously with crime reference 19100038615.

You can also leave information via the UK Police Major Incident Public reporting site – www.mipp.police.uk - by clicking on the Merseyside Police badge.