THE family of a young mum bludgeoned to death 30 years ago are hoping a £20,000 reward will help catch her killer.
Shona Stevens, 31, was savagely beaten to death just 200 metres from her home in Middleton Park, Irvine, Ayrshire on November 10, 1994.
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Now, as the 30th anniversary of the brutal crime approaches, her mum Mhairi, 90, and daughter Candice, 37, are pleading with people to tell police what they know.
The heartbroken pair said: “We still want justice for Shona and your help would be greatly appreciated.
“We know it has been 30 years since Shona was taken from us but to us it seems like only yesterday.
“There is not a day that goes by that she is not in our thoughts and in our hearts.
“If you remember noticing or seeing anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, no matter how small, please let the police know. “
Shona, who lived with her mum and Candice, who was just seven at the time, had nipped to the Co-Op in Bourtreehill Shopping Centre around lunchtime.
She was last seen walking home alone along Towerlands Road at around 1:10pm.
Shona was discovered a short time later, critically wounded with severe head injuries and died three days later in hospital.
Investigators say the key to solving the case lies in the community and Crimestoppers have stumped up the cash reward in the hopes someone will come forward.
DI Stuart Gillis from the force’s Major Investigation team, said: “We believe that the person responsible has local connections.
“They may have lived locally or had friends or family members there. Maybe someone has suspicions about someone in their life back then?
“Even if you spoke to officers at the time or you think you do not hold any information relevant to Shona’s death, please come forward. You may hold the key to solving her murder.”
“We urge anyone with any information, or anyone who was in or around the wooded area between 11am and 1.20pm on Thursday, 10 November, 1994, to contact us.”
In the years following the crime, police came under fire after it was thought critical clues were destroyed by a medical helicopter which landed at the scene to airlift Shona to hospital.
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DI Gillis said: “That has been suggested historically that was a factor, however there are still forensic investigations ongoing and that remains a line of inquiry that we are pursuing, so to ascertain the potential impact of a helicopter landing 30 years ago, would be guesswork on my part.”
Just five months before Shona was killed, on June 24, 1994, 46-year-old Agnes Montgomery was also bludgeoned to death in her home in the town’s Fleming Terrace – just two miles away from Shona’s home.
Despite the similarities and close proximity of the crimes, DI Gillis admits he had very little knowledge of the Montgomery case.
“I’m aware of the investigation but I am unable to comment. I have no insight other than a passing awareness.
The DI Gilles says Shona’s killer’s good luck has allowed him to remain free.
He added: “These types of investigations can be difficult. Investigations can be solved quickly or they can take years, depending on the luck of the offender and being able to flee the scene without detection so that’s why we remain focussed to ensure that justice is done.”
DI Gillis say cops believe the ‘granular detail’ in evidence is what will solve the case and urged the public to ‘break their silence’.
He said: “Whether it’s witness statement, comments made to a third party or it can be potentially forensic evidence.
“We are convinced that someone holds the final piece of information that will solve Shona’s murder and ease the suffering of her family over the past three decades.
“It is crucial we find answers for Shona’s mum Mhairi and her daughter Candice, to bring them some closure.
“Please come forward. We call on anyone with information to break their silence and contact us with any small detail that they may have withheld at the time.
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“No matter how insignificant you may think it is, we urge you to contact us.”
Angela Parker, of Crimestoppers said: “By offloading and speaking up you’ll be making a huge difference to Shona’s loved ones and for the wider community in Irvine.”
