Ex-partner of murdered Kevin Nunes refusing to give up hope case will be solved
The former girlfriend of a man who was gunned down in a country lane says she still believes his murder could be solved nearly 20 years on.
Leanne Williams says people who have information about the murder of Kevin Nunes deciding to come forward and advancements in technology hold the key to solving the case.
Detectives have pored over thousands of documents and re-tested evidence using new techniques since deciding to re-open the case a year ago. Witnesses from the original interviewed have also been re-interviewed.
Staffordshire Police Chief Constable Gareth Morgan said this week he was "satisfied" with how the case is progressing but that it remains a "complex inquiry".
Mr Nunes, 20, who was from Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, was shot dead in Pattingham in 2002.
The original case collapsed over police failings which led to five men jailed over the killing having their convictions overturned in a judgement that was hugely damaging to the Staffordshire force.
Ms Williams, 36, from Dudley, who had a child with Mr Nunes, said the saga had left her "exhausted" but hopes people who previously held back from coming forward might change their minds now so many years have passed.
She said: "I do know that in 20 years people can change. The fact the years have gone on, their conscience might make them say something.
"When they (the police) knock on the door, that's when they might say something. That's where the hope lies.
"Obviously there is new technology so something forensic might come up."
Ms Williams admitted to being "50/50" about whether the new investigation would deliver results Mr Nunes' family have longed for or prove to be another disappointment.
She added: "My expectations are not high. But it's not impossible so I will never give up hope."
Ms Williams said although her confidence in the justice system had been destroyed by the fallout from the high-profile case, she had been impressed by the honesty of Chief Constable Gareth Morgan, who is still relatively new to the force having joined in 2017 and in turn is not tainted by the scandal.
Mr Morgan defended the decision for Staffordshire Police to lead the new investigations despite past failings.
Ms Williams remains in the midst of legal action against the force over the sensational collapse of the case in 2012 which led to the five convictions being quashed.
She said, however, she has confidence in the Chief Constable and the team of detectives.
"The first case took a lot out of me. I felt like I was getting my life back, then that happened," she said.
"I felt ok with it (the new investigation) as the new chief had come in. He reached out to us and he came across as genuine and straightforward. His integrity put us at ease.
"He said 'we can only do whatever we can do to the best of our ability. There is always a chance we might not get a conviction but at the same time we are going to go over everything and look at everything very diligently'."
