£20,000 reward offered over Wolverhampton man's machete murder
A £20,000 reward is being offered over the murder of a Wolverhampton man who a died a month after being attacked with a machete a year ago.
Martin Howells suffered head injuries after being attacked near St Matthews Church in East Park Way, in Wolverhampton, at around 11.30am on Friday, August 20, 2021.
Despite initially walking to his nearby home, where he called police and paramedics, the 31-year-old's condition severely deteriorated. He fell into a coma from which he didn't recover and he died on September 18.
An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder in September 2021, while a 30-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. They were both bailed while police enquiries continued.
Now the CrimeStoppers charity, which is independent of the police, is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for anonymous information that leads to the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in the murder.
In a statement, Martin's family said: “We would urge anyone with information to come forward so justice can be brought. Knowing that the person responsible is still in the community causes us such pain. Martin would have never hurt anyone - he did not deserve what happened to him.
“We continue to struggle with our loss each day. Please contact CrimeStoppers anonymously if you have any information.”
Alan Edwards, CrimeStoppers' West Midlands regional manager, said: “Martin, who was much loved, was violently and senselessly attacked in the street, causing him to later die from his severe injuries. This is something that should never have happened.
“Our charity believes in safe communities for all, including being able to walk around without fear of violence or abuse. CrimeStoppers is supporting the investigation into Martin’s murder by offering this reward, to help get much-needed justice for his family who need answers.
"Maybe a year on, someone has crucial information that they didn’t share at the time, but their conscience tells them they should do now. Anybody who contacts our charity with information stays 100 per cent anonymous. Always.
“We are here for anyone who feels unable to speak directly to the police. As we’re independent, we offer an alternative option when reporting crime. Since the 1980s, when CrimeStoppers began, we have always kept our promise of anonymity to the millions who have trusted us with their crime information.
“If you know something about this murder, no matter how small, I urge you to do the right thing. What you tell us can make all of the difference. You can call our UK Contact Centre, which is open 24/7, on freephone 0800 555 111 or you can use our simple and secure anonymous online form. Nobody will know you contacted us and you’ll be doing the right thing for Martin, his family and friends.”
The reward will only be payable for information passed directly to Crimestoppers and not to the police – a reward code must be asked for when calling the charity on 0800 555 111. If you contact Crimestoppers via the online form, the 'keeping in contact’ communication facility must be used and a reward code must be requested. You must log back in 24 hours later to get the code. You will be asked to check with Crimestoppers two months later with the reward code to see if there has been a positive result.
