Family pens letter to slain teen, describing “immeasurable pain” and a “big hole”

The relatives of a man fatally shot in an industrial area have composed a letter to him half a year following his passing, reflecting on their “immeasurable pain”. Ellis Cox was discovered wounded with gunshot injuries at the Liver Industrial Estate in Aintree, Merseyside, on 23 June, and subsequently passed away in hospital. Despite numerous public appeals, the individual responsible for the 19-year-old’s death remains at large. In their correspondence, Mr Cox’s family conveyed their profound affection for him and how his absence had “left a big hole”. The letter stated: “We miss every ounce of you.” It continued, “Nothing will be the same again without you. Our lives are changed forever”. The letter specified that the family had experienced “184 days, 4,391 hours and 263,460 minutes” without their “beautiful Ellis”. It detailed how Ellis’ mother, Carolyn Cox, was demonstrating immense strength despite her profound grief. The family also expressed, “still trying to catch our breath, but it’s so hard without you”. Among the aspects the family most longed for were Ellis’ “banter” and “one liners”, and even his habit of “cracking” his knuckles. The letter reiterated, “Nothing is the same without you.” Merseyside Police suspect Mr Cox was shot with a self-loading pistol while returning home through the industrial estate, having spent time in Southport with companions. His mother recounted that he had telephoned her shortly beforehand, informing her he would be “home in five minutes”. Mr Cox’s family members have been traversing the cycle loopline in Aintree, close to the location of his death. During their walk, which commenced at 13:00 GMT at the Grace Road entrance, they have been distributing flyers to solicit information. “Every single day, the only thing that gets me out of bed is all the appeals we are doing, just to try to find something – anything – to go on to help us get justice for Ellis,” Ms Cox informed the BBC while distributing the flyers. She further stated, “You have to have hope. I have hope in all of our detectives and our liaison team – they are all amazing so I have faith that they will find who did this.” Previously, three men and a 17-year-old boy were apprehended in relation to Mr Cox’s demise, but no charges have been brought against anyone. The police force persists in its appeal for information. Det Ch Insp Steve McGrath commented: “I completely understand that speaking up could be daunting, but when people are willing to support the police we will ensure every possible avenue is progressed to protect them”. For more content, listeners can access the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story suggestions can also be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.