Jason Spence, a 31-year-old father of three from Kingstanding, was enjoying a night out with friends on November 13, 2002, at the Bell pub in Great Barr—a night that would tragically end in his death. After leaving the pub, Jason became involved in a confrontation with two men inside a silver Mitsubishi Gallant estate car. What began as a heated exchange escalated into fatal violence.
Following the altercation, the men in the Mitsubishi pursued Jason and his group to Cardington Avenue. At approximately 11:15 p.m., shots were fired from the car, and Jason was struck. He was rushed to Sandwell Hospital but succumbed to his injuries, shocking the local community.
Despite an extensive investigation and a relaunch of the appeal in 2018, the perpetrators have never been identified or brought to justice. The case remains one of the West Midlands' largest unsolved murders more than two decades later. Family members have expressed their heartbreak and frustration over the years, faced with a seemingly impenetrable wall of silence within the community.
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Jason’s widow, Jacqui, voiced the ache endured by the family, especially on anniversaries and holidays: “I just want somebody to come forward and speak up. People have information in the area, and I am asking them to search their conscience. It’s like we have been forgotten. We suffer every single day because of this, and it gets even harder with every birthday, every Christmas, and every anniversary. He was such a nice man and he deserves justice.”
Despite the passage of time, those close to Jason continue to hold onto hope that someone will break their silence and help solve this painful mystery.