Ahead of the seventh anniversary of the death of a Leicester man, detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit (EMSOU) are making a renewed appeal for public help.
On Wednesday 25 March 2015, 42-year-old Mark Cookson was found dead at his home address in Leicester Road.
A port-mortem examination found that he had suffered a fractured skull, which in turn had led to a bleed on his brain. An investigation – led by EMSOU – was launched.
Officers identified that Mr Cookson may have been involved in an altercation in Hillcrest Road, close to the junction of Welford Road, three days beforehand – on Sunday 22 March.
That day was the day King Richard III was laid in repose at Leicester Cathedral.
In March 2018 – three years after the incident – a renewed appeal for information was made. This included placing posters in the area of Leicester Road and Hillcrest Road and direct appeals for information on the nozzles of petrol pumps across Leicester.
Six calls were received, while information was also provided via social media. Unfortunately, further enquiries did not identify any new evidence and no arrests were made.
Today (Tuesday 22 March) an appeal is being made again.
Detective Inspector Jenni Heggs, from the EMSOU major crime team, said: “It’s coming up to seven years since Mark’s death and both police and his family still want to know what happened. Without a shadow of doubt, I believe there are people who know.
“My message is a simple one – it’s never too late to come forward with information. If you know something, then please come forward. We owe it to Mark’s family to find out how he died and bring anyone responsible for his death to justice.”
You can pass on information by visiting https://www.leics.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ and quoting “Operation Deluxe”.
Alternatively call 101.
