A reward of up to £20,000 is being offered by charity Crimestoppers in a bid to find information about the murder of a father-of-three.
Leroy Mitchell, 35, was fatally shot in a car park in south Croydon on Saturday October 2, after attending a silent disco at a flat in Birdhurst Road.
The independent charity Crimestoppers is offering the cash for information that leads to the conviction of those responsible for Mr Mitchell’s murder.
His family have released an open letter to those responsible for his death, paying tribute to the son who will always be remembered for his “cheeky grin”.
The letter says: “Let me tell you about the man you have taken away from me.
“Leroy Martin Mitchell was born in 1986 in Croydon to his mother Maura and father Ronald.
“Leroy was a cheeky child, and we loved him for it. Even as he grew older, he was always sporting a cheeky grin and trying to play tricks on me – which I would always end up laughing with him about.”
The letter describes a man who was a “central part” of his family, who loved seeing his siblings, cousins and friends and had been planning a family gathering in the weeks before his death.
He had fallen in love with his fiancee Louise after they met in 2004, and when he died they had been together for 17 years, and had “three sweet children who we call his ‘mini-mes’,” the letter says.
Mr Mitchell’s family said he had recently become interested in fishing, going to Norwood Lakes for the afternoon with friends, “talking deep into the night, sharing stories and, occasionally, catching a fish or two”.
His family added: “On Monday last week, I held a funeral for the man I describe in this letter – my own son.
“I cannot believe that this Christmas and every Christmas after this, my family will be without one of their most valued members, and my grandchildren will be without their father.”
The letter urges anyone with information to come forward.
Following Mr Mitchell’s death, a 25-year-old man was arrested and released on bail to return to a south London police station.
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