Nine months have gone by since Ilyas Habibi was stabbed to death in Sutton and his murder still remains unsolved till this day.

Ilyas, 17, was attacked while he was travelling home from college after leaving Sutton train station on December 5.

Minutes after he came out of the station, he is reported to have been involved in an argument with a suspect who then fled the scene.

On December 11, officers found he had left the country from London Gatwick Airport two days before.

The suspect still remains at large.

Over the months, countless public appeals in the press and social media have been released in the hope of finding those responsible for Ilyas’ murder.

Here is a timeline of events and everything we know so far about his case:

Tuesday, December 5, 2023:

Ilyas Habibi dies after being stabbed in Sutton

Ilyas was found injured in Sutton High Street just before 7.10pm on December 5.

The 17-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after.

Police revealed that Ilyas arrived at Sutton High Street by train and minutes after he came out of the station he station “he was involved in an altercation with the suspect who then fled the scene”.

Officers said that it “isn’t clear if the suspect was also injured” and appealed for the individual, or anyone who knows them, to come forward.

Detective Chief Inspector Mike Nolan who leads the investigation said: “We know that Ilyas arrived at Sutton High Street by train.

“Minutes after he came out of the station he was involved in an altercation with the suspect who then fled the scene.

“Ilyas had suffered fatal wounds. It isn’t clear if the suspect was also injured. If you know the suspect, or if you are him, please get in touch.”

Friday, December 8, 2023:

Tributes paid to “kind, caring and generous” Ilyas

Tributes were paid to Ilyas with flowers and lit candles left at the scene of the incident.  

Ilyas’ brother, Mr Habibi, paid tribute to his “hardworking” brother, adding that he was “kind, caring and generous” with his whole life ahead of him.

The 20-year-old told Your Local Guardian that he was proud to watch Ilyas grow over the years before his life was taken away from him.

Mr Habibi said: “Ilyas was my younger, he was delightful to be around. He was caring and loving to my parents and his siblings and friends.

“Ilyas was a lover of football, he would always shout at the television when he watched Arsenal play.

“The house was never quiet when Arsenal were playing because he was just screaming all the time.

“He had never done anything to anyone, was a really nice boy who was loved by everyone.”

Brother faints after finding out “tragic” news through ring doorbell camera

Ilyas’s brother told Your Local Guardian of when he "fainted" in the "traumatic" moment he found out his brother had been stabbed to death through ring doorbell camera footage.

He noticed a notification on his phone from the doorbell which he initially thought that Ilyas had reached home.

Expecting to see Ilyas through the camera, instead he saw two police officers standing outside his door talking to his parents.

Mr Habibi said: “I got a notification on my phone from the doorbell camera, so I thought Ilyas was home, so I decided to look at the footage to see what Ilyas was doing.

“I saw two officers standing outside and my dad answered the door and the officers said, ‘Are you Ilyas’ mum and dad?’

“They said: Yes. And the officers responded: “Ilyas has been stabbed and is dead.”

Mr Habibi began screaming before he fainted at his job and one of his colleagues then dropped him home, where he found his parents both screaming.

Sunday, December 11, 2023:

Suspect identified

A suspect in connection with the case was identified on December 11.

Officers found he left the country from London Gatwick Airport on December 9. 

Police are working with international partners to locate and arrest the suspect.

A 19-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender was later released on bail.

Post-mortem examination 

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of Ilyas' death as a stab wound to the neck.

Tuesday, September 3, 2024:

Alleged killer ‘laughs’ on leaving Ilyas ‘choking on blood’

Ilyas’ brother has since spoken to The Independent, claiming the alleged killer contacted him, joking and laughing about how he left Ilyas “choking on his blood.”.

Mr Habibi said: “I’m only trying to think about who killed my brother.

“The police don’t even get in contact, someone was murdered and they don’t care.

“We want to know what steps they’re taking but they don’t tell us, I’m honestly shocked.

“How could he escape after four days?

“He murdered my brother outside a train station and next to a police station.”

Murder suspect escaped UK over ‘police error with computers’

Mr Habibi also claimed that he was told by the police that there had been an “error with the computers”, which had allowed the suspect to escape.

He added: “They told us there had been an error with the computers and that’s why border and immigration weren’t told.

“They knew who it was two days before he fled the country – they went to his house but he had already gone.”

The Independent said that the Metropolitan Police refused to respond to claims the suspect was able to flee the country due to a computer error.