Are Rhys Jones’ mum & dad Steve and Melanie still together? A look at the parents from The Clues That Caught the Killer
RHYS Jones was shot on August 22, 2007, as he walked home from football practice through the car park of the Fir Tree Pub in Croxteth.
His grieving parents' relationship was tested after their son was gunned down — here's everything we know about the couple, who feature in the crime documentary The Clues That Caught the Killer.
Are Rhys Jones' parents still together?
Rhys Jones parents Steve and Mel briefly split as they struggled to cope following his death, it was revealed in ITV drama Little Boy Blue (2017).
A source said the heartbreak that followed the young Everton fan’s murder took a strain on the couple, who first met while working at Tesco.
Speaking to the Sunday People, they said: “It was obviously a traumatic time for Steve and Mel. It took its toll.”
The source said that once the court case ended and 18-year-old Sean Mercer was jailed, Steve and Melanie struggled without a focus for their grief.
The newspaper reported that Steve briefly moved out of their home in Croxteth, Liverpool, as they worked on their marriage.
The pair managed to rekindle their relationship and come out the other end stronger, the source said.
After 37 years of marriage, the couple have managed to stay together despite the tragedy, having met in 1982.
What happened to Rhys Jones?
Everton fan Rhys, 11, was shot on August 22, 2007, as he walked home from football practice through the car park of the Fir Tree Pub in Croxteth.
Three shots were fired, with the little boy fatally struck by one of the bullets.
More than 300 officers worked on the murder investigation, with 11 people ultimately arrested over the murder.
Sean Mercer, a member of the Croxteth Crew gang, was charged with murder, with the then 18-year-old sentenced to life behind bars with a minimum of 22 years.
Fellow gang members, including James Yates, Nathan Quinn, Melvin Coy, Dean Kelly and Gary Kays were also convicted of assisting an offender.
As Rhys lay dying, Yates helped Mercer dispose of his bike, clothes and the gun he had provided him with just before the shooting.
How to watch The Clues That Caught the Killer
The Clues That Caught the Killer is a three-part docuseries looking into some of Britains most shocking murders by dissecting how a team of investigators went about catching the killers.
Examining the killing of an innocent child caught in the crossfire of a city's gang culture, the episode delving into Rhys Jones' case airs on Channel 5 on Thursday, May 30.
The documentary will be shown between 11.30pm and 12.35am, and is available on My5 until July 3, 2024.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours