On the night of February 24th, 2004, twenty-two-year-old Craig Eaton was walking along Molyneux Road in Kensington, Liverpool, heading to a friend’s house after an evening out. Around eleven fifteen p.m., near the junction with Mallow Road, he was approached and shot twice at close range. Local residents rushed to his aid, performing CPR in a desperate attempt to save him, but Craig was pronounced dead on arrival at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.
Craig worked as a care assistant at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, one of the UK’s leading pediatric facilities, where he dedicated himself to caring for sick children. Described by those who knew him as kind-hearted and tender, Craig had no known links to criminal activity or gangs. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Merseyside Police quickly concluded that Craig’s murder was likely a case of mistaken identity. Detectives believed the gunman had targeted the wrong person, possibly intending to settle a score in Liverpool’s underworld of gang-related violence prevalent in the early 2000s.
They also sought information about two vehicles seen in the area that night: a dark green Ford Mondeo, registration number Y723 RJA; and a silver or light blue Volvo 740 GL saloon car, registration number G690 NFR.
Despite extensive investigations, however, the cars were never located, and no one has ever been convicted of the crime.
In the years following the shooting, police and Craig’s family made repeated public appeals. On the eighth anniversary in 2012, a £10,000 reward was offered by Crimestoppers. By the tenth anniversary in 2014, the reward had doubled to £20,000, with Craig’s brother publicly urging anyone with information to come forward. Detectives emphasized that the killer was likely part of the “criminal world” and that people in those circles knew the truth.
As recently as 2024, on the 20th anniversary, the Liverpool Echo highlighted Craig’s story again, noting how he had “dedicated his life to saving children” only to be cut down senselessly. Craig Eaton’s murder remains unsolved as of 2026, but despite the passage of time, Merseyside Police have stated they remain “as determined as ever” to bring his killer to justice.
Crime Immemorial 