On the evening of Tuesday, August 26th, 2003, nineteen-year-old Justin Maynard was fatally shot in Tugford Close, Moss Side, Manchester, England. He was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining a single gunshot wound to the head (accounts vary slightly on the exact entry point, with some reports noting the neck or back). The shooting occurred around six forty-five p.m. as Maynard was hanging out near the Alexandra Park estate.
Justin Maynard was described by his family as a “big, friendly giant,” a gentle, family-oriented young man who was not a gang member. He had been due to start a college course in September 2003 and was looking forward to building a positive future.
The murder took place against the backdrop of longstanding rivalries between gangs in South Manchester, particularly the Gooch Close Gang (associated with Moss Side) and factions linked to Doddington or Longsight Crew. Although Justin was not a core gang member, he had some ties to the Doddington gang, and his death was believed to stem from internecine disputes among younger affiliates of these groups.
Moss Side had earned the nickname “Gunchester” due to high levels of gun crime and feuds that claimed dozens of lives in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Justin’s killing prompted Greater Manchester Police (GMP) to step up armed patrols and reintroduce stop-and-search tactics in the area, fearing a flare-up in violence. It came around the same period as other gang-related deaths, signaling that earlier efforts to curb the wars had not fully succeeded.
Police distributed leaflets in multiple languages and posters featuring Justin’s image throughout Moss Side to jog memories. Detectives appealed for information from the public and specifically sought to re-contact a woman who had phoned with “vital information” shortly after the murder but had not followed up.
Motorists in the area were stopped for clues in the weeks following the shooting. Despite these efforts, no one has ever been charged or convicted in connection with Justin’s murder. The case remains unsolved and is listed among other unsolved killings from Manchester’s gang violence era.
Crime Immemorial 