Twenty years after Dean Jeffrey was fatally attacked in Bristol, his family and the community still do not have answers or justice over the long-running unsolved murder case.
Dean Jeffrey was about to celebrate his 38th birthday the next day when, on the evening of September 21, 2006, he popped to the shops to buy a bottle of cider for the occasion. The father of three reached the shop in Eastville, Bristol, at around 8pm that night, but on his way home, he was viciously attacked, reports Bristol Live.
It was only a short walk back along the busy Fishponds Road to his home in Ridgeway Parade, and after he was badly beaten, he managed to stagger home, bleeding heavily from his head, nose and mouth. His shocked partner Debbie Dyer called for an ambulance and tried to discover from Dean what had happened to him. They were childhood sweethearts - had been together for 22 years since they were teenagers - and had three children, but Dean lapsed into unconsciousness before he was able to tell her what happened or who had attacked him.
Death and police investigation
Tragically, he never woke up, and after a week in a coma, he died on this day, September 28, now 20 years ago. Police were determined to find out who had attacked Dean, and their investigation into the assault turned into a murder inquiry the day Dean passed away.
His family and friends were left devastated. His children were 13, 16 and 18 at the time, and left in shock by the loss of their father. A full scale operation saw 25 detectives, uniformed officers and PCSOs hit the streets. Everyone driving, riding or walking along Fishponds Road was stopped to see if they saw anything. The appeals continued. Police even went to the length of releasing a picture of the blood-stained jacket Dean was wearing at the time.
At the time, Det Insp Simon Crisp said he was 'convinced' an attack like the one Dean suffered must have been seen by someone. Fishponds Road was busy - someone must have seen Dean staggering home.
Appeals and tributes
"It is a shocking incident, as this attack happened virtually on his own doorstep," he said at the time. "We are determined to get to the bottom of this. Many people knew Mr Jeffrey around here and someone knows something."
"It was quite a confused account of what happened but it was quite clear that he had been attacked in the street. We do not think it was robbery. He had nothing stolen and it does not appear that he was drunk. Unfortunately the only thing we have got to go on are the things Mr Jeffrey said when he got home. He had blood pouring from his nose and mouth and was in a muddled state before he lost consciousness," he added.
His family laid flowers and placed emotional tributes at the spot where he was attacked, their bouquets soon soaked by the rain. On one, his partner Debbie had written: "Did you know that God above created you for me to have. I picked you out from all the rest cuz I knew I'd love you... you had a heart so warm and true and now it's gone from me."
Dean's older sister, Karen Jeffrey-Worlock, struggled to hold back the tears as she told the Bristol Post at the time: "Whoever did this will get their comeuppance. I can't put into words how much he is going to be missed. Our mother doesn't feel like she can carry on anymore and his children and partner are totally devastated. His youngest son collapsed to his knees when he heard his dad was dead," she added.
Ongoing investigation
"Dean's death has ruined our family's life, especially for my mum and his children. If anyone saw anything we would like them to come forward. Mum's crying for him all the time. Dean was a lovely chap, a great brother to me and a loving son to his mother. Someone has got to know something," she added.
Over the years, the police had leads but nothing concrete enough to charge anyone. His family and friends would acknowledge Dean was no angel - he was well known to the police and his neighbours, and the family had been moved by the council from their home in Brentry to Eastville just under two years earlier, with their home there boarded up. They had settled in well into the home in Eastville, and his murder shocked the community.
Police staged a reconstruction of Dean's walk to the shop and back, but drew blanks. Five people who could have been suspects or witnesses were never traced. Four people were seen talking in a little group on the junction of Oakdene Avenue and Huyton Road shortly after the attack - a woman in her late teens, a man with a dog and two other men, one who had a bike. A man was also sitting at a bus stop on Fishponds Road nearby at the time - and he was never traced.
Over the years, seven people were arrested in connection with Dean Jeffrey's murder, but all were released without charge. On the tenth anniversary of the murder, back in 2016, Det Sgt Pete Frake said they would never give up on the case - it was and is always open.
"Unsolved murder cases are never closed," he said. "They are subject to regular reviews to check whether new techniques, such as advances in DNA technology, can be used to generate further lines of inquiry. We're extremely grateful to the public for any help they can provide us and we often receive calls with new information, even on some of our oldest unsolved cases."
"Dean's death has had a profound impact on his family. His killer or killers need to be brought to justice to help give his family some form of closure. I would urge anyone with information on who killed Dean, or why he was killed, to come forward now. Even the most seemingly insignificant piece of information could be the key to unlocking this case."
Anyone with information can contact DS Frake or his team on 101 or calls can also be made anonymously to the independent charity, Crimestoppers, on 0800 555111.
