'I found mum murdered in living room when I was 4 - I still don't know what happened'

Joanne Wilson was found dead in her living room by her then four-year-old daughter. Yasmin is now desperately appealing for information that will lead police to her mum's killer

A woman whose mother was brutally killed and left in her living room is desperately searching for justice more than 20 years on.

Yasmin Wilson was only four years old when she found her mum, Joanne Wilson, dead in the living room of their home in Seacombe, Wirral, on October 22, 2002.

The 22-year-old mum-of-one was found with severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene before a murder investigation was launched by Merseyside Police. A man, who was known to Joanne, was arrested and charged with murder but on the day of his plea hearing, the 35-year-old had all charges against him dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

It was only after a renewed appeal for information on the 22nd anniversary of the killing from the Liverpool ECHO that Yasmin became aware that no one had been jailed for the murder. She is now determined to get justice 22 years on from her mum's brutal death.

Yasmin sat down to speak with the ECHO with Val Gaskell, her grandma and dad's mum. In an emotional interview, the 26-year-old said: "I'm 26 and my mum was younger than me now when she died.

"I struggled with that, when I was 22. I was so scared because that's obviously when my mum passed and I was thinking 'that's my age now'." At the time of her death, Joanne and Yasmin were living with Joanne's twin Leanne and her children.

She said: "I didn't know that she had bruises on her head or anything because when I was little and I saw her she was just sitting up with her head down. I didn't see any bruises. Then, when I saw it in the ECHO's appeal that was just heartbreaking."

Yasmin, who works as a childminder and lives in Huyton, Liverpool, moved in with Joanne's mum, her grandma, after her mum's death. She went on to live with her auntie before later moving to her dad Simon's home in Liverpool when she was nine years old.

Despite losing her mum at such a young age, she still left a lasting impression on the then four-year-old. Yasmin said: "I remember her being a bubbly, laughing person. She liked to dance and playing with my toys with me. She was always laughing."

As she wiped the tears from her face, Yasmin's grandma Val said: "I remember her always laughing, wasn't she?"

As Yasmin urgently tries to find closure more than two decades on from the senseless killing of the woman who should have been beside her as she grew up, she sent a clear and tragic message to those who might know something. She said: "Just tell us.

"It's been so many years of holding this in and we're all suffering. It's come up for a reason and it needs to be settled. I feel like this coming up in the ECHO after all this time is meant to be."

Speaking about how much it would mean to have her mum's killer brought to justice, Yasmin said: "I feel like she'll finally be able to rest and all the family won't be suffering as much as we are if we get justice."

In a fresh appeal for information from Merseyside Police, Kevin Clague, head of Merseyside Police's Serious Crime Review Unit, said last month: “A murder investigation is never closed and I would urge people in the community for their help with the investigation and remind them that it’s never too late to come forward with new information you may have, no matter how small.

“We know that allegiances can change over time and we hope that if anyone has new information and is reading this, that they can search their conscience and do the right thing. If you know anything about Joanne’s murder or feel as though you can assist with our investigation, please come forward.”

If you have any information, please DM @MerPolCC, call 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555 111.