Teenager stabbed to death in Merseyside may have been exploited by organised criminals, police say

A teenage dad who suffered "catastrophic and fatal" blood loss after being stabbed may have been exploited by an organised crime group before he was killed, police say.

Kyle Whitley, 18, was found collapsed in an alleyway off Vincent Road in Litherland, Merseyside around 2:35pm on 13 April 2020, with a single stab wound to the chest that grazed his heart and punctured his right lung.

He died at Aintree Hospital less than an hour later, and an inquest into his death at Bootle Town Hall heard he was stabbed in his home and dragged his body into the alleyway.

The inquest was told Kyle had been at home with three male friends when it is believed he was stabbed, and police found many of the drawers and cupboards in his kitchen had been opened, which they believed suggested someone had searched the premises.

They also found a blood-stained cap believed to have been dropped by a male who was spotted climbing over the garden fence a short time before Kyle's body was found.

Merseyside Police spoke to a man who had spoken to Kyle the day before he died, and he told them he had been attacked with a knife and suffered a head injury - believed to be the source of the blood on the cap found at the scene.

Simon Knuckey, coroner's investigating officer, said: "It is suspected the male is a member of an organised crime group, and though he claimed to be friends with Kyle Whitley he was arrested as he tried to destroy his own mobile phone after the incident."The male was later released without charge.

On the first anniversary of Kyle's murder in 2021, Merseyside Police released video footage of the route they believe was taken by the killer, from Church Road to flats on Vincent Road, Litherland.

The same unknown person was caught on CCTV leaving the scene along Vincent Road towards Daley Road.

Another video showed a route through gardens along the rear of Moss Lane, thought to have been taken by a second person leading onto Moss Lane and towards Church Road following the stabbing.

Detectives believe the "vulnerable" teenager may have been exploited by organised criminals before he was killed.

In total, five people were arrested in connection with his death but no charges were ever brought.

Home Office Forensic Pathologist Dr Jonathan Medcalf, who examined Kyle's body, said he believed "it's possible for Kyle to have walked some distance" after the stabbing.

He added: "Incidents like these are highly dynamic in nature and so it's not possible to reliably determine characteristics of the individual who has inflicted the wound, such as height.

"This is because the relative positions of the victim and assailant at the time are unknown.

"An additional complication is that it's possible to hold a knife in different ways and inflict the same wound."

Coroner Julie Goulding concluded Kyle was at home with three males, he was stabbed in his home and collapsed "a short time later" in an alleyway.

She said: "One of the males called for emergency services and CPR was commenced, but Kyle had been catastrophically and fatally wounded.

"Police, ambulance services and members of the public all tried to save the life of Kyle, but he was pronounced deceased in hospital at 3.11pm the same day.

"Notwithstanding an extensive police investigation spanning a number of years and even though police identified a number of suspects, no prosecution has followed Kyle’s tragic death, and the crime remains undetected."

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