Emma Elgee and Sammy Jenkins
BBC News
The mother of a teenager who was stabbed to death has appealed for the “cowardly” killers to give themselves up.
Eddie King Muthemba Kinuthia, 19, was repeatedly stabbed on Grosvenor Road, in Bristol, at about 23:00 BST on 21 July and died in hospital.
Police arrested a fifth man in connection with his murder on Tuesday.
His mum, Irene Muthemba, said: “I am appealing to your conscience because someone out there must know something.”
Speaking at a press conference earlier, she said that she will “never understand why” this happened to her son.
“We all make mistakes sometimes but mistakes do not give anyone the right to end someone’s life,” she said.
“To think that someone woke up and decided to rip our hearts wide open in a needless, senseless, shameless, cowardly act of violence is so distressing.”
Ms Muthemba urged the perpetrators’ parents to have “the courage to do the right thing” and get their children to face up to their actions.
She added that she did not have capacity to hate her son’s attackers but felt “incredible sad for their souls”.
DCI Mark Almond, of Avon and Somerset Police, repeated the force’s appeal for witnesses as they look for two people seen riding a motorcycle in the area.
“We are determined to get justice for Eddie and answers for his family, but we need help from people, we need witnesses to come forward to give statements,” he said.
He made an appeal for anyone seen in the Grosvenor Road area of St Pauls on Friday 21 July between 22:00 and 23:30 BST to speak to the police.
‘Justice for Eddie’
He said: “Where you in contact with Eddie on that Friday either by person or by phone or social media?
“Did you see two people, or at times a single rider, in dark clothing riding an electric motorbike similar to a Sur-Ron either in the areas of St Pauls or Easton during the evening of 21 July?”
The officer declined to say what he thought may have been the motive for the attack.
One man in his 20s, from Bristol, was arrested on Tuesday evening. Three other males, one in his 20s and the others aged 19 and 21, remain on police bail in connection with the killing.
Another man who was arrested shortly after the attack has been eliminated from the investigation.
Ms Muthemba paid tribute to her son, adding that “words cannot begin to express the anguish” that his death has caused.
“We will always love you, with your every blemish, your every fault, every mistake, because with time and a little love and guidance you were making changes, changes for the better.
“You had the biggest of hearts and your capacity to love others and spread kindness has proved really amazing,” she said.
Follow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk
Related Topics
Related Internet Links
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.