Kennie Carter murder: £50,000 reward to bring killer of Stretford teenager to justice

A reward of £50,000 for information that will bring the killer of teenager Kennie Carter to justice has been offered by police investigating the case.

Kennie, 16, was fatally stabbed in the chest on Thirlmere Avenue in Stretford and died in hospital on Saturday 22 January 2022. Almost a year on Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is offering the large sum of money to anyone who can bring forward information that will lead to the conviction of the personal responsible for the killing.

Almost 12 months of police investigations have resulted in the arrests of a dozen teenagers, all of whom have been released under investigation while inquiries continue. Police today (Friday 20 January) spoke of the agony of Kennie’s loved ones who have not seen justice following his death.

Why are the police offering a reward to catch Kennie Carter’s killer?

Police have spent almost a year since Kennie’s death carrying out extensive investigations, which have included trawling through hours of CCTV footage and speaking to dozens of people. In total 12 teenagers aged between 13 and 18 have been arrested in the course of the investigation on suspicion of murder. All of them are currently released under investigation while the police continue to work on the case.

While GMP said on Friday they believe they are close to solving the case, they nevertheless think people in Greater Manchester are still out there with the final pieces of information they need to bring Kennie’s murderer to justice. They appealed for anyone who witnessed Kennie’s stabbing, who heard key information about what happened to him or who have images or footage from the night of his death to come forward to give a statement.

Anyone with information is being asked to ring GMP on 0161 856 9908 or 101 quoting incident number 2529 of the date 22/01/2022. Video footage or images from the night can be submitted to the police via the online portal.

What have the police said about their search for Kennie’s killer?

Detective Chief Inspector Alicia Smith, from GMP’s Major Investigation Team, said: “The thoughts of everyone in the investigation team remain with Kennie’s loved ones at this time. They have lived though one year without Kennie and are desperate for answers and I hope you will think of them today.

“This is a long and meticulous investigation, through which we have spoken to over 100 people, reviewed over 100 hours of CCTV and carried out dozens of warrants. We have also arrested all of the people that we wanted to speak to in connection with this incident.

“I believe we are close to getting justice for Kennie and I am confident that there is someone out there who holds key information about this case who has not yet made themselves known to us. Please don’t assume that we already know the information you hold. What you know could be the last piece that we need.

“I understand you might be scared but I would like to stress that murder investigations are never closed. We will never stop seeking the truth and we will not stop until Kennie’s killer is safely behind bars. Please do the right thing – clear your conscience, come forwards and tell us what you know.

“I would like to thank those members of the public who have already come forward and shared information.”

Sergeant Marc Foster of GMP Stretford said: “The local community remains devastated by the death of Kennie Carter. We are continuing to support the family and are working closely with the community, providing high visibility patrols in the area.

“Our community has come together united against knife crime, and we will continue to support them and the investigation team to secure justice for Kennie.

“I would like to thank members of the public who have already provided us with key information. However, I would now like to address those who have not yet come forwards.

“There are people out there who know what happened that evening. Please check your conscience and do the right thing. It was a cowardly attack on a young teenager with his whole life in front of him. The investigation is live and we are responding to any new information given.

“Please don’t assume we already know the information you hold. Tell us again anyway, because it might be the key to securing a charge and conviction for those responsible.”