The Hargreaves family are still seeking justice 17 years after Lucy's senseless murder in her Liverpool home. The case against Kevin Parle, one of the National Crime Agency's most wanted fugitives, remains a complex web of allegations and unanswered questions. Parle, now 49, is accused of being involved in the shooting that targeted Lucy, her partner Gary Campbell, and their three-year-old daughter.
The family have submitted a formal complaint to Merseyside Police, alleging potential failings by the police and Crown Prosecution Service may have compromised the prosecution's ability to effectively oppose the defence application to halt the trial in 2007. They also express concerns over Parle's bail conditions and how he was able to flee the country. The family first raised their concerns with Merseyside Police in 2008, but were told that it would be dealt with after Parle was captured and prosecuted.
In 2007, two gangland figures, Kirk Bradley and Tony Downes, stood trial for Lucy's murder. However, the trial judge, Recorder Henry Globe QC, dismissed the charges part way through the prosecution case due to a lack of evidence linking Adam McNally as the user of a mobile phone crucial to connecting Parle, Bradley, and Downes to a stolen Lexus car used by the killers.
The family is currently awaiting the outcome of a police review, which also involves the Crown Prosecution Service, as well as the result of a fresh investigation into their complaint. They have appealed to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which found that Merseyside Police's complaint handler failed to properly understand the concerns raised and ordered it to re-investigate.