‘Body in the snow’ killer still at large 13 years on

Karl Bradley’s body was found dumped in a garden in West Derby

Thirteen years have passed since Karl Bradley was shot dead in a quiet West Derby street – but his killer remains at large. The 31-year-old’s body was discovered in a snow-covered garden on Penshaw Close on the morning of March 22, 2013, hours after police believe he was gunned down in an “execution-style” attack the night before.

Despite a series of arrests and a long-running investigation, no one has ever been charged over his murder.

Detectives believe Karl was shot multiple times at around 11pm on March 21. One of the bullets missed him entirely and struck the wall of a nearby home, where an innocent family, including two children upstairs, were inside.

It was not until around 7am the following morning that Karl’s body was found in the garden of a nearby address.

Over the years, Merseyside Police have continued to pursue leads and have made number four arrests in connection with the killing. However, the case remains unsolved more than a decade later.

At the time, officers said they believed the shooting was targeted. The investigation has long been linked to the wider context of serious organised crime in the city, though no definitive motive has ever been publicly confirmed.

Karl was the older brother of Kirk Bradley, a notorious figure who is currently serving a lengthy prison sentence for firearms offences linked to gang activity.

Yet despite the passage of time and the high-profile nature of the case, very little is publicly known about Karl Bradley himself. No photograph has ever been released to the media, and no family statement has been issued.

The murder became known as the ‘body in the snow’. As the 13th anniversary of his death is marked, the case stands as one of Merseyside’s enduring unsolved murders, with his killer still evading justice.

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