A white car may hold the key to solving the callous murder of teenager Brayden Dillon, who was shot at close range in the head in his own bed.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 15-year-old was sleeping in the bedroom of his family home at Glenfield in the city's south-west on Good Friday when an intruder kicked down the front door.
He stormed past Brayden's mother, threatening her with a pistol before storming upstairs to her son's bedroom.
The masked gunman shot Brayden twice in the head and then fled.
Brayden, who was known to police for local gang activity, would have turned 16 on Wednesday, an occasion his family will mark with deep sorrow.
Three months into the murder investigation, and after reviewing hours of CCTV footage from around the area, police have released images of a white car they are trying to find.
Homicide Squad Detective Chief Inspector Mark Henney said police had tracked many vehicles in footage from cameras around Glenfield but only one fit the timeframe around the shooting.
"This car arrives in the area about 15 minutes before the murder and is seen leaving the area less than five minutes after the murder," he said.
The car is a white Mazda 3 hatchback with a green p-plate and white registration plates. However the numbers and letters on the registration are not clear in the footage.
Detective Henney said it was only a matter of time before police identified the registration but called on people who recognised the car, or with dash cam footage, to come forward.
"We believe once we locate this car, we will be able to identify those responsible for the murder," he said.
One theory detectives are investigating is whether Brayden was executed in retaliation to his brother's alleged role in a stabbing months earlier.
Joshua Dillon, 18, James Rivera and a 17-year-old were charged with murder following the fatal brawl in Panania in June, 2016.
Dillon, Brayden's brother, was driving in a ute with friends when another group of young men starting hurling abuse at them.
Dillon and his mates allegedly pulled over and a fight followed. The groups split before clashing again near Dillon's home.
That confrontation ended in the stabbing of 18-year-old Tafe student Adam Abu-Mahmoud.
Dillon, Rivera and the 17-year-old were subsequently charged and refused bail.
Detective Henney said Brayden's murder on April 14 was "planned and calculated" so it was likely people knew what happened despite not being directly involved.
"Brayden's murder was particularly callous – this was a 15-year-old boy who was shot dead while he slept in his bed over the Easter weekend," he said.
"This Wednesday would have been Brayden's 16th birthday, and we hope the community will help us give his family the gift of justice."
Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
smh.com.au
