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Exactly 13 years ago today, young mum Lucy Hargreaves was murdered in one of Merseyside's most brutal and unsolved killings.

The mum-of-three was killed as she slept on the living room sofa at a house in Walton.

Nobody has been brought to justice over the 22-year-old's death, but her parents remain optimistic those responsible will, one day, face the punishment they deserve.

Today they speak candidly about their hopes of progress in the case, the daughter they will never forget - and her children, who they've brought up as their own.

A mum with so much to live for - a crime of unspeakable brutality

Lucy was a young mum who had three children, aged nine months, two and five at the time of her killing.

She was sleeping on the living room sofa at her home in Lambourne Road on August 3, 2005, when the killers struck.

Three masked men burst into the address armed with a sawn-off shotgun and shot her twice in the stomach and once to the head from close range.

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Possibly to try to cover up the murder, the duvet cover Lucy was sleeping under was then covered in petrol and set alight.

Petrol was also poured around the entrance and stairs of the property to block any escape for those upstairs.

Gary Campbell, Lucy's boyfriend, was sleeping upstairs with the couple's youngest daughter Faye, and it is believed he could have been the intended target.

He escaped the blaze by jumping with his daughter from an upstairs window.

He left the youngster with a neighbour, went back inside the burning house and pulled Lucy out, but she had died from the gunshot wounds.

Mistaken identity - or calculating act of vengeance?

The gunmen had targeted Mr Campbell, and were said to looking to exact revenge because he’d allegedly been a passenger in a stolen car that hit and killed a four-year-old boy in 1993.

The child who had died was the brother of one of the defendants, Tony Downes, who stood trial at Liverpool Crown Court, but whose case was dropped.

Speculation remains over whether the killers knew they were shooting at Lucy as part of their grudge with Campbell, or if it was a case of mistaken identity and they genuinely thought they were killing her boyfriend.

Her face was possibly covered with a sheet, which could have obscured her identity - but police today said they were sure Lucy's killers knew exactly what they were doing.

Campbell spoke to the ECHO, in 2008, insisting he would have “gladly taken the place” of his girlfriend.

But that meant nothing to her parents Kenny and Sylvia who were never comfortable with their daughter's relationship with Campbell, which began when she was a teenager.

Kenny, originally from West Derby, had repeatedly tried to persuade his daughter to leave Campbell, but his pleas had fallen on deaf ears.

'There are people out there who know who killed Lucy'

Her devoted parents believe Lucy's killer will be caught and brought to justice.

They have brought up their daughter's three children "as if they were our own."

Grandad Kenny told the ECHO: "It's an ongoing process, us needing justice, but the truth is yet to come out.

"I think we'll still get someone - all it takes is for one person to fall out with another, maybe a girlfriend of one of the killers.

"Without a doubt, there are people out there who know who killed Lucy.

"Police remain in touch with us, they have never forgotten us, but they need fresh evidence to get the case to court.

"The murder may even have been argued about among families."

Children who barely knew their mum - but are surrounded with love

At the time of the murder, Lucy's children were aged five, three and nine months.

They have been brought up by Kenny and Sylvia.

Kenny added: "They are our children.

"It's been hard, as we don't get the financial support that others do.

"The children can obviously read about their mum on the internet, but they don't say much about it. They are great kids.

"We've brought them up since Lucy was taken from us."

Judge found no case to answer

In 2007, Tony Downes, whose four-year-old brother was killed in a crash with a car in which Campbell was a passenger in the car, stood trial for murder, alongside Kirk Bradley, 21, also of Huyton.

But the case was brought to a halt by Judge Henry Globe, then the Recorder of Liverpool, who ruled there was no case to answer for the shooting of Lucy Hargreaves and discharged the pair.

A Crown Prosecution Service spokesman said: "The case doesn't meet the higher standard required for a jury to be allowed to reach a verdict on it."

Alongside the two men in the dock was Adam McNally, 18, of Townsend Avenue, Norris Green, who was cleared of burgling a house to steal a car in which the alleged killers fled.

Kenny and Sylvia have looked after Lucy's children, now aged 18, 15, and 14, as if they were their own offspring.

Campbell has never seen any of them since the murder happened.

The parents will visit Lucy’s grave to lay flowers on the 13th anniversary, but they keep significant milestones low-key for the sake of the children.

The family also praised charity Merseyside SAMM (Support After Murder and Manslaughter) who have been a source of support for them, they added.

Wanted: double murder suspect

Police continue to hunt Kevin Parle over Lucy's death. Parle is suspected of involvement in Lucy's death, as well of that of 16-year-old Liam Kelly in Dingle.

Anyone with any information in relation to the death of Lucy Hargreaves or the whereabouts of Kevin Parle is asked to call 0800 230 0600 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Baker said: "Lucy’s murder remains one of the most brutal crimes we have ever seen on Merseyside

"That night, after Lucy was shot, the offender poured petrol around the living room and hallway, before setting fire to the house.

"We believe the offenders would have been in no doubt they were killing a young woman. Their callous actions would have claimed the lives of two more people that night had Gary, her partner, not escaped the flames by jumping with his daughter.

"We are continually determined to bring Lucy Hargreaves' killers to justice and are appealing to anyone with information to come forward.

"Lucy was an innocent victim and this year she should be celebrating her 35th birthday with her family - instead they have been robbed of a loving mother and daughter.

“I know over the years people move away and loyalties change and I would call on those people to now come forward with the information they have or speak to Crimestoppers anonymously. I'd like to reassure them that there are special measures that can be put in place to protect witnesses in serious cases such as this. Someone, somewhere must have information which can help the investigation and bring some kind of closure to Lucy’s family.