‘The murder investigation will always be with us’

Five people – four teenagers and a 45-year-old man – have now been sentenced for the murders of two best friends, Max Dixon and Mason Rist. The stabbing, caused by mistaken identity, occurred a few yards from Mason’s front door. The attack terrified communities living and working in south Bristol, including those sent to investigate.

Det Superintendent Gary Haskins’ job is to investigate murders. As head of the Major Crime Investigation Team he has been briefed on all of those in the Avon and Somerset area.

But the murders of 15-year-old Mason Rist and his best friend, 16-year-old Max Dixon, will stay with him and his team forever.

“This was one of those tests that thankfully doesn’t happen every day, not every year, not every lifetime,” he said.

“This is an investigation that will stay with me and my colleagues for the rest of our careers and lives.”

Det Superintendent Haskins was the first to get the call about this Max and Mason’s stabbing Sunday morning – the day after they were attacked at approximately 23:00 GMT on Saturday 27 January.

The boys were found stabbed to death in the street, just yards from Mason’s front door in Knowledge West.

Det Superintendent Haskins said, “I’m a human being, I’m a parent. These were two guys just going about their business as friends.”

“They were attacked with possibly the most horrific weapons I have ever seen in my career.”

The boys were murdered by four teenagers who were seeking revenge after a separate incident in Hartcliffe – Max and Mason had nothing to do with.

On Thursday, 18-year-old Riley Tolliver and 17-year-old Kodishai Wescott were told Each of them will be detained for at least 23 years,

A 15-year-old boy and a 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were detained for life with minimum terms of 15 and 18 years respectively.

Anthony Snook, 45, of Hartcliffe, who inspired teenagers to “hunt” victims of violence around Knoll West, was sentenced last month Minimum 38 years in prison.

Gary Haskins led the investigation the Monday morning after the attack. But his colleagues reached the scene within minutes and even had a suspect taken into custody within an hour.

“This is one of the most important investigations I have had to lead,” he said.

Shortly after the stabbing, uniformed officers – who had been around the corner at the time of another incident – ​​were on the scene.

Within 10 minutes, officers had identified Snook and the vehicle used by the teens.

“Thanks to Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), we were able to track the vehicle,” Det Superintendent Haskins said.

“Within 59 minutes, Anthony Snook was in custody.”

While in the back of the police van, the officers had to stop to update Snook that the crime he was arrested for had been changed to murder, because the boys – who died within 15 minutes of each other. Were – were unable to be saved.

Snook drove the four teenagers back to a house in Hartcliffe, where he destroyed pieces of evidence, before they were “scattered” across south Bristol and Somerset.

But when police took Snook into custody, he wasn’t about to give up the others involved.

“Snook wasn’t giving us any names,” Det Superintendent Haskins said.

“There was a constant search for them. We thought wherever they were, we would be there.”

“We’ll knock on doors. If those doors don’t open and we’re confident they’re there we’ll effect entry.”

Det Supt Haskins said that when the teenagers – who were unknown to them – tried to escape from police, they used “all police powers and force” to apprehend them.

About 300 officers from Avon and Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire were involved.

The power of dedication to bring two best friends to justice must force the members of Det Supt Haskins’ team to go home.

Eventually, through “good old fashioned detective work”, CCTV analysis, help from community and association charts, the boys were found.

Det Superintendent Haskins said, “They knew we were coming and we weren’t going to stop until they were in custody.”

“We were just following them until we found them.”

The subsequent trial lasted six weeks at Bristol Crown Court, where all five defendants were found guilty of murder,

Det Supt Haskins said, “The attack was brief in its nature, but horrifically violent.”

“They all worked together. They armed themselves together, they traveled together, they came back from the attack together, and they intended to harm whoever they came across.

“It is a joint venture. That is really an important fact not to forget.

“They didn’t attack those two boys because of who they were, they attacked them because of where they were. And they attacked them en masse.”

As a parent himself, Gary Haskins expressed concern about the future and broader societal impacts of youth violence.

“I worry about the future,” he said.

“But we have an opportunity as police officers, as paramedics, as emergency services, to leave some positive legacy for this terrible, horrific event.”

And he is committed to doing his part, using his position to help prevent future tragedies.

“Every day I think ‘What were they thinking?’,” he reflected.

“Looking at the weapons, looking at their actions, looking at the way they were moving around Knoll West looking for prey.

“There are no winners in this. There are countless families who have been damaged for life who will never recover from this incident.”