£20K reward to help solve 1994 cold case murder

The daughter of a woman murdered in Ayrshire 30 years ago has appealed for help to find her killer, as a £20,000 reward has been offered for information.

Shona Stevens, 31, was attacked near her home in Irvine in November 1994 as she returned from a local shop.

She suffered severe head injuries and died three days later. Her daughter Candice, now aged 37, said the family "still want justice".

Police Scotland said it was determined to solve the case using leads not available at the time.

Candice appealed for information alongside her 90-year-old grandmother Mhairi Smith.

In a statement, they said: "We know it has been 30 years since Shona was taken from us but to us it seems like only yesterday.

"There is not a day that goes by that she is not in our thoughts and in our hearts."

Shona had been a student, studying in Paisley.

She was described as a "creature of habit", regularly walking to the shop through the park at lunchtime as she had on the day of the murder.

Shona was attacked on 10 November 1994 after she left the Co-op store in Bourtreehill Shopping Centre.

She was found in a wooded area near her home about 10 minutes later.

Det Insp Stuart Gillies from Police Scotland's Major Investigation team said he believed the person responsible for the murder may have local connections.

He said: "They may have lived locally or had friends or family members there. Maybe someone has suspicions about someone in their life back then.

"I think that the public have within them the ability to step forward and provide the missing piece of the jigsaw.

"I am confident that we can continue to develop this investigation and hopefully provide an outcome for Shona and her family."

Police have set up an online portal to encourage members of the public to submit information directly to the major incident team for Ms Stevens murder, codenamed Operation Short.

Independent charity Crimestoppers are offering £20,000 for information which leads to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the murder.

Angela Parker, National Manager for Scotland at the charity Crimestoppers said: “Whilst decades have passed, the lasting consequences of Shona’s brutal killing for her family and friends remain.

“By offloading and speaking up – either to police or anonymously to charity Crimestoppers – you’ll be making a huge difference to Shona’s loved ones and for the wider community in Irvine."