A £20,000 reward has been offered to help catch the killer of a rapper who was stabbed to death at last year’s Notting Hill Carnival.
Dad-to-be Takayo Nembhard, who performed under the name TKorStretch, was killed in Ladbroke Grove as the festivities wrapped up at the festival on 29 August 2022.
The 21-year-old, from Bristol, was stabbed through his artery after he travelled to London with his younger sister. He later died in hospital.
Several people have been arrested for the murder, including one last week, but no one has been charged.
Nembhard was an up and coming rap and drill artist whose music had hundreds of thousands of views on social media. His partner gave birth to their baby nine weeks after he died.
Crimestoppers is offering the cash reward for anonymous information that leads to a conviction.
His family said: “Almost a year on, our family are in disbelief and continued sadness that Takayo’s passing goes unpunished. We will never get over him but justice being served will help us to move on.”
The Metropolitan Police will be at Notting Hill Carnival this weekend to gather more information.
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Detective Inspector Laura Semple said: “It has been a year since Takayo died and his family remain devastated at his loss.
“His son, who was born in November, is growing up having never known his dad.
“Takayo was a talented rapper and singer from Bristol who had visited the carnival with his friends and sister. He had done nothing to provoke the attack that day.
“We still really need the help of anyone who has information to bring those responsible to justice. I hope the offer of this substantial reward from the charity Crimestoppers with the appeal to contact them anonymously will encourage people to do the right thing.”
A murder investigation was launched after Nembhard was targeted under the Westway Flyover in the middle of a large crowd.
Detectives say there were several hundred people in the immediate area surrounding the incident and want to hear from anyone who was filming or taking photos at the time.
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Alexa Loukas, from Crimestoppers, said: “I know how hard it is to speak up, but you could make a difference. Every piece of information, no matter how small, is a step closer towards finding justice for Takayo.”
Five people have so far been arrested and bailed pending further investigation.
Most recently, a 23-year-old man was detained in Shepherd’s Bush, west London, on 18 August on suspicion of murder. He was bailed until mid-November.
https://news.sky.com/story/notting-hill-carnival-death-20k-reward-offered-to-catch-killer-of-rapper-tkorstretch-12945856
