Michael Rainsford Sr. has shared his agony over watching his 20-year-old son, Mikey, die tragically in his arms, as he opened up about the pain of police not linking a DNA match sooner
The pain of losing a son in such a senseless way never fades, and for Michael Rainsford Sr., the fight for justice continues. In 2020, his 20-year-old son, whose known to his love ones as Mikey, was tragically killed in a revenge shooting on Merseyside – an attack he had no part in.
The avid skateboarder was at his home when he was shot twice through his kitchen window at his family home in Litherland. James Foy, the gunman, and his brother, Michael carried out the brutal attack, firing from their front garden. The brothers, who were members of a local gang, mistakenly thought Michael was involved in an earlier incident when bricks were thrown at their Seaforth home, while their mother was inside.
Bloodied and fighting for his life in his father’s arms, Mikey was rushed to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. The Foys were caught through CCTV and mobile phone data that tracked their movements, leading detectives to those who helped them cover up the crime.
A Snapchat video also revealed an electric bike similar to the one owned by the brothers, with a key fob from the shop that sold it, linked to James. Michael was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to life in prison to serve a minimum of 30 years. His brother, James, was also found guilty of murder and possession of a firearm and was sentenced to life in prison to serve a minimum of 28 years.
It was later discovered that James was in possession of another firearm, with his DNA linked to the weapon months before Mikey’s death. However, Merseyside Police determined that the evidence wasn’t strong enough to press criminal charges at the time.
Michael Rainsford Sr. believes that if police had acted sooner on this crucial evidence, his son might still be alive today – and has since taken legal action. He argues that it should not have taken more than six months – and the tragic death of his son – for Cellmarks’ DNA evidence to be considered strong enough for police to charge Foy with firearm possession.
According to a report last year from The i Paper, Mr Rainsford was twice denied a full inquest into Mikey’s death. He claims that Merseyside Police have refused to provide him with answers from the start. “A lot of people say they get closure [after a murder], I don’t know if it helps them or not, but we haven’t had it, this has become such a fight from day one,” he told the publication. “They knew what Foy was capable of, yet they just seemed to be so slow and lackadaisical. I do believe the delay in the forensic examination did cost my son his life.”
Merseyside Police responded to the claims by stating that forensic evidence linking Foy to the firearm wasn’t available until after his son’s death. Following a 2021 complaint, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) recommended further investigation. The police apologised for any confusion and acknowledged areas for improvement in the investigation, while expressing their sympathy for the Rainsford family’s loss.
Speaking to the BBC, the dad opened up about how he was left ‘traumatised’ by the horrific day his son was killed, admitting: “It doesn’t become a distant memory, it just stays there every day,” he said. “You can relive it in the night, you wake up in the night. People move on – but we don’t. He added: “We’re stuck with this for the rest of our lives. You end up having to wear a mask just to survive.”
The Murder Of Mikey Rainsford: Social Media Murders is on ITV tonight at 10:40pm
