Victoria Police Homicide Squad detectives have executed a search warrant on the Gold Coast today in relation to the unsolved murder of Les Samba in Melbourne
Investigators searched a Ron Penhaligan Way
Officers seized a number of items as part of their investigation into the fatal shooting of the 60-year-old South Australian man in Beaconsfield Parade, Middle Park
Victorian detectives will also travel toSydney
Victorian detectives will also travel to
The unidentified gunman was last seen fleeing the scene, running east along Langridge Street
He is described as being aged in his mid-20s to mid-30s, medium build and wearing dark clothing.
Witnesses reported the man sporting distinctive, light-coloured hair that was untidy and protruding out from underneath a black hat.He is described as being aged in his mid-20s to mid-30s, medium build and wearing dark clothing.
The weapon used in the shooting is yet to be recovered.
At this stage police don’t believe this was a random shooting as the victim may have attending a meeting at the time he died.
Anyone with any further information or who witnessed the incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via the website at www.crimestoppers.com.au
A father and grandfather:
I would like to give you an insight into the father and grandfather that I knew and loved.
My father has been taken from us in a horrific way but no one can take away the beautiful memories I have with my Dad growing up in Adelaide with my younger brother and mother.
Like many parents my father and mother wanted my brother and I to have the best start in life, Dad worked very hard as a horse trainer in Adelaide working 7 days a week to send us to good Catholic schools. He was a wonderful provider and always put us kids first.
Dad encouraged me to go to university, he wished he’d had the opportunity to have had a better education. Dad supported me through my university degrees and taught me everything he knew about horseracing – I am so grateful for everything he has done for me. Horseracing was a passion we both shared, we would regularly discuss the horses. One of the last times I spent time with my Dad we were looking at horses together at the January Gold Coast Magic Millions sales.
It makes me feel so sad that Dad will never call in to visit my daughter, Hilary and I again. When he visited us, we’d have a cup of tea and cake or we’d share a bottle of red wine and id make him a platter with cheese and all the nibbles he liked. Its very upsetting that my 3 year old daughter will never get the chance to play with her Pa again and when she gets older she may struggle to remember him. Dad would often take Hilary to the duck pond at the local park, Hilary calls him Pa with the ducks.
My younger brother lives in Adelaide and would catch up for coffee with Dad almost daily. Understandably my brother is completely devastated by losing his father and his best mate.
Dad was an extremely generous loving father who would do anything for my brother and I and even his close friends, we could always count on him. I still go to phone him and have to remind myself that he is no longer with us.
Dad was a quiet person but a strong man, the bravest person I knew. It is extremely heartbreaking to know that he was terrified in his last moments of life - running from a person with a gun. I ask what kind of a person shoots someone in the back numerous times and then again at point blank range in the head. This person is cold hearted and dangerous and needs to be found. No matter what the reason this gunman thinks he had to kill my father, it is inexcusable, no one deserves to die like this and be left for dead on the street.
I identified my fathers body with my mother at the coroners, this was a horrific experience that no family should have to go through. I’m struggling with those images and the images we saw on the news that night of my father laying dead on a Melbourne street.
Words cannot describe the pain and how awful it feels to have our father taken from us in such a horrible, callous way. It’s been six weeks since he was brutally killed and not an hour goes past where I don’t think of him, the grief is debilitating. I’m having trouble sleeping and functioning each day.
Dad’s interests:
Dad had a genuine affinity with animals, from the family dogs we had over the years that he regularly spoilt and walked daily to the racehorses he owned. He genuinely loved all animals.
Dad was an amazing natural horseman – recognized by his horseracing peers for his ability in selecting yearlings at horse sales that were able to produce fantastic results on the track. He was liked and respected in the horse racing industry and enjoyed attending horse sales and the races when he had a horse running.
The horse racing industry has been very supportive, thank you to those who have sent us lovely letters and cards speaking of how they liked, respected and enjoyed my fathers company. These mean a lot to my family and I.
Appeal for help:
My brother and I are proud to say Les Samba was our father, we love him and are missing him so so much.
Please I ask that anyone with any information no matter how small please come forward or if your scared to you can confidentially provide information to the police. Any small piece of information may help. We need to find the person who murdered my father. Please help.
