‘You killed my son’: Mum of slain man Jonathan Mitchell’s tearful message as police issue $500,000 reward for information on cold case death

The mother of a man stabbed to death 21 years ago has revealed her anguish at losing her son, with police announcing a hefty reward for new information into the unsolved killing. Jonathan Mitchell, 28, was found dead in the kitchen of his Toongabbie home on December 7, 2003, with stab wounds in his neck and a bloodied cricket bat ditched in the home’s gutter. 20 years on, his death still remains unresolved. On Friday, police revealed the reward for any information relating to his death to $500,000. Jonathan had spent the night at Homebake Music festival in Sydney’s Royal Botanical gardens before leaving early to meet his brother at the Pendle Inn. What happened next continues to remain a mystery, despite extensive inquiries by the Strike Force Mundego established by police to investigate the matter. A 2008 inquest by the coroner failed to bring about new leads, with the report concluding that Mr Mitchell died by stab wounds inflicted by a person or persons unknown to him. Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty of the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad – which took over the case in 2008 – said police haven’t given up in finding answers for the Mitchell family. “Police believe this tragic murder may have been a case of mistaken identity and we believe there is someone out there that holds crucial information that could help us solve this case,” Superintendent Doherty said. “For the family who has spent 21 years to the day in anguish, every piece of information, no matter how small, can make a monumental difference. Speaking on Friday, Jonathan’s grieving mother Moira said she will not rest until her son receives justice. “I am my father’s daughter and I won’t give up until I find out who murdered my son.”, Mrs Mitchell said. “You killed my son and you went home as if nothing had happened … As a mother, I’m broken in a way that only a mother who has lost a child knows.”, she added. “I will take this pain to my grave.” Anyone with information that may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.