Family’s pain over video of son’s murder
THE AGONY of losing a loved one to a knife-obsessed murderer was made intensely worse when footage of the killing spread like wildfire across Snapchat.
As Kyle Walley, 19, lay lifeless on his kitchen floor in Rhosymedre, Wrexham, on July 11, 2021, his twisted killer and so-called former friend Mark Jones filmed Kyle’s body and posted the footage on the social media platform.
Kyle’s dad, Robert, revealed that he had been “inundated” with calls before he had even seen his son in the chapel of rest. Jones was handed a life sentence and will serve a minimum term of 16 years when a jury found him guilty of murder when at Mold Crown Court last week.
Jones had failed to convince them he had acted in self-defence when he stabbed Kyle though the heart as the men prepared to watch the Euro final clash between England and Italy.
Mr Walley described the “horrific” impact of Kyle’s death and the callousness of it being shared on social media, in a statement issued last week after Jones was sent to jail.
Mr Walley said: “I can still recall people contacting us and telling us about the video. This was so upsetting because we didn’t even get a chance to see Kyle in the chapel of rest before we were inundated with calls from numerous people asking about what was being circulated online.”
Mr Walley has never watched the footage but he fears for some of his family and is upset about the potential impact that it may have on them.
He said: “The circumstances around Kyle’s murder and the social media aspect has been incredibly difficult to deal with as a family. We are aware that social media is something most people use, but knowing that our son’s murder was filmed and then immediately circulated online – locally, nationally and possibly internationally – is horrific.
“We know that people have been making comments on the footage that was released and some of the comments about Kyle were vile.
“No-one should have to read or see those comments about their own child, especially as Kyle was murdered. It is as if people have passed judgement on what happened to Kyle ever since.
“These are comments by people that have never even met my son. This makes us feel angry and I find it difficult to put into words how hard it was for us all to come to terms with.
“Our family suffered a tragic loss, which was only compounded by the video and then social media intrusion which seemed never-ending. As soon as posts were removed they were put back by different people and the pain continued for us.”
The footage had spread so widely North Wales Police had to issue a plea to the platforms and the public to stop sharing it.
The judge, Justice Stephen Eyre, told an emotionless Jones that he recorded his brutal actions out of a sick “desire for notoriety”. The judge said this compounded the suffering of Kyle’s family tenfold.
A spokeman for Snapchat issued this statement after the sentencing of Jones: “Violence has devastating consequences for families and communities and there is no place for it on Snapchat.
“Unlike traditional social media platforms, Snapchat has no open news feed of unvetted content and the way the app is designed limits the possibility of harmful content from being featured, recommended or going viral.
“If Snapchatters see violent content on the app, we encourage them to report it immediately using our in-app tools so we can investigate and take action. If we find violent content being shared we remove it straightaway and we work with law enforcement to support investigations.
“We continue to partner closely with safety experts, NGOs and the police to create a safe environment for our community.”