A suspected murderer who stabbed a young father to death in front of his partner in Knightsbridge fled the country on fake documents within hours after a ‘targeted attack’, it has been claimed.
Blue Stevens, 24, was knifed in broad daylight outside the £1,650-a-night 5-star Park Tower Hotel and Casino, which is directly across the road from the Harvey Nichols department store in central London, on July 9.
Nearly seven weeks have passed but the killer – whom murder detectives believe could have stabbed Blue in a ‘targeted attack’ – is still at large.
Detectives are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry, including whether the murder was a botched attempted watch robbery as Blue was wearing a gold timepiece when he was attacked.
The Mail can reveal that Blue and his partner, Yve Hale, were on their way to have dinner at Nusr-Et, the steakhouse run by celebrity chef Salt Bae, when the attacker intercepted them just yards away from the restaurant.
A nearby hotel worker told the Mail the couple were walking along the pavement when the knifeman stabbed Blue in the chest before his girlfriend desperately tried to save him.
On July 14, five days after Blue’s death, the Met Police announced they had arrested three men in their 20s in connection with the murder.
Two were detained at an address in Hounslow – one on suspicion of murder and another on suspicion of conspiracy to murder. A third man was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender. All three were bailed and no further arrests or charges have come.
As mystery surrounds the murder, Blue’s mother, Charlie Sheridan, claimed on Facebook last night: ‘They [police] know who did it. He left the country on fake documents hours afterwards. Gone. Makes me sick to my stomach.’
Blue Stevens with his son. He was stabbed outside the £1,650-a-night 5-star Park Tower Hotel and Casino, which is directly across the road from the Harvey Nichols department store in central London, on July 9
The victim had two children, including a little girl (pictured together)
The murder scene outside the Park Tower Casino in London’s Knightsbridge
Ms Sheridan has posted a series of emotional tributes to Blue since his tragic death, which came just days before his 25th birthday on July 29.
The family gave Blue an emotional send off on August 8, driving his body past his grandparents house and through Yateley.
In one post the night before the funeral, Ms Sheridan wrote: ‘Going to bed knowing that I’ve got to bury my child tomorrow. Oh my god. This can’t be real. This can’t be true. Please god. Not my handsome blue boy.’
In another, she said: ‘Whoever took my sons life took mine as well.’
And in a third, she wrote: ‘I was robbed. We have all been robbed. Not just of him, but of who we were before. Still no one paying for what they took.’
Blue is from a family of famous boxers. His grandfather was celebrated heavyweight Les Stevens, who won bronze at the 1970 Commonwealth Games.
Stevens went on a 15-fight winning streak as a professional before retiring in 1979. In his career he had 23 wins and just five defeats.
Les then devoted 40 years of his life to training boxers and died in 2020 of Covid-19.
Friends said Blue loved buying the ‘sparkliest’ watches he could find and was pictured recently on social media wearing a Datejust 36mm oystersteel and gold Rolex, which is worth £12,250.
Blue’s sister shared this image and tribute, showing him wearing one of his beloved watches
Blue’s partner left flowers at the scene of his murder and said: ‘We are absolutely devastated without you. You took a piece of my heart with you. A part of me has gone with you’
The tent showing where the murder victim died, allegedly when a robber tried to snatch his gold watch and he fought back
Blue’s BMW X3 was parked just 100 metres away and was cordoned off behind police tape
The Park Tower Hotel and Casino is next door to Nusr-Et (pictured), the steakhouse run by celebrity chef Salt Bae. Blue was on his way to have dinner here when he was stabbed just yards away
Police swarmed the exclusive area at just before 9.30pm
The Metropolitan Police are probing whether the incident was a targeted attack and said the theft of his watch remains a line of inquiry.
In their most recent statement, Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah, who leads policing in Central West London, said: ‘These arrests mark a significant milestone in this complex and unfolding murder investigation.
‘We continue to progress at pace. While we retain an open mind around motive, one line of enquiry is now that this may have been a targeted attack.
‘Increased police patrols remain active in and around the Knightsbridge area. Please do speak with an officer if you have any questions or concerns.’
Daily Mail has contacted the force for further comment.
