Teenager admits murdering 12-year-old Leo Ross in Hall Green
The 15-year-old has pleaded guilty to killing Leo Ross in Hall Green
A 15-year-old boy has pleaded guilty to the murder of 12-year-old Leo Ross who was fatally stabbed while walking home from school in a Birmingham park in 2025.
Senior Investigating Officer Joe Davenport described the case as heartbreaking and deeply distressing. He said Leo was attacked with a single stab wound to the stomach that caused catastrophic injury.
“This is a really tragic incident. Leo was just in the wrong place at the wrong time” Officer Davenport said.
The suspect was linked to a series of violent attacks on vulnerable women in the same park in the days leading up to Leo’s murder. Police believe the boy targeted strangers and even pretended to have found victims to raise the alarm while hiding his own involvement.
“Looking at the way these crimes were carried out it became clear the victims didn’t know the attacker and were not connected to each other” Officer Davenport explained.
CCTV footage was crucial in identifying and tracking the suspect’s movements during the incidents.
He urged young people not to carry knives “A single stab wound was enough to kill Leo. Knives are deadly and carrying them is never the right thing to do.”
The investigation has had a profound impact on Leo’s family and the wider community. Officer Davenport said the guilty plea will spare the family from the trauma of a trial.
“It means Leo’s family won’t have to hear the painful details in court and hopefully find some comfort in this outcome” he said.