Investigation into how Jo Cox's killer acquired gun officially shelved, West Yorkshire Police reveal

A probe into how murdered MP Jo Cox's killer got hold of the gun used to shoot her has been shelved - despite a top cop vowing never to rest until it had been solved.
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Thomas Mair stabbed and shot Mrs Cox 2016 with a sawn-off shotgun outside a library as the Labour MP met with constituents in Birstall, West Yorks.

Murder detectives investigating how he acquired the gun found it had been reported stolen from its registered owner's 4x4 at a farm 10 months prior earlier.

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And detective chief inspector Nick Wallen, who led the investigation into Mair, later said he "would not rest" until the mystery had been solved.

Jo Cox who was the MP for Batley and Spen when she was killedJo Cox who was the MP for Batley and Spen when she was killed
Jo Cox who was the MP for Batley and Spen when she was killed

He said the Weihrauch.22 rifle, commonly used for pest control, was "pulled to bits" by forensic teams in a failed bid to find DNA traces that did not belong to Mair.

DCI Wallen retired in 2019 and now West Yorkshire Police have confirmed that all avenues in the investigation had been "exhausted".

A spokeswoman for the force said: "A lengthy investigation was carried out to try and establish how Thomas Mair acquired this firearm.

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"All lines of inquiry have for the time being been exhausted, but the investigation will be revisited if further information comes to light."

Mrs Cox, who was the MP for Batley and Spen, died after Mair shot her twice in the head and once in the chest then stabbed her 15 times on June 16, 2016.

Mair, a gardener, was heard repeatedly shouting "Britain First" during the sickening attack.

Detectives probing the murder found multiple items in his home connected to far-right ideology, including Nazi memorabilia and a copy of Mein Kampf.

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It was the first killing of a sitting British MP since the death of Conservative MP Ian Gow, who was assassinated by the IRA in 1990.

Mair was sentenced to a whole life prison term at the Old Bailey with a judge saying the attack had been committed to "advance the cause of violent white nationalism".