Teenage Killer's Horrifying Final Act as Young Victim Lay Dying in Birmingham Park
A schoolboy killer who admitted to enjoying hurting people stabbed a 12-year-old to death in a random attack before committing one final, chilling insult. Kian Moulton, aged 15, was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 13 years for the murder of Leo Ross in Yardley Wood, Birmingham.
The Fatal Attack on a Schoolboy
Leo Ross was walking home from Christ Church CE Secondary School on January 21, 2025, when he was attacked. He was on a 10-minute route to meet a friend at Trittiford Mill Park, speaking on the phone to arrange a meeting near a specific tree. His friend arrived as planned, but Leo never did. Instead, he had been fatally wounded by Moulton, who was riding his bike in the park at the time.
Detective Inspector Joe Davenport revealed that Moulton had a history of violence, stating, "He enjoyed hurting people and he enjoyed watching the chaos that unfolded." The attack was random and unprovoked, with no connection between the victim and his killer. A judge noted that Moulton chose Leo because he was a smaller boy.
The Killer's Disturbing Behavior After the Stabbing
After stabbing Leo, Moulton dumped the knife in bushes near a stream and cycled around the park, telling others that a boy had been stabbed. In a final act of cruelty, he returned to the scene to watch the horror unfold. He falsely claimed to have stumbled across Leo as he lay injured beside the River Cole.
DI Davenport described Moulton's behavior as "odd" and "really unusual," noting that he was wearing dark clothing with his hood up. "The fact that he's continued to do it and has hung around afterwards, waiting to see what happens, it's like he was enjoying seeing what he's done," Davenport added.
Critical Evidence and Previous Attacks
West Midlands Police recovered the knife from the riverbank, where Moulton had attempted to throw it into the river. The weapon had both Moulton's and Ross's DNA on it, which DI Davenport called "the critical evidence in the case."
Birmingham Crown Court heard that Moulton had attacked others in the same area in the days leading up to the murder. On January 19, he pushed an 82-year-old woman into a river, hitting her with her own walking pole and telling her, "I tried to drown you, but now I'm going to kill you." She suffered multiple injuries, including a broken nose and black eyes. He also carried out attacks on January 20 and the same day he killed Leo.
Family Outrage and Tributes to Leo
Outside the court, Leo's mother, Rachel Fisher, called the 13-year minimum term a "joke," saying, "Thirteen years is a complete and utter joke and it's just going to keep on happening and keep on happening until something's done about it. These kids aren't scared. They aren't scared of the sentence."
Leo's father, Christopher Ross, spoke directly to Moulton in court, saying, "Look up, man... you killed my son." He described his life since Leo's death as a "living hell" and paid tribute to his son as "the kindest little boy you could ever hope to meet."
Tim Boyes, the acting head teacher at Leo's school at the time, described him as a "quirky, lovable" boy passionate about fossils. "For a 12-year-old, he was quite young and he had a naivety and simplicity," Boyes said, adding that the incident was "unreal" and "horrible and shocking."
The court acknowledged Moulton's "formidable mental health problems" but stated he was aware of the consequences of his actions. The case has sparked outrage in the community, with calls for stronger measures to address youth violence in Birmingham.
