Parents in 'find killer' plea

Jason's parents made an emotional appeal

The grief-stricken parents of a teenager who was murdered in his home before it was set on fire have made an appeal for information about his death.

Jason Hutchison's body was found in the burnt out flat in Paterson Avenue, Irvine, on Thursday morning.

Detectives, who expressed disappointment at the response to previous appeals for information, said Jason's killer started the fire in an attempt to destroy evidence.

The 15-year-old's parents, Anne and John Hutchison, addressed the media a week after the death and appealed for help in finding the murderer.

It is bad enough to lose a son but for him to have been murdered in such violent circumstances is difficult to cope with

John Hutchison

Mr Hutchison faltered as he read a prepared statement and the weeping couple left afterwards, with journalists' questions answered by investigating officers.

Jason's father said his son's death had "devastated his whole family".

Mr Hutchison said: "It is bad enough to lose a son but for him to have been murdered in such violent circumstances is difficult to cope with.

"His mum and I are finding it extremely hard to come to terms with his death.

Search for car

"If you know something please let us know so that those who took our son from us are brought to justice."

Jason's mother had gone to work last Wednesday night and he was alone in the flat when he was attacked.

Police have been investigating a theory that the person or group of people responsible for Jason's murder had gone to the flat looking for someone else.

Although detectives in Ayrshire said they have made significant advances in their case, they have been very disappointed at the lack of information available from the public.

Jason Hutchison was murdered in his home

Detective Superintendent Stephen Heath said: "We've had to drag information from the public in the area.

"I have been on investigations of an emotive nature - and you see how emotive this is - where we have had up to 100 messages or phone calls from the public in the first two or three days.

"I think when I checked this morning we had 12 phone calls."

Mr Heath said officers were trying to find out information about a car parked outside Jason's home from about 2330 GMT last Wednesday.

He said he could not give details about the car but it was believed to have been of significance to the investigation.