Police are offering a $1m reward to anybody who can lead them to James Russouw’s killer

IT‘S been eight years since James Russouw was brutally stabbed and burnt in his car in Melbourne. Now police are offering a $1 million reward to find his killer.

JAMES Russouw was only 24 when he was brutally murdered and buried in a burning car in Melbourne.

Nobody knows exactly why it happened, and there is currently nobody behind bars for his murder.

Police are however fighting to change that, and on the eighth anniversary since Mr Russouw was killed, authorities are offering a $1 million reward for anybody who can help lead them to the murderer.

James was stabbed in March 2008 and thrown into the front seat of his Jeep Cherokee in the East Burwood Reserve, Victoria.

James Russouw was murdered eight years ago and his killer is still roaming free.

A lack of evidence remained in the car with Mr Russouw’s charred body.

He had a whole life ahead of him, he was vice-captain at Whitefriars College and had a girlfriend.

He did however have one bad habit, and that was his low-scale drug dealing business, where he would sell small amounts of marijuana to friends.

CCTV footage has been released from the moments leading up to his death and a man is seen on a public phone making a call to Mr Russouw.

Homicide squad boss Mick Hughes even said the killer could be from within Mr Russouw’s friendship group.

Det-Insp Hughes told the Sunday Herald Sun the person using the public phone could have lured Russouw to the reserve.

The young victim was cut off by his regular drug supplier and was in search of a new one and police believe the person who made the call from the public phone told Russouw they could get him the drug he was after.

Police believe he could have been murdered for the thousands of dollars he was carrying at the time to settle the drug deal.

Police examine a burnt out car in East Burwood where James Russouw’s body was found.

The call was made to the victim from the Kmart shopping centre public phone on Burwood Highway, East Burwood, just before 11pm on March 7 2008.

It’s possible Mr Russouw picked up the mystery caller and drove to the reserve, indicating it may have been somebody he knew and trusted.

“It’s not the best footage in the world, but if someone knows the person in the footage there is a good chance they will recognise him from viewing it,” Det-Insp told the Sunday Herald Sun.

“If somebody looks at the footage and says ‘gee it does look like so and so’ they should tell us who so and so is.”

A car leaving the reserve where Mr Russouw’s car was set alight could also be the key to finding the killer. It was a 1993 dark green British racing Ford Falcon sedan.

Police are looking for information about a sedan that was seen leaving the reserve where Mr Russouw was murdered.

Cecil and Lorna Russouw appeal for information from the public about what happened to their son.

Mr Russouw’s parents have made several pleas in the past to find out what happened to their son and again they have spoken out about the heartache they’ve experienced for almost a decade.

His mother Lorna Russouw told the Sunday Herald Sun her family was appealing to anybody in the community who might have some details about what happened on that fateful March night.

“James was a soft talking, gentle person with a loving nature,” she said.

“He had a passion for music and sound. What he achieved just before his passing was his degree in audio engineering and sound production.

“He had a bright future ahead of him. That future was taken away from him.”

Anyone with information on the murder of Mr Russouw should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential written report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au