Mystery still surrounds the death of a father-of-two whose body was found locked inside his car with the keys missing.
Troy Dixon, 30, was discovered in his new Mercedes in Smethwick, West Midlands, shortly before midday on April 28.
It was seen entering Wellington Road at 2.36am, before a figure was captured on CCTV getting out of the passenger side, locking the vehicle and walking away. They briefly returned and repeated the steps.
An inquest into Mr Dixon’s death at the Black Country Coroners’ Court last week heard that person has never been identified and the keys remain missing.
Mr Dixon’s heartbroken family have been left ‘in limbo’ awaiting answers.
Community activist Desmond Jaddoo, acting on their behalf, said: ‘There is no explanation for the missing keys.
‘One of the issues has been the initial assessment by West Midlands Police as far as disregarding the missing keys.
‘The family have been left in limbo. The evidence has not led police to a conclusion of criminality. However, Troy was found alone in his car and the keys were missing.
‘The most moving part of the inquest was seeing the family break down in tears. Troy’s passing was a very large pill to swallow because they have not got the answers to the questions they’ve been asking.’
In a bid to find answers, the family took matters into their own hands, carrying out door-to-door enquires and retrieving CCTV footage from a nearby business.
Mr Jaddoo added: ‘It must be stated they have been very proactive in trying to find answers. I have to pay tribute to the family because they didn’t sit back and do nothing.
‘West Midlands Police did uncover additional information, with the assistance of Troy’s family and concluded there were no suspicious circumstances.
‘On a practical note, the trail has gone very cold, but I think the police should always have the scope to revisit this. I would urge anyone with information to contact me.’
Mr Dixon’s mother, Judith Henry said her son ‘was his usual bubbly self’ in the hours before he disappeared.
She said: ‘He was a family man, he was working hard to provide for his kids aged 12 and five. He was my only child, I spoiled him rotten and gave him everything.
‘He was a peaceful, decent young guy. As a family we are broken, I will never celebrate Christmas now because Troy isn’t here.
‘There’s something missing, it’s left a hole. We were best friends, he would always say, “mum it’s me and you against the world”.
‘He is greatly missed, he believed in God, loved his kids and loved his family.’
At the end of the inquest, the medical cause of death was recorded as acute aspiration pneumonia, along with cocaine and heroin use.
Area coroner Joanne Lees said: ‘It’s very clear that Troy was a much loved young man and his family has gone to great lengths to gain some understanding surrounding the circumstances of his death.
‘No evidence of drug use was found in the vehicle but there was evidence of drug use within Troy’s blood.’
She added: ‘The police have conducted a very thorough investigation, undoubtedly aided by the efforts of Troy’s family.
‘No evidence of a crime being committed has been revealed or a person being identified in connection with the death of Troy Dixon.
‘It is likely that Troy was accompanied by someone else who left and most likely locked him in the vehicle.
‘If it is the case that Troy had already aspirated and been in a semi-comatose state, it is clear through CCTV that no other person called for help, but I cannot be sure of when his death came about.’
The coroner concluded the death had been drug-related and went on to offer her condolences to the family.
Following the hearing, Mr Dixon’s family vowed to continue their search for answers.
Ms Henry said: ‘I’m not happy with the verdict as there are still unanswered questions, like who was the person that locked him in the car?
‘I hope they do the right thing and come forward. We tried our best to get to the bottom of it. We can’t get closure, the person with his car keys is still out there.’
Troy’s cousin, Nyisha, 40, added: ‘I’ve had sleepless nights, we’ve tried to remain positive but my mind is constantly doing overtime trying to find answers.
‘I know I can’t bring Troy back, but whoever was with him in that car that night is still out there living a normal life while Troy is dead.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.