Lee Rigby's sister's heartbreaking message 12 years on from his brutal murder

Twelve years after the savage murder of British soldier Lee Rigby, his sister Courtney Rigby has released a poignant tribute.

Lee Rigby, who enlisted in the Army in 2006 and was posted to Afghanistan in 2009, was mercilessly slain at the age of 25 by fanatics Michael Adebolajo and Michael Adebowale. At the time of his death, he was working at a recruitment office for the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

The off-duty soldier was wearing civilian attire when he was run over by his assailants' car, then brutally assaulted with knives and meat cleavers as they proclaimed "Allahu Akhbar" - God is great - and awaited the arrival of the police. Following a four-week trial at the Old Bailey, both murderers received life sentences, with the mastermind Adebolajo being condemned to a whole-life term.

On Thursday May 22, which marks the twelfth anniversary of this heinous act, Courtney Rigby shared a moving message: "My daughter will never get to meet her Uncle Lee."

The 24 year old also revealed her unique plans to commemorate the date this year, reports the Mirror.

Courtney Rigby is set to participate in the Great South Run on October 19 and the Alton Towers Half Marathon on November 16. These challenging runs are part of a series of fundraising activities in support of the Lee Rigby Foundation, which provides aid to families of military personnel who have suffered a bereavement.

Courtney, 24, just months after welcoming her baby girl Josie in August 2023, opened up to The Sun about her participation in the Alton Towers Half Marathon, expressing a sense of debt to the running community: "Since the Great South Run was cancelled last year, I feel like a run is owed and whilst I'm not sure I could manage a marathon just yet, I will be running the Alton Towers Half Marathon not long after the Great South."

She shared her family’s poignant story, revealing how they coped with the tragic loss of her brother Lee Rigby 12 years ago: "We lost Lee 12 years ago now and the place it left our family in was something nobody should ever have to experience. My daughter will never get to meet her Uncle Lee, but will know him through stories and other people and will see what his memory means in the fundraising done with him in mind".

Courtney also highlighted the accomplishments of the Foundation set up in Lee's memory: "The Foundation has been going from strength to strength gaining more caravans and the more money raised means more retreats and more support for more families. Anything you can give is greatly appreciated."

Last year, in a heartfelt confession, Lyn Rigby, mother of slain soldier Lee Rigby, disclosed that she still communicates with her son every day and performs a nightly ritual of affectionate remembrance, saying, "I have my own time every single day when I talk to Lee. I have a big photo on my wall, when everybody's gone to bed, I usually have about an hour and I just look at his picture - tell him what I've done that day or what we've done, what the family has done, and then kiss him goodnight and then go to bed," while also mentioning that she maintains a perpetual place at the dinner table for him.

On the poignant anniversaries of his death, Lyn Rigby reveals: "We usually go up to the crematorium, we lay flowers with Lee, we'll get all the family together and go for a nice meal. But now, all the kids have left home now, it's only myself and Ian left. We're scattered all over so it's hard to get us all together now and again."

Ahead of Courtney Rigby’s half-marathons, next weekend will also see scores of bikers pay tribute to Lee alongside fellow soldier Scott Hetherington in the poignant Combined Lee Rigby/Scott Hetherington and The Armed Forces Memorial Ride 2025. This touching yearly event commemorates both Lee and Scott, who tragically lost his life in Iraq in 2017 due to an accidental shooting by a comrade.

Setting off at 11am from Asda Rochdale this Sunday the 18th of May, the ride will witness a fleet of motorcyclists and scooter enthusiasts from around the nation. They will journey through Heywood before arriving at Middleton Memorial Gardens for a heartfelt memorial service.