A MAN murdered in broad daylight in East Oxford was last night named by police.

Devon Delroy McPherson, 43, of Divinity Road, died after he was stabbed in the neck shortly before midday on Monday following an argument with a man in Ridgefield Road.

Police carried out a fingertip search of gardens and bins in Ridgefield Road yesterday but have not found the murder weapon.

Det Chief Insp Mick Saunders last night refused to detail the nature of any lines of inquiry his officers were pursuing or comment on any suspected motive for the murder.

No one has been arrested and police have admitted they do not know exactly where Mr McPherson was attacked.

DCI Saunders said: “The investigation into the murder of the man in Cowley on Monday continues. We are following up potential lines of inquiry in an attempt to identify and arrest the person responsible for his death.

“Thames Valley Police specialist officers have been down in Ridgefield Road carrying out a search of the area in an attempt to gather further evidence.

“A post mortem was conducted on Tuesday which confirmed the cause of death was from a haemorrhage and a stab wound to the neck.

“We are still unable to confirm the motive behind the murder but we do believe this was a targeted attack and would like to reassure the community of Oxford that we are doing everything we can to arrest the person responsible.”

Police have refused to release CCTV images from the new Cowley Road cameras, but admitted footage captured Mr McPherson shortly before his death.

Officers said he was seen cycling past The Regal nightclub in Magdalen Road at 11.45am on Monday.

Minutes later witnesses spotted him arguing with another man in Ridgefield Road.

At about 11.50am Mr McPherson staggered into Wasim’s Regency Stores, on Magdalen Road, where he begged for help.

He later collapsed at The Regal.

He was taken to Oxford’s John Radcliffe Hospital in an ambulance but died.

Thirty detectives are working on the murder. Officers raided three homes in Ridgefield Road and one in Drove Acre Road at 9pm on Monday, but nobody was arrested.

Police said they were keeping an open mind as to whether the murder was linked to a stabbing in Oxford Road, Cowley, last week.

A 50-year-old man stumbled into Oxford Probation Office with a knife wound to his stomach.

He is still being treated in hospital. Nobody has been arrested in connection with the incident.

The Cowley and East Oxford neighbourhood teams and Police Community Support Officers have been carrying out extra patrols in the area.

Anyone with information should call police on 08458 505505 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

mwilkinson@oxfordmail.co.uk