The trial of the three men began in November 2004. It is believed to have been one of the longest murder trials in criminal history and cost £10 million. Richard Horwell, prosecuting, told the Old Bailey jury: “Some crimes are beyond belief and on any view these horrific murders fall into that category. Three generations
The notice at the entrance to the national park could not have been more explicit. “Warning for hikers,” it read. “Because of the tragic discovery of four bodies in the park in November, please do not hike alone. Women should be especially cautious – and under no circumstances travel alone.” Television news bulletins had already
The horrific, cold-blooded murder of Hastings teenager Billie-Jo Jenkins shocked the nation in February 1997 – and resulted in her foster father Sion Jenkins being jailed for murder, then eventually acquitted. He has vowed to find her killer but the passage of time appears to be against him... Suddenly there was a scream. Billie-Jo was
John Thompson had big plans for himself, most of them conceived when he was drunk. Thompson, 42, was about to have his day, to take his place in the annals of crime. That would happen on Friday August 15th, 1980, when he became responsible for the biggest mass-murder ever committed in Britain... It was 3
He was found guilty twice of the horrific alcohol-fuelled slaughter of a mum, her two girls and the woman’s bed-ridden mother, in the victims’ own home. Yet many have cast doubt on the conviction of David Morris – and, despite his death in August, have vowed to continue the fight to clear his name... It
Records indicated that William Wycherley was approaching his 100th birthday, and in reviewing his benefits the Department of Work and Pensions needed proof that he was still around. So in September 2012 a letter seeking an interview was sent to him care of his son-in-law and daughter, Christopher and Susan Edwards. When it reached them,
The police retrieved CCTV footage from a homeowner who had a camera installed outside his home. It showed a black Chevrolet Malibu with distinctive chrome mirrors and door handles driving back and forth in the area where Mollie was jogging. This car driver, the detectives speculated, could be the killer, making his last-minute reconnaissance before
The Parole Board's decision to release British rape-killer Colin Pitchfork has proved hugely controversial. Pitchfork, the first killer to be convicted of murder on the basis of DNA evidence, killed two Leicestershire schoolgirls in the 80s and had been behind bars since 1988... All he wanted to do, Colin Pitchfork said, was to expose himself,
On June 28th, 2007, Paige Birgfeld vanished. How, people wondered, could she abandon her children – her daughter and two sons aged six and three – so callously? Paige lived in an upmarket suburb of Grand Junction, Colorado, where she was paying off a $6,000-a-month mortgage on her home. That was the first part of
The newspaper headlines were colourful. “DEATH AMID THE JU-JU MASKS” said one. Subsequent reports explored the possibility of an Oriental curse.The murder victim was 59-year-old Mrs. Elsie May Batten, a well-known art critic and wife of the sculptor Mark Batten. The couple’s close friends included 72-year-old Louis Meier and Marie Grey, proprietors of Louis Meier’s