In a significant development for one of Britain's most notorious unsolved murders, leading legal minds and former senior police officers have welcomed the Metropolitan Police's decision to examine new evidence linking Jill Dando's killing to a Serbian assassin.
Senior Legal Figures Applaud Met's U-Turn
Sir Geoffrey Nice KC, the lead barrister who prosecuted former Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic for war crimes, has publicly endorsed the police review. Sir Geoffrey had previously urged the Met to investigate Milorad Ulemek, a known assassin for the Serbian Intelligence Service, in connection with the 1999 murder of the Crimewatch presenter.
The Met had initially declined to examine these findings, but has now reversed its position. Sir Geoffrey stated that the JSO unit, a 500-man squad of the Serbian Intelligence Service, were known assassins who murdered Milosevic's enemies. He remarked that "The doorstep murder of Jill Dando would not be inconsistent with revenge of this kind carried out by the JSO."
New Evidence and a Potential Motive
Detectives are now examining a newly unearthed photograph of Ulemek, also known as Lukovic, wearing a distinctive tie that appears to match one worn by an unidentified man captured on CCTV shortly after Dando was shot dead outside her London home.
Expert analysis of the two ties has identified matching dark areas within the light stripes, adding weight to the theory that Ulemek could be the mysterious 'Man X' still wanted for questioning.
A potential motive being explored is that Dando, 37, was targeted because she fronted a BBC charity appeal for Kosovan refugees just 20 days before her murder. During the appeal, she described Kosovo as a "former Yugoslavian region," a description that would have enraged Milosevic and his henchmen, who saw the area as the heart of the Serbian nation.
Mixed Reactions from Former Investigating Officers
Former Met Det Chief Supt Barry Webb, who reviewed the original murder investigation led by Det Chief Insp Hamish Campbell just five weeks after the 1999 killing, expressed cautious optimism. "I am pleased that the Met has agreed to a very limited and focused review," he said, though added that he "would have preferred a thorough review."
Another former senior officer, Albert Patrick, stated he was "pleased that the Met Cold Case Review Team appear to be taking on board what The Mirror have uncovered." He emphasised that "There is a fresh line of enquiry that requires an investigation. We all owe it to Jill and her family."
This new line of enquiry contrasts with the stance of the original case officer, Hamish Campbell, who recently appeared in a Netflix documentary maintaining his belief that Barry George committed the murder. George was convicted in 2001, then acquitted after a retrial, having spent eight years in jail.
Long-Standing Serbian Connection Theory
Michael Mansfield KC, who defended Barry George during his first trial, argued at the time that Dando could have been the victim of a Serbian plot. Commenting on the Mirror's recent investigation, Mansfield said the evidence was "Compelling" and noted that "at trial Barry’s case involved a strong suggestion of Serbian involvement so this is more than a coincidence."
He also urged vigilance, saying "The Met need to be monitored closely to ensure they do review this material as the former officer in charge of the case wrongly maintains Barry George’s guilt."
With the Metropolitan Police's cold case team now actively reviewing this material, there is renewed hope that the quarter-century-old mystery surrounding the murder of one of the BBC's most beloved presenters may finally be closer to being solved.
