The 1990s in Britain were marked by the era of Cool Britannia, the end of the Cold War, Britpop, and Geri Halliwell's Union Jack dress at the Brit Awards. Yet the decade also had a dark side, with several high-profile murders that remain unsolved to this day. Here are six notorious cases that still puzzle police.
Who Shot Jill?
On April 26, 1999, Crimewatch presenter Jill Dando, 37, was gunned down on her doorstep in Fulham, London. The nation was shocked. Barry George was convicted in 2001 but later acquitted after a retrial. No one else has been charged. Theories range from a Serbian warlord hit to a jilted lover or deranged fan. The truth remains unknown 27 years on.
Missing 'Milk Carton' Kids
Patrick Warren, 11, and David Spencer, 13, vanished on Boxing Day 1996 while playing near their homes in Solihull, West Midlands. Their images were printed on milk cartons, but their bodies were never found. Convicted paedophile and child killer Brian Field, who lived in the area at the time, emerged as a suspect but denied involvement and died this week, taking answers to his grave. Criminologist David Wilson said police missed vital clues.
Body in the Bag
In 2009, a workman found a bin bag containing the remains of Melanie Hall, 25, a hospital worker missing for 13 years, near the M5 in South Gloucestershire. She had suffered head injuries. Melanie was last seen at Cadillacs nightclub in Bath on June 9, 1996. An e-fit of a man seen with her was never identified. Despite arrests, her killer remains at large. Police released a video campaign featuring the song 'Three Lions' to jog memories.
Tent Peg Trauma
Schoolgirl Billie-Jo Jenkins, 13, was found bludgeoned with an 18-inch iron tent peg on February 15, 1997, at her foster home in Hastings, East Sussex. Foster father Sion Jenkins, a deputy headmaster, discovered her body. He was convicted in 1998 after 158 tiny blood spots were found on his clothes, but he claimed the spatter came from Billie-Jo's breathing. After two inconclusive retrials, he was acquitted in 2006. New forensic evidence may one day solve the case.
Slaughtered Sunbather
Ann Heron was last seen sunbathing in a bikini on August 3, 1990, at her isolated home. Her husband Peter returned to find her dead with a stab wound to the neck and her bikini bottoms removed. Peter, having an affair, was charged but the case was dropped. A violent criminal theory was discounted. Ann's son Ralph Cockburn, a detective, said: 'Somebody out there knows who did it and why.'
Cowshed Horror
Harry Tooze, 64, and his wife Megan, 67, were found shot dead in a cowshed at their remote farm in Llanharry, Wales, on July 26, 1993. A special tea set had been laid out. Their daughter's boyfriend Jonathan Jones was convicted in 1995 but later released on appeal. Police investigated links to serial killer John Cooper, but without result.
