A new DNA sample will be taken from Michael Stone this week as his lawyers attempt to prove his innocence in the 1996 murders of Dr Lin Russell and her daughter Megan. The sample, to be collected by an investigator from the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) at HMP Frankland on Thursday, will be used for advanced forensic tests that can isolate male DNA from mixed samples, according to the Sunday Times.
Background of the Case
Stone, 66, is serving three life sentences for the brutal hammer attacks on Lin Russell, 45, and her daughters Megan, six, and Josie, nine, in Chillenden, Kent, in July 1996. Lin and Megan were killed; Josie survived with severe head injuries. The family dog, Lucy, was also killed. Stone has always maintained his innocence, and his conviction has been controversial due to the lack of DNA evidence linking him to the crime scene.
New Forensic Techniques
The new tests include DNA-17, which became common in 2014 and can separate male and female genetic material, and Y-STR, which can isolate trace amounts of male DNA from mixed samples. Results from Y-STR cannot be searched on the police database but can be compared to specific alternative suspects. The chance of two unrelated individuals sharing the same DNA-17 profile is less than one in a billion.
Key evidence to be re-examined includes a bloodstained plimsoll lace used to tie Lin Russell's wrist, tapings from the victims' bodies that have not been tested since 1996, and a boot lace stained with victims' blood found 45 metres from the scene. Some exhibits, such as a plastic lunchbox with a bloody fingerprint, have gone missing, while others were contaminated.
Potential Links to Levi Bellfield
Serial killer Levi Bellfield, who murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler in 2002, has previously confessed to the Russell murders but later retracted. He is said to have made a further detailed written confession after speaking to prison psychologists. However, the CCRC has deemed his claims not credible, noting he has made false confessions to other crimes.
If new male DNA is found that does not match Stone or Lin Russell's husband, Shaun Russell, it could lead to a new suspect. Comparisons with Bellfield's DNA may require obtaining a new sample from him or using old material from his previous convictions.
Legal Team's Stance
Mark McDonald, Stone's barrister, told the Sunday Times: "Michael Stone has been in custody for 29 years for a murder he did not commit. He is innocent." Stone's lawyer also noted that Stone has been pushing for more forensic work on the case for decades, adding: "A guilty man doesn't do that."
The advances in DNA testing used in this case were previously employed to prove the innocence of Andrew Malkinson, who spent 17 years in prison for a rape he did not commit. His conviction was quashed in 2023, and the real culprit was later jailed.
Stone was convicted after a retrial, despite no DNA evidence linking him to the crime. An appeal against his conviction was turned down in 2019. The CCRC is the only body that can refer cases back to the Court of Appeal.
