Lawyers for Michael Stone, who was twice convicted of the 1996 murders of Lin and Megan Russell in Kent, have claimed that serial killer Levi Bellfield has confessed to the killings in a written statement. The Sun newspaper reported that Bellfield penned a letter detailing the attack on Lin Russell and her daughters, Megan, six, and Josie, nine, in Chillenden. The victims were bound, blindfolded, and bludgeoned with a claw hammer.
Stone was found guilty of two counts of murder and one of attempted murder in 1998, and again in 2001 after his initial conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal due to doubts over a prosecution witness. An application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) was rejected in 2010, but the watchdog is now considering a fresh application after new evidence emerged, including a shoelace from the crime scene found in police storage in 2020, which Stone's lawyers say could provide crucial DNA evidence.
The CCRC confirmed it is aware that Stone's legal team plans to submit further information. A spokesperson said: 'Mr Stone’s current application to the CCRC is being reviewed and we remain in regular contact with his legal representatives. We are aware they are planning to send in further information, and when received, we will thoroughly analyse it and make any appropriate enquiries.'
Bellfield is serving whole-life orders for the murder of 13-year-old Milly Dowler and for the murders of Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange, as well as for the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. A previous Metropolitan Police investigation into Bellfield's alleged involvement in the Russell murders found no evidence to support the claims.
Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Fotheringham of Kent Police stated that Stone remains convicted, noting that an application for judicial review was refused in 2012. He added that the CCRC has had access to all forensic evidence and that the shoelace was made available for examination.
