Fresh forensic tests on evidence from the 1996 Chillenden hammer murders could finally determine the guilt or innocence of Michael Stone, the man convicted of killing Lin Russell and her six-year-old daughter Megan.
Forensic Review Seeks Definitive Answers
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the body that investigates potential miscarriages of justice, has instructed its own forensic expert to begin a new round of testing on key exhibits. This follows an 18-page analysis commissioned by Stone's legal team from renowned forensic scientist Angela Gallop.
Gallop, whose team helped secure convictions for two of Stephen Lawrence's killers, has highlighted several missed opportunities in the original investigation. She has pinpointed specific items that, using the latest forensic techniques, could provide conclusive proof of who committed the brutal attack on 9 July 1996.
Untested Evidence and Lost Items
Among the most promising items are fingernail scrapings taken from Lin Russell's left hand, which case files indicate were apparently never tested. These could contain crucial DNA from her attacker.
Another critical piece of evidence is a bootlace found near the crime scene, stained with the victims' blood and believed used to strangle Megan. Initial testing on 75 areas of the lace found traces of male DNA that did not match Michael Stone, but there was insufficient material for a database search at the time. Stone's lawyers want it retested with modern technology. Kent Police had previously claimed the bootlace was lost before it resurfaced six years ago.
Other items listed for examination include:
- The ankles of Lin Russell's trousers, where she may have been grabbed.
- The handle of a string bag with bloodstained strips of towel used to restrain the victims.
- A pair of Josie Russell's red plastic jelly shoes; Gallop believes the untested backs of the heels may yield a DNA match.
A Conviction on the 'Slimmest Evidence'
Michael Stone, now 63, is serving three life sentences for the murders. He was initially convicted in 1998 based largely on the testimony of three witnesses who claimed he confessed in jail. That conviction was quashed after two witnesses were discredited. He was found guilty again in a 2001 retrial by a majority verdict, which relied heavily on the account of fellow prisoner Damien Daley, a violent drug addict and self-confessed liar.
No scientific or forensic evidence has ever directly linked Stone to the crime scene. Jim Fraser, a forensic scientist who worked on the original case, stated the conviction rests on "the slimmest evidence imaginable." He also noted a fingerprint found on one of the girls' lunchboxes could provide answers if examined with modern methods.
Stone has always maintained his innocence. His barrister, Mark McDonald, told the Sunday Times that Stone's eagerness for testing is telling: "Someone who thinks their DNA might be there doesn't keep banging on about testing things."
The attack in Chillenden, Kent, claimed the lives of 45-year-old Lin and Megan. Lin's other daughter, Josie, then nine, survived severe head injuries and made a remarkable recovery. The family's dog, Lucy, was also killed.
