London: The serial killer Levi Bellfield has reportedly penned a letter confessing to the murders of a mother and daughter, Lin and Megan Russell in 1996.
The Sun revealed that lawyers acting for Michael Stone, who has twice been found guilty of the murders of Lin and Megan in Kent, have claimed to have received a statement written by Bellfield detailing the killings.
Lin and her daughters, six-year-old Megan and nine-year-old Josie, were attacked in Chillenden before being bound, blindfolded and bludgeoned with a claw hammer.
Stone was convicted of two counts of murder and one of attempted murder in 1998, and again in 2001 after the court of appeal quashed his conviction due to doubts over a prosecution witness.
An application to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), the miscarriage of justice watchdog, was rejected in 2010.
But the CCRC is considering an application from Stone after fresh 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.
In response to reports that Bellfield had confessed to the Russell murders, the CCRC said it was aware that Stone’s lawyers were “planning to send in further information”.
A CCRC 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. We will not be commenting further at this stage.”
Bellfield is serving one whole-life order for the murder of 13-year-old Milly Dowler, who in 2002 went missing from Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, and another for the murders of Marsha McDonnell and Amelie Delagrange. He is also convicted of the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy.
A comprehensive investigation has previously been carried out by the Metropolitan police into allegations that Bellfield was involved in the Russell murders. It concluded there was no evidence to support the claims.
Det Ch Supt Paul Fotheringham of Kent police said: “Following two trials at which Stone was found guilty by a jury on both occasions, and an appeal to the high court, Michael Stone remains convicted of the murders of Lin and Megan Russell, and the attempted murder of Josie Russell in 1996.
“Michael Stone made an application to apply for a judicial review in respect of his conviction in September 2012. The honourable Mr Justice Blake ordered that permission for the application should be refused.
“The [CCRC] commenced an extensive re-examination of the murder investigation in 2017 and has had access to all forensic evidence, documentation and exhibits from the original investigation, the review by Hampshire constabulary, details of the two crown court trials and appeals to the high court.
“The shoelace which was seized as part of the original investigation was made available to the CCRC. All evidence from the examinations on the shoelace was recorded and disclosed to the CCRC.”