Michael Stone: UK: (Major Welcome) Development in connection with the Lin and Megan Russell: Michael Stone's murder convictions: The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) will look at evidence again, three months after a previous review ruled out the case being sent to the Court of Appeal," the BBC reports, (including the conduct of more forensic tests.)…"Stone's solicitor Paul Bacon said he had written to the CCRC stating his intention to seek a judicial review. "Quite remarkably, they responded to say they had decided to have another review. And particularly, they have indicated they will carry out more forensic tests, which is very important to us," he told the BBC. Mr Bacon said the review will "take some time". "While Mr Bellfield has admitted it over and over again, I think truthfully, the only real decision will come if a DNA profile of him or somebody else is found among the items that are still yet to be properly tested.” Last year, Bellfield, who is serving two whole-life sentences, claimed responsibility for the murders of Ms Russell and Megan before later retracting his statement. In April, lawyers acting for Stone claimed that Bellfield had written and signed a fresh confession."

PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "In April, lawyers acting for Stone claimed that Bellfield had written and signed a fresh confession."  Bellfield was convicted of murdering Marsha McDonnell, 19, in 2003.  He was also found guilty of murdering Amelie Delagrange, 22, and attempting to murder Kate Sheedy, 18, in 2004. He was later charged with murdering Milly Dowler, who was snatched from the street while walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002. Bellfield was found guilty of abducting and killing the 13-year-old following a trial at the Old Bailey in 2011."

-------------------------------------------------------

STORY: "Lin and Megan Russell: Michael Stone's murder convictions reviewed" by Reporter Christian Fuller published by BBC News on October 7, 2023. 

GIST: "The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) will look at evidence again, three months after a previous review ruled out the case being sent to the Court of Appeal.

The decision comes after serial killer Levi Bellfield, whose victims include schoolgirl Milly Dowler, was reported to have confessed to the crimes.

Stone is serving three life sentences.

The CCRC said in a statement that "previous reviews found no credible evidence or argument that raised a real possibility of the convictions being quashed, these conclusions are not affected by the new review”.

Ms Russell, 45, and her six-year-old daughter were found bludgeoned to death in Chillenden, Kent, in July 1996.

They had moved to the area from Gwynedd, north Wales, just a few months before.

Stone has always protested his innocence over the murders, and of the attempted murder of Megan's sister Josie.

In July, the CCRC ruled there was "no real possibility" the Court of Appeal would quash his convictions.

However, following the latest application a CCRC spokesman said: "We have agreed to a request from Mr Stone's representatives to carry out a further review.

"While we can't comment on the specifics of an investigation, it is not unusual for different reviews to focus on different arguments or evidence.

"Our commitment to thoroughly investigate all eligible applications extends to undertaking additional work related to cases we have previously reviewed."

'More forensic tests'

"Stone's solicitor Paul Bacon said he had written to the CCRC stating his intention to seek a judicial review.  "Quite remarkably, they responded to say they had decided to have another review. And particularly, they have indicated they will carry out more forensic tests, which is very important to us," he told the BBC. 

 Mr Bacon said the review will "take some time".  "While Mr Bellfield has admitted it over and over again, I think truthfully, the only real decision will come if a DNA profile of him or somebody else is found among the items that are still yet to be properly tested.” 

 Last year, Bellfield, who is serving two whole-life sentences, claimed responsibility for the murders of Ms Russell and Megan before later retracting his statement. 

In April, lawyers acting for Stone claimed that Bellfield had written and signed a fresh confession." 

Bellfield was convicted of murdering Marsha McDonnell, 19, in 2003. 

He was also found guilty of murdering Amelie Delagrange, 22, and attempting to murder Kate Sheedy, 18, in 2004.

He was later charged with murdering Milly Dowler, who was snatched from the street while walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002.

Bellfield was found guilty of abducting and killing the 13-year-old following a trial at the Old Bailey in 2011."

The entire story can be read at:

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-67038913

PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;

SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG, AT THE LINK BELOW: HL

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/47049136857587929

FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices.

Lawyer Radha Natarajan;

Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;

—————————————————————————————————

FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!

Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;

------------------------------------------------------------------

YET ANOTHER FINAL WORD:

David Hammond, one of Broadwater’s attorneys who sought his exoneration, told the Syracuse Post-Standard, “Sprinkle some junk science onto a faulty identification, and it’s the perfect recipe for a wrongful conviction.”

https://deadline.com/2021/11/alice-sebold-lucky-rape-conviction-overturned-anthony-broadwater-1234880143/

—————————————————-