The investigation into the long-standing Jill Dando murder case has taken a new turn as Metropolitan Police officers are currently evaluating the contents of 223 boxes of evidence stored in police deep storage. This recent development does not signify the launch of a formal investigation but aims to determine if the information could lead to a viable new line of inquiry.
Nigel, Jill’s brother, has mentioned the occasional emergence of “new” information in the past, which ultimately led to dead ends. However, following an in-depth examination of the case alongside former colleague Matt Young for nearly two years, there is strong belief in the existence of unexplored leads that warrant further investigation.
Jill’s murder inquiry ranks as the second largest homicide investigation conducted by the Metropolitan Police, surpassed only by the ongoing investigation into the Stephen Lawrence murder. Each of the 223 evidence boxes holds approximately 1,000 pages, with computerized records totaling 23,246 documents stored in the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System (Holmes), a database utilized for significant criminal inquiries.
The initial 1999 investigation, known as Operation Oxborough, faced immense pressure from the outset, coinciding with the aftermath of the Macpherson report’s condemnation of institutional racism within the police force following Stephen’s murder. Detectives interviewed over 2,500 individuals, tracked 1,200 vehicles, and collected 3,700 exhibits in a thorough investigation that scrutinized numerous leads.
Former Met Commissioner Sir John Stevens revealed in his autobiography that the investigation received an overwhelming influx of 3,000 daily communications, including letters, calls, and emails. Despite the belief that Jill’s murder might be linked to a Serbian plot, no evidence supporting this theory was provided by the security services.
The arrest of Barry George in April 2000 led to a year-long effort to solidify the case, culminating in his conviction. However, George was later acquitted in a 2008 retrial after spending eight years wrongfully imprisoned. Det Chief Insp Hamish Campbell, who led the investigation and retired in 2013, remained resolute in his conviction of George’s guilt, as depicted in a documentary.
The case transitioned to inactive status in 2014 following a comprehensive forensic review without an independent officer’s general reassessment. Subsequent periodic reviews and additional forensic examinations have been conducted since then, keeping the investigation alive but unresolved.