EX-DETECTIVE: I KNOW WHO KILLED JILL DANDO
A FORMER detective claimed yesterday he knows the identity of the killer of BBC Crimewatch presenter Jill Dando.
Mark Williams-Thomas, now an award-winning investigative journalist, revealed he is on the trail of the hitman who gunned down Jill on her doorstep in April 1999.
He told ITV’s This Morning: “I have been given the name of the killer and that is my focus, on that individual.”
Miss Dando, 37, was at the front door of her home in Fulham, west London, when she was shot dead at close range.
Following a huge Scotland Yard inquiry, a celebrity-obsessed loner called Barry George went on trial for her murder at the Old Bailey.
George, now 58, who lived nearby, was found guilty and jailed for life in 2001. But the conviction was later quashed and he was cleared after a re-trial.
Mr George appeared with broadcaster Mr Williams-Thomas yesterday as the former Surrey Police officer declared he has the real assassin in his sights.
He said: “Barry is innocent. He has been acquitted now after two trials. It is time for the police to deal with him as that. Where I am, as far as an investigation goes, I am still looking at some details. But I have now been given the name of the killer and that is my focus, on that individual.”
This Morning presenter Kate Garraway pressed him on his claim to know the identity of the gunman. She asked: “You have a name?”
Mr Williams-Thomas, who fronts an ITV programme called The Investigator, replied: “I do – and that is my focus now in finally solving this investigation.
“There is no doubt Jill was assassinated by a professional hitman. It is now nearly 20 years since she was murdered and that individual has remained completely under the radar.
“The gun has never been recovered. Nothing else has come in circulation. That shows you the quality of this person.” Without referring to Mr Williams-Thomas, Scotland Yard said officers would welcome any new information about the murder.
A spokeswoman said: “The Metropolitan Police fully investigated the circumstances of the murder of Jill Dando. Two trials took place and the investigation was subject to an internal review. If any new information comes to our attention then this will be investigated.”
Born in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, Ms Dando worked on a local paper before joining BBC Radio Devon as a newsreader. She later moved to national television and was already one of the BBC’s best known presenters when she moved to Crimewatch in 1995. She was engaged to consultant Dr Alan Farthing.