Midweek Sport

I KNOW WHO KILLED JILL DANDO

...but cop says witness is too scared to reveal name

- By COLIN HURST news@sundayspor­t.co.uk

A HITMAN has claimed he knows who was behind the murder of BBC Crimewatch presenter Jill Dando almost 18 years ago – but won’t reveal who it is for fear of being killed himself. On ITV’s This Morning programme on Tuesday, the anonymous gunman gave his take on the notorious murder to investigat­ive journalist and former police officer Mark Williams-Thomas. The journo has uncovered new informatio­n on Jill’s killing and is urging the Metropolit­an Police to look again at the unsolved case. Jill Dando was gunned down outside her home in Fulham London, on April 26, 1999. The 37-year-old’s body was discovered by her neighbour. She’d been killed by a single shot to her temple. Local Barry George was convicted and jailed for her murder in 2001 on forensic evidence from gun residue. The evidence was later found to be wrong and he was acquitted eight years later.

Speaking to WilliamsTh­omas on the show, the hitman, who is one of 100 suspects on a list compiled by police that was never followed up, said he had “no doubt in [his] mind” that Jill Dando was murdered by a “profession­al killer”.

He said: “It was a profession­al. No doubt about it. The person still at large is dangerous.”

Suspects

When asked about the other suspects he said: “One particular name stands out to me but I won’t identify that person because he is very dangerous. If I said who it was they would come after me.”

After going through the police files on Jill’s murder, Williams-Thomas – who’s earlier probe led to the umasking of paedo Jimmy Savile – claims there are new pieces of informatio­n the Met now needs to look at.

He claims that cops ordered two “offender profiles” during their initial investigat­ion to try and put together a picture of who might have done the deed.

But he alleges police also asked for a third profile after charging Barry George. When his legal team asked to see the profiles he claims the Crown Prosecutio­n Service said they “never existed”.

The reporter also says there is a list of 100 potential suspects that was never properly “followed up” because Barry George was on trial for the murder.

Speaking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on Tuesday, Williams-Thomas said the Met Police had thanked him for his report and said it would “take on board the new info and act on it”.

A spokesman said: “The MPS would welcome any new informatio­n or evidence that relates to the murder of Jill Dando, a case which remains unsolved.”

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 ??  ?? NEW INFO: Journalist and former policeman WilliamsTh­omas ACCUSED: George and paedo Savile
NEW INFO: Journalist and former policeman WilliamsTh­omas ACCUSED: George and paedo Savile

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