Lin & Megan killer: At last I’ll be cleared

KILLER Michael Stone has told his sister he believes he could be cleared of the notorious Chillenden murders.

But the jailbird – serving three life sentences for the 1996 slaughter of Lin Russell, 45, and her daughter Megan, six – doesn’t want to tempt fate by thinking about being freed.

His hopes have been boosted by serial killer Levi Bellfield’s alleged confession to the country lane horror.

Bellfield, doing life for three murders including schoolgirl Milly Dowler, is said to have spilled the beans to rapist Richard Baker in jail in June.

Stone’s legal team are using this as fresh evidence to clear his name. Solicitor Paul Bacon said: “Michael’s sister Barbara spoke to him on Wednesday and said he was in very good spirits, but I think he almost doesn’t want to tempt fate by talking about what he might do if he’s freed.”

Bellfield, 49, is said to have confessed to Baker while discussing a forthcoming BBC documentary on the murders.

HAMMER

Mum Lin, Megan and sister Josie, nine – who survived – were attacked with a hammer in Chillenden, Kent. Bellfield allegedly gave Baker details of the scene which he drew a map

from. Baker also claims the killer told him it’s “hilarious that numpty Stone is serving life for what I did”. But Bellfield has denied the confession, branding Baker “a compulsive liar”.

Mr Bacon said Stone, 57, “has seen a copy of it. The detail is such you couldn’t make it up”.

Stone, an armed robber, was convicted in 1998 when a jury believed three jail inmates who claimed he had confessed.

One later said they had lied and another was discredited. But the third stuck to his story at Stone’s retrial and he was again convicted.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission is to investigate the confession. Mr Bacon revealed Stone and Bellfield once came face to face at Durham’s HMP Frankland. He said: “They passed each other. He didn’t know who he was until an inmate told him.”