Police unconvinced by TV doc’s murder claim
AN ESCAPED prisoner who is said to have ‘confessed’ to the murder of Ann Heron “is not and never has been a suspect” in the eyes of Durham Constabulary.
A Channel 5 documentary into the killing, which shocked the town and remains unsolved almost 32 years on, has seen viewers call for another force to review Durham Constabulary’s only unsolved murder case.
Ann Heron, a beloved mum-ofthree, was found in a pool of blood at her isolated home on the outskirts of Darlington on August 3, 1990.
For years her widow, Peter Heron, has lived under a cloud of suspicion that he took his wife’s life.
In 2005, he was arrested and charged with his wife’s murder but the case was later discontinued before Mr Heron, who denies the offences, had his day in court.
An ‘alternative suspect,’ who was identified by crime expert Jen Jarvie, ‘confessed’ to murdering a woman from the town to a fellow prisoner years after the crime took place.
Ms Jarvie, a university lecturer in police procedure who has recently won the Zena Scott Archer Investigator of the Year Award for her work on the case, believes she has obtained compelling evidence that escaped convict Michael Benson could be the real killer.
Ms Jarvie says a man who was in Holme House prison with Benson years after the murder came forward after seeing the convict’s face associated with the crime during the 30-year anniversary appeal.
The unnamed former prisoner claims that Benson had told him he had killed a woman in Darlington who lived in an isolated home.
However, detectives who have been reviewing the murder case, which remains open, do not class Benson as a suspect. Benson is said to have died in 2011 in the Leeds area from diabetes.
A spokeswoman for the force said: “Durham Constabulary has undertaken considerable investigation into Michael Benson. We have evaluated the information gathered and have determined that Michael Benson is not and never has been a suspect in this case.”
The television documentary was aired shortly after Durham Constabulary referred itself to the Independent
Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) in relation to the unsolved case.
A spokesman for the IOPC said: “We received a referral in April 2022 from Durham Constabulary of a complaint regarding the investigation into the death of Ann Heron. “After carefully assessing the available information, we directed the force to carry out an investigation.
“Upon conclusion of the investigation, the complainant will have the right of review to the IOPC, which ensures we retain a level of independent oversight.”
The 90-minute documentary was aired on Monday night and was met with a mixed response by viewers. Peter, who is now 84, maintains his innocence and hopes to find the “maniac” who killed his wife before he dies.
One viewer tweeted: “Durham Police taking a pasting in the Ann Heron murder documentary. Another force should review the case.”
While another said: “The murder of Ann Heron in 1990 was never solved. For Darlington, a quiet town at the time, this violent crime was shocking.
“Wondering what, if any, new information this Channel 5 programme will reveal. Seems to be sensationalist muck-raking so far.”
A Durham Constabulary spokesman added: “The murder of Ann Heron has been thoroughly investigated and subject to constant review over the last 32 years, including the use of new investigative techniques with the advancement of forensic technology.
“It is still the ambition of Durham Constabulary to convict the person responsible for Ann’s murder.
“At this time there is no new evidence that identifies new suspects, but we remain open-minded and committed.”