After more than 26 years, potential key clues to unravel the mystery of the Jill Dando murder may lie within the 223 boxes of evidence stored deep within police archives. The Metropolitan Police’s recent announcement of evaluating these findings marks a significant step, clarifying that no formal investigation has been initiated yet, but rather a quest to determine if the information could lead to a promising new investigative direction.
Notably, Jill’s brother Nigel has highlighted the occasional emergence of “fresh” information over time, which often yielded no concrete results. Following an exhaustive two-year scrutiny alongside former colleague Matt Young, there is a strong belief that unexplored leads warrant further investigation.
The inquiry into Jill’s murder stands as one of the largest homicide investigations ever conducted by the Metropolitan Police, second only to the ongoing probe into the Stephen Lawrence case. Each of the 223 evidence boxes relating to Jill’s case contains roughly 1,000 pages of material.
The voluminous 23,246 documents electronically stored on the Home Office’s “Holmes” system from the 1999 Operation Oxborough inquiry indicate the intense scrutiny faced by investigators from the outset. Amidst the aftermath of the Macpherson report, which criticized the Met for institutional racism following Stephen’s murder, the complexities of the Jill Dando case became apparent early on.
Lead investigator Det Chief Insp Hamish Campbell’s team meticulously combed through leads, conducting over 2,500 interviews, tracking 1,200 vehicles, and gathering 3,700 pieces of evidence. The thorough £2.75 million investigation involved examining numerous potential leads, with a dedicated team of 45 officers scrutinizing mobile phone records, CCTV footage, and other pertinent details.
Various avenues were explored, including investigating 60 firearm-related female homicides, cross-referencing 8,000 names provided to the police, and tracing 20,000 blue Range Rovers. Despite receiving a staggering 3,000 communications daily, including letters, calls, and emails, no concrete evidence supporting the theory of a Serbian conspiracy in Jill’s murder was found.
The arrest of Barry George in 2000 led to a year-long effort to solidify the case, aiming to avoid a repeat of past investigative challenges. While George’s subsequent acquittal in 2008 marked a significant turn of events after eight years of wrongful imprisonment, Det Chief Insp Campbell remained steadfast in his conviction, even after retiring in 2013.
The investigation’s transition to inactive status in 2014 followed a comprehensive forensic review, albeit without an independent general assessment. Subsequent periodic reviews and further forensic examinations have been conducted since then, maintaining a level of scrutiny on the unsolved case.