Alleged Miscarriages of Justice > Siôn Jenkins and the murder of his adopted daughter Billie-Jo.

Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.

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misty:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4226722/Calls-police-reopen-Billie-Jo-Jenkins.html

Mother of murdered schoolgirl Billie-Jo Jenkins calls for police to reopen the case on the 20th anniversary of the 13-year-old's death
Deborah Barnett has called for police to reopen her daughter's murder case
Billie-Jo Jenkins was bludgeoned to death on February 15 in 1997
Foster father Sion Jenkins initially convicted but later released after appeal
By JOSEPH CURTIS FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 10:05, 15 February 2017 | UPDATED: 13:38, 15 February 2017

The mother of murdered schoolgirl Billie-Jo Jenkins has called for police to reopen the case 20 years after the 13-year-old was bludgeoned to death.

Billie-Jo was found in a pool of blood in the back garden of foster father Sion Jenkins' house in Hastings, East Sussex, on February 15, 1997.

Police arrested Mr Jenkins and he was initially found guilty of her murder and spent six years in prison before being acquitted in 2006 following two retrials.

Speaking on the 20th anniversary of her death, mother Deborah Barnett, 58, told the Daily Mirror she wanted 'fresh eyes' to look at the case.

She said: 'The police have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I can't describe it to you, unless you have lost a child, it's a nightmare. I want to get justice for her.

'I want them [the police] to do everything possible.'

Billie Jo was bludgeoned to death with an 18inch iron tent spike.

Mr Jenkins was convicted of murdering her in 1998 and failed with an appeal a year later.

But following a two-year review by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, his case was eventually brought back to the Court of Appeal in 2003 and a year later his conviction was quashed and he was released on bail ahead of a retrial, which ended with the jury unable to reach a verdict.

Speaking on the 20th anniversary of her death, mother Deborah Barnett, 58, told the Daily Mirror she wanted 'fresh eyes' to look at the case.

She said: 'The police have nothing to lose and everything to gain. I can't describe it to you, unless you have lost a child, it's a nightmare. I want to get justice for her.

'I want them [the police] to do everything possible.'

A second retrial at the Old Bailey in 2006 ended in the same way and Mr Jenkins was declared not guilty, with the CPS announcing it was not pursuing another retrial.

It is believed the full cost of the investigation, trials and subsequent appeals was around £10million.

Billie-Jo's family has previously called for police to investigate M25 rapist Antoni Imiela over her death.

As reported by MailOnline, her aunt Margaret Costner demanded police look into Imiela's whereabouts during the crime after claiming there were 'similarities' between her death and his other crimes.

Billi-Jo had revealed to friends she was being stalked by a man wearing a leather jacket from December 1996, with Imiela also known to wear black leather jackets.

Imiela, who was known to have been a sex offender since 1987, lived 20 miles away from Billi-Jo's home and had friends living in Hastings at the time she was murdered.

He was reportedly obsessed with girls around Billie-Jo's age and often used improvised weapons in his violent attacks.

in 2012 Imiela was found guilty of brutally raping mother-of-two Sheila Jankowitz, 29, on Christmas Day in 1987 thanks to DNA evidence.

mrswah:
Interesting. Sounds as if this man should be checked out.

I cannot blame Billie-Jo's mother for wanting the case re-opened.

John:
I wonder if CSI found any unaccounted for DNA on the victim?

misty:

--- Quote from: John on February 25, 2017, 04:09:04 PM ---I wonder if CSI found any unaccounted for DNA on the victim?

--- End quote ---

It would be interesting to know that, as it may have been used as part of Jenkins' defence during the trials.

Brigadier:
The paramedics reported seeing footprints on Billie's thighs. But this evidence was lost when the body was moved. There was also an unidentified footprint on the patio. This was known to be fresh as Billie had swept the patio that morning. Although the print didn't match any known person. But this clue was ignored. If any DNA had been found on the murder weapon itself this would have been raised as it would have been utterly conclusively prove who killed Billie.

Also, there was no test of the blood sprayed over the patio. Some of it could have come from the attacker as Billie defended herself.

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