Family of murdered Jodi Jones blast Luke Mitchell documentary.

[Angelo222]

Family of murdered Jodi Jones blast Luke Mitchell documentary for adding to suffering.

EDINBURGH LIVE
BY JANE HAMILTON and ALASDAIR CLARK
Published on 2 MAR 2021
 
The family of murdered teen Jodi Jones have said their suffering has been amplified after a new documentary challenged the conviction of killer Luke Mitchell.

The new documentary, Murder in a Small Town, suggests the man convicted the brutal 2003 killing of Jodi Jones near her home in Midlothian was a victim of a miscarriage of justice.

Luke Mitchell was jailed 17 years ago for killing 14-year-old Jodi, with a jury declaring Mitchell guilty after ten-month murder probe by police officers.

Mitchell was also aged 14 at the time of the killing, and the document has prompted fresh protests of his innocence amongst supporters.

But the Daily Record reports that Jodi's family have slammed the documentary, criticising programme makers after it was implied on the TV show that members of Jodi’s own family were involved in a cover-up.

Ex-detectives John Sallens and Michael Neill carried out their own investigation into the murder and suggested another five suspects could have been responsible.

Channel 5 were also forced to pull the documentary for editing after it mistakenly aired a list of these potential suspects identified by the former cops.

But after suffering hundreds of hateful comments online, Jodi’s family, who have never spoken about the youngster’s death before, blasted the claims.



Convicted killer Luke Mitchell leaves the High Court in Edinburgh.              Teenage victim Jodi Jones


Speaking to the Record a family member said: “We were shocked at people on social media openly criticising the family of a murder victim, suggesting they were involved. A disgusting allegation and despicable position to put them in when their suffering continues.

“C5 and these ‘investigators’ have made the family’s suffering so amplified from all of the abuse from these armchair sleuths based on a biased and one side.... ......rogramme. Why can people be so blinkered and forget the family?”

The family thanked our sister title The Daily Record for their coverage of the killing and reminding people that the heart of the story was a young girl who was brutally murdered.

The show was also criticised by former Deputy Chief Constable of Lothian and Borders Police Tom Wood, who was second in command of the force when Jodi died.

He said: “This girl has had her grave trampled on time and again. The C5 programme was unbalanced and selective - a disgraceful piece of television. There is so much ghoulish attention on murderers and their crimes we seem to care less for the victims.”

Responding to the show, Police Scotland insisted they did not need to trace anyone else in connection with the murder.

Channel 5 were asked for a response to the comments made by the Jones family member and retire.... ......oliceman Wood.

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/family-murdered-jodi-jones-blast-19944200.amp?espv=1

[Vertigo Swirl]

 

[Rorschach]

People will often say things like "how can the family be upset that the murder is being investigated, they should want to make sure the right person is in jail, how can they say for sure it was Luke!" etc. Essentially calling them close-minded, forgetting that the Jones family was privy to far more information than them. They sat through the entire trial. They saw his lack of emotion. They knew Luke and observed his behaviour around the time Jodi was murdered. They witnessed first hand Luke owning the Parka before the murder that Luke and Corinne deny existed (Sandra too, but she didn't know him before the murder, so shouldn't state things as fact that she can't possibly know.) They were there when he lead them to the body and decided amongst themselves in hindsight that it was dodgy. They knew Jodi was away meeting Luke when she was murdered. The list goes on.

There's a reason the family are satisfied with the conviction.

[faithlilly]

People will often say things like "how can the family be upset that the murder is being investigated, they should want to make sure the right person is in jail, how can they say for sure it was Luke!" etc. Essentially calling them close-minded, forgetting that the Jones family was privy to far more information than them. They sat through the entire trial. They saw his lack of emotion. They knew Luke and observed his behaviour around the time Jodi was murdered. They witnessed first hand Luke owning the Parka before the murder that Luke and Corinne deny existed (Sandra too, but she didn't know him before the murder, so shouldn't state things as fact that she can't possibly know.) They were there when he lead them to the body and decided amongst themselves in hindsight that it was dodgy. They knew Jodi was away meeting Luke when she was murdered. The list goes on.

There's a reason the family are satisfied with the conviction.

The family refused to let Luke come to Jodi’s funeral and removed the flowers he had placed on her grave. I think the family had made up their mind about Luke’s guilt or innocence long before the trial.

[Angelo222]

Even the police are condemning the Ch5 documentary now, that  is unprecedented.

[Angelo222]

The family refused to let Luke come to Jodi’s funeral and removed the flowers he had placed on her grave. I think the family had made up their mind about Luke’s guilt or innocence long before the trial.

They were right.  Have you looked at Mitchell's photos recently...those dead eyes.

Judge Lord Nimmo Smith told the teenager he would face "detention without limit of time" for what he described as a "truly evil murder".

[Nicholas]

The family refused to let Luke come to Jodi’s funeral and removed the flowers he had placed on her grave. I think the family had made up their mind about Luke’s guilt or innocence long before the trial.

Why did the family need a trial ‘to make up their mind’?

[Nicholas]

Even the police are condemning the Ch5 documentary now, that  is unprecedented.

I disagree it’s ‘unprecedented’

http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=11158.msg638878#msg638878

[faithlilly]

They were right.  Have you looked at Mitchell's photos recently...those dead eyes.

Judge Lord Nimmo Smith told the teenager he would face "detention without limit of time" for what he described as a "truly evil murder".

Dead eyes? Really?

It was a truly evil murder and as Luke had just been convicted of that murder the judge’s words, in that context, were justified.

[faithlilly]

Why did the family need a trial ‘to make up their mind’?

Do you actually read comments before replying?

[Nicholas]

Do you actually read comments before replying?

Yes thanks do you

[faithlilly]

Yes thanks do you

That surprises me.