Luke Mitchell - Interview with Sky's James Matthews

[Vertigo Swirl]

The Press took the photos.  Anybody with a scintilla of commonsense would have scarpered the moment they saw reporters in the graveyard but not Corinne. They were loving it!

In the same way the McCanns couldn’t go anywhere without being photographed, no doubt Mitchell had the press on his tail every time he left the house (particularly on a significant day like the funeral) and he and his mother would surely have known this.

[faithlilly]

The Press took the photos.  Anybody with a scintilla of commonsense would have scarpered the moment they saw reporters in the graveyard but not Corinne. They were loving it!

Remember Kate Middleton and the topless photographs of her taken with a long lense? Or numerous celebrities doing things they shouldn’t because they didn’t see the photographer. Were they ‘loving it’ too ?

Or indeed Jodi’s mum who wasn’t even allowed the privacy to lay sunflowers on her daughter’s grave. Was she ‘loving it’ too ?

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/murdered-jodi-jones-mum-hits-12907324

[mrswah]

The Press took the photos.  Anybody with a scintilla of commonsense would have scarpered the moment they saw reporters in the graveyard but not Corinne. They were loving it!

What evidence do you have that they were "loving it"? 

Perhaps they would much rather NOT have encountered the press, but once at the cemetery, they decided they would lay the flowers anyway, rather than leave and come back later.

[John]

What evidence do you have that they were "loving it"? 

Perhaps they would much rather NOT have encountered the press, but once at the cemetery, they decided they would lay the flowers anyway, rather than leave and come back later.

Jodi's mother Judy Jones took the flowers away immediately.

[mrswah]

Jodi's mother Judy Jones took the flowers away immediately.

Yes, I heard that. Didn't she dump them on the Mitchells' doorstep?

What made her so sure Luke had killed Jodi, I wonder.

[faithlilly]

Jodi's mother Judy Jones took the flowers away immediately.

I wonder who told her?

[John]

Mitchell had been told to stay away from the funeral by Jodi's mother Judy Jones.

Later than afternoon Mitchell with mother, German Shepherd Mia and new
female friend in tow made their way to the cemetery at Gorebridge where
they laid a memorial.

[Nicholas]

I am not 100% sure about his guilt or innocence and have said as much, therefore I don't make categoric statements such as
" The damage that that request by the family must have done to this child in his own community is incalculable".  If he is indeed guilty then why should the family be made to feel guilty about asking their child's murderer to stay away from the graveside?

It’s not known when the Jones family first suspected Luke Mitchell of being guilty


https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12401135.timeline-jodi-jones-murder-case/
15th July 2003
Jodi's mother, Judy, issues an appeal, read by her two sisters, for help in bringing her daughter's killer to justice

14 August 2003
Luke Mitchell is detained by police investigating Jodi's death. Mitchell had been questioned in routine inquiries a few days after her body was found but this is the first time he is detained. He is later released without charge

20th August 2003
Jodi's classmates return to school, but Mitchell is banned from attending the first days of the term because of fears for his safety

22nd August 2003
Mitchell returns to school

3rd September 2003
Hundreds of people gather at Gorebridge Parish Church in Midlothian to pay their final respects to Jodi. Mitchell, who was asked by the family to stay away from the funeral, gives his first media interview to Sky News. Asked if he had killed his girlfriend, Mitchell replies: "No. I never, I wouldn't."

3rd September 2003 (BBC news)
‘Despite a massive police effort her killer has not been caught’
‘Headteacher, Marian Docherty spoke of a friendly girl with strong opinions who had the gift of laughter.
The service was relayed through loudspeakers to dozens of people outside.
Jodi's family had asked well-wishers to plant a sunflower in her memory instead of sending flowers

13th Sept 2003 (Herald Scotland)
Mitchell’s solicitor
“He had a difficult relationship with Ms Docherty before Jodi’s murder, and they had disagreed several times over uniform and behaviour”

2nd October 2003
It emerges Mitchell is to receive special tuition after a row with his school that kept him out of lessons for a month


20th November 2003
Mitchell is said to be unconcerned about being excluded from school. His solicitor Nigel Beaumont says Mitchell is now happy with arrangements for him to have one-to-one tuition

21st November 2003
Police submit a report to the procurator fiscal which names Luke Mitchell as the prime suspect for the murder

2nd March 2004
‘THE lawyer representing a suspect in the murder of 14-year-old Jodi Jones today ordered the procurator fiscal to "put up or shut up". https://www.scotsman.com/news/put-or-shut-challenge-jodi-jones-case-2470034

[faithlilly]

Mitchell had been told to stay away from the funeral by Jodi's mother Judy Jones.

Later than afternoon Mitchell with mother, German Shepherd Mia and new
female friend in tow made their way to the cemetery at Gorebridge where
they laid a memorial.

He did stay away from Jodi’s funeral.

That he wished to lay flowers, for me, speaks for him rather than against.

[Nicholas]

Meeting with a murderer.

James Matthews from Sky News interviewed Luke Mitchell on the day of Jodi's funeral.
   

Luke Mitchell insisted he did not murder his girlfriend Jodi Jones. Sky News' James Matthews recounts his exclusive interview with the youngster.

It was on the day of Jodi Jones' funeral that I met and interviewed Luke Mitchell.

It had been two months since Jodi's murder, and her family had told him to stay away. They suspected then what a jury would later confirm - that he was her killer.

I'd phoned the Mitchell house and his mother told me that Luke was paying his own, private tribute.

Mother and son agreed that we could film it. So the camera rolled as the teenager lit candles on a shrine to Jodi that he'd created on his dining table. No payment was asked for and none made.

Mitchell had turned 15 since Jodi's murder. He had the awkwardness of youth, but was nonetheless charming, obliging and friendly.

I interviewed him, as he sat with his mother's comforting arm around him.

It was an intriguing spectacle for viewers of Sky News - it also aroused the interest of detectives on the Jodi Jones murder squad.

They took formal steps to obtain a copy of the tape and flew to California where they showed it to the man known as the "Human Lie Detector".

Professor Paul Ekman is the world authority on the analysis of facial expression. He is an adviser to the FBI and CIA. In the course of the Jodi Jones murder inquiry, he became a consultant to Lothian & Borders Police.

Edinburgh-based detectives flew to San Fransisco to show my interview to Professor Ekman. He spent hours viewing the tape frame by frame, analysing the miniscule muscle movements on Mitchell's face. In the end, he supported police suspicions about Jodi's boyfriend.

According to Police sources, Prof. Ekman found that amongst the emotions on show by Luke Mitchell was one of delight as he delivered his alibi that was subsequently exposed as a lie.

On the day of Jodi's funeral, he was showing little sign of distress, but he demonstrated pleasure as he told the story he thought would fool the watching audience.

In the field of micro-expression, it's known as "duping delight" - gratification that comes from duping someone.

It was a time in the murder investigation when Detectives had precious little evidence. The findings of Prof. Ekman kept the focus of the inquiry on Mitchell.

There was to be one other showing of the interview - this time before the jury.

Again, formal steps were taken to secure a copy of the tape, and it was broadcast in the High Court. A packed courtroom watched as Luke Mitchell denied killing Jodi Jones, lit candles for her, and recited the poem he'd written, entitled "Goodbye Jodi".

It was the prosecution who wanted to broadcast the interview in court - they wanted to highlight Mitchell's demeanour on the day of Jodi's funeral - his lack of emotion.

"Not a tear, not a quiver" in the words of Advocate-Depute Alan Turnbull, from the teenager he described as a cold, calculating killer.

Luke Mitchell - 2018
“I never wanted to be famous. Anonymity was always important to me. So, it’s been robbed of me

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/16881794.amp/

[Nicholas]

Yes, I heard that. Didn't she dump them on the Mitchells' doorstep?

What made her so sure Luke had killed Jodi, I wonder.

And it appears the teenage killer had the audacity to complain to the police about this

[Mr Apples]

Luke’s demeanour throughout the Sky interview struck me as peculiar and suspicious. He looked like he was sulking out of guilt and inconvenience rather than out of sadness or grief that Jodi had been murdered. That brooding, menacing look etched on his countenance throughout. There were definitely odd vibes emanating from Luke during that Sky interview, imo. Makes me feel uneasy. And, no, I don’t think his mother playing with his hair reassuringly during the interview is strange or odd; that was natural maternal instincts kicking in during a highly stressful situation.

[faithlilly]

Luke’s demeanour throughout the Sky interview struck me as peculiar and suspicious. He looked like he was sulking out of guilt and inconvenience rather than out of sadness or grief that Jodi had been murdered. That brooding, menacing look etched on his countenance throughout. There were definitely odd vibes emanating from Luke during that Sky interview, imo. Makes me feel uneasy. And, no, I don’t think his mother playing with his hair reassuringly during the interview is strange or odd; that was natural maternal instincts kicking in during a highly stressful situation.

Didn’t you notice the horns just under his hair, you could just about see them when his mother brushed it to one side and that 666 at his parting. Surely that has to be significant?

[rulesapply]

Didn’t you notice the horns just under his hair, you could just about see them when his mother brushed it to one side and that 666 at his parting. Surely that has to be significant?

You're thinking of a different well rehearsed, scripted, deliberately and knowingly televised work of fiction, I think. Not to mention, right on time!

[Mr Apples]

Didn’t you notice the horns just under his hair, you could just about see them when his mother brushed it to one side and that 666 at his parting. Surely that has to be significant?

Sarcasm and hyperbole aside, you don’t think Luke came across weirdly brooding in the interview? Not one flicker of emotion or one single solitary tear shed; just the look of a sulking, spoiled boy fixed firmly upon his countenance throughout. Very suspicious and strange, if you ask me. Even at 14, surely if you were accused of the most heinous crime of them all you’d be incredulous, animated and vocal about it if you hadn’t done it?!!?! You would choose to sit there like a lugubrious labrador giving detached, monotone answers?? I don’t think so! But, by his own admission, wasn’t the emotional type. He wasn’t that type of guy. Yeah, right! Be that as it may, it would be impossible to be as detached in that interview as he was, especially in the face of the extremely exceptional circumstances in which it was steeped.