UK Justice Forum 🇬🇧

Alleged Miscarriages of Justice => Siôn Jenkins and the murder of his adopted daughter Billie-Jo. => Topic started by: misty on February 21, 2017, 12:55:44 AM

Title: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: misty on February 21, 2017, 12:55:44 AM
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.
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: mrswah on February 25, 2017, 03:45:44 PM
Interesting. Sounds as if this man should be checked out.

I cannot blame Billie-Jo's mother for wanting the case re-opened.
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: John on February 25, 2017, 04:09:04 PM
I wonder if CSI found any unaccounted for DNA on the victim?
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: misty on February 25, 2017, 06:18:30 PM
I wonder if CSI found any unaccounted for DNA on the victim?

It would be interesting to know that, as it may have been used as part of Jenkins' defence during the trials.
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: Brigadier on March 06, 2017, 10:33:19 PM
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.
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: AerialHunter on March 11, 2018, 11:01:24 AM
Has there been any developments on this front?
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: Nicholas on April 08, 2018, 09:02:58 PM
It was't just Billy Jo's mother who fought for justice for her daughter, her natural mother also attempted to take civil action http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6181789.stm

This reminds me of the Billy (William) Middleton case http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?topic=8545.0

http://miscarriageofjustice.co/index.php?board=10.0
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: Brigadier on April 24, 2018, 08:15:33 PM
Has there been any developments on this front?
No, the footprints were destroyed by the paramedics tending to Billie-Jo. The SOCO team failed to take samples of the blood splatter around the patio. So they had no idea who's blood it was.
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: IndigoJ on June 10, 2018, 04:00:37 PM
I didn't know they had closed the case? how is that possible when no one has been convicted or is it one where they are " not looking for anyone else"
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: Angelo222 on June 10, 2018, 06:52:05 PM
I didn't know they had closed the case? how is that possible when no one has been convicted or is it one where they are " not looking for anyone else"

They have no leads so have to shelve the case pending any developments in the future.
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: thedarkman on October 23, 2019, 11:30:45 PM
Jenkins did it. There were only 4 people in the house: him, his 2 young daughters, and the victim. Rule out the girls, and who does that leave?
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: steve_trousers on October 30, 2019, 12:18:40 PM
telling that the step mother is convinced her husband killed her
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: Brigadier on February 10, 2020, 04:51:44 PM
Jenkins did it. There were only 4 people in the house: him, his 2 young daughters, and the victim. Rule out the girls, and who does that leave?
Absolutely anyone else in the vicinity. That's who it leaves.
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: Brigadier on February 10, 2020, 04:53:10 PM
telling that the step mother is convinced her husband killed her
All it shows is that she swallowed a story hook, line, sinker, copy of the angling times.
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: steve_trousers on March 05, 2020, 11:09:28 AM
All it shows is that she swallowed a story hook, line, sinker, copy of the angling times.

Maybe she did. Nevertheless this was his wife and she believed he murdered Billie jo.

Police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the investigation.
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: ISpyWithMyEye on March 17, 2020, 04:49:50 AM
I agree, Jenkins murdered Billie-Jo

It’s an outrage that he got released — I hope the police rearrest him
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: mrswah on March 19, 2020, 11:20:52 AM
I agree, Jenkins murdered Billie-Jo

It’s an outrage that he got released — I hope the police rearrest him


Unlikely, IMO.  He's already had  a couple of retrials and they have not been able to prove guilt.

I doubt he did it, actually.
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: Brigadier on February 23, 2022, 12:55:26 PM
I agree, Jenkins murdered Billie-Jo

It’s an outrage that he got released — I hope the police rearrest him

Your evidence being what exactly?
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: Wonderfulspam on February 28, 2022, 11:36:28 PM


Skull fragments in the blood spatter.
Title: Re: Billie-Jo's mother requests investigation be reopened.
Post by: Myster on March 05, 2022, 04:25:10 PM

Skull fragments in the blood spatter.
According to Cambridge Uni. microscopist Dr. Jeremy Skepper, the minute white inclusions within the blood spots on Sion Jenkins' clothing could be skin/connective tissue (rather than bone), the metal fragments - mild steel from the tent spike and chromium from the green pigment with which it was painted.