The Murder of Lin and Megan Russell - Michael Stone

[Venturi Swirl]

This is interesting though

In 2017, The Sunday Times reported that Bellfield's ex-wife Johanna Collings had told investigators in the Delagrange case that he was with her on the day for her 25th birthday, the time of the Russell murders, and had spent all day in Twickenham and Windsor, 100 miles away from the scene of the murders which occurred at around 4.30pm. It was an alibi which detectives found credible.[45] Collings had helped detectives convict Bellfield for his previous murders, such as in the Milly Dowler murder, giving evidence that he knew the area where her body was left well.[46] In regards to the Russell murders, however, she clarified in a BBC documentary in 2017:
My daughter was born in '96 and that was the day of my birthday. He [Bellfield] never left my side, all day and all night, so there's absolutely no way he could have got from Twickenham, where I lived, or Windsor, where I kept my horses, to Kent, done what they say he did, and got back without me not knowing he was there. I can hand on my heart, I hate to say it, but I can say hand on my heart he didn't do it.[46

[DanniCash]

What use has Bellfield for large sums of cash, given that with this latest confession he is even less likely to ever be free to enjoy it?

Leaving money to family, spending it in commissary? He was already serving a whole life tariff so confessing to these crimes doesn't make a difference to his sentence.

I'm very skeptical of anything Bellfield says and I think there's a fairly strong case against Stone. Certainly the MO matches Stone more than Bellfield.

[Wonderfulspam]

Leaving money to family, spending it in commissary? He was already serving a whole life tariff so confessing to these crimes doesn't make a difference to his sentence.

I'm very skeptical of anything Bellfield says and I think there's a fairly strong case against Stone. Certainly the MO matches Stone more than Bellfield.

The robbery part, I agree.

It's just Josie's e-fit & description that don't match the 5'7" & balding Stone.

[Wonderfulspam]

Levi Bellfield is 6' 1" tall and would have been 28yrs old at the time of the crime. He bears a strong resemblance as he then looked to various witness descriptions of the main suspect. (Bellfield photos and witness descriptions).

It is yet to be established whether Bellfield had adopted his 'blonde' look in July 1996, but family sources have confirmed that he used to bleach his hair regularly. His facial characteristics compared to the police E-fit merits further investigation regardless of his hair colour in the summer of 1996. The police said when issuing the e-fit: "make no mistake, this could be the murderer."

If Josie Russell was right about the murderer's build and height- and she would know because she was in direct physical contact with him - this could explain why she was unable to pick out Michael Stone in an identity parade: she was looking for a much heavier and taller man - "like my father."

Michael Stone was then 36yrs old and is 5' 7" tall. He was noticeably older and shorter than either Josie's father or Bellfield. His hair was receding and mid-brown and he does not have the telling features of "podgy cheeks", whereas Bellfield does.

A single fingerprint impressed in blood was found on Josie Russell's green lunchbox and there was a suggestion that the perpetrator may have rummaged through the victims' belongings. That fingerprint did not belong to Stone, but the prosecution suggested that it could have been made by Lin Russell. DNA found on a shoelace left at the scene of the crime did not belong to Stone - but the prosecution said it might have belonged to a friend of Stone, since the lace had three knots in it which could have been used by a drug user.

http://www.michaelstone.co.uk/

[Venturi Swirl]

Leaving money to family, spending it in commissary? He was already serving a whole life tariff so confessing to these crimes doesn't make a difference to his sentence.

I'm very skeptical of anything Bellfield says and I think there's a fairly strong case against Stone. Certainly the MO matches Stone more than Bellfield.

How many similar attacks had Stone previously carried out? Were you sceptical of Bellfield when he said he didn’t do it?

[Wonderfulspam]

He had previous for robbery & a hammer attack.

.............
He had a police record dating back to the age of 12 and his criminal career - mainly shoplifting and burglary - continued unabated into adulthood.

In 1981 he was jailed for two years at Middlesex Crown Court for robbery and grievous bodily harm after he attacked a homosexual man with a hammer.

Two years later he was sentenced to four-and-a-half years for wounding, assault and dishonesty after he stabbed his sleeping victim in the chest with a kitchen knife.

In 1987 he was jailed again, this time for an armed robbery on a building society in Brighton which netted him a measly £577.

Stone was jailed for eight years and walked free in 1993.

[Wonderfulspam]

This is interesting though

In 2017, The Sunday Times reported that Bellfield's ex-wife Johanna Collings had told investigators in the Delagrange case that he was with her on the day for her 25th birthday, the time of the Russell murders, and had spent all day in Twickenham and Windsor, 100 miles away from the scene of the murders which occurred at around 4.30pm. It was an alibi which detectives found credible.[45] Collings had helped detectives convict Bellfield for his previous murders, such as in the Milly Dowler murder, giving evidence that he knew the area where her body was left well.[46] In regards to the Russell murders, however, she clarified in a BBC documentary in 2017:
My daughter was born in '96 and that was the day of my birthday. He [Bellfield] never left my side, all day and all night, so there's absolutely no way he could have got from Twickenham, where I lived, or Windsor, where I kept my horses, to Kent, done what they say he did, and got back without me not knowing he was there. I can hand on my heart, I hate to say it, but I can say hand on my heart he didn't do it.[46

It seems a pretty solid alibi considering she was willing to testify against him for everything else he'd done.

[DanniCash]

How many similar attacks had Stone previously carried out? Were you sceptical of Bellfield when he said he didn’t do it?

Several similar attacks using a hammer to rob people.

I'm skeptical of anything a convicted murder says .

[Venturi Swirl]

Several similar attacks using a hammer to rob people.

I'm skeptical of anything a convicted murder says .

Was it established that robbery was the motive in this case?  Weren’t at least two of Bellfield’s victims killed by blows to the head with a blunt object?

[DanniCash]

It seems a pretty solid alibi considering she was willing to testify against him for everything else he'd done.

Exactly, this is what's bothering me. She was instrumental in the other convictions.

[Wonderfulspam]

I think Bellfield is just the kind of evil nut case who'd quite enjoy making a false confession to get himself in the news again, frustrate Stone when the police take no notice, waste the CCRC & a bunch of other peoples time.

He's got nothing better to do whilst he sits in prison pretending to be a muslim for the rest of his life.

Hopefully the CCRC find some DNA evidence when they retest samples, I think science is the only thing that will solve this matter once & for all.

[DanniCash]

Was it established that robbery was the motive in this case?  Weren’t at least two of Bellfield’s victims killed by blows to the head with a blunt object?

I believe so on the first point. On the second point yes, but Bellfield's motive was never robbery

[Wonderfulspam]

This isn't the same ex partner who gives him an alibi.....

6 Feb 2022

Levi Bellfield's ex-partner thinks he did murder mum and daughter following 'confession'
The ex-partner of Levi Bellfield and mum to his four daughters Rebecca Wilkinson told the Mirror she believed 'his claims that he murdered Lin and Megan Russell' which were made in a letter to solicitor Paul Bacon

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/levi-bellfields-ex-partner-thinks-26155252


"Mr McDonald admitted there is nothing in Bellfield’s statement which has not previously been in the public domain, raising the possibility he has fabricated it using known facts."

[Wonderfulspam]

He claims to have been wearing yellow Marigolds during the attack.

I think Josie might have remembered that somehow.

You never know, she did have serious head injuries & some memory loss.

[Nicholas]

Barbara Stone
Just going to do an interview. Checklist: Have I emptied the jars on bathroom window?
Do my shoes match trousers? Have I cussed Mick for putting me through? Yes everything in order I ll be off soon ×

Kevin McMahon
Have you had a hair makeover?😂😂

Barbara Stone
Just trying g to organise and I defo thought of you and Ron. Do everytime I have to go and play x
(Sic) (https://www.facebook.com/groups/487090761485587/permalink/1777870049074312/)

Sounds about right 🙄

Kevin McMahon is an ex police officer who ‘claimed to be a private investigator’ and was done for perverting the course of justice