Michael Stone: Convicted killer pins hopes on shoelace DNA evidence

Lawyers for a man in prison for the murders of Lin and Megan Russell say a shoelace found at the scene could provide vital DNA evidence in their bid to overturn his conviction.

Michael Stone has twice been found guilty of murdering the mother and daughter in Chillenden, Kent, in 1996.

He was also found guilty of attempting to murder Megan's sister, Josie.

Stone's solicitor said Kent Police had found the previously-lost shoelace. Police are aware of Stone's appeal bid.

Paul Bacon said: "It was a really vital piece of evidence. It was used in strangling one of the parties. So it was not only a piece of evidence, but it was a murder weapon."

He said the Criminal Cases Review Commission had previously decided not to take the case to the Court of Appeal.

He told BBC Radio Kent: "The very big point in it was the bootlace which we'd asked for them to organise to have forensically examined. They disclosed to us... that the bootlace had disappeared.

"They found the envelope and when the envelope was sent to the forensic scientists for the examination to be done, and when they opened the envelope it was empty. At one point the police said it had been tested to destruction. It hadn't been tested to destruction."

Mr Bacon said the bootlace was now being forensically-examined for any DNA evidence.

"We've actually known about this for a little while now. It was Michael [Stone] who said 'I really think this should be put in the public domain', so on his instructions we've done that."

Det Ch Supt Paul Fotheringham from Kent Police said: "We are aware that the Criminal Cases Review Commission is considering an application from Michael Stone appealing his conviction.

"We are engaged with the CCRC and have been providing them with all the relevant information and evidence required in relation to the case."

Lin Russell and her daughters Megan, six, and Josie, then nine, were accosted as they walked along a country lane, before being bound, blindfolded and bludgeoned with a claw hammer.

On the day of the murders, Dr Shaun Russell was told that he had lost his whole family. It was only when a policeman at the scene noticed Josie move that it was realised she had survived the attack.

Stone was first found guilty of two counts of murder and one of attempted murder in 1998 and again in 2001, after the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction due to doubts over a prosecution witness.

An application to the CCRC in 2010 was rejected and an attempt to seek a judicial review of the decision also failed in 2011.

In 2017 Mr Bacon made a fresh appeal based upon "information that we received from a prisoner who was friendly with serial killer Levi Bellfield," along with other fresh evidence.

He said Bellfield, who was convicted of murdering schoolgirl Milly Dowler, made a "full and frank admission" to the killings in "conversations had over a number of months".

That appeal was also rejected by the CCRC.

The CCRC has been approached for a response.

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