Witnesses name new suspect in murders of mum and daughter 30 years ago

Two witnesses have come forward to identify a new suspect in the murder of a mother and daughter 30 years ago.

The bodies of Dr Lin Russell, 45, and her daughter Megan, six, were found in Chillenden, Kent, on 9 July, 1996. Megan's sister Josie Russell, then nine, was left for dead with severe head injuries.

Michael Stone was found guilty of attacking the family with a hammer as they walked home from a school swimming gala, and has been in prison for 29 years.

Earlier this year the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) said it was reviewing the case, taking new DNA samples from Stone - who has always pleaded his innocence - and serial killer Levi Bellfield, who reportedly admitted the murders.

The Sunday Times has reported that family members of Raymond Buck have given witness statements to the CCRC, naming him as the killer.

One of the new witnesses, Ross Shields, 39, was a child at the time of the murders.

He said he overheard Buck confess to a family member on the day of the attacks: "I've done something unforgivable. I've killed three people."

According to the newspaper, Buck was a carpenter, had a history of violence and took his own life aged 46 in 2000.

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

They had moved to the area from Dyffryn Nantlle, Gwynedd, a few months before, and Josie moved back to north Wales with her father after the attack.

Karen Todner, a solicitor representing Stone, said she was "much more positive" about her client's chances of being cleared of the crimes.

Stone was convicted of two counts of murder in 1998, as well as the attempted murder of Josie.

"We're hoping that things are finally, finally moving in the right direction," she said.

"The CCRC are undertaking further DNA analysis, because obviously the science behind DNA has dramatically improved since his case, and since the last DNA analysis.

"And when they've done that, then we're hoping that they will test that against various people, Raymond Buck being one of them."

Todner added that, while the oral witness evidence was important, a DNA result would provide "conclusive evidence".

A member of Buck's family will also be among those to submit a sample in the new round of DNA analysis, the Sunday Times report said.

Todner added: "If DNA comes back as positive for anyone other than Michael, then obviously we'll be asking the CCRC to send it back to the Court of Appeal.

"So hopefully we'll know where we are by the end of this year."

Ross Shields said he did not want to comment further.