Levi Bellfield Allegedly Confessed To Russell Murders

[Jomlett]

BBC News - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-42144445

[NoMercy]

At best, Stone's conviction is unsafe. From memory Stone was shorter than the man described by Josie Russell, but Bellfields height was spot on. Additionally Bellfield was driving a car at the time similar to one seen in the vicinity at the time of the attacks but Stone wasn't.

[andy-hughes]

The police, who obviously know more about this than any of us, are not inclined to re-open the case, which must mean that they evidence they have received is not deemed strong enough to warrant that.

[ummmm]

It was said on the news earlier that a reliable witness places Bellfield elsewhere at the time of the murders.

[NoMercy]

The 'reliable witness' is his ex and mother of one of his 11 children. There are questions about her provision of an alibi.

It's also worth noting that Bellfields mother previously insisted he was with her at the times some of his victims were murdered, but this was found to be untrue.

[ChillDoubt]

There was a very good programme recently about the conviction of Stone(2 parts, maybe still available on BBC iplayer) during which it became patently obvious that he didn't commit the crime.
Inexplicably there was no evidence (DNA or otherwise) that actually placed him at the scene.
There was however compelling evidence that Belfield was involved via his then girlfriends car, which strangely was stolen and burnt out only days later. If I recall, he was working at a scrapyard at the time.

[ChillDoubt]

The programme was called The Chillenden Murders, currently unavailable via BBC but maybe on youTube?

[Quizmonster]

I'm all in favour of murderers getting their just deserts, but I was never convinced by the guilty finding on Michael Stone, in the case of the Russell murders. Equally, I never believed Colin Stagg was the right man for Rachel Nickel's death.
I know no more than any of the rest of us about the cases, but there was just something not right about either "verdict".

[Peter Pedant]

then he did (confess)
then he didnt

how much belief do we attach to jail bird confessions ?

[jno]

if the jail bird then withdraws his confession (I think two did) is his new stance more reliable than his old one?

[ladybirder]

Very interesting. Stone was certainly no angel but the Russell murders do not bear his MO at all. He did not go around attacking and killing women. Whereas Bellfield's MO, attacking and killing women fits perfectly.
Do we know if Bellfield's DNA has been tested in relation to this case?