Colin Pitchfork (born 1961, Bristol, England) was the first criminal convicted of murder based on DNA fingerprinting evidence, and the first to be caught as a result of mass DNA screening. Pitchfork raped and murdered two girls, the first in Narborough, Leicestershire, on November 21, 1983, and the second in Enderby, also in Leicestershire, on July 31, 1986. He was arrested on September 19, 1987, and sentenced to life imprisonment on January 22, 1988, after admitting both murders.
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On November 21, 1983, 15-year-old Lynda Mann left her home to visit a friend's house. She did not return. The next morning, she was found raped and strangled on a deserted footpath known locally as the Black Pad. Using forensic science techniques available at the time, a semen sample taken from her body was found to belong to a person with type A blood and an enzyme profile that matched only 10 percent of males. With no other leads or evidence, the case was left open.
On July 31, 1986, another 15-year-old girl, Dawn Ashworth, took a shortcut instead of taking the normal route home. Two days later, her body was found in a wooded area near a footpath called Ten Pound Lane. She had been beaten, savagely raped, and strangled to death. The modus operandi matched that of the first attack, and semen samples revealed the same blood type.
The prime suspect was a local 17-year-old youth, Richard Buckland, who revealed knowledge of Ashworth's body, and admitted the crime under questioning, but denied the first murder. Alec Jeffreys, of the University of Leicester, had recently developed DNA profiling along with Peter Gill and Dave Werrett of the Forensic Science Service (FSS) and detailed the technique in a 1985 paper.
Gill commented:
I was responsible for developing all of the DNA extraction techniques and demonstrating that it was possible after all to obtain DNA profiles from old stains. The biggest achievement was developing the preferential extraction method to separate sperm from vaginal cells – without this method it would have been difficult to use DNA in rape cases.
Using this technique, Jeffreys compared semen samples from both murders against a blood sample from Buckland which conclusively proved that both girls were killed by the same man, but not the suspect. The police then contacted the FSS to verify Jeffreys' results and decide which direction to take the investigation. Buckland became the first person to have his innocence established by DNA fingerprinting.
Jeffreys later said:
I have no doubt whatsoever that he would have been found guilty had it not been for DNA evidence. That was a remarkable occurrence.
The Leicestershire Constabulary and the FSS then undertook a project where 5,000 local men were asked to volunteer blood or saliva samples. This took six months, and no matches were found.
Later, a man named Ian Kelly was heard bragging that he had obtained £200[1] for giving a sample while masquerading as his friend, Colin Pitchfork, who was a local baker. On September 19, 1987 Pitchfork was arrested at his home in Haybarn Close, in the neighbouring village of Littlethorpe and a sample was found to match that of the killer. During subsequent questioning, Pitchfork admitted to flashing females over 1000 times, a compulsion that he had started in his early teens. Flashing catapulted him to sexually assault; and then to strangle his victims in order to protect his identity. He pleaded guilty to the two rape/murders in addition to another separate incident of sexual assault that he had committed. Pitchfork was preparing to move to Littlethorpe at the time of the murder of Lynda Mann, and resided at Haybarn Close in Littlethorpe at the time of the murder of Dawn Ashworth. He was sentenced to life imprisonment; consecutive terms for rape and murder; however, with no minimum sentence (thus, presenting the opportunity for release after ten years).
On Thursday 14 May 2009 Pitchfork’s legal appeal was heard at the Court of Appeal at The Royal Courts of Justice having been adjourned from 30 April 2009. He won his appeal against his original sentence of a minimum of 30 years, resulting in a two year reduction to 28 years. Consequently Pitchfork will be eligible for release in 2016, however Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge has stated "he cannot be released unless and until the safety of the public is assured." The court heard how Pitchfork is now educated to degree level, and is now an expert at transcription of printed music into Braille. He hopes to one day help the blind. This evidence was presented as proof of the development of his character whilst incarcerated, by his legal representatives.
A sculpture that Pitchfork had produced while in prison was exhibited at the Royal Festival Hall in London in April 2009, but was subsequently removed from display.[2]
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