David 'Dai' Morris was sentenced in 2002 for the murders of three generations of a family who were bludgeoned to death in their home in Clydach, Wales. It is also an account of what seems a miscarriage of justice. However, scientists cannot determine how or when the profile was transferred onto the sock, but claim the DNA is more likely than not to be Morris's. Not one of them has got one piece of evidence. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. But retired Detective Supt Martin Lloyd Evans, who led the investigation, is 100% sure South Wales Police got the right man. "One of the difficult things is separating the fact and fiction, the gossip from the truth.". This detail sounds true. One such show that garnered attention for this phenomenon was the controversial drama 13 Reasons Why. Stephen proceeded to sue his employer, the South Wales Police, for wrongful detention, using the services of Morriss lawyer to do so at the same time the lawyer was representing Morris in the first trial. At the time of her affair with Mandy, Alison was married to Stephen Lewis, an officer with South Wales Police, who was also arrested on suspicion of the murders. The investigation, named Operation Dolomite, was led by detectives Steve Carey and Ian Ringrose and police forensic expert David Lloyd from Devon and Cornwall Police. But perhaps the most significant feature of the story, at least to me, is what appears to be the total moral collapse of at least part of Welsh society. It would be intriguing to know what proportion of Britains serious housing shortage results from the increasingly kaleidoscopic, and constantly fracturing, nature of relationships in our society.). But they were possibly worse than incompetent. 2023 BBC. People are entrenched in their views about who did it.". whether it's definitive proof or if it wouldn't stand up in court). Alison Lewis has spoken to a new documentary about her arrest over the deaths of Mandy Power, her mother Doris and daughters Katie and Emily. It appeared that both trial judges offered the jury a false, or at least irrelevant, dichotomy: either Morris was the killer, or one or more of the Lewises was. He was convicted for the murders a second time in 2006 after an earlier conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal. He said: "The advancement of forensic technology has provided the opportunity for evidence-based answers to some of the questions which have been raised about forensic issues in this case, along with other matters raised by the BBC Wales documentary. The case deeply divided the community for more than 20 years despite the conviction of a local builder. 666 ratings57 reviews. Fresh doubts have been cast on the conviction of the man jailed for the horrific Clydach murders in 1999. The Clydach murders: a full timeline. This case has been looked at and looked at and explored. He is serving a 32-year sentence. Yet a second trial found Morris guilty on precisely the same evidence as had the first, flawed though it was. The only DNA evidence found was hers, in Mandy Powers vagina. Accompanied by a good mint yoghurt sauce, bhajis don't get much better than this', Co-op, Amazon, Argos and eBay urgently recalling products over safety concerns, Products have been recalled due to the possible presence of allergens, bacteria, chemical toxicity and burns. pic.twitter.com/P6G7hzHBLo. During his initial interview, he said the gold chain wasn't his, but was similar to one he had broken about two weeks later while working on a building site. Murder in the Valleys premieres on Sky Crime and NOW on Sunday, February 6. He later changed his story when his cousin, Eric Williams, said Morris had asked him for money to buy a chain similar to the one he had lost, and he had bragged that he'd slept with Mandy the Friday before the murders, leaving the chain there. The true story behind Netflix's The Nurse, What Sins of Our Mother leaves out of true story, What Netflixs Boston Marathon doesn't address, Who was David Koresh? The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The intruder also murdered Mandys daughters Katie, 10, and Emily, eight. David 'Dai' Morris was convicted for the murder of a grandmother, mother and two young daughters in 1999. Speaking on the biggest murder inquiry in South Wales' history, he said: "I was a serving . Morris has from the first maintained his innocence. The medical causes of death were given as ischaemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus. . Murder and mystery in South Carolina: A timeline of the Murdaugh - CNN Murder in the Valleys Clydach - crime series looks at David Morris crime It will be available on Sky Crime and streaming service NOW. David 'Dai' Morris was . You can read here how the shadow of the horrific crime has refused to life from the village. Morris has always maintained his innocence, but a bid to take his case to the Court of Appeal was rejected as recently as 2018 by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Morris, though he admitted to taking amphetamines in the past, denied that he had bought or used them this time; and no other witnesses were available to testify to his supposedly psychotic state. But after the documentary aired, South Wales Police said no information had been provided that undermined Morris's conviction. As for the prosecution, it is incumbent upon it to produce a fair caseand not to obtain a conviction, as it appears here to have done, by hook or by crook. South Wales Police said it hoped the review would help the family of the victims move on and "answer the questions posed by others once and for all". I still know a number of people in the Clydach area and it is very much believed that the convicted man is innocent. A scientific link between Morris and a sock, widely accepted as being used by the offender . Man arrested in shootings that killed 4, wounded 3 in rural Maine The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. A disabled grandmother, a mother and her two little girls were killed with a ferocious intensity that takes the breath away. 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It is tragic that all involved in this high profile investigation were let down by a litany of mistakes and unprofessionalism. There was no sign of forced entry to the house, which led detectives to believe it was someone the family knew. Former Inspector Stuart Lewis was held in a cell for four days, interviewed 26 times and suspended for four years after being arrested in connection with one of the worst crimes in British legal history. Police have now said an examination of a sock, widely believed to have been used by Morris during the killings, identified the presence of a mixed Y-STR profile that links him or a male relative on his paternal side to the crime scene. Forensic review agreed for 1999 murders evidence, Fresh doubts over Clydach murders conviction, Police speak to 'new witnesses' after murder doc, Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended. Morris's trial in 2006 heard he had a sexual relationship with Ms Power and was fuelled by drink and drugs when he went on a killing spree in June 1999. They found a perfect substitute suspect in Morris, a man many believed capable of extreme violence. An ex-policewoman who was linked to the brutal murders of a family of four in Clydach has begun legal action against South Wales Police, her solicitor has confirmed. Man and woman shot dead after apparent murder-suicide in St. Louis County What happened on the night of the murders in Clydach? An ex-police officer has claimed his own force botched a murder inquiry leading to unfounded rumours his family was involved in the killings of a mother, her two little girls and their grandmother. Second, despite a large amount of searching, there was never any definitive DNA evidence that he was in Mandy's home. Filmmaker Owen Phillips, who went to school near Clydach at the time of the murders, said the early media focus on Alison was partly because of her "unorthodox" relationship with Mandy and her martial arts training, which included a black belt in karate. Dietrich Weismann Fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Neighbour Rosemary Jones says she was woken up when she heard a car approach the house around 1am, but assumed it was Mandy returning home. Morris was convicted for the second time in 2006 and was initially given a whole-life sentence, which was reduced on appeal to 32 years. The killer lit fires around the house in an attempt to hide the crimes. Mandy Power, her daughters Katie and Emily and her mother Doris Dawson, were bludgeoned to death at their home in Clydach, near Swansea in June 1999. Stuart Lewis was the first senior policeman on the scene after firefighters had brought the blaze at 9 Kelvin Road under control and it became clear that four people had been killed before it was set. Now, a new four-part series takes a forensic look at the biggest murder investigation in Welsh history - with Alison agreeing to a TV interview about the case for the first time in more than a decade. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, donations in support of MI and City Journal are fully tax-deductible as provided by law (EIN #13-2912529). Just as alarming was the lack of probity of Morriss first lawyer, who imposed a condition on the barrister representing the client in court that he was not to adduce evidence that could implicate or cast suspicion on any of the Lewises. His legal representatives made a request to South Wales Police in November, following the airing of a BBC Wales Investigates programme on the conviction of Mr Morris, asking for various items of evidence to be released for further investigation by their forensic scientists. "I became the devil," she tells a new documentary. A BBC Wales Investigates programme in 2020 spoke to two potential new witnesses and South Wales Police announced a review of elements of the case in January 2021. One, a chronic alcoholic, was angry because Morris had refused to have sex with her, which, given his typical conduct, must have been doubly wounding; and another, a man, was annoyed because Morris had boasted in the pub that he would be able to pullhave sex withthe witnesss girlfriend without difficulty. "I remember lying on the floor of the car thinking: 'I'm going to die here in the back of this car and I won't be able to prove I'm innocent'. Alison was also known to be expert in handling the kind of blunt instruments used in some forms of martial arts. Mandy Power, aged 34, her invalid mother, Doris Dawson, and her two children, Katie and Emily, aged ten and eight, were killed with a blunt instrument, wielded with such force that it inflicted injuries far greater than those necessary to cause death. A forensic review of evidence linked to the brutal murders of a family of four more than 20 years ago has been agreed. Several witnesses, however, deposed that she had arrived at 6 AM, before the events were common knowledge. Morris contends that, although tried twice, Dai Morris, the man convicted for the murders in 2006, is innocent. "They can't let it go - if they did, they'd feel like it was a betrayal. The tight-knit community of Clydach is still divided over who beat the family to death with a metal pole before setting their home on fire in the early hours, despite the conviction of Morris. Morris had also previously attacked someone, hitting him with a blunt instrument around the head, but it was later dismissed as the jury was persuaded he acted in self-defence. But the doubt surrounding the case means Stuart and his wife cant go out to a local restaurant without people pointing and sometimes verbally accusing him of involvement in the murders. It shows an almost complete breakdown of official probitya probity that many of the British once (perhaps naively) thought characteristic of their society. There is an integrity to this, unlike to the system itself, which dishonestly takes acknowledgment of guilt and expressions of remorse as a proxy for improvement and reduced propensity to re-offend. The finger of suspicion fell on Stuart Lewis, his police officer brother Steve and Steves wife Alison Lewis, who was having an affair with Mandy. Clydach murders: CPS rejects new evidence over brutal killings of mum, two daughters and gran; Story Saved. Clydach murders: Killer David Morris dies in prison - BBC News The development prompted a rare statement from Mandy's family who called on Morris's supporters to accept his guilt. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. John Morris's new book is an investigation into the Clydach murders in South Wales in 1999 in which Mandy Power, her mother and two daughters were battered to death. But in what kind of society can personal dignity and self-respect be achieved only through wrongful imprisonment for decades? In 2020, a BBC Wales Investigates documentary spoke to two potential new witnesses, and a review into elements of the case was announced by South Wales Police in January 2021. Murder in the Valleys starts Sunday 6 February on Sky Crime and NOW. The Kidnap and Murder of Lynda Spence: What happened and was her body ever found? He battered Mandy, along with her children, with a fibreglass pole which the children used to play with. Campaigners had spent years calling for his release. However, there have been doubts cast over his conviction by those who have studied the case. Morris states he left at 11.30pm and decided to stay at his parents, starting a potential five-mile walk through country roads to get to them. As for Alison Lewis, she testified that she had first arrived at Kelvin Road at 9 AM, about five hours after the fire started. The police investigation was flawed from the outset, which resulted in [Stuart's] reputation and life being destroyed.. Stuart spoke out on the eve of the launch of Murder in the Valleys, a Sky Crime TV documentary probing the murders and the police investigation. In January 2021, it was decided the police should re-examine the case. An accused MS-13 gang member has been arrested in Holiday, Florida, and charged in what the sheriff described as a "demonic" murder of an Uber Eats delivery driver whose remains were found . His DNA wasn't found on the gold chain either, however forensics determined there was 'brick dust and green paint chips' within the links. The prosecution claimed David was fuelled by drink and drugs when he went on the killing spree. The Lewis family claims to have received more than 400 threats from supporters of the Free David Morris campaign. Four people were found shot to death in rural Maine on Tuesday, and three motorists were wounded by gunfire on a nearby stretch of highway in a series of related incidents for which a single . Speaking on the biggest murder inquiry in South Wales' history, he said: "I was a serving police officer 22 years ago, who was wrongfully arrested for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Are you interested in supporting the magazine? There hasnt been a day when I havent missed her. They have also refused to state exactly how conclusive the DNA evidence actually is on the sock (ie. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, He was convicted of the murders for a second time in 2006, review into elements of the case was announced by South Wales Police, the Crown Prosecution Service said no information, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Indian 'killer' elephant relocated to tiger reserve. Morris died after serving 22 years in HMP Long Lartin, Worcestershire on August 20, 2021. The man convicted of the Clydach murders has died in prison, it has been confirmed. "Everyone wants to be an armchair detective but they don't know the facts.". Filmed over a period of 12 months, Murder in The Valleys re-examines the murders of three generations of the same family. 6 Feb 2022. "She had the trauma of the murder and then she was a suspect.". She was also a black belt in karate, which she put into practice one day when a Welsh boxing champion objected to her same-sex canoodling in a pub. Despite the evidence placed against him by the prosecution, and his double conviction, there is an equal amount of evidence to suggest Morris was not guilty of the crimes. Morriss first trial ended with his conviction, but it was quashed when it emerged that his solicitor (in England and Wales, the lawyer preparing the case instructs the advocate, who pleads it in court, the two functions being separated) was acting not only for Morris but for the three Lewises, the only other suspects in the case. Assistant Chief Constable David Thorne, of South Wales Police, said: South Wales Police has shown a commitment to providing evidence-based answers to the issues which have been raised about this case over many years. Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix. Martyn Lloyd-Evans, senior investigating officer of the investigation, tells Murder In The Valleys he has "no doubt in his mind" about Morris being the killer. 2023 BBC. Mrs Dawson was killed as she lay in her bed, and the killer lay waiting for the others to return home. Assistant Chief Constable David Thorne, of South Wales Police, said the reinvestigation did not "demonstrate any lack of confidence in the conviction of Morris". Katie Pladl and the Father-Daughter Incest Case That Ended in Murder The Clydach murders - a family brutally murdered, evidence of - Reddit Now for the first time in 22 years, Stuart Lewis has spoken about the ordeal that has ruined his life, as The Mirror reports. No one thought that an outsider had committed the murderers. Mandy Power, 34, Katie, 10, Emily, eight, and Doris Dawson, 80, died at their home near Swansea in June 1999. It was a sigh that had been building up for more than a year - and last Tuesday many months of tension came flooding out. Morris was convicted of the murders in 2002 - but the verdict was quashed on appeal due to a conflict of interest by a defence solicitor. Murder In The Valleys premieres on Sky Crime and NOW on Sunday 6 February. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. He also seems to have rented a room elsewhere as another alternative. A gold chain that he wore turned up at the murder sitein effect, the only evidence against him, other than his bad character and reputation for violence. The slaughter of three generations of the same family sparked the biggest criminal investigation in Welsh history. Phillips, who has previously worked on the documentaries Barrymore: Body In The Pool and Leaving Neverland, hopes his new series will finally address "what really happened that night in the summer of 1999 in Clydach". Indeed, the jealous are often jealous because they themselves are unfaithful and suppose that everyone is like them. His lawyer, leading QC Narita Bahra, said: There are no winners in this tragic case, there are insufficient sticking plasters to make this investigation complete and speculation still continues 22 years after an innocent family were murdered in their home. For some inexplicable reason, and in complete dereliction of duty, he left the site, returned to the police station, and did nothing, except telephone someone on a publicand therefore unrecordedphone. They said also that they had comforted her for her loss, knowing, as did many in the village, that she was carrying on with Mandy Power. Many of his neighbors did not like him, true, though it is not clear whether this was because of past or present behavior. Alison herself had been in the police force but had been invalided out on disability after witnessing an upsetting suicide. Clydach murders: David Morris died of natural causes, coroner says Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? He then changed his mind, returning to his own house by 4.30am. Alison and Stephen had been arrested for the murders a year after the crime, but eventually released for lack of evidence. He said: The evidence identified at the outset to exonerate myself was lost, unobtainable, or destroyed. Read about our approach to external linking. Morriss way of removing the threat, on this view, would be to kill Power, and then the witnesses to the initial murder. For a long time, the principal suspect or suspects were Alison Lewis and her husband, Stephen, a police officer in the area, and his identical twin brother, Stuart, also an officer. The Clydach Murders, by John Morris, a retired lawyer, is first-rate, as gripping an account of a crime as one is likely to read. Either it was true, in which case it suggested something about the morality of the eventual victim, as well as her attitude toward her elderly mother; or, if untrue, it suggested that Morris thought that it would have no effect on peoples view of him because, around here, everyone behaved like this. The man convicted of the Clydach murders has died in prison, it has been confirmed. Alison Lewis, who along with her husband Steve was arrested on suspicion of the murders, said she understands his family fighting for justice for him. Ms Power and her daughters were battered repeatedly with a fibreglass pole, which the children used to play with, and Ms Power's body was sexually assaulted. A review of issues relating to the conviction of David Morris for the murders of Mandy Power, her two daughters Katie and Emily and her mother Doris Dawson in Clydach in 1999 has led to significant findings as a result of analysing key forensic evidence. A year before her arrest, Alison's lover Mandy Power had been found dead along with Mandy's mother Doris and daughters, Katie, 10, and Emily, aged eight. However, Morris's sister Debra Morris said the announcement did not go far enough: "It's not independent for me. The family had been bludgeoned to death with a pole in an "orgy of savagery", prosecutors said, before their house was set on fire in June 1999. They were eventually ruled out as suspects in 2001.