UK UK - Ann Heron, 44, found at home with throat cut, Darlington, 3 August 1990

[susie sixpence]

There are always another opinions. North Yorks Enquirer | Trevaline and Ann: Was it Halliwell? (Pt 2)

 

[Hillside_Dangler]

YouTube: The Mysterious Murder of Ann Heron

YouTube upload available for limited time

 

[JustJo]

Ann' s last known sighting while alive, was 3:30 pm at the back of the house, apparently she moved to the front of the house because of a tractor blowing grass.

The radio was still on outside the front of the house and the dog too, he was not ''heard to bark''.

On a hot 'dog day of summer', between the tractor blowing grass and a radio turned on, it is hard to imagine anyone noticing whether or not a dog barked, imo, speculation.

View attachment 361852
A police reconstruction of a man seen jogging near Ann's home around the time of her murder (Image: Mirrorpix)

Aug 25 2022 rbbm.

Who was Ann Heron, the Glasgow woman whose brutal murder has never been solved?

The 44-year-old Scot was murdered in her own home in 1990 with the case perplexing cops ever since

www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk

''She was also known to feel frightened by her home, Aeolian House, which was a conspicuous building on the main road to the airport. She was known to not want to be alone in the building.''

''She was spotted sunbathing at 3.30pm at the front of the house where she had moved to avoid grass being blown into the back from a nearby tractor. It was the last known sighting of Ann alive.

Heron arrived back from work at 6pm and her radio was still on while the family dog, her book and cigarettes were all outside. The front door was open.''

''Ann was found in the living room lying in a pool of blood with a stab wound to her neck. Her bikini bottoms had been removed which led police to believe the killing may have been sexually motivated. The murder weapon has never been found but is believed to have been a Stanley knife or razor blade.

There was no sign of a struggle or forced entry, indicating she may have known her killer. The family dog had not been heard to bark to signal an intruder. There was no sign of robbery or sexual assault.''

I watched the documentary, and as soon as they mentioned that the dog didn't bark, I thought - well how do they know? No one was there!

This never seemed to be raised as an issue which I found annoying.

 

[dotr]

YouTube: The Mysterious Murder of Ann Heron

YouTube upload available for limited time

Welcome to Ws Hillside_Dangler, thank you for posting this very good documentary!

 

[suspiciousmatt]

I watched the documentary, and as soon as they mentioned that the dog didn't bark, I thought - well how do they know? No one was there!

This never seemed to be raised as an issue which I found annoying.

Agree, also they had a Lassie Collie, and we also had one and I don't think they are known to bark

 

[Tortoise]

YouTube: The Mysterious Murder of Ann Heron

YouTube upload available for limited time

Thank you.

I've transcribed the parts where PH was speaking, as well as a few other parts for context, and some text that was not spoken but put on screen by the documentary makers - Channel 5 which is mainstream media.

I'll put it in a separate post.

 

[Tortoise]

I watched the documentary, and as soon as they mentioned that the dog didn't bark, I thought - well how do they know? No one was there!

This never seemed to be raised as an issue which I found annoying.

They also didn't explain, as far as I can see, why it is taken as fact that PH was wearing the same clothing all day.

 

[Tortoise]

My transcription of the Channel 5 documentary “The Mysterious Murder of Ann Heron” aired August 2022.

My notes in () brackets.

Peter Heron's (PH's) words in bold text.

All spoken words in italics to avoid having to use quote marks.

This does not contain the words spoken by everyone else in the documentary, with a few exceptions for context.

----------


Interviewer: Right Peter, so, let me take you back to when you..

Can I, can I first say something?

Interviewer: Yes

This will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.


I have nothing to hide.


(Old footage from 2006 when murder charge was dropped) : I have absolutely nothing to do with this.


Daughter Debbie: Ann returned home just before one, my dad coming home for lunch, cos Dad is a creature of habit.


I was always at work 8ish, unless I was away on business. 3rd of August was no different, lunch has always been the same, Cup A Soup and a sandwich, and we sat outside in the garden, because it was a hot day, sun was shining, I sat there till about 5 minutes to two, I went back to the office…

Ann’s friend: I rang Ann to arrange to meet her, and make the final arrangements for that evening, and she sounded fine. I think it was about 3 o’clock.

Daughter Debbie: and then Ann went outside and she sunbathed. And we know that she sunbathed because she was seen by a lady who was travelling on the bus at the bottom of the road, who said that she saw Ann sunbathing on the west corner of the house.

I left the office just before 6 o’clock, and as I drove up the path I noticed the, our dog was outside and err the door was wide open, and that was unusual. I went into the hall and the first thing I shouted was “I’m home, you’ll be pleased”. I walked into the lounge and the first thing I saw was Ann, lying there. I went to the phone in the hall and dialled the emergency services, explained what I wanted, put the phone down, picked it up again immediately..

Daughter Debbie: and he rang his boss Paul Stiller, he’d grown up with Dad so Paul knew him so well, and just said to Paul please come to my house, something terrible’s happened.

And within minutes Paul arrived. He could see I was distraught you know and I said ‘will you go into the house Paul and tell me it’s not true?’, and he went in and he came out, put his arm around me and by that time the Police Constable arrived. Apparently I followed him in to the hall and I tried to go into where Ann was and he wouldn’t allow me. The next thing I remember really was I was in a police car being taken to Darlington police station.

I was obviously traumatised for the want of a better word, you know. The horror that she must have gone through, because I can imagine her screaming, and nobody would hear her.

(Old footage – PH appeals directly to press cameras at a police station, in 1990.): “I want to appeal to the ladies and gentlemen of this country, to find this man. There must be somebody sitting with him today. There’s a possibility that this man could do it again.”


I knew I was going to be assassinated by the media and by people because of the fact that they hadn’t found anybody else and I’m the closest one. Statistics say that in most murders it is somebody close to the individual that was murdered.

Daughter Debbie: Dad returned to the office at 2 o’clock where he spent the time at his desk until he received a telephone call from Cleveland Bridge. Cleveland Bridge was a customer of Stiller Transport who are based less than a mile away from Aeolian House.

I jumped in my car and drove to Cleveland Bridge.

Daughter Debbie: he arrived at Cleveland Bridge at about quarter to 4. Dad finished his meeting, left Cleveland Bridge returned to his car and went back to the office. It was 5 o’clock, it was a lovely sunny night, he had to be home.

(News breaks about a week after Ann's murder that PH was having an affair with a local barmaid at the time of the murder, which he neglected to tell police, or his family.)

It had nothing to do with Debbie. It had nothing to do with her, it had nothing to do with anybody else for that matter, you know, it was me and the lady. It wasn’t serious, it wasn’t going to become serious, it was something that happened which I didn’t expect to happen. Our contact together was over the bar, and that was it, you know. This is something that we drifted into.

Barmaid: we arranged to meet in the London area and we met, we had lunch, but I don’t think we ate anything, I was too nervous, and then we went to the bedroom and … and we left. He went back to his work and I went back to my auntie’s where I was staying at the time.

It wasn’t a perennial thing, it wasn’t even an annual thing, it was something that happened twice.

Barmaid: it happened in the London area and the second time it happened in York.

Was I embarrassed about Debbie and the girls finding out? Of course the answer to that is yes, obviously, you know. Somebody said to me the guilty part isn’t doing it, the guilty part is getting found out.

They must have dug and dug and dug about my history overall including any possible other relationships I might have had, absolutely nothing, it was confined to us two.

At this stage I have to say that my name is Peter. There’s no way is it related to Saint Peter. I had a history, I was a chatterbox, I had no problem talking to the opposite sex, I didn’t chat them up or anything like that but if I did, I always did it in front of the partner, and I can give you a classic example I think, and that was, that involved a steward and stewardess at the golf club, right, and every time we went to the bar I always said this, in front of everybody, including her husband ‘are we having sex tonight or are we not?’ and she said ‘we are not’ and I said ‘well, I thought we were friends’ and she said ‘I don’t do it with friends’. And I said that at least once a month, always in front of people. First and foremost, I respected women. First and foremost. I was the old-fashioned type of guy, I opened the car door, I carried the umbrella, I walked on the outside of the path to stop them from getting splattered, yeah, I loved them. Loved them yeah. The ones I knew, obviously.

Text on screen: 4 weeks after the murder, forensic work is completed and the keys to Aeolian House are returned to Peter Heron.

I know what they’re going to say…’how can he go back there when his wife’s been murdered?’

Daughter Debbie: we didn’t want Dad to go back in the house at all. Myself and my sisters would have much preferred that he sold up but he was adamant.

It was my home, and the house didn’t kill Ann.

(PH remarries, about 2 years after Ann’s murder.)

I was still mourning Ann, but you know I had responsibility of the girls (his daughters) and I had the responsibility of myself.

(PH is arrested on suspicion of Ann's murder, and charged, in 2005 – 15 years after the murder.)

At about 8 o’clock time, knock on the door, and standing in front of me there were 6 police officers, and the detective immediately said to me ‘I’m arresting you on suspicion of the murder of your wife Ann Heron’ and I said to the Inspector, I said to him, ‘And why am I not surprised?’ you know. And he said ‘will you get yourself ready please and we’ll take you down to Spennymoor, and then we’ll progress from there.’ I said ‘uh um, well I’ll just tell you I am diabetic and I am supposed to have my tablets on a morning, afternoon and night, and also I’ve got to have breakfast.’ So he had a grunt and a groan and he said ‘when you’re ready’ I said ‘no, I want to get tidied up, I want to get a shower’, so I got myself tidied up. ‘Are you ready now?’ and I said ‘I’m ready’ but I said ‘don’t you think you should maybe finish up your job properly?’ you know. He said ‘what do you mean?’, I said ‘do you not want to have a look at my computer, you’ll maybe find things out there which might not do me any good’, you know, and his mate said ‘we better take that’, you know. By this time I think I was in my element, a little bit like, do you know what I mean, I wasn’t upset, I wasn’t bouncing up and down saying ‘I didn’t do it’ and all that carry on. And I think possibly that went against me.



Text on screen: Durham Constabulary maintain that Peter Heron had the opportunity to commit this offence.

Daughter Debbie: when Ann was killed it wasn’t made public but it was made public to the family, that a microscopic piece of DNA was found on Ann’s body.

Text on screen: The DNA that was discovered came from a tiny deposit of semen found in Ann’s throat. 15 years later new scientific techniques identify it as belonging to Peter Heron. This evidence would form part of the case against him.



It was so tiny, my DNA, and again let’s just repeat, it was my DNA, it was my semen, which was found on Ann, in our house, on our furniture, right, not in some sleazy bar or anything like that.



Journalist: Peter Heron’s DNA was found on and in the proximity of his wife, in their home.



They just latched onto that because there was nothing else, which is ludicrous, as far as evidence was concerned.

I was on bail. Two reporters knocked on Debbie’s door to ask me if I would like to comment on the fact that the case had been discontinued. I say it’s so bizarre, it’s probably unbelievable, to be honest with you.

(old footage – after charges against PH discontinued in 2006 (PH aged 70) : “well obviously I’m very pleased. I had no doubt that this day would arrive.” “I didn’t do it, no question about that, somebody outside DID do it and I hope that the police make sure that they go further into this situation because I’m sure that if they dig a little bit further they’ll probably find the person that did this.”

In 2005, when I was arrested, then that was a complete disaster.


Text on screen (in connection with Michael Benson as a possible suspect) : ‘Durham Constabulary said in a statement “There is no evidence to place Michael Benson in the area around the time of this offence… we are all but certain that Michael Benson was living abroad at the time of the murder. Michael Benson is not and never has been a suspect in this case”.’

(PH re-visiting Aeolian House where Ann was murdered.) :

We’re on the A67 from … to Darlington, and coming up on the righthand side is Aeolian House, and on reflection it’s about 20 years since I was here last. I’m full of emotions, obviously, err, pleasant ones and of course the horror that happened here, that will never ever leave me. It has consumed my life, I mean people have said ‘why does Peter still torment himself with bringing, dragging it up all the time?’, like you know, but the reality of it all is I found her, I’m the one that er walked in on that horror and no matter what I do or where I’ve been or what I might do, it’ll never depart from me, you know. (walks over to fence perimeter of house) You can imagine me driving up there on the 3rd of August, pulled the car round the side, expecting Ann to be ready to go out, you know, and then I find Ann, you know. It’s the horror that happened here, but you can’t get past that horror, you know. To be honest I don’t have a problem looking at the house, you know, because the house didn’t kill Ann. Ann was murdered by a maniac.

Text on screen: Even though charges have been discontinued against Peter Heron he has not been formally acquitted.

Daughter Debbie: Durham Constabulary declared that the investigation is open but not active […] Honestly I think they’re waiting for Dad to die and I think when that happens I think they’ll turn around and say ‘we’re not looking for anyone else.’ That is something that we won’t accept.

Text on screen: over 30 years have passed since Ann Heron’s murder. The tragic events of August 1990 continue to divide friends and family.

I’ve been wanting this resolved since 1990. It’s absolutely imperative that it’s solved before I pass away.

Text on screen: Durham Constabulary said in a statement “It is regrettable that Durham Constabulary has failed to bring the killer of Ann Heron to justice almost 32 years after her death… This remains an open and active investigation. The Force still hopes to identify and convict the person responsible for Ann’s murder… Durham Constabulary carried out extensive enquiries into the potential involvement of many individuals… A number of these individuals remain of interest to the investigation… Peter Heron was designated as a suspect for the murder of Ann Heron in 2005, this status has not changed.” Following a series of allegations by Peter Heron and his family, Durham Constabulary referred themselves to the Independent Office of Police Conduct in April 2022.

Interviewer: Peter can I ask you, did you kill Ann Heron?

PH: (after a pause) No.

 

[dotr]

My transcription of the Channel 5 documentary “The Mysterious Murder of Ann Heron” aired August 2022.

My notes in () brackets.

Peter Heron's (PH's) words in bold text.

All spoken words in italics to avoid having to use quote marks.

This does not contain the words spoken by everyone else in the documentary, with a few exceptions for context.

----------


Interviewer: Right Peter, so, let me take you back to when you..

Can I, can I first say something?

Interviewer: Yes

This will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.


I have nothing to hide.


(Old footage from 2006 when murder charge was dropped) : I have absolutely nothing to do with this.


Daughter Debbie: Ann returned home just before one, my dad coming home for lunch, cos Dad is a creature of habit.


I was always at work 8ish, unless I was away on business. 3rd of August was no different, lunch has always been the same, Cup A Soup and a sandwich, and we sat outside in the garden, because it was a hot day, sun was shining, I sat there till about 5 minutes to two, I went back to the office…

Ann’s friend: I rang Ann to arrange to meet her, and make the final arrangements for that evening, and she sounded fine. I think it was about 3 o’clock.

Daughter Debbie: and then Ann went outside and she sunbathed. And we know that she sunbathed because she was seen by a lady who was travelling on the bus at the bottom of the road, who said that she saw Ann sunbathing on the west corner of the house.

I left the office just before 6 o’clock, and as I drove up the path I noticed the, our dog was outside and err the door was wide open, and that was unusual. I went into the hall and the first thing I shouted was “I’m home, you’ll be pleased”. I walked into the lounge and the first thing I saw was Ann, lying there. I went to the phone in the hall and dialled the emergency services, explained what I wanted, put the phone down, picked it up again immediately..

Daughter Debbie: and he rang his boss Paul Stiller, he’d grown up with Dad so Paul knew him so well, and just said to Paul please come to my house, something terrible’s happened.

And within minutes Paul arrived. He could see I was distraught you know and I said ‘will you go into the house Paul and tell me it’s not true?’, and he went in and he came out, put his arm around me and by that time the Police Constable arrived. Apparently I followed him in to the hall and I tried to go into where Ann was and he wouldn’t allow me. The next thing I remember really was I was in a police car being taken to Darlington police station.

I was obviously traumatised for the want of a better word, you know. The horror that she must have gone through, because I can imagine her screaming, and nobody would hear her.

(Old footage – PH appeals directly to press cameras at a police station, in 1990.): “I want to appeal to the ladies and gentlemen of this country, to find this man. There must be somebody sitting with him today. There’s a possibility that this man could do it again.”


I knew I was going to be assassinated by the media and by people because of the fact that they hadn’t found anybody else and I’m the closest one. Statistics say that in most murders it is somebody close to the individual that was murdered.

Daughter Debbie: Dad returned to the office at 2 o’clock where he spent the time at his desk until he received a telephone call from Cleveland Bridge. Cleveland Bridge was a customer of Stiller Transport who are based less than a mile away from Aeolian House.

I jumped in my car and drove to Cleveland Bridge.

Daughter Debbie: he arrived at Cleveland Bridge at about quarter to 4. Dad finished his meeting, left Cleveland Bridge returned to his car and went back to the office. It was 5 o’clock, it was a lovely sunny night, he had to be home.

(News breaks about a week after Ann's murder that PH was having an affair with a local barmaid at the time of the murder, which he neglected to tell police, or his family.)

It had nothing to do with Debbie. It had nothing to do with her, it had nothing to do with anybody else for that matter, you know, it was me and the lady. It wasn’t serious, it wasn’t going to become serious, it was something that happened which I didn’t expect to happen. Our contact together was over the bar, and that was it, you know. This is something that we drifted into.

Barmaid: we arranged to meet in the London area and we met, we had lunch, but I don’t think we ate anything, I was too nervous, and then we went to the bedroom and … and we left. He went back to his work and I went back to my auntie’s where I was staying at the time.

It wasn’t a perennial thing, it wasn’t even an annual thing, it was something that happened twice.

Barmaid: it happened in the London area and the second time it happened in York.

Was I embarrassed about Debbie and the girls finding out? Of course the answer to that is yes, obviously, you know. Somebody said to me the guilty part isn’t doing it, the guilty part is getting found out.

They must have dug and dug and dug about my history overall including any possible other relationships I might have had, absolutely nothing, it was confined to us two.

At this stage I have to say that my name is Peter. There’s no way is it related to Saint Peter. I had a history, I was a chatterbox, I had no problem talking to the opposite sex, I didn’t chat them up or anything like that but if I did, I always did it in front of the partner, and I can give you a classic example I think, and that was, that involved a steward and stewardess at the golf club, right, and every time we went to the bar I always said this, in front of everybody, including her husband ‘are we having sex tonight or are we not?’ and she said ‘we are not’ and I said ‘well, I thought we were friends’ and she said ‘I don’t do it with friends’. And I said that at least once a month, always in front of people. First and foremost, I respected women. First and foremost. I was the old-fashioned type of guy, I opened the car door, I carried the umbrella, I walked on the outside of the path to stop them from getting splattered, yeah, I loved them. Loved them yeah. The ones I knew, obviously.

Text on screen: 4 weeks after the murder, forensic work is completed and the keys to Aeolian House are returned to Peter Heron.

I know what they’re going to say…’how can he go back there when his wife’s been murdered?’

Daughter Debbie: we didn’t want Dad to go back in the house at all. Myself and my sisters would have much preferred that he sold up but he was adamant.

It was my home, and the house didn’t kill Ann.

(PH remarries, about 2 years after Ann’s murder.)

I was still mourning Ann, but you know I had responsibility of the girls (his daughters) and I had the responsibility of myself.

(PH is arrested on suspicion of Ann's murder, and charged, in 2005 – 15 years after the murder.)

At about 8 o’clock time, knock on the door, and standing in front of me there were 6 police officers, and the detective immediately said to me ‘I’m arresting you on suspicion of the murder of your wife Ann Heron’ and I said to the Inspector, I said to him, ‘And why am I not surprised?’ you know. And he said ‘will you get yourself ready please and we’ll take you down to Spennymoor, and then we’ll progress from there.’ I said ‘uh um, well I’ll just tell you I am diabetic and I am supposed to have my tablets on a morning, afternoon and night, and also I’ve got to have breakfast.’ So he had a grunt and a groan and he said ‘when you’re ready’ I said ‘no, I want to get tidied up, I want to get a shower’, so I got myself tidied up. ‘Are you ready now?’ and I said ‘I’m ready’ but I said ‘don’t you think you should maybe finish up your job properly?’ you know. He said ‘what do you mean?’, I said ‘do you not want to have a look at my computer, you’ll maybe find things out there which might not do me any good’, you know, and his mate said ‘we better take that’, you know. By this time I think I was in my element, a little bit like, do you know what I mean, I wasn’t upset, I wasn’t bouncing up and down saying ‘I didn’t do it’ and all that carry on. And I think possibly that went against me.



Text on screen: Durham Constabulary maintain that Peter Heron had the opportunity to commit this offence.

Daughter Debbie: when Ann was killed it wasn’t made public but it was made public to the family, that a microscopic piece of DNA was found on Ann’s body.

Text on screen: The DNA that was discovered came from a tiny deposit of semen found in Ann’s throat. 15 years later new scientific techniques identify it as belonging to Peter Heron. This evidence would form part of the case against him.



It was so tiny, my DNA, and again let’s just repeat, it was my DNA, it was my semen, which was found on Ann, in our house, on our furniture, right, not in some sleazy bar or anything like that.



Journalist: Peter Heron’s DNA was found on and in the proximity of his wife, in their home.



They just latched onto that because there was nothing else, which is ludicrous, as far as evidence was concerned.

I was on bail. Two reporters knocked on Debbie’s door to ask me if I would like to comment on the fact that the case had been discontinued. I say it’s so bizarre, it’s probably unbelievable, to be honest with you.

(old footage – after charges against PH discontinued in 2006 (PH aged 70) : “well obviously I’m very pleased. I had no doubt that this day would arrive.” “I didn’t do it, no question about that, somebody outside DID do it and I hope that the police make sure that they go further into this situation because I’m sure that if they dig a little bit further they’ll probably find the person that did this.”

In 2005, when I was arrested, then that was a complete disaster.


Text on screen (in connection with Michael Benson as a possible suspect) : ‘Durham Constabulary said in a statement “There is no evidence to place Michael Benson in the area around the time of this offence… we are all but certain that Michael Benson was living abroad at the time of the murder. Michael Benson is not and never has been a suspect in this case”.’

(PH re-visiting Aeolian House where Ann was murdered.) :

We’re on the A67 from … to Darlington, and coming up on the righthand side is Aeolian House, and on reflection it’s about 20 years since I was here last. I’m full of emotions, obviously, err, pleasant ones and of course the horror that happened here, that will never ever leave me. It has consumed my life, I mean people have said ‘why does Peter still torment himself with bringing, dragging it up all the time?’, like you know, but the reality of it all is I found her, I’m the one that er walked in on that horror and no matter what I do or where I’ve been or what I might do, it’ll never depart from me, you know. (walks over to fence perimeter of house) You can imagine me driving up there on the 3rd of August, pulled the car round the side, expecting Ann to be ready to go out, you know, and then I find Ann, you know. It’s the horror that happened here, but you can’t get past that horror, you know. To be honest I don’t have a problem looking at the house, you know, because the house didn’t kill Ann. Ann was murdered by a maniac.

Text on screen: Even though charges have been discontinued against Peter Heron he has not been formally acquitted.

Daughter Debbie: Durham Constabulary declared that the investigation is open but not active […] Honestly I think they’re waiting for Dad to die and I think when that happens I think they’ll turn around and say ‘we’re not looking for anyone else.’ That is something that we won’t accept.

Text on screen: over 30 years have passed since Ann Heron’s murder. The tragic events of August 1990 continue to divide friends and family.

I’ve been wanting this resolved since 1990. It’s absolutely imperative that it’s solved before I pass away.

Text on screen: Durham Constabulary said in a statement “It is regrettable that Durham Constabulary has failed to bring the killer of Ann Heron to justice almost 32 years after her death… This remains an open and active investigation. The Force still hopes to identify and convict the person responsible for Ann’s murder… Durham Constabulary carried out extensive enquiries into the potential involvement of many individuals… A number of these individuals remain of interest to the investigation… Peter Heron was designated as a suspect for the murder of Ann Heron in 2005, this status has not changed.” Following a series of allegations by Peter Heron and his family, Durham Constabulary referred themselves to the Independent Office of Police Conduct in April 2022.

Interviewer: Peter can I ask you, did you kill Ann Heron?

PH: (after a pause) No.

Thank you very much @Tortoise, awesome!

The front door being left open does not seem like something a "creature of habit" would do, especially at ones own house- the dog could run away, things get stolen, wild animals walking in and so on.

''Daughter Debbie: Ann returned home just before one, my dad coming home for lunch, cos Dad is a creature of habit.''

 

[CSIAngus]

My transcription of the Channel 5 documentary “The Mysterious Murder of Ann Heron” aired August 2022.

My notes in () brackets.

Peter Heron's (PH's) words in bold text.

All spoken words in italics to avoid having to use quote marks.

This does not contain the words spoken by everyone else in the documentary, with a few exceptions for context.

----------


Interviewer: Right Peter, so, let me take you back to when you..

Can I, can I first say something?

Interviewer: Yes

This will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.


I have nothing to hide.


(Old footage from 2006 when murder charge was dropped) : I have absolutely nothing to do with this.


Daughter Debbie: Ann returned home just before one, my dad coming home for lunch, cos Dad is a creature of habit.


I was always at work 8ish, unless I was away on business. 3rd of August was no different, lunch has always been the same, Cup A Soup and a sandwich, and we sat outside in the garden, because it was a hot day, sun was shining, I sat there till about 5 minutes to two, I went back to the office…

Ann’s friend: I rang Ann to arrange to meet her, and make the final arrangements for that evening, and she sounded fine. I think it was about 3 o’clock.

Daughter Debbie: and then Ann went outside and she sunbathed. And we know that she sunbathed because she was seen by a lady who was travelling on the bus at the bottom of the road, who said that she saw Ann sunbathing on the west corner of the house.

I left the office just before 6 o’clock, and as I drove up the path I noticed the, our dog was outside and err the door was wide open, and that was unusual. I went into the hall and the first thing I shouted was “I’m home, you’ll be pleased”. I walked into the lounge and the first thing I saw was Ann, lying there. I went to the phone in the hall and dialled the emergency services, explained what I wanted, put the phone down, picked it up again immediately..

Daughter Debbie: and he rang his boss Paul Stiller, he’d grown up with Dad so Paul knew him so well, and just said to Paul please come to my house, something terrible’s happened.

And within minutes Paul arrived. He could see I was distraught you know and I said ‘will you go into the house Paul and tell me it’s not true?’, and he went in and he came out, put his arm around me and by that time the Police Constable arrived. Apparently I followed him in to the hall and I tried to go into where Ann was and he wouldn’t allow me. The next thing I remember really was I was in a police car being taken to Darlington police station.

I was obviously traumatised for the want of a better word, you know. The horror that she must have gone through, because I can imagine her screaming, and nobody would hear her.

(Old footage – PH appeals directly to press cameras at a police station, in 1990.): “I want to appeal to the ladies and gentlemen of this country, to find this man. There must be somebody sitting with him today. There’s a possibility that this man could do it again.”


I knew I was going to be assassinated by the media and by people because of the fact that they hadn’t found anybody else and I’m the closest one. Statistics say that in most murders it is somebody close to the individual that was murdered.

Daughter Debbie: Dad returned to the office at 2 o’clock where he spent the time at his desk until he received a telephone call from Cleveland Bridge. Cleveland Bridge was a customer of Stiller Transport who are based less than a mile away from Aeolian House.

I jumped in my car and drove to Cleveland Bridge.

Daughter Debbie: he arrived at Cleveland Bridge at about quarter to 4. Dad finished his meeting, left Cleveland Bridge returned to his car and went back to the office. It was 5 o’clock, it was a lovely sunny night, he had to be home.

(News breaks about a week after Ann's murder that PH was having an affair with a local barmaid at the time of the murder, which he neglected to tell police, or his family.)

It had nothing to do with Debbie. It had nothing to do with her, it had nothing to do with anybody else for that matter, you know, it was me and the lady. It wasn’t serious, it wasn’t going to become serious, it was something that happened which I didn’t expect to happen. Our contact together was over the bar, and that was it, you know. This is something that we drifted into.

Barmaid: we arranged to meet in the London area and we met, we had lunch, but I don’t think we ate anything, I was too nervous, and then we went to the bedroom and … and we left. He went back to his work and I went back to my auntie’s where I was staying at the time.

It wasn’t a perennial thing, it wasn’t even an annual thing, it was something that happened twice.

Barmaid: it happened in the London area and the second time it happened in York.

Was I embarrassed about Debbie and the girls finding out? Of course the answer to that is yes, obviously, you know. Somebody said to me the guilty part isn’t doing it, the guilty part is getting found out.

They must have dug and dug and dug about my history overall including any possible other relationships I might have had, absolutely nothing, it was confined to us two.

At this stage I have to say that my name is Peter. There’s no way is it related to Saint Peter. I had a history, I was a chatterbox, I had no problem talking to the opposite sex, I didn’t chat them up or anything like that but if I did, I always did it in front of the partner, and I can give you a classic example I think, and that was, that involved a steward and stewardess at the golf club, right, and every time we went to the bar I always said this, in front of everybody, including her husband ‘are we having sex tonight or are we not?’ and she said ‘we are not’ and I said ‘well, I thought we were friends’ and she said ‘I don’t do it with friends’. And I said that at least once a month, always in front of people. First and foremost, I respected women. First and foremost. I was the old-fashioned type of guy, I opened the car door, I carried the umbrella, I walked on the outside of the path to stop them from getting splattered, yeah, I loved them. Loved them yeah. The ones I knew, obviously.

Text on screen: 4 weeks after the murder, forensic work is completed and the keys to Aeolian House are returned to Peter Heron.

I know what they’re going to say…’how can he go back there when his wife’s been murdered?’

Daughter Debbie: we didn’t want Dad to go back in the house at all. Myself and my sisters would have much preferred that he sold up but he was adamant.

It was my home, and the house didn’t kill Ann.

(PH remarries, about 2 years after Ann’s murder.)

I was still mourning Ann, but you know I had responsibility of the girls (his daughters) and I had the responsibility of myself.

(PH is arrested on suspicion of Ann's murder, and charged, in 2005 – 15 years after the murder.)

At about 8 o’clock time, knock on the door, and standing in front of me there were 6 police officers, and the detective immediately said to me ‘I’m arresting you on suspicion of the murder of your wife Ann Heron’ and I said to the Inspector, I said to him, ‘And why am I not surprised?’ you know. And he said ‘will you get yourself ready please and we’ll take you down to Spennymoor, and then we’ll progress from there.’ I said ‘uh um, well I’ll just tell you I am diabetic and I am supposed to have my tablets on a morning, afternoon and night, and also I’ve got to have breakfast.’ So he had a grunt and a groan and he said ‘when you’re ready’ I said ‘no, I want to get tidied up, I want to get a shower’, so I got myself tidied up. ‘Are you ready now?’ and I said ‘I’m ready’ but I said ‘don’t you think you should maybe finish up your job properly?’ you know. He said ‘what do you mean?’, I said ‘do you not want to have a look at my computer, you’ll maybe find things out there which might not do me any good’, you know, and his mate said ‘we better take that’, you know. By this time I think I was in my element, a little bit like, do you know what I mean, I wasn’t upset, I wasn’t bouncing up and down saying ‘I didn’t do it’ and all that carry on. And I think possibly that went against me.



Text on screen: Durham Constabulary maintain that Peter Heron had the opportunity to commit this offence.

Daughter Debbie: when Ann was killed it wasn’t made public but it was made public to the family, that a microscopic piece of DNA was found on Ann’s body.

Text on screen: The DNA that was discovered came from a tiny deposit of semen found in Ann’s throat. 15 years later new scientific techniques identify it as belonging to Peter Heron. This evidence would form part of the case against him.



It was so tiny, my DNA, and again let’s just repeat, it was my DNA, it was my semen, which was found on Ann, in our house, on our furniture, right, not in some sleazy bar or anything like that.



Journalist: Peter Heron’s DNA was found on and in the proximity of his wife, in their home.



They just latched onto that because there was nothing else, which is ludicrous, as far as evidence was concerned.

I was on bail. Two reporters knocked on Debbie’s door to ask me if I would like to comment on the fact that the case had been discontinued. I say it’s so bizarre, it’s probably unbelievable, to be honest with you.

(old footage – after charges against PH discontinued in 2006 (PH aged 70) : “well obviously I’m very pleased. I had no doubt that this day would arrive.” “I didn’t do it, no question about that, somebody outside DID do it and I hope that the police make sure that they go further into this situation because I’m sure that if they dig a little bit further they’ll probably find the person that did this.”

In 2005, when I was arrested, then that was a complete disaster.


Text on screen (in connection with Michael Benson as a possible suspect) : ‘Durham Constabulary said in a statement “There is no evidence to place Michael Benson in the area around the time of this offence… we are all but certain that Michael Benson was living abroad at the time of the murder. Michael Benson is not and never has been a suspect in this case”.’

(PH re-visiting Aeolian House where Ann was murdered.) :

We’re on the A67 from … to Darlington, and coming up on the righthand side is Aeolian House, and on reflection it’s about 20 years since I was here last. I’m full of emotions, obviously, err, pleasant ones and of course the horror that happened here, that will never ever leave me. It has consumed my life, I mean people have said ‘why does Peter still torment himself with bringing, dragging it up all the time?’, like you know, but the reality of it all is I found her, I’m the one that er walked in on that horror and no matter what I do or where I’ve been or what I might do, it’ll never depart from me, you know. (walks over to fence perimeter of house) You can imagine me driving up there on the 3rd of August, pulled the car round the side, expecting Ann to be ready to go out, you know, and then I find Ann, you know. It’s the horror that happened here, but you can’t get past that horror, you know. To be honest I don’t have a problem looking at the house, you know, because the house didn’t kill Ann. Ann was murdered by a maniac.

Text on screen: Even though charges have been discontinued against Peter Heron he has not been formally acquitted.

Daughter Debbie: Durham Constabulary declared that the investigation is open but not active […] Honestly I think they’re waiting for Dad to die and I think when that happens I think they’ll turn around and say ‘we’re not looking for anyone else.’ That is something that we won’t accept.

Text on screen: over 30 years have passed since Ann Heron’s murder. The tragic events of August 1990 continue to divide friends and family.

I’ve been wanting this resolved since 1990. It’s absolutely imperative that it’s solved before I pass away.

Text on screen: Durham Constabulary said in a statement “It is regrettable that Durham Constabulary has failed to bring the killer of Ann Heron to justice almost 32 years after her death… This remains an open and active investigation. The Force still hopes to identify and convict the person responsible for Ann’s murder… Durham Constabulary carried out extensive enquiries into the potential involvement of many individuals… A number of these individuals remain of interest to the investigation… Peter Heron was designated as a suspect for the murder of Ann Heron in 2005, this status has not changed.” Following a series of allegations by Peter Heron and his family, Durham Constabulary referred themselves to the Independent Office of Police Conduct in April 2022.

Interviewer: Peter can I ask you, did you kill Ann Heron?

PH: (after a pause) No.

Thanks for doing that Tortoise. I'd completely overlooked PH's sperm being found inside AH's throat. Presumably, there's a limited amount of time for sperm to remain in the throat after oral sex as it would ultimately pass through the digestive system. AH was also found with her bikini bottoms removed which strongly suggests a sexual element to her final moments. Plus the Police maintain that PH had a window of opportunity. I was absolutely convinced that PH was entirely innocent but I'm having doubts about that now.

 

[Tortoise]

Thanks for doing that Tortoise. I'd completely overlooked PH's sperm being found inside AH's throat. Presumably, there's a limited amount of time for sperm to remain in the throat after oral sex as it would ultimately pass through the digestive system. AH was also found with her bikini bottoms removed which strongly suggests a sexual element to her final moments. Plus the Police maintain that PH had a window of opportunity. I was absolutely convinced that PH was entirely innocent but I'm having doubts about that now.

Thanks CSIAngus.

If the DNA was not only in her throat but also on the furniture in the proximity of her body, I have to wonder what are the chances of it being there from a different time, so close to where she was murdered. Hmm.

 

[Bethan]

Tortoise, thank you SO much for the transcript. Really helpful as I’m not able to watch the documentary.

It contains information, of which I was previously unaware.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Thank you very much @Tortoise, awesome!

The front door being left open does not seem like something a "creature of habit" would do, especially at ones own house- the dog could run away, things get stolen, wild animals walking in and so on.

''Daughter Debbie: Ann returned home just before one, my dad coming home for lunch, cos Dad is a creature of habit.''

I guess if he did do it - not saying he did - but one argument could be that he left the door open upon leaving to make it look like AH had answered the door to a stranger or it had been left ajar and a stranger entered. If the door had been locked closed, the question would be how did that person gain entry and what trace did they leave.

 

[Tortoise]

Tortoise, thank you SO much for the transcript. Really helpful as I’m not able to watch the documentary.

It contains information, of which I was previously unaware.

Thank you Bethan.

As you're not able to watch the documentary I should point out that this is only about half of the material covered, so it's not a complete representation. My intention here was just to record PH's own words, for anyone interested in analysis. The rest of the documentary covered material such as the cars seen by witnesses, and interviews with family members and friends.

 

[WiseOwl]

Thanks @Tortoise for the transcription, an excellent piece of work.

Having watched the documentary a couple of times now, i'm intrigued about where the information came from about the dog not barking. As the house was in isolation and in the middle of nowhere, presumably the only people who would have known if the dog barked or not would have been Ann or her killer. So where did the police get this information from?

The documentary also failed to mention PH's strange route home after the meeting at Cleveland Bridge that afternoon. He said originally that he travelled home sometime between 4.00 & 4.30, but instead of travelling home on the A67 which would take him past Aeolion House straight to his office at Middleton St George, he said that he went on a circuitous route through the village of Croft-on-Tees, which is extremely odd.

It's a shame he wasn't asked why he took this route in the documentary.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

Thanks @Tortoise for the transcription, an excellent piece of work.

Having watched the documentary a couple of times now, i'm intrigued about where the information came from about the dog not barking. As the house was in isolation and in the middle of nowhere, presumably the only people who would have known if the dog barked or not would have been Ann or her killer. So where did the police get this information from?

The documentary also failed to mention PH's strange route home after the meeting at Cleveland Bridge that afternoon. He said originally that he travelled home sometime between 4.00 & 4.30, but instead of travelling home on the A67 which would take him past Aeolion House straight to his office at Middleton St George, he said that he went on a circuitous route through the village of Croft-on-Tees, which is extremely odd.

It's a shame he wasn't asked why he took this route in the documentary.

The only way one could say 'the dog didn't bark' is if there was a witness within earshot who has testified they didn't hear any barking. That would then surely include them not hearing any human yells or shouts too? Unless someone testified they heard yelling and arguing but no dog barking?

Is the implication that the perpetrator was so stealthy that no human ear would detect but the dog should have barked if it was a stranger? ie still suggests there was someone in earshot to say one way or another and they must be extremely reliable? and all this leaning heavily towards seeking to suggest PH or a known (to the dog) friendly visitor.

 

[WiseOwl]

The only way one could say 'the dog didn't bark' is if there was a witness within earshot who has testified they didn't hear any barking. That would then surely include them not hearing any human yells or shouts too? Unless someone testified they heard yelling and arguing but no dog barking?

Is the implication that the perpetrator was so stealthy that no human ear would detect but the dog should have barked if it was a stranger? ie still suggests there was someone in earshot to say one way or another and they must be extremely reliable? and all this leaning heavily towards seeking to suggest PH or a known (to the dog) friendly visitor.

Yes I thought that too, that the implication was that the dog was familiar with the killer hence no barking.

I thought it odd too that they should mention the dog not barking rather than not hearing any shouts or screams from Ann.

Someone must have been in earshot that afternoon but who?

 

[Tortoise]

Yes I thought that too, that the implication was that the dog was familiar with the killer hence no barking.

I thought it odd too that they should mention the dog not barking rather than not hearing any shouts or screams from Ann.

Someone must have been in earshot that afternoon but who?

I know there was mention of someone doing some work in a nearby field, because they said that Ann moved from the garden to the front of the house to avoid something like grass being blown around. It's rather odd because that would imply very close by, on the hottest day of the year with presumably no wind to carry it.

It has the feeling of staging to me. Attacked inside the house so no screams audible or attack visible. Ann didn't struggle with him in the hallway, could have rushed in and shut the door on him as he was driving up to the house, phoned the police. I wonder even if the dog was locked out and the door not open at all.

When Robert Durst murdered Susan Berman and left her door open, her beloved dog was all over her, there were bloody paw prints all around her body.

 

[WiseOwl]

I know there was mention of someone doing some work in a nearby field, because they said that Ann moved from the garden to the front of the house to avoid something like grass being blown around. It's rather odd because that would imply very close by, on the hottest day of the year with presumably no wind to carry it.

It has the feeling of staging to me. Attacked inside the house so no screams audible or attack visible. Ann didn't struggle with him in the hallway, could have rushed in and shut the door on him as he was driving up to the house, phoned the police. I wonder even if the dog was locked out and the door not open at all.

When Robert Durst murdered Susan Berman and left her door open, her beloved dog was all over her, there were bloody paw prints all around her body.

Just a thought - how did anyone know that Ann had moved to the front garden because of grass being blown around from a nearby field while she was in the back garden?

Again, where did this information come from? The person who was working in the field?

 

[CSIAngus]

I guess if he did do it - not saying he did - but one argument could be that he left the door open upon leaving to make it look like AH had answered the door to a stranger or it had been left ajar and a stranger entered. If the door had been locked closed, the question would be how did that person gain entry and what trace did they leave.

As PH was first on scene, is it just his word that the door was left open?