UK UK - Jill Dando, 37, Fulham, London, 26 Apr 1999

[ChocolateChip]

Some random thoughts..
Devout Baptist, wonder if LE ever checked out a church connection?
JD was to get fitted for her wedding clothing, maybe someone did not want JD to marry the very well placed doctor, or vice-versa?
Did JD anger anyone/competition, when she dated a BBC executive?
If the killer used his left hand to shoot JD, should it be assumed he was left-handed?
speculation, imo.rbbm.
Jill Dando - Wikipedia
"Dando was a devout Baptist.[1] From 1989 to 1996, she dated BBC executive Bob Wheaton.[1][3] She also had a relationship with national park warden Simon Basil.[1] In December 1997, Dando met gynaecologist Alan Farthing on a blind date set up by a mutual friend. Farthing was separated from his wife at the time.[11] A couple of months after Farthing's divorce was finalised,[12] the couple announced that they were engaged on 31 January 1999.[11][12] Their wedding was set to take place on 25 September of that year.[12]

Murder
On the morning of 26 April 1999, 37-year-old Dando left Farthing's home in Chiswick. She returned alone, by car, to the house she owned in Fulham. She had lived in the house, but by April 1999 was in the process of selling it and did not visit it frequently. As Dando reached her front door at about 11:32, she was shot once in the head.[13] Her body was discovered about 14 minutes later by neighbour Helen Doble.[14] Police were called at 11:47.[7] Dando was taken to the nearby Charing Cross Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival at 13:03 BST.

"As Dando was about to put her keys in the lock to open the front door of her home in Fulham, she was grabbed from behind. With his right arm, the assailant held her and forced her to the ground, so that her face was almost touching the tiled step of the porch. Then, with his left hand, he fired a single shot at her left temple, killing her instantly. The bullet entered her head just above her ear, parallel to the ground, and came out the right side of her head."

— Bob Woffinden, The Guardian, July 2002[15]
Forensic study indicated that Dando had been shot by a bullet from a 9 mm calibre semi-automatic pistol, with the gun pressed against her head at the moment of the shot. Richard Hughes, her next door neighbour, heard a surprised cry from Dando "like someone greeting a friend" but heard no gunshot. Hughes looked out of his front window and, while not realising what had happened, made the only certain sighting of the killer—a six-foot-tall (183 cm) white man aged around 40, walking away from Dando's house.[7]"

Interesting. Agree with left handed. Last paragraph above makes me think, did she know this person? Had this person visited before? Is this why he was confident in his approach and getaway?

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

There's a moment, about 30 minutes into the third episode of the new Netflix series, where BG asks a female interviewer if she will allow him to recreate his supposed attack on Jill Dando using the interviewer as his "guinea pig." When the interviewer says yes, the look on BG's face is, IMO, quite disturbing. He briefly smiles, looking like the cat who caught the canary, before quickly changing to a more serious and blank expression. His excitement is only fleeting, but it's there if you watch closely. IMO he's being given the chance to relive the experience and he can't completely hide the thrill.

I've never been 100% convinced about BG's guilt, but having now watched the Netflix series I'm pretty sure he has gotten away with murder.

 

[ChocolateChip]

[…]

Police, who have launched a murder inquiry, later cordoned off the footpath next to the River Thames from Putney Bridge.

There were unconfirmed reports that a man jumped off the bridge, or was stopped as he tried to jump.

Detectives want to speak to a man seen running from the murder scene.

He was described as white, tall, in his late 30s or early 40s, with dark hair, clean-shaven and wearing a green Barbour jacket.

[…]

Richard Hughes, 32, who lives next door to Miss Dando, said: "I heard her scream, it was a distinctive scream, she sounded quite surprised.

"I opened the shutters and saw a man, he was well dressed, he was wearing a Barbour-style jacket and at first I thought it must have been a friend of Jill's as he looked very respectable.

"I went to the door and saw her lying on the doorstep, she was unconscious and covered in blood. I was obviously shocked. I took a look at her and she wasn't breathing."

View attachment 450571
Richard Hughes: She was covered in blood.
BBC

[…]

BBC News | UK | BBC presenter shot dead

IMO

A suicide after the shooting would fit in with why the killer took such a huge risk of getting caught. Perhaps he didn’t want the wedding to go ahead. If I can’t have her, nobody can! Kill her then kill myself. A planned suicide after the event would explain why so many risks were taken. Daytime, broad daylight, built up area, front door, in public, terraced street. What are the chances of getting away with it? Very little. Shot her, panicked his fantasy had become reality. Left the scene. Tried to commit suicide. Was he successful? Did he die too?

 

[Scorpiette]

In connection with Pat Brown did I read in connection with the McCann case that she had been discredited as a self-declared profiler, or am I thinking of someone else?

I hadn't heard of that, not sure of her background.

 

[JennieM]

IMO

A suicide after the shooting would fit in with why the killer took such a huge risk of getting caught. Perhaps he didn’t want the wedding to go ahead. If I can’t have her, nobody can! Kill her then kill myself. A planned suicide after the event would explain why so many risks were taken. Daytime, broad daylight, built up area, front door, in public, terraced street. What are the chances of getting away with it? Very little. Shot her, panicked his fantasy had become reality. Left the scene. Tried to commit suicide. Was he successful? Did he die too?

Not quite sure about the suicide theory, but agree that someone can be totally stupid and reckless, take huge risks, and somehow get away with it. Hopefully not forever though.

 

[Salah11]

So here is a question why did the paramedics destroy the crime scene?


In other cases it seems like they always try and preserve the crime scene but here it seems like that went completely out of the window. Any reason why?


I just read this but don’t know if it’s the same for the UK?!

When the medical responder is first on scene, then he or she must, to the extent possible, assume the responsibility for maintaining scene integrity until this responsibility is transferred to responding law enforcement personnel.

 

[JennieM]

So here is a question why did the paramedics destroy the crime scene?


In other cases it seems like they always try and preserve the crime scene but here it seems like that went completely out of the window. Any reason why?


I just read this but don’t know if it’s the same for the UK?!

It was a very narrow pathway. I think they did what they could and desperately tried to save her. They didn’t intend to destroy the crime scene. They intended to save her.

 

[RichardKimble]

So here is a question why did the paramedics destroy the crime scene?


In other cases it seems like they always try and preserve the crime scene but here it seems like that went completely out of the window. Any reason why?


I just read this but don’t know if it’s the same for the UK?!

The job of the paramedics is to first determine if the person is dead or injured, is it known if JD was showing signs of life when they first arrived, weak pulse etc.

 

[Salah11]

The job of the paramedics is to first determine if the person is dead or injured, is it known if JD was showing signs of life when they first arrived, weak pulse etc.

I don’t believe she was as the neighbor who found her was asked to check her pulse and she said there wasn’t one. There was about 10 mins between her being shot and the neighbor finding her on the doorstep and then however long it took for the ambulance services to arrive.

 

[Salah11]

It was a very narrow pathway. I think they did what they could and desperately tried to save her. They didn’t intend to destroy the crime scene. They intended to save her.

Just to be clear I am not blaming them. Just a simple question of what went wrong that day because you don’t often hear of the paramedics ruining a active crime scene.

So it stood out to me.

 

[dotr]

Just to be clear I am not blaming them. Just a simple question of what went wrong that day because you don’t often hear of the paramedics ruining a active crime scene.

So it stood out to me

Very lengthy and informative. fwiw

CSI: Paramedic? Paramedic Roles in Preserving Crime Scenes and Evidence – Paramedic Basics

Making paramedic care easier

paramedicbasics.com.au

• 13/11/2022
• ''Firstly – always consider ‘could this be a crime scene’? If the answer is ‘yes’, you want to be thoughtful about everything you do
• Our primary concern is always patient care, do not delay care in order to preserve evidence. However we can often be mindful in the way we provide care so as to not destroy evidence
• Restrict access to the scene until police arrive. This may involve asking fire fighters/other paramedics to remain outside, closing doors to maintain the scene or asking someone to keep watch ''
• 
  
• ''Remember that everything is potentially evidence – even seemingly innocuous things like rubbish. If it’s not in your way, do no touch it. Leave it for the experts
• Patient clothing is often a valuable piece of evidence which is inadvertently destroyed by paramedics. Some tips to preserve clothing include;
  • Avoid cutting where possible
  • When something has to be cut – avoid cutting through blood stains and knife/bullet holes to the clothing
  • As soon as clothing is removed, place it in a bag for storage. Sealed paper bags are preferable, but often paramedics will only have access to plastic “patient belonging” bags
  • Document how the clothing was removed (ie. cut with shears along seams of shirt)
• Clear labelling and documentation of evidence is important. For anything that is bagged up
  • Label the outside with a note or sharpie detailing the contents
  • Make a note in your PCR or diary about what you bagged
  • It’s important to maintain chain of custody for evidence. In most cases the evidence will be transported with the patient and can be handed over to police at hospital. Another option is to leave the evidence with someone at scene (usually an infield manager)
  • If you hand the evidence over to someone else, note who it was and what time it occurred
• The patient themselves is also a source of evidence
  • Where possible we should avoid decontaminating them, particularly areas such as hands
  • If it’s necessary to provide treatment (such as gaining IV access), clean the area with sterile water and preserve the gauze used to clean them. This may retain important substances such as gunpowder or chemicals
  • Avoid unnecessary cleaning of blood from the patient until police have photographed it, as blood spatter can be important evidence
  • If foreign bodies are removed from the patient (such as shrapnel) these should be retained as evidence
  • Consider retaining the sheet off the stretcher, especially if you removed patient’s clothing on it. Evidence may fall on to the sheet during that process. ''

 

[RichardKimble]

I don’t believe she was as the neighbor who found her was asked to check her pulse and she said there wasn’t one. There was about 10 mins between her being shot and the neighbor finding her on the doorstep and then however long it took for the ambulance services to arrive.

To be fair a member of the public isn't asked to determine death.

 

[Sonny Crockett]

Recently watched the 3-part Neflix documentary series "Who Killed Jill Dando?" As always with Netflix True Crime docs., this was a well-researched & extremely well-done series that commingled old & new footage/old & new interviews/etc. Living in the U.S., I honestly don't remember hearing about this case before, which isn't surprising - given that back in '99 I didn't have a TV & barely had an Internet connection. So, it was interesting to see the context re: JD's being a huge & extremely well-known TV personality in the UK that everyone in the country knew, etc.

I agree 100% that they didn't have enough evidence to charge/convict anyone for this crime - or, at least not anyone that was mentioned in the series.

IMHO the perp. was possibly:

1) Someone that was negatively affected by her work on the "Crimewatch" program - either directly or indirectly....or, someone that was hired by one of these people.
2) An obsessed stalker, though not necessarily someone that was on JD's radar.

Also:

-IMHO I think the Serbian War connection is a red herring - maybe.
-Also IMHO - on the surface, this seemed to have the appearance of a 'professional hit', but may not have been.

 

[kemo]

After watching the Netflix Documentary, it occurs to me that it was either a very well orchestrated professional “hit” or it was the impulsive act of a random “nut case” who just got really lucky.

If you have the money and wherewithal to hire pros who can pull this off and get away with it, you have a real compelling motive. Jill was a Presenter. The roll of the presenter is well know in the UK. She was not “behind” the air war in Serbia or the prosecution of anyone on Crimewatch. People commit murders for plenty of deranged motives but they rarely pull it off with sophisticated professional killers. If it was a professional job, there was a clear motive involving someone clearly benefiting from Jill’s death and that person having very good criminal connections.

Anyone who imagines some reason for wanting to kill a celebrity, perhaps just a voice in his head telling him to do it, could probably put themselves in a situation to do it but there would be little chance of actually getting away with it. Finding out where they live and getting a gun would be all it would take. There are plenty of ways such a plan could fail or the killer would be caught, but even the most reckless, disorganized enterprises can succeed due to sheer luck. That could have been what happened to Jill.

Barry George could very well of “fit the profile” of the sort of nutcase who would have murdered a celebrity he became infatuated with. He could have done it but the evidence is shaky. How easy would it have been for someone like him to get hold of a handgun in the UK?

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

It was a very narrow pathway. I think they did what they could and desperately tried to save her. They didn’t intend to destroy the crime scene. They intended to save her.

Precisely. It was such a small space, with Jill right by the door at the end of the path, that paramedics simply couldn't get to her or work to save her without trampling all over potential evidence. IMO they couldn't avoid it. By the time they'd finished, the whole scene was covered with so much blood and so many footprints that investigators found very little of value.

If there had been footprints left by the killer, they were gone. If there had been any signs of a struggle, they were gone. If there were fingerprints on the floor tiles, they were gone. Etc. and so on.

IMO the only way it could have been avoided is if the paramedics never tried to save Jill at all. But that would only happen if they were certain she was dead--and they couldn't even be sure of *that* without walking up to her and moving her, which itself would have compromised the scene.

Everyone except the killer had no luck that day. Whether the killer was a professional or a random nutcase, *nobody* could have fully planned for everything to go so perfectly in their favour.

 

[WestLondoner]

How easy would it have been for someone like him to get hold of a handgun in the UK?

He served time for rape, so he could have learned in prison how to reactivate a starting pistol.

 

[dotr]

Oct 3 2023 rbbm

8 Most Shocking Reveals From Netflix's Who Killed Jill Dando Documentary

Shocking facts are found in Netflix's documentary.

screenrant.com

''Due to the fact that Dando was a well-known celebrity, the inquiry into her death was marred by a number of false leads and dead ends. Her fame meant that numerous people came forward with incorrect theories who were simply looking for attention. The most important of these was an E-fit that was drawn up of a suspect who ultimately did not have any bearing on the investigation at all. This caused the detectives to waste significant time and resources, and the suspect ended up being caught in other murder investigations despite the fact that they had wasted their time.''

2015

Key Jill Dando murder evidence from the crime scene revealed for the first time

A team of 47 detectives pored over these clues to the killing – but failed to work out why the Crimewatch star was gunned down on her doorstep

www.irishmirror.ie

 

[WestLondoner]

Did anyone else notice that BG was clearly lying in his interview when he said the picture of him posing in a mask and gun was not him? The mask's eyeholes were large enough to see his eyebrows and he has one that is noticeably more arched that the other. That was definitely him in that photo IMO, and he could easily have allayed any suspicions it might have led the police to form by producing the gun he was holding. For some reason that gun was never found; I wonder why.

 

[CSIAngus]

As Dando was about to put her keys in the lock to open the front door of her home in Fulham, she was grabbed from behind. With his right arm, the assailant held her and forced her to the ground, so that her face was almost touching the tiled step of the porch. Then, with his left hand, he fired a single shot at her left temple, killing her instantly. The bullet entered her head just above her ear, parallel to the ground, and came out the right side of her head.

— Bob Woffinden, The Guardian (July 2002) Jill Dando - Wikipedia

JMO but this has always struck me as a professional killing. Quick, no struggle, single modified bullet to the head. Nothing about the act makes me think BG was capable of this level of organisation. Who knew she was intending to visit her property that day? Could her phone have been hacked?

 

[WestLondoner]

At the age of 39 BG had worked for a lifelong total of five months, so it's not as if his time was valuable or he had to be anywhere. He actually seems to have spent quite a lot of his time following women in the street and photographing them, per Netflix. He didn't get the films developed but this was presumably because it cost money and he was on benefits.

I can't see why he couldn't have been doing that and just got lucky. He could have been cosplaying on his own in people's gardens, pretending he was a spy or a hitman, and JD then turned up.

To someone who's disturbed, any interest in JD (and her house, and her front garden) could have stemmed from nothing more than her being the local celebrity, and pretty. If such a person had lived in Little Venice, he'd have shot Lulu.