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

[dotr]

04 May 2022 fwiw..

Academic’s reporting of unsolved murder features in TV documentary - University of Sunderland

TV programme featured evidence interviews and accounts about one of the UKs most mysterious unsolved crimes

www.sunderland.ac.uk

''One of those interviews included Liz, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, at the University of Sunderland, who covered the case while working as a court reporter at the Northern Echo.

“Aged 14, I was interviewed by police as a potential witness in the Ann Heron murder case. On the day of the murder, I saw a blue car, driven by a man, leaving the murder victim’s house at speed,”, explains Liz, who has worked as a journalist for regional publications including The Chronicle, Journal, and the Sunday Sun.

“Fast forward a few years, and I ended up covering her widower Peter Heron’s court hearing at Teesside Crown Court when he was charged with Ann’s murder. The case was dropped a few months later.

“The documentary team were interested in my links with the case, both as a witness and a journalist, and I spent a day filming with them in January, which was a great experience.''

Trevaline and Ann: Was it Halliwell? (Pt 2) | North Yorks Enquirer

nyenquirer.uk

Halliwell: The River Tees Murders | North Yorks Enquirer

nyenquirer.uk

 

[WiseOwl]

When reading JJ's earlier posts, I got the impression PH, JJ and the documentary producers were working together, closer than just a witness appearing on a documentary.

However, I could be completely wrong.

I think what's likely to have happened is that the C5 documentary makers had read the story of JJ's in the media announcing a new suspect in the case (i think this was in 2020?), rather than PH instigating it. They then would of approached her to agree to an interview, and quite possibly she suggested interviewing PH as well.

I understand what you are saying about the closeness of it's participants though, it did become the 'PH show' at one point - he seemed to revel in the moment didn't he?

 

[Westchester76]

04 May 2022 fwiw..

Academic’s reporting of unsolved murder features in TV documentary - University of Sunderland

TV programme featured evidence interviews and accounts about one of the UKs most mysterious unsolved crimes

www.sunderland.ac.uk

''One of those interviews included Liz, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, at the University of Sunderland, who covered the case while working as a court reporter at the Northern Echo.

“Aged 14, I was interviewed by police as a potential witness in the Ann Heron murder case. On the day of the murder, I saw a blue car, driven by a man, leaving the murder victim’s house at speed,”, explains Liz, who has worked as a journalist for regional publications including The Chronicle, Journal, and the Sunday Sun.

“Fast forward a few years, and I ended up covering her widower Peter Heron’s court hearing at Teesside Crown Court when he was charged with Ann’s murder. The case was dropped a few months later.

“The documentary team were interested in my links with the case, both as a witness and a journalist, and I spent a day filming with them in January, which was a great experience.''

Trevaline and Ann: Was it Halliwell? (Pt 2) | North Yorks Enquirer

nyenquirer.uk

Halliwell: The River Tees Murders | North Yorks Enquirer

nyenquirer.uk

I think what's likely to have happened is that the C5 documentary makers had read the story of JJ's in the media announcing a new suspect in the case (i think this was in 2020?), rather than PH instigating it. They then would of approached her to agree to an interview, and quite possibly she suggested interviewing PH as well.

I understand what you are saying about the closeness of it's participants though, it did become the 'PH show' at one point - he seemed to revel in the moment didn't he?

If PH is guilty, I struggle to see why he presented himself so badly in the documentary, with little compassion for his dead wife. He seems more concerned with finding the killer to stop the suspicions around him. I'm edging towards him being a philandering, arrogant a*shole, but not a killer

 

[CSIAngus]

I really do think we cannot ignore the evidence of PH's semen in AH's throat. The odds of it remaining there since sexual activity at lunch time (is that still where their relationship was?) or the alternative that she breathed it in from old semen stains on the carpet where, remarkably, her face just happened to be in her last gasps, seem way too long for me. MOO, but it seems more plausible for the semen to have entered AH closer to death. I may sound like a broken record, but this piece of evidence, among others, has never been adequately explained by PH or his advocates.

 

[CSIAngus]

I really do think we cannot ignore the evidence of PH's semen in AH's throat. The odds of it remaining there since sexual activity at lunch time (is that still where their relationship was?) or the alternative that she breathed it in from old semen stains on the carpet where, remarkably, her face just happened to be in her last gasps, seem way too long for me. MOO, but it seems more plausible for the semen to have entered AH closer to death. I may sound like a broken record, but this piece of evidence, among others, has never been adequately explained by PH or his advocates.

Durham Constabulary have only ever arrested PH. There is no other suspect.

 

[tes1984]

Durham Constabulary have only ever arrested PH. There is no other suspect.

IIRC they had several other suspects, who were arrested in the early 90s.

 

[ctaylor]

IIRC they had several other suspects, who were arrested in the early 90s.

Had a look on newspaper archive and found an article from The Northern Echo dated 20 April 1991 about three men who were arrested but all quickly released. Judging from the details this man who was arrested gives here, I think he was likely only brought in and questioned purely because he had owned a blue Fiat car and released the next day.

 

[sl77]

I really do think we cannot ignore the evidence of PH's semen in AH's throat. The odds of it remaining there since sexual activity at lunch time (is that still where their relationship was?)

Drink some orange juice

Then drink water

Do you think a forensic scientist would NOT be able to detect any orange in your throat? Not a single molecule?

And you're assuming she did drink afterwards. However, just because it was hot doesn't mean she did.

 

[CSIAngus]

Had a look on newspaper archive and found an article from The Northern Echo dated 20 April 1991 about three men who were arrested but all quickly released. Judging from the details this man who was arrested gives here, I think he was likely only brought in and questioned purely because he had owned a blue Fiat car and released the next day.

Arrested and quickly released is not the treatment PH received.

 

[CSIAngus]

Spe

Drink some orange juice

Then drink water

Do you think a forensic scientist would NOT be able to detect any orange in your throat? Not a single molecule?

And you're assuming she did drink afterwards. However, just because it was hot doesn't mean she did.

Sperm is more than a molecule. The esophagus is designed to move everything into the gut. We are designed to swallow saliva on average once per minute. Would PH's sperm still be there 4 hours later? That sounds like it could be proven either way by a forensic experiment. I doubt that sperms would still be in her throat that long after oral sex. If not miraculously breathed off the carpet in her last gasp, then it could only be there, remarkably, after sexual activity at lunchtime, unless of course it made itself there close to death. I doubt the former, and suggest the latter is more likely, IMO.

 

[CSIAngus]

Sperm is more than a molecule. The esophagus is designed to move everything into the gut. We are designed to swallow saliva on average once per minute. Would PH's sperm still be there 4 hours later? That sounds like it could be proven either way by a forensic experiment. I doubt that sperms would still be in her throat that long after oral sex. If not miraculously breathed off the carpet in her last gasp, then it could only be there, remarkably, after sexual activity at lunchtime, unless of course it made itself there close to death. I doubt the former, and suggest the latter is more likely, IMO.

I also doubt, MOO, given other evidence of PH's affair and AH wanting to return to Scotland, that oral sex was on the regular lunchtime menu.

 

[CSIAngus]

What is the source?

IIRC they had several other suspects, who were arrested in the early 90s.

 

[CSIAngus]

Had a look on newspaper archive and found an article from The Northern Echo dated 20 April 1991 about three men who were arrested but all quickly released. Judging from the details this man who was arrested gives here, I think he was likely only brought in and questioned purely because he had owned a blue Fiat car and released the next day.

No-one else was more than questioned. Only PH has been arrested and charged in this case.

 

[CSIAngus]

There are 3 obvious scenarios (possibly more, yes), but PH's sperm in AH's throat is actual forensic evidence:

1 - AH and PH had oral sex at lunchtime and his sperm stayed in her throat until death. Someone else killed her.
2 - AH was attacked by person unknown and breathed in historic sperm from the carpet where PH's sperm was uniquely there but not anywhere else. Someone else killed her.
3 - AH was sexually assaulted and then murdered by the person leaving sperm in her throat. That sperm belonged to PH. He is the murderer.

Happy for these ducks to be shot by members.

 

[Sor Juana]

It seems that this case still has more questions than answers. The whole Ann Heron situation just doesn’t sit right. Over 30 years on, and still no conviction, no weapon, and barely even a coherent timeline. At the center of it all, we’ve really only got a couple of serious suspects. There’s her husband PH, whose alibi was shaky and who was apparently having an affair on the day Ann died. And then there’s MB, the escaped prisoner who was later ruled out. But nothing has ever felt solid. Nada.

The more you look at the details, the more it feels like someone got away with murder because too many opportunities were missed. What ever happened with the blue car people kept seeing near the house that day? Surely someone knows more. And the house was demolished before the case even reached trial. That alone raises eyebrows.

Still, I reckon there’s ground to cover if anyone’s serious about pushing this forward. With modern forensics, even the tiniest sample could yield results now that weren’t possible in the '90s. If any physical evidence remains, surely it's worth a fresh look. The car sightings are another loose thread. Maybe some kind of number plate analysis or even facial recognition from old footage could help. It’s a long shot, but it’s not nothing.

And then there are the people. Someone out there knows something. Maybe they were scared to speak back then. But time has a way of shifting things. Maybe now, with a little distance, someone’s ready to hablar. MOO.

 

[WiseOwl]

It seems that this case still has more questions than answers. The whole Ann Heron situation just doesn’t sit right. Over 30 years on, and still no conviction, no weapon, and barely even a coherent timeline. At the center of it all, we’ve really only got a couple of serious suspects. There’s her husband PH, whose alibi was shaky and who was apparently having an affair on the day Ann died. And then there’s MB, the escaped prisoner who was later ruled out. But nothing has ever felt solid. Nada.

The more you look at the details, the more it feels like someone got away with murder because too many opportunities were missed. What ever happened with the blue car people kept seeing near the house that day? Surely someone knows more. And the house was demolished before the case even reached trial. That alone raises eyebrows.

Still, I reckon there’s ground to cover if anyone’s serious about pushing this forward. With modern forensics, even the tiniest sample could yield results now that weren’t possible in the '90s. If any physical evidence remains, surely it's worth a fresh look. The car sightings are another loose thread. Maybe some kind of number plate analysis or even facial recognition from old footage could help. It’s a long shot, but it’s not nothing.

And then there are the people. Someone out there knows something. Maybe they were scared to speak back then. But time has a way of shifting things. Maybe now, with a little distance, someone’s ready to hablar. MOO.

When was the house demolished? I thought it was used nowadays for dog boarding kennels??

 

[dotr]

2003 rbbm

'A woman was murdered in our living room'

Imagine living in a house where you know someone had been brutally killed only 13 years ago? Viv Hardwick meets the couple who bought the house…

www.thenorthernecho.co.uk

''The couple have built a block to kennel dogs and cats, offer training for problem pooches, recently launched a pet crematorium and certainly don't believe there's the curse of a knife-wielding killer on the premises.''

''Louise admits: "There is always going to be gossip because a good-looking woman in a bikini was murdered here and because the house took so long to sell. Nobody wanted to buy it.''

''The couple had to pay the full £220,000 asking price to Ann's husband Peter because they had to apply for the pet crematorium rights as part of the sale.
They admit that feelings with Peter Heron ran a little high on the day they exchanged contracts because he turned furniture delivery vans away and stayed put until the last second before the 3pm deadline.''

''The CCTV expert is aware that security will always remain an issue for his family and has installed six cameras on all approaches and confesses to owning a security dog "that even the RAF weren't interested in taking".
His actions could well have been inspired by an incident just over 12 months ago, when Louise and the children were alone, and a car thief fleeing police capture tried to get into the house.''

 

[sl77]

Spe

Sperm is more than a molecule. The esophagus is designed to move everything into the gut. We are designed to swallow saliva on average once per minute. Would PH's sperm still be there 4 hours later? That sounds like it could be proven either way by a forensic experiment. I doubt that sperms would still be in her throat that long after oral sex. If not miraculously breathed off the carpet in her last gasp, then it could only be there, remarkably, after sexual activity at lunchtime, unless of course it made itself there close to death. I doubt the former, and suggest the latter is more likely, IMO.

Most of your argument seems to be based off this point, which is not impossible.

I prefer to look at the overall picture:

It's very rare for someone's throat to be slit by someone who wasn't professionally trained or a complete psychopath. He's not a psychopath, he's a typical, old-fashioned, northern male.

It's very rare for someone to commit murder and 30 years later campaign for the murder to be solved.

It's very rare for someone to commit murder and demand the CPS finish the trial at court.

It's also very rare for someone to murder their wife on their way to-from a meeting, whilst still wearing the same clothes before/after, slit her throat and no blood found on his (same) clothes.

I'm particularly interested in your opinion on the last point?

 

[Tortoise]

Most of your argument seems to be based off this point, which is not impossible.

I prefer to look at the overall picture:

It's very rare for someone's throat to be slit by someone who wasn't professionally trained or a complete psychopath. He's not a psychopath, he's a typical, old-fashioned, northern male.

It's very rare for someone to commit murder and 30 years later campaign for the murder to be solved.

It's very rare for someone to commit murder and demand the CPS finish the trial at court.

It's also very rare for someone to murder their wife on their way to-from a meeting, whilst still wearing the same clothes before/after, slit her throat and no blood found on his (same) clothes.

I'm particularly interested in your opinion on the last point?

We don't know if he was wearing clothes when he hypothetically committed the murder.

Also, unless there is photographic evidence he was wearing the same clothes I'm not sure anyone can prove that he was.

IMO

 

[tes1984]

What is the source?

The northern Echo article from 20 April 1991. Plus various other newspapers in April 1991.

It seems like the police did forensics on at least one vehicle. I'm not sure if the other two arrests were vehicle related.