Michael Stone’s sister calls for independent police force to probe murders of Lin and Megan Russell

Michael Stone’s sister has called for an independent police force to probe the murders of Lin and Megan Russell following Levi Bellfield’s ‘astonishing’ confession.  

Barbara Stone is convinced Bellfield’s admission is ‘absolutely true’ and will finally prove her brother, now 61, is innocent. 

In a harrowing four-page statement, the serial killer formally confessed to the murders, providing chilling details of the attack. 

Lin, 45, her two daughters, nine-year-old Josie and Megan, six, as well as their dog Lucy, were tied up and savagely beaten with a hammer in the brutal attack. Only Josie survived, sustaining horrific injuries. 

Michael Stone is currently serving three life sentences for the murders of Mrs Russell and her daughter Megan, who were found bludgeoned to death in the picturesque village of Chillenden, Kent, 26 years ago.  

Ms Stone is now calling for an independent police force to take over any future investigation as she believes there is a ‘conflict of interest with Kent Police’. 

Ms Stone said her brother also shares her request to have another force handle the case. Pictured: Michael Stone

Lin Russell, 45, her two daughters, six-year-old Megan (above with her mother) and nine-year-old Josie, were tied up and savagely beaten with a hammer in the brutal attack in 1996

In a harrowing four-page statement, convicted serial killer Levi Bellfield (pictured) has formally confessed to the murders of Lin and Megan Russell, providing chilling details of the attack

She said: ‘I believe there is a conflict of interest with Kent Police. It has to be done the correct way through the correct legal process.’

Ms Stone said her brother also shares her request to have another force handle the case.

She added : ‘Bellfield has come out with a lot of facts that can be checked including information about the murder weapons.’

Ms Stone, who has campaigned tirelessly for his freedom, said: ‘I don’t believe he would have made this confession if his mother was still alive. This is not just Bellfield chin-wagging.

‘Nobody is going to come out with a statement like that over such a terrible crime.

‘I have believed Bellfield for a long time but never thought he would have the guts to formalise a statement that can be used as evidence.

‘It was a difficult decision on his part I’m sure as he may experience a lot of consequences particularly among his fellow prisoners.

‘He has described his movements that day in great detail how he committed the murder and even what he did with implements used.

Lawyers for Michael Stone (pictured), who is serving three life sentences for the murders of Mrs Russell and her six-year-old daughter Megan, claim he could be a victim of a miscarriage of justice 

‘My heart goes out to the Russell family who have endured endless pain as we seek to prove Mick is innocent.

‘I think it is in all our interests to have this matter investigated when there is a realistic possibility it could bring closure. Bellfield has done this the right way and voluntarily.’

His beloved mother Jean, who always insisted her son was innocent, died of a lung condition in 2017. 

Killer Bellfield has passed a four-page statement of admission to Stone’s lawyers. It is a development which will fuel claims of a miscarriage of justice

In it he confesses to being responsible for killing Lin, 45, and Megan, six, with a hammer, and leaving her sister Josie, nine, for dead. His solicitor says it means Stone will ‘finally’ get his freedom.

The statement goes on to detail how Bellfield killed Lin and Megan, and left Josie for dead with appalling injuries. He also says he killed the family dog after it bit his wrist.

Bellfield, 53, is already serving life for the murders of Millie Dowler, 13, Amelie Delagrange, 22, and 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell.

He was also convicted of the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy, 18.

As well as admitting to murdering and Lin and Megan in the 14-paragraph statement, Bellfield, also reportedly admits to the murder of a woman called Judith Gold in North London in 1990.

He has previously admitted being in the Chillenden area at the time of the killings.

But his new statement provides new details, and reveals how after the murders he stopped at services on the M25 in Surrey to wash off blood.

Bellfield then tells how he went home to Twickenham got changed and went to work as a nightclub bouncer.

He says the following day he threw the hammer into the Thames near Walton, Surrey.

He then went on holiday to Turkey, but claims he returned to have the beige Ford Sierra he was driving on the day of the murders cleaned, fearing it was full of DNA.

Levi Bellfield is currently serving life in prison for the murder of schoolgirl Millie Dowler (pictured)

The confession document will now be sent to the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which has the power to order re-trials and is considering an appeal by Stone.

The former drug addict has always denied responsibility for the killings. He was convicted in 1998 and then again in 2001 after the original convictions quashed. An appeal against the convictions in 2005 was unsuccessful.

Bellfield ends his statement, saying: ‘Something like this has never happened to me, in the sense I’ve committed a crime and another person has been arrested for it.

‘I apologise to Stone and the Russell family for my heinous acts.’ 

This comes as earlier today it was revealed a bootlace could be used to nail Bellfield after the serial killer said he used it to tie Lin Russell’s hands before bludgeoning her and daughter Megan to death – as police say a DNA test could confirm his claims.

Amelie Delagrange, 22, (pictured) whose body was found Thursday August 19 2004, with a serious head injury lying on Twickenham Green, south west London

‘Fragments’ of DNA were found on a bootlace which had been missing for 14 years until it was found in police storage, The Sun reports.

The lace could match Bellfield and several other men, but scientists have not yet been able to establish a link, it is understood. 

Tests are currently being carried out on the bootlace, 99cm in length, which contains traces of blood from both murder victims. 

The evidence was found close to the bodies and it was originally claimed by prosecutors to have been consistent with being used as a tourniquet by a junkie.

However, no forensic link was found between the lace and Stone, an ex-heroin addict, who would have used his teeth to fix the tourniquet.