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Transcript

Syllabus

- Colin Pitchfork's

  • Early Life
  • Adult Life
  • Previous Convictions

- Synopsis of the case

- Outcome of the case

- How DNA evidence used

- Significance of the case

Colin Pitchfork's - Early Life

- Born in 1961 in Bristol, England

- Mother was a housewife, and father was a miner in Chesterfield

- Middle child of 3, younger brother and an older sister

- Pitchfork often bullied in school for his appearance, teased due to the fact that he matured more quickly than others

- Emotionally abused by his parents who neglected him and favored his siblings

References

The Introduction of DNA Evidence in Crime Solving

Colin Pitchfork - DNA

Colin's Adult Life

  • Easterling, B., & Herming, S,. Lightfoot, A. (n.d.). Colin Pitchfork “Black Pad Killer”. Retrieved October 2, 2017, from http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Psyc%20405/serial%20killers/Pitchfork,%20Colin.pdf
  • Gelowitz. A, M. (1988). DNA Finger-printing: What's Bred in the Blood. 65 C.R. 122 at 128.
  • R. v. Baptiste, 1991 CanLII 175 (BC SC), http://canlii.ca/t/1crr4

- Lived in Newbold Verdon, a small village in Leicestershire

- In 1976,worked as apprentice in a Hampshire Bakery

- Attended psychiatric counseling at Carlton Hayes Hospital

- In 1981, Married his wife Carol

- In 1983, has his first son

- In 1986, had his second

Previous Criminal Activity

1979: At the age of 18, arrested for indecent exposure to young girls

1985: Arrested again at the age of 24 for a repeated offense of indecent exposure to young girls

Only assigned probation for his crimes

Synopsis of the Case

Outcome of the Case

  • Lynda Mann (1983) and Dawn Ashworth (1986)
  • Lynda Mann, a 15-year-old schoolgirl, was raped and murdered in the grounds of Carlton Hayes psychiatric hospital in Narborough, Leicestershire, in November 1983
  • In 1986, another 15-year-old schoolgirl, Dawn Ashworth, was similarly sexually assaulted and strangled in the nearby village of Enderby
  • A month after the second murder, Richard Buckland, "was seen lurking" near the scene
  • He was arrested and confessed to the 1986 killing, but firmly denied the 1983 killing

In January 1988, Colin Pitchfork was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murders, and was told he had to serve a minimum of 30 years.

Both victims' families opposed his release.

Barbara Ashworth, Dawn's mother, said "life should mean life".

Colin Pitchfork’s minimum term was reduced from 30 years to 28 at the Court of Appeal in 2009

Arrested in 1987

How DNA Evidence was used

  • After Buckland's arrest, it was clear through DNA evidence, that it was the same individual had raped and killed the two victims, but it was not Buckland

On 29 April 2016, the Parole Board announced that Pitchfork's petition for parole had been denied, but they then issued a recommendation that Pitchfork be moved to an open prison In June 2016,Michael Gove, then serving as Justice Secretary, agreed with the board's recommendation, and at some point prior to 8 January 2017, Pitchfork was moved to an undisclosed open prison. The Parole Board may again consider his release in 2018.

DNA: Genetic material present in every cell

  • the biological material used to determine a DNA profile usually include blood, semen, hair, teeth etc.

The case of Colin Pitchfork was the first murder conviction based on DNA profiling evidence.

  • Lynda Mann - examination of semen sample that showed it was a type only found in 10% of men - also from someone with type A blood
  • Dawn Ashworth - Semen samples showed the same blood type

Synopsis Continued

  • The police used hospital and voting records, obtaining the identities of all the males in the adjoining villages
  • Colin Pitchfork failed to arrive at the first two appointments, but he co-operated on the third request
  • During a conversation, someone mentioned that Colin Pitchfork paid his co-worker Kelley to take the blood test in his name
  • Both Pitchfork and Kelley were arrested
  • A sample of Pitchfork's blood produced a DNA fingerprint identical to that produced by the semen samples
  • Using Sir Alec Jeffreys’ new technique, scientists compared the semen samples with a blood sample from Richard Buckland - previous rape conviction based on this type of evidence

Conviction

  • In 1987, in the first ever mass DNA screen, the police and forensic scientists screened blood and saliva samples from 4,000 men aged between 17 and 34 who lived in the villages of Enderby
  • The screen did not find any matches to the semen samples. The police and scientists expanded the screen to men with an alibi, but still did not find a match
  • Ian Kelly, Colin's friend was over heard by a colleague bragging that he had given a sample posing as him
  • The police arrested Colin in September 1987, and scientists found that his DNA profile matched

Significance of the Case

The case of Colin Pitchfork was the first murder conviction based on DNA profiling evidence (there was a previous rape conviction based on this type of evidence).

A British scientist, Sir Alec Jeffreys, developed DNA profiling in the 1980s. The police turned to The University of Leicester's Dr Alex Jeffreys for help in cracking the case. With the help of his development, this case was solved.

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