Forensic Science: Jill Dando - Case Study Example

The researcher states that Jill Dando was an English journalist, a newsreader, and a television presenter. In 1997, she was voted BBC’s personality of the year. In 1999, she was hosting the BBC programme Crimewatch. Upon her death, there was no immediate suspect at the crime scene who could be associated with the death of the presenter. She had come from her fiancé Alan Farthing and according to the police’ report regarding the nature and experience of the murderer, the fact that she rarely spent time at her home showed that the murderer had time to chance on finding her at home and executing his mission.

Dando’s neighbor Richard Hughes was the only person who had a clue on the presence of an intruder into the compound and who could be linked to the murder of Dando. According to his statement, he had heard a cry, such that one would make after meeting a long-time friend. He did not hear any gunshots. However, he saw a man leaving Dando’s compound. The man was approximately forty years, white and about six feet tall. This would later form the basis of the police investigation into the murder case.

According to the ballistic analysis done on the wound on Dando’s head, she had been shot by a bullet from a 9 mm caliber automatic pistol. It was also established that the gun had been in contact with the head. Eight months later, the Sun Newspaper reported that a man strolling along the Thames’ shores had found a black 9 mm automatic Beretta wrapped in a newspaper. The gun was similar to the one alleged to have committed the crime during Dando’s murder. The police having analyzed the situation at the scene and compared that with other murder cases across the country, the came to the conclusion that the murder must have been committed by a stalker.

This was done the same day the Sun Newspaper reported on the discovery of the 9 mm Beretta by a man on the Thames shores.