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image captionMichael Stone was convicted of two counts of murder and one of attempted murder
Lawyers for a man in prison for the murders of Lin and Megan Russell say a shoelace found at the scene could provide vital DNA evidence in their bid to overturn his conviction.
Michael Stone has twice been found guilty of murdering the mother and daughter in Chillenden, Kent, in 1996.
He was also found guilty of attempting to murder Megan s sister, Josie.
Stone s solicitor said Kent Police had found the previously-lost shoelace. Police are aware of Stone s appeal bid.
Paul Bacon said: It was a really vital piece of evidence. It was used in strangling one of the parties. So it was not only a piece of evidence, but it was a murder weapon.
Bootlace could be ‘huge’ in Stone’s bid to clear name over Chillenden murders
Lin Russell and her daughter Megan (Handout/PA)
A bootlace found at the scene of the Chillenden murders could be “absolutely huge” in the convicted killer’s quest to clear his name, his barrister says.
Michael Stone is currently serving three life sentences for the murders of Lin Russell and her daughter Megan, who were found bludgeoned to death in Kent in July 1996.
Ms Russell’s other daughter, Josie, then nine, suffered severe head injuries in the attack and the family’s dog, Lucy, was killed.
A bootlace found at the scene of the Chillenden murders could be absolutely huge in the convicted killer s quest to clear his name, his barrister says.
Michael Stone is currently serving three life sentences for the murders of Lin Russell and her daughter Megan, who were found bludgeoned to death in Kent in July 1996.
Ms Russell s other daughter, Josie, then nine, suffered severe head injuries in the attack and the family s dog, Lucy, was killed.
Stone s defence team believes a potentially crucial piece of evidence, which they say was recently unearthed after being lost by police, could point the finger at someone else.
Police find key Lin & Megan Russell evidence lost for 14 years that could CLEAR killer Michael Stone
Updated: 8:25, 10 May 2021
POLICE lost a key clue in the Lin and Megan Russell murder case for 14 years, The Sun can reveal.
The bootlace was found at the scene in Chillenden, Kent, in 1996.
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Michael Stone has served 24 years in jail for the murders of Lin and Megan RussellCredit: PA:Press Association
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Police lost a metre-long bootlace, a key clue in the case, for 14 years
It has now been re-discovered and DNA tests could prove beyond doubt whether or not convicted Michael Stone, 60, was guilty of the killings.
A lack of GPS data close to where the mother-of-two was bludgeoned to death in a Kent village north of Dover suggests that her attacker is local and a man, a source has claimed.