296
of Lynda Mann’s murder, Buckland
was just 14 years old. Of course,
the police realized that children
sometimes kill other children –
however, they delayed charging
Buckland until they learned more
about the second murder. Could it
be the work of a copycat?
Dr Jeffreys compared the genetic
profiles of the semen samples from
both murders against that of a blood
sample from Buckland. This proved
conclusively that both girls were
killed by the same man – and that
man was not Buckland, who was
released. The police launched a
manhunt, asking 5,000 men in three
surrounding towns to give a sample
of their blood or saliva. Jeffreys was
amazed at the trust the police put
in him, and in the new science of
DNA fingerprinting. It took six
months to process the 5,000
samples. No match was found.The course of justice
Local man Colin Pitchfork, a baker,
had previously been questioned by
the police about his whereabouts
on the night that Lynda Mann was
killed. He truthfully informed themthat he had been with his son, and
was released from further
questioning. As one of the 5,000
men tested by the police, Pitchfork
gave a DNA sample. This sample,
like many others, did not match the
killer’s. However, months after all
the DNA had been checked, a
colleague of Pitchfork’s named Ian
Kelly was overheard bragging
during a drunken conversation at a
local pub. Kelly claimed that he had
taken the DNA test on Colin
Pitchfork’s behalf.
Kelly was asked to take the
test as a favour to Pitchfork, who
falsely claimed to have taken it
already in the name of a friend
who had a conviction for indecent
exposure. Kelly accepted the illegal
invitation. Pitchfork doctored his
passport to allow Kelly to enter
one of the testing stations using
Pitchfork’s identity.
After six weeks, a woman who
overheard the conversation in the
pub went to the police. As a result
of her evidence, Pitchfork was
immediately arrested. Dr Jeffreys
compared Pitchfork’s DNA with
that of the semen found on the twoCOLIN PITCHFORK
victims. It was a perfect match.
Instead of going to trial, Pitchfork
pleaded guilty to both rapes and
murders. His claim to have been
with his son on the night of Lynda
Mann’s murder was true – but he
had left his son in the car while
he committed the crime.Evolution of a killer
After interviewing Kelly, the police
and judge said that his immense
gullibility made it “just about”
possible to believe that Kelly was
taken in by Pitchfork’s lie. When
Pitchfork was eventually convicted,
he would receive an additional
charge for perverting the course
of justice by manipulating Kelly.
During questioning, Pitchfork
revealed his development from
flasher to killer. He relished the
fact that he had exposed himself
to hundreds of women and girls,
a compulsion that began in his
early teens. Pitchfork had no
problem describing some of the
girls he exposed himself to in
order for the police to verify hisBritish geneticist Professor Sir Alec
Jeffreys studies DNA codes in his
laboratory at Leicester University.
His groundbreaking technique has
transformed criminal investigations.I have no doubt whatsoever
that Buckland would
have been found guilty had it
not been for DNA evidence.
Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys294-297_Colin_Pitchfork.indd 296 02/12/2016 15:04
297
claims. Two further counts of
sexual assault were brought
against Pitchfork as a result of his
willingness to provide details of
his crimes.
Pitchfork revealed that soon
after he started flashing girls, he
also began to follow them. The
rapes of Lynda Mann and Dawn
Ashworth insidiously developed
out of this tendency – the result
of pure opportunism as Pitchfork
spotted them in a secluded area.
The state of the teenagers’ bodies
indicated that Pitchfork had
beaten them before he strangled
them to death.
During questioning, Pitchfork
was totally unwilling to accept the
violent brutality of his behaviour,
and exhibited a psychopathic lack
of distress. Pitchfork claimed that
he strangled both of his victims
purely to protect his identity.Colin Pitchfork was the world’s first
killer to be convicted of murder
based on DNA fingerprinting.
He was sentenced to life in prison,
with a minimum term of 30 years.
It was evident from the trial that
Pitchfork was compulsively violent
towards women. There was every
chance that he would murder
again, given the opportunity.Appeal for clemency
In 2009, Pitchfork appealed his
sentence. The court heard how well
Pitchfork had adapted to prison life.
He had spent his time training to
transcribe printed music into Braille
and promised to help the blind when
he was released. He had studied and
become well educated, had never
been in trouble while in custody,
and was trusted to help fellow
inmates adapt to prison life. His
victims’ families, however, wereSERIAL KILLERS
unimpressed by such behaviour.
“Life should mean life,” said the
mother of one of the girls.
Pitchfork’s sentence was reduced
to 28 years, with the caveat that
“the safety of the public is assured.”
Whilst in prison, he also became an
artist. One of the sculptures he
produced was exhibited at the
Royal Festival Hall in London in
April 2009. Entitled Bringing the
Music to Life, it depicted a
miniature orchestra and choir, made
in meticulous detail by folding and
tearing the score of Beethoven’s
Ninth Symphony. It was sold for
£600. However, when British
newspapers heard about it, the
public was outraged and the
sculpture was removed from display.
In 2016, 30 years after Dawn
Ashworth’s murder, Pitchfork was
denied parole. He was, however,
moved to an open prison. ■The key steps involved in
“DNA fingerprinting”, which
starts with a cheek swab or
saliva sample.- A DNA sample is taken.
2. DNA is
extracted from
the sample.
3. DNA fragments
are separated into
bands in an
agarose gel.
4. The DNA
band pattern is
transferred to a
nylon membrane.
5. A radioactive
DNA probe is
prepared.
6. The DNA probe
sticks to specific
DNA sequences on
the membrane. - Excess DNA is washed off and
the radioactive probe is bound to
the DNA pattern. - X-ray film is laid
over the membrane
to detect the
radioactive pattern. - The X-ray film is
developed to create a
visible “DNA fingerprint”.
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