87-Year-Old Man Cleared in 1993 Farmhouse Couple Murders

An 87-year-old man has been cleared of the shotgun killings of Harry and Megan Tooze, a couple murdered on their Welsh farm in 1993. The suspect, arrested in December of the previous year as part of a renewed investigation into the cold case, will face no further action, South Wales Police announced on Friday.

The couple were killed on their farm in Llanharry, near Cardiff, on July 26, 1993. Their bodies were discovered the following morning in a cowshed by neighbors who became concerned after a daily phone call from their daughter went unanswered. Both Harry, 64, and Megan, 67, had been shot in the head from behind. Their bodies were reportedly covered with carpet and hidden under hay bales.

Operation Vega

South Wales Police launched Operation Vega in 2023, a forensic review of the case aimed at uncovering new evidence and identifying the killer. The review involves forensic analysis of exhibits from the original crime scene and is supported by Professor Angela Gallop, a forensic scientist who has worked on other high-profile UK murder cases.

Detective Superintendent Mark O'Shea stated that the family of Mr. and Mrs. Tooze are being supported as the review continues. "We remain committed to solving these dreadful murders which happened more than three decades ago," he said. "It is never too late to come forward. Even with this passage of time I appeal to anyone who has any information about the murders to come forward and speak to us because information they have may help us get justice for the family."

Previous Conviction and Release

In the aftermath of the double murder, police arrested and charged Jonathan Jones, the boyfriend of the couple's daughter, Cheryl Tooze. Jones was convicted of the killings and jailed for life in 1995. However, his conviction was overturned a year later as unsafe, and he was freed from prison.

Cheryl Tooze maintained her boyfriend's innocence and campaigned for his release, even offering a £25,000 reward for information leading to the killer's identification. After their marriage and the birth of their son, Jones and Tooze continued to call for the case to be reopened.

Following the review initiated in 2023, a South Wales Police spokesperson confirmed that the 87-year-old man arrested in December 2025 had been informed he was no longer under investigation. The forensic review led by the Major Crime Investigation Team is ongoing.