A carpenter, identified as Ray Buck, is being considered a new prime suspect in the 1996 murders of Lin and Megan Russell, according to lawyers for the man currently convicted of the crime, Michael Stone. A witness has reportedly heard Buck confessing to the killings on the same day Lin Russell, 45, and her six-year-old daughter Megan were attacked on a country lane in Chillenden, Kent.
Buck, who died by suicide in 2000, was questioned by detectives during the original investigation but was not treated as a suspect at the time. He was living 15 miles from the crime scene and was known to police, reportedly having a history of violence and a hammer often in his car. A distant relative who contacted police in 2017 and Stone's lawyers in April claims that on the day of the murders, Buck confessed to killing three people and a dog at his sister's house. A source close to this witness told The Sun that Buck stated, 'I have done something unforgivable. I have killed three people. I could not stop, I could not stop.' The Russells' dog was also killed during the attack.
Michael Stone was convicted of the murders in 1998, with his conviction upheld after a retrial three years later. He has now provided a new DNA sample from his cell at HMP Frankland, County Durham, as part of a forensic assessment by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, which examines potential miscarriages of justice. Additionally, one of Buck's sons has agreed to provide a DNA sample.
Serial killer Levi Bellfield, who was convicted of the murder of Milly Dowler in 2002, has also provided a DNA sample. Bellfield confessed in writing to committing the Russell murders in 2023, but police did not believe his claim. The Daily Mail's Crime Desk reported this week that Bellfield stated he was certain his DNA would be found at the murder scene. However, criminologists have previously cautioned that Bellfield might be seeking attention.
Lin Russell and her daughters, Megan and nine-year-old Josie, were bludgeoned to death in broad daylight as they walked home from school. Josie survived the attack, sustaining severe head injuries. This month marks 30 years since the killings.
Sources within Kent Police have indicated inconsistencies between the new witness's current account and their previous statements in 2017. Detective Chief Inspector Neil Kimber stated that all information is being comprehensively examined, but added that Michael Stone remains convicted of the murders following two jury trials and an appeal to the High Court.