A new suspect, Raymond Buck, has been identified in connection with the 1996 hammer murders of Lin Russell and her six-year-old daughter, Megan. Buck, a carpenter and plumber reportedly obsessed with the occult, died by suicide in 2000. Family members have provided sworn statements to the miscarriages of justice watchdog, with one relative claiming Buck left a suicide note that read, "I cannot cope with the guilt." Buck's family has also stated that it was "common knowledge" within the family that he may have been involved in the murders.
Karen Todner, the solicitor for Michael Stone, who has been imprisoned for nearly 30 years for the crime, is attempting to locate the alleged suicide note. "It doesn't mean the note didn't exist," Todner stated, noting that the emergence of Buck as a potential suspect strengthens the case for the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) to refer Stone's conviction back to the Court of Appeal.
Stone has consistently maintained his innocence. His conviction has been controversial, with no direct forensic evidence linking him to the crime. Testimony against Stone came from convicts who claimed he confessed in jail, but one later admitted to inventing the story, and the other was found to have been paid by a newspaper. Damien Daley, another witness who claimed Stone confessed to him, is currently serving a life sentence for a 2014 murder.
New Evidence and Ongoing Investigations
Two witnesses have provided information to the CCRC implicating Buck. One witness, who was nine at the time of the murders, claims to have overheard Buck confessing to a family member on the day of the killings, saying, "I've done something unforgivable. I've killed three people." Relatives have described Buck as having a history of violence and erratic behavior. He also reportedly owned a beige car, similar to one believed to have been used by the killer.
The CCRC is continuing to examine whether fresh forensic testing can establish responsibility for the murders. DNA from crime-scene exhibits is being re-examined using modern techniques. Samples from Michael Stone and a member of Buck's family are under consideration. The evidence will also be tested against serial killer Levi Bellfield, who confessed to the Russell murders in 2023, though police did not believe him. Bellfield has stated he is certain his DNA will be found on murder scene items.
Lin, Megan, and Megan's nine-year-old sister, Josie, were attacked on July 9, 1996, as they walked home along Cherry Garden Lane near Chillenden after a school swimming gala. Lin and Megan were killed with a hammer, and Josie survived despite serious injuries. Stone was convicted in 1998, but this conviction was later overturned. He was retried and convicted again in 2001.
A relative of Buck has agreed to provide a DNA sample for testing against evidence recovered from the crime scene. A source close to the case indicated that Kent Police have been made aware of the Buck name over the years. The outcome of the DNA testing is considered key to the ongoing investigation.