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[admin]

POST DATE
18/04/2010 13:33:00 Among the many other things we have been doing, Sandra has been working hard to make Luke Mitchell's official website available.

With such a complex case there is obviously a huge amount of information to reveal. For this reason the site will be updated regularly to ensure that the details are kept as easy to  follow as possible.

Please visit Luke Mitchell is Innocent and lend your support.

Since this topic has grown to over 300 pages, we have started a summarised version which can be found here - TOPIC SUMMARY
Each post represents an entire page from this main topic and a link to the related page is provided at the bottom of each page.

[admin]

POST DATE
21/04/2010 10:04:57 We would like to thank the Midlothian Advertiser for its continued fair and honest reporting. Todays front page headline is something of a first, a wrongly convicted person being referred to by full name and not to the crime he didn't commit. Perhaps others could follow their lead....
http://www.midlothianadvertiser.co.uk

[admin]

POST DATE
22/04/2010 20:35:15 Luke Mitchell's site has attracted considerable interest. Already today there has been more page views than yesterday, currently 1129.
Please do post messages of support here.
http://caseblog.wronglyaccusedperson.org.uk/luke-mitchell-is-innocent/latest-comments/
 

[admin]

POST DATE
23/04/2010 17:23:07

The link to Luke's caseblog site has now been added to the navigation panel on all pages of wrongly accused person to make it easier to navigate to from the main site.

As a direct result of the media coverage of its launch there has been huge interest with several thousand page views and over 600 unique visitors in a mere few days. We are absolutely delighted with the level of support now coming to Luke as demonstrated by the number of people visiting the site and are confident that this will begin to increase the likelihood of his conviction being over-turned and the actual perpetrator being apprehended.

Please do visit and leave your messages of support which will be forwarded onto Luke himself.

[admin]

POST DATE
28/04/2010 14:45:38

Just to let everyone know that Luke's petition to the Nobile Officium today failed, but the fight goes on. There have now been 1173 unique visitors to the site, thanks to everyone

http://caseblog.wronglyaccusedperson.org.uk/luke-mitchell-is-innocent/

 

[admin]

I feel it is necessary to point out on this thread given the nature of the case, while reasoned and respectful debate is welcomed, members must maintain awareness of other posters and site visitors.

All forums on this site are moderated and any members who persistently ignore the moderators warnings is likely to have their accounts suspended or blocked. This is in no way intended to control the debate, simply to ensure that discussions are allowed to flow freely in a way that is appropriate with the forum and website intentions.

[Sandra Lean]

Luke's is a hugely complex case, with so many lines of inquiry and other potential suspects that it needs as many people as possible looking at it, bringing their thoughts and ideas to the debate. After almost seven years working on the case, I still come across things that I hadn't noticed before, or other people post things that I hadn't even considered, so I look forward to everyone's thoughts and comments.

[Sandra Lean]

Just to get things started, I thought I'd list a few of the problem areas with Luke's case.

DNA is a huge factor - none of Luke's on Jodi or at the crime scene and vice versa, but 10 unidentified DNA profiles, including DNA from FIVE unknown males (yes, five!) in the DNA reports. How can it be said Luke was convicted "beyond reasonable doubt" when this is the case?

Timings. There is simply not enough time for Luke to have been the murderer. The timing of Jodi leaving home was changed by some 40 minutes, in what appears to have been a shameless police tactic to open up a "window of opportunity" at a time where Luke's alibi could not be properly corroborated. (Anyone who is home alone this evening, take note!!!!)

Witnesses whose statements did not fit with the official line were basically told to "go away." Other witnesses changed their statements from those which originally corroborated what Luke was saying, to the complete opposite. Witnesses were horribly manipulated - the Parka Jacket is a prime example - after photographs of Luke wearing a Parka bought after the murder appeared in newspapers, literally thousands of people could honestly say they had seen him wearing a Parka. The problem here is that the prosecution claimed he had one before the murder, and his mother had disposed of it. How blatant a manipulation of recall is that? Anyone who has watched the BBC's "Eyewitness" series will get this straight away

[admin]

I was loathed to be the first to jump in here given my current level of involvement in this case, but regarding the issue of DNA I think it is also important to highlight that as is shown clearly in the book, there are several more credible suspects. Some of which have full DNA profiles which match those present in samples taken from either the scene, Jodi's body or her clothing.

So, an important issue for me is how many of the other more credible suspects have DNA profiles which match the unidentified profiles associated with the samples taken?

Lothian and Borders police described their investigation as thorough and extensive. Given the information available, specifically the DNA evidence in existence when considered along with the dismissal of information provided to them without further investigation, this claim is hardly justified.

[admin]

Peter Hill, the former producer of Rough Justice has released a program covering Luke Mitchell's case.
http://www.raybrook.co.uk/rjlukefilm.htm

We are extremely grateful that Peter has expressed so much interest in Luke's case. His expertise and experience in this area has ensured that this program highlights the many flaws and clearly demonstrates how wrong this conviction is.

[John Lamberton]

The Luke Mitchell case is a classic example of where a police investigation can go wrong. Tunnel vision and political expediency seemed to have driven this case, the need for a quick conviction at any cost. Except off-course that the cost is only going to increase and public awareness become more widespread until the point when the authorities will have to take a proper look at what occurred.

This is a case where a 14 year-old child was convicted of murdering his long-term girlfriend, also 14. Not only this, but he was also supposed to have taken time over the killing in some sort of macabre ritual slaying. I will not go into details in this post but no-doubt they will be discussed sooner rather than later.

What also worries me greatly with this conviction is the time-line which I have reproduced below. Luke had a 40 minute window to do everything that he was supposed to have done and simply put, it is impossible unless off-course you are Superman !!  The map relating to the events is also reproduced below with thanks to my friend Curious.

Finally, let me add that there was not a single DNA profile lifted from the scene which put Luke there that night. I can also add there was no trace of Luke anywhere on the body. This is what passes for evidence in Scottish Courts. Oh and yes, there are several other DNA profiles lifted from the body and guess what ?  ...the boys in blue haven't been able to find the people to whom they relate. Very convenient policing I call that !!

[admin]

Hi John and welcome to the forum,

Many thanks for posting the time line and map which are extremely helpful in demonstrating important issues in this case.

As you will appreciate, one of the problems with running a site like this is the sheer amount of crucial information relating to cases, particularly when they are as complex as Luke's. It is only when all of the facts are properly and openly discussed that anyone reading stands a chance of understanding a case fully. Input such as the time line and map, definitely make this task so much easier for interested members or visitors to comprehend.

Please also pass on my thanks to your friend curious.

Once again welcome, I look forward to your future posts.

[Curious]

Hello all.

I have some ideas I'd like to expand upon relating to representing the important facts in picture format but I'll get to that later.

[admin]

Hi Curious and welcome to the forum,

I'm very impressed with the map you have produced, I understand that there was a great deal of discussion involved between you and others in making sure that all of the markers were in the right place etc.

I look forward to see what these ideas are, anything which helps to clarify the details can only be a good thing. Thanks for your efforts thus far and once again welcome to the forum.

[Sandra Lean]

Hi, John and Curious,

This will just be a quick post at the moment because my internet connection will drop out in about a minute! I was thinking about the timescale issues, and the failure of police to properly investigate other potential suspects. There are caves very close to the murder scene, which were once used by the monks in Newbattle Abbey. It is known that one of these caves was checked about 10 days or so into the "inquiry," after a member of the public put the police onto it.

But what is not known is whether other caves were checked. It strikes me as odd that the local police (a) did not even know where the path was when they received the call that a body had been found. They had to phone Luke back and ask for directions. (Yes, I know...... would be laughable if it wasn't so serious.)

Similarly, they had to be given directions to the cave mentioned above. It is unlikely, then, that they would even have known about, far less bothered to check, other caves in the area. But someone who knew those woods well would most likely know about the existence of the caves - a place to hide out, get rid of evidence, etc etc?

Early on the morning of July 1st, a man was seen emerging from the woods near the golf club carrying "a bundle" but he slipped back out of view "quickly" when the motorist who reported this drove past. (I'll find the link for this when I can)

I guess what I'm saying is, it would have been possible for someone who knew the area intimately to have "disappeared" within the surrounding woods - there are a network of paths and cycle paths which crisscross the whole of the lothians, often following disused railway lines, which means people using them rarely have to emerge onto proper roads or paths.