Luke Mitchell documentary

[IsurviveonCoffeeandWinein2021]

Did anyone watch tonight? I don't know much about the case originally as I was a teenager when it happened but I do remember how horrific it was and parents etc talking about it.

Was he on trial by media? The doc tonight certainly seems to be leaning that way. I think it's so coincidental it's been shown tonight when the whole Scottish institution is being questioned? I hope for Jodis family it is resolved one way or another

I'm just watching it now. Like many cases you see on TV programmes it does sound as though it was not properly investigated and the press decided he was guilty
His poor mother . She has lost so much in life and now having to live like that. It was so cold in that place she lived in you could see the dog's breath indoors!
I hope both families get proper justice

@QueenOfTheDoubleWide absolutely the cold with the dog was so sad. I don't know if I believe either way yet but it does seem clear there wasn't any DNA evidence on Luke Mitchell

There wasn’t much evidence because the police cocked up the investigation and left evidence out on the rain etc. Luke Mitchell is guilty as sin but they only just managed to get him convicted. His mother was complicit in his alibi from what I remember

I've not watched it yet but I will.

I also believe he is guilty though.

I was an adult living in the general vicinity at the time, not in the specific area and I know nothing about any of the individuals.

Also, this was a crime where the perpetrator wanted their "work" to be seen. I think it's unlikely that they would have stopped at one victim. So either they are locked up or fled the country. I think though that international sharing of data is much better nowadays so links might be identified.

I remember this murder and always believed that Luke was innocent.

If he is and there is an appeal following this documentary, I wonder what will happen.

It's only the first episode, but I thought it was all a bit odd. Seems more like a propaganda piece written by people determined to argue that Mitchell is innocent, rather than an honest, objective review of the case, but perhaps there will be more balance in the next part.

The sort of thing I'm talking about is that they very briefly mentioned the fact that his mother was charged with obstructing, and attempting to defeat the ends of justice, but not prosecuted, and then this was very quickly dropped and never mentioned again, with no explanation as to what prompted these charges in the first place.

Hopefully the second part is a bit more balanced, but I have my reservations.

She burned his clothes. The murder was horrific, incredibly savage. He mutilated her, cutting off her eyelids for instance. I also lived near at the time and there was no doubt that he was guilty. I used to support MOJO but stopped when I saw that they supported Mitchell’s release. There were serious flaws in the police handling but he should not be released on legal technicalities as he is very dangerous to women!

*His mother burned his clothes that should read

I'm interested in seeing the second part of this.

He had a missing knife and jacket too, I think the evidence was all circumstantial but very damning iirc. I think he likley is guilty but can we have a fair system if people can be convicted without hard evidence? This is my concern. What does bug me however, is how long it took to charge him! Ten months? Maybe he genuinely lost the jacket and knife in that time? Definitely mishandled by the police in any case.

This case never sat well with me because of lack of forensic evidence, all circumstantial. It was 2003 for goodness sake, not 1980. How can there be no forensic evidence🤷🏼‍♀️

And yes agree with poster that the programme is not a very balanced, objective review!
Interested to see where second part is going with this.

Hasn’t seen this was on but will definitely look it up. Also lived in the vicinity at the time and was a similar age to Jodi that poor girl. Heard a lot of hearsay at the time from people who knew him

I haven’t seen this but I’m horrified if there are people supporting his release. I won’t post the details here because honestly I don’t know if they came out at the time or if I heard through the grapevine (but legitimately) but some of the circumstantial evidence would have got him a long stay regardless. I’m actually sickened remembering it. He had the best defence he could get and was still convicted. Let’s never ever forget what happened to Jodi, she doesn't get a future.

Yes he had Donald Findlay QC didn’t he. Famous for taking on very difficult cases which would be a showpiece for him if won

I've not watched it yet but lots of Mitchell supporters on the Evening news Facebook group. They're constantly posting and sharing the James English documentary on YouTube.

At the end of the day, a girl who barely lived her life lost it in a horrific attack.

Same here @Unsuremover . I was doing traineeship in Edinburgh at time and sat in on bits of trial. Haunting.

Best representation going as well.

@brokengate ok so we were moving in the same circles. I’m come across a lot of grim stuff in my time, I don’t know if it was because of how local it was or what but Jodi’s last day haunts me. Thanks for this thread, it has convince me not to look at this because I cannot give it headspace. He’s a dangerous individual who needs to stay behind bars.

Just watched it. It's very contrived and obviously designed to show him as an innocent young lad just caught up in it all.

Don't get me wrong, being convicted of something so horrific and being locked up for your young adult life if you are innocent would be horrendous.

But that foreign woman who keeps saying you can't be convicted if there is no science is wrong and the "detectives" just make me laugh. I've no doubt there were a lot of police mistakes but I'm also pretty sure that they got the right person.

I feel sorry for his mum (but pretty sure she knows the truth and tried to cover it up) and the trial by media should never have happened. And if I was that bloke who believed that that other guy did it then I would have continued to shout that out and go to the press etc. Not necessarily to spare someone jail, just to ensure that it didn't happen to anyone else (or myself).

The bit about the condom - first they start saying another man's semen is found at the scene leading you to think she's been raped by someone etc and then you find it's a used condom. If you are the killer you are not going to leave that behind are you? It's the woods in a quiet area, do they think no-one goes there for a shag?

I wonder what the next part brings.

I watched too. I live 50 yards from Luke Mitchell's old family house. On the same street.
I don;t know the truth.
I do feel sorry for his mother- who lives half a mile from me.

What are the chances of him and his mum passing a lie detector? I wish the documentary had been better made, it was quite amateurish but questions need to be asked, the police acted appallingly. Not sure what to think.

It was very one sided. Surely even if it had been trial by media that led to his conviction, at least one of his appeal attempts would have been allowed?
Channel 5 always add too much of a sensationalist tone to these things. That's a real child who was murdered, not a TV drama.

How did they both pass the lie detector tests then? The police do get it wrong. My h is from the US West. In 1997, a young married woman went missing in the state of Wyoming whilst out on a run. The authorities honed in on the husband and never bothered to look elsewhere, even when the brother of a man now in prison as a serial killer - The Great Basin Killer - told the FBI that his brother had been camping in the area. The husband got lawyered up and he had a really solid, iron clad alibi but they have never unnamed him as a suspect (the woman's body was never found). There's literally no way he could have done it, though, he was many miles away in a very rural area with another man, a friend, who had driven them both in his car; he was at work with tons of people; their home was in a row of houses and when the friend went to let him off he went into the home with him and soon they were joined by a usual crew of other friends. The man was never alone.

The serial killer is in prison for life for other murders but refuses to discuss the case.

The police get it wrong.

I have 2 young adult sons. It's got me thinking about what I'd do if it was my son. It would break my heart but I couldn't cover up I don't think. Anyone capable of that needs to be kept away.

@icanboogieboogiewoogie

It was very one sided. Surely even if it had been trial by media that led to his conviction, at least one of his appeal attempts would have been allowed? Channel 5 always add too much of a sensationalist tone to these things. That's a real child who was murdered, not a TV drama.

And a real child who was imprisoned for it.