Billie-Jo Jenkins: Cold cops continue ‘forensic review’ of evidence in teenage murder in hopes of new breakthrough

COLD case cops investigating the murder of teenage girl Billie-Jo Jenkins conduct a new trail of evidence in hopes of a breakthrough.

The 13-year-old was beaten to death with an 18-inch metal tent stake on February 15, 1997 in the yard of her new home.

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Foster father Sion Jenkins was jailed for her murder but was officially acquitted in 2006 when two retrials ended with a hung jury.

Earlier this year, Sussex Police announced a forensic review to see if scientific advances can provide new evidence 25 years after the horror.

And testing resumes nearly six months later, the force told The Sun.

A spokesman said Billie-Jo’s murder would be re-investigated every two years to see if the killer could ever be caught.

“No new information has been provided in this case at this time and it will not be re-investigated,” he said.

“However, as part of the regular evaluation process, we have conducted a forensic review of the material preserved on the case to determine whether or not scientific advances may provide new evidence or lines of inquiry.”

Billie-Jo was killed while painting the patio doors in the garden of her care home in Lower Park Road, Hastings, East Sussex.

She was found mortally wounded in a pool of blood when Mr Jenkins was returning early from a trip to a hardware store with his two eldest daughters.

After the murder, 148 tiny bloodstains were found on Mr Jenkins’ trousers and fleece jacket.

Prosecutors later argued that their size and distribution were consistent with “impact spatter” sprayed during the frenzied attack on Billie-Jo.

The defense argued that Billie-Jo exhaled a fine stream of blood on her foster father as he rushed to her aid as she lay dying.

Mr. Jenkins’ then-wife, Lois, did not appear as a witness for either the prosecution or the defense at the first trial or his first failed appeal.

After his initial conviction, she divorced him and fled the country with her four biological daughters.

However, she flew back to testify at his retrials in 2004 and 2006.

HORROR MURDER

Mr Jenkins, who served six years in prison, has always maintained his innocence.

He claims a drifter may have been responsible for the murder.

A mentally ill man was arrested by police in connection with the murder.

He tried to strangle the arresting officer.

He was excluded from the investigation based on forensic evidence.

Anyone with information that could lead to new lines of inquiry into the case can contact Sussex Police on 101 and quote Operation Cathedral.

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