South Wales PoliceDetectives have begun a forensic review into one of Wales’ most notorious triple murder cases.
Diane Jones, 21, and her daughters Shauna, two, and 13-month old Sarah-Jane, died when their home on the Gurnos estate in Merthyr Tydfil was deliberately set alight on 11 October 1995.
South Wales Police said new forensic technology and techniques would be used as part of the review into a case that originally saw Annette Hewins jailed in 1997, only for her conviction to be quashed in 1999 after she had served two-and-a-half years of a 13-year sentence.
Det Ch Insp Gareth Davies, from the force’s major crime review unit, said the new forensic methods “were not available previously”.
During the initial murder investigation three women – Donna Clarke, her aunt Ms Hewins and Denise Sullivan – were arrested.
Ms Hewins was jailed after being convicted of arson with intent to endanger life before being freed.
She died in February 2017, less than 24 hours after being detained in a mental health unit, after struggling to cope with the miscarriage of justice.
Ms Clarke’s conviction was also quashed and she was freed from a 20-year sentence in April 1999.
Ms Sullivan was convicted of perverting the course of justice and jailed for four years, reduced to three-and-a-half on appeal.
“This tragic case sent shockwaves through Gurnos and has cast a shadow over the community ever since,” said Det Ch Insp Gareth Davies.
“Our hope is that we can uncover new evidence which will give us the breakthrough we need to find who was responsible.”
The review comes as part of the force’s ongoing efforts to re-examine historical cases.
A forensic review was also announced in September into the 1985 murder of Sandra Phillips in Swansea.
“I am quite confident that somebody out there has information which, for whatever reason, they decided to keep to themselves,” Det Ch Insp Davies said.
“Three decades have passed – that person may now be in different circumstances. It is never too late to come forward.”
Ms Jones’ sister Mary said the family had “never stopped living the nightmare” of losing their loved ones.
“In October 1995 my heart, my life got shattered into a million pieces,” she said.
“We didn’t just lose a sister and our nieces, we also lost our parents. It absolutely broke their hearts.”
Mary said her father John took his own life in 2003 while her mother Myra later died from cancer without seeing justice.
“I’m hoping there is somebody out there who is holding the key to what happened, and that they have it in their hearts to come forward and finally give us the answers we need,” she said.
A balloon release in in memory of Diane, Shauna and Sarah-Jane will be held at 15:00 on Saturday at the family memorial stone on the Gurnos estate.
