Jill Dando

Jill Dando (November 9, 1961 – April 26, 1999) was a British television presenter who was murdered outside her home in West London, leading to a nationwide hunt for her killer.

Early life

Dando was born in Weston-super-Mare, and was educated at Worle Comprehensive School and Broadoak Sixth Form Centre. She studied journalism at South Glamorgan Institute of Higher Education in Wales.

Media career

Dando's first job was as a trainee reporter for the local newspaper, the Weston Mercury. After five years as a print journalist, Dando began employment with the British Broadcasting Corporation when she became a newsreader for BBC Radio Devon in 1985. She transferred to BBC Television South West in 1985, where she presented a regional news magazine programme, Spotlight South West. In 1986, Dando made a move from regional to national television when she moved to London in 1986 to present the hourly daytime television news summaries.

Dando went on to present the BBC television programmes Breakfast News, the Six O'Clock News, the travel programme Holiday, and occasionally Songs of Praise. At the time of her death she was one of the highest-profile of the organisation's on-screen staff; she had previously been BBC personality of the year. Another of the programmes she presented, Crimewatch, would later reconstruct her murder to aid the police in the search for her killer.

At the time of her death, Dando had presented just one episode of her new project: Antiques Detectives, and was featured on the cover of that week's Radio Times.

Murder

On the morning of April 26, 1999, Jill Dando left the home of her fiancé, Alan Farthing, and returned to her house in Gowan Avenue, Fulham, West London. As she reached her front door at about 11.30 a.m., she was shot in the side of the head at close range with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

Her body was discovered shortly afterwards by a friend, and she was taken to the nearby Charing Cross Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival at 13.03 BST. She was 37 years old.

Operation Oxborough

The murder investigation by the Metropolitan Police - named Operation Oxborough - lasted for over a year. Dando's status as a well-known public figure probably brought her into contact with thousands of people, and there was speculation that her role as co-presenter of Crimewatch may have brought her into conflict with elements of London's criminal underworld. Crimewatch presented a reconstruction of the murder, and a call for witnesses resulted in over 500 phone calls.

After six months, the murder investigation team had spoken to more than 2,500 people and taken more than 1,000 statements. Witnesses reported the odd behaviour of a man who lived around half a mile from Dando's home, and after a period of surveillance on his home, police arrested Barry George for the murder of Jill Dando.

Barry George was charged on the basis of witness reports, circumstantial and forensic evidence. His flat was searched and in addition to news and magazine articles about Ms Dando, there was evidence that George had been obsessed with guns, celebrities and the BBC. Although the murder weapon was not found, firearms residue was detected in one of George's coats.

Barry George was found guilty of murder in a jury trial at the Old Bailey, and was sentenced in July 2001 to life in prison. Questions surrounding the use of certain pieces of evidence in the trial were raised by some commentators but the Appeal Judges' verdict on the evidence stated that the trial was "fair" [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2159320.stm.

Legacy

The Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science was founded on April 26, 2001 (the second anniversary of her murder and death) at University College London, in recognition of Dando's contribution to the fight against crime. A memorial garden was designed and realised by the BBC Television Ground Force team in her memory in Weston-super-Mare and opened on 2 August 2001 by Cllr Peter Bryant, chairman of North Somerset Council.

References

"BBC presenter shot dead", BBC News, 26 April 1999.

External links