He said the announcement was "hugely significant". However, these timings fit in perfectly with the murders taking place, and witnesses at the pub claim they overheard him bad-mouthing Mandy, calling her an "old cow" and an "unfit mother". Sky News talks to a maker of the series, Murder In The Valleys, which takes a forensic look at the biggest homicide investigation in Welsh history. @DavidMercerSky. A blood-stained sock found at a crime scene links the man convicted of the Clydach murders from 22 years ago, South Wales Police have said. An ex-policewoman who was linked to the brutal murders of a family of four in Clydach has begun legal action against South Wales Police, her solicitor has confirmed. But they were possibly worse than incompetent. Mystery of Clydach Murderer Dai Morris' Cause of Death in Prison The damage has been done. During this first trial, he explained his lies about the chain not by a desire to avoid a murder conviction, but to conceal his affair with Power from his sexual partner, Mandy Jewell, a divorce with a young child, with whom he had lived for four years. Clydach murders: Killer David Morris dies in prison - BBC News He is serving a 32-year sentence. The Lewis family claims to have received more than 400 threats from supporters of the Free David Morris campaign. Clydach murders: CPS rejects new evidence over brutal killings of mum, two daughters and gran; Story Saved. Chief Sub Editor You can read here how the shadow of the horrific crime has refused to life from the village. The case deeply divided the community for more than 20 years despite the conviction of a local builder. Because he refuses to admit his guilt, he remains subjected to the prison regime with the least comforts and privilegesand he will remain so until he acknowledges his guilt. I loved being with her and everything about her made me happy.. Just a month ago Stuart was kicked out of his local gym after a member complained about him being there. As someone trained in forensics, moreover, she would know better how to clean up a crime scene than would Morris, who, according to some, had neither the intelligence nor the knowledge to do a good job of it. A gold chain that he wore turned up at the murder sitein effect, the only evidence against him, other than his bad character and reputation for violence. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The drug dealer was awaiting a trial of his own, however, and it is not impossible that the police offered him a deal in exchange for his testimony. "In my view, as the independent senior investigating officer, the new findings from the samples taken from the sock support the existing evidence that originally convicted him.". One, a chronic alcoholic, was angry because Morris had refused to have sex with her, which, given his typical conduct, must have been doubly wounding; and another, a man, was annoyed because Morris had boasted in the pub that he would be able to pullhave sex withthe witnesss girlfriend without difficulty. Stephen Lewis's identical twin brother, Stuart, was also investigated at the time of the murder. On this occasion, however, jealousy was in a sense justified, for Mandy Power was one for the boys, as a witness put it. Several witnesses, however, deposed that she had arrived at 6 AM, before the events were common knowledge. His cause of death was never officially confirmed. 'I became the devil': Trauma of woman wrongly suspected of murdering an entire family in Clydach, Alison Lewis features in a new documentary about the Clydach murders. The man convicted of the Clydach murders in the Swansea Valley died of natural causes in prison, a coroner has concluded. Following Morris's death this summer, his family gave permission for a blood sample to be taken from him so the tests could be carried out. "I hope this now provides closure for those most affected by the murders," the police said in a video released on Twitter. Digital Spy participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. An inquest into the death of the man convicted of the Clydach murders has been opened and adjourned. His twin brother Stuart, who was a police officer too, was arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. The Clydach murders investigation was the largest and most complex homicide probe ever undertaken by a Welsh police force. Stuart studied for a law degree while suspended and returned to his duties with South Wales Police when all disciplinary matters against him were dropped. Phillips, who has previously worked on the documentaries Barrymore: Body In The Pool and Leaving Neverland, hopes his new series will finally address "what really happened that night in the summer of 1999 in Clydach". Clydach murderer died after collapsing in prison, 'Nothing to undermine' Clydach murders conviction, Fresh doubts over Clydach murders conviction, Russia launches missile attacks on Ukraine, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Air strikes pound Sudan capital as truce extended. South Wales Police said it hoped the review would help the family of the victims move on and "answer the questions posed by others once and for all". VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line. Will you be tuning into Murder in the Valleys on Sky Crime and Now? Murder in the Valleys starts Sunday 6 February on Sky Crime and NOW. No doubt many factors are to blame, but the total evaporation of religious belief must have played some part. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. They claimed the original investigation was flawed. However, again all members of the Lewis family similarly maintain their innocence in all aspects of the case, with Stephen claiming he had no idea about his wife's affair or homosexuality until after the murders went public. "No family should ever go through what we have and still do.". Katie Pladl and the Father-Daughter Incest Case That Ended in Murder It was later determined the house was set on fire twice in an attempt to conceal the attack the first around 12.30/1am and a second one a few hours later. After dozens of people were pictured queuing outside a Tenby pub on Easter Sunday, the question emerged - is Tenby equipped to deal with all the people desperate to go there and experience its delights in 2023 and beyond? He has firmly vowed not to do so, and if he carries out his intention, he will not be granted the parole after 32 years for which he might otherwise have been eligible. Read about our approach to external linking. Alison Lewis, who was arrested after the bodies of her lover Mandy Power and Ms Power's family were discovered, had earlier spoken of her intention to sue the force. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? South Wales Police said in a statement: "The decision to carry out a forensic review does not constitute a reopening or reinvestigation of the murders, nor does it demonstrate any lack of confidence in the conviction of Morris and the subsequent case reviews. Stuart spoke out on the eve of the launch of Murder in the Valleys, a Sky Crime TV documentary probing the murders and the police investigation. The South Wales Police were under intense public pressure to find the culprit, or culprits. Surely this was a condition that the barrister should not have accepted? Why would Morris have done this? What accounts for this collapse? For a long time, the principal suspect or suspects were Alison Lewis and her husband, Stephen, a police officer in the area, and his identical twin brother, Stuart, also an officer. My brother knew Katie (one of the girls murdered) and had attended her 10th birthday the weekend prior to the murders. David killed Mandy as she lay in her bed, and then waited for the others to return home. Morris, 38 at the time of his arrest, lived in the nearby town of Craig Cefn Parc, about a mile away from the Powers' home. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Dorris was killed in her bed, while Amanda (better known as Mandy) and her daughters were killed on the landing. He then changed his mind, returning to his own house by 4.30am. The prosecution claimed David was fuelled by drink and drugs when he went on the killing spree. A preliminary hearing in her case was set for April 23, 2018. First, Morris was never seen in or near the vicinity of Mandy's home by any witnesses that evening. The murders in Clydach 15 years ago were almost unimaginably brutal. A review of issues relating to the conviction of David Morris for the murders of Mandy Power, her two daughters Katie and Emily and her mother Doris Dawson in Clydach in 1999 has led to significant findings as a result of analysing key forensic evidence. He was convicted for the murders a second time in 2006 after an earlier conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal. Labourer David Morris, also known as Dai, was twice convicted of the multiple killings but his family have maintained his innocence and continue to fight to clear his name after he died in prison aged 59 last August. Indeed, the jealous are often jealous because they themselves are unfaithful and suppose that everyone is like them. Mandy Power, her daughters Katie and Emily and her mother Doris Dawson, were bludgeoned to death at their home in Clydach, near Swansea in June 1999. The true story behind Netflix's The Nurse, What Sins of Our Mother leaves out of true story, What Netflixs Boston Marathon doesn't address, Who was David Koresh? However, in the knowledge of the conclusions drawn from this review, South Wales Police would like to show respect to the family and those affected by these terrible crimes by finalising this case. Poppy Dixon, Director of Documentaries and Factual Commissioning at Sky, said: The Clydach murders remain one of the largest and most divisive investigations in Welsh history. Over the four episodes, Murder in the Valleys tells the story behind the biggest murder investigation in Welsh history. That it was present suggests, more likely than not, that Lewiss contact with the victim was more recent than she admitted. Sky Crime's new true-crime series, Murder In The Valleys, takes a deep dive into a 22-year-old case which many believe resulted in a wrongful conviction. Former Inspector Stuart Lewis was held in a cell for four days and says the way his own force dealt with the murder inquiry has ruined his life. Morris was convicted of murder at Swansea Crown Court in 2002 - but this ruling was overturned on appeal due to a conflict of interest by a defence solicitor. David Morris killed three generations of the same family in the village of . Read about our approach to external linking. This content is imported from Twitter. Murder and mystery in South Carolina: A timeline of the Murdaugh - CNN Now a Sky Crime documentary re-examines the murders. Since most British criminals have committed five to ten times as many crimes as those for which they have been charged, he had doubtless caused others much misery. "They can't let it go - if they did, they'd feel like it was a betrayal. She was also a black belt in karate, which she put into practice one day when a Welsh boxing champion objected to her same-sex canoodling in a pub. Murder in the Valleys premieres on Sky Crime and NOW on Sunday, February 6. "Morris was convicted unanimously by a jury on the strength of the prosecution case and independent reviews by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) have not identified any new evidence. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, was convicted for the second time in 2006, there have been doubts cast over his conviction, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic, Indian 'killer' elephant relocated to tiger reserve, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, Ding becomes China's first male world chess champion, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home. Despite attempts to resuscitate him, he was confirmed dead a short time later. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, 'Nothing to undermine' Clydach murders conviction, South Wales Police announced a review of elements of the case, the Crown Prosecution Service said no information had been provided, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, Banana artwork in Seoul museum eaten by visitor, Trump says 'great to be home' on visit to Scotland, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, JP Morgan snaps up troubled US bank First Republic, Father tells how gunman opened fire on Texas home, Indian 'killer' elephant relocated to tiger reserve. Katie and Emily Power, who were murdered alongside their mother and grandmother in Clydach in 1999, Police Inspector Stuart Lewis has broken his 22-year-silence. He was taken in by police 18 months after the murders, when it was reported the gold chain found at the scene was his. The man convicted of the Clydach murders has died in prison, it has been confirmed. He tells Sky News: "The headlines were obsessed with Alison because she was a black belt, she was a Welsh rugby international, she'd been a police officer - all those things were tantalising for journalists. They were preparing to have a life together. The Clydach Murders, by John Morris, a retired lawyer, is first-rate, as gripping an account of a crime as one is likely to read. The prosecution successfully argued Morris 'flew into a fit of rage' after Mandy had rejected his sexual advances, but there was male DNA found at the crime scene, including on the murder weapon that again did not belong to Morris. Filmed over a period of 12 months, Murder in The Valleys re-examines the murders of three generations of the same family. The true story of Waco, What Murdaugh Murders: Southern Scandal misses out, What Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker leaves out, What Stonehouse skips about the runaway politician, Murder In The Valleys: The case for and against David Morris's conviction, DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. The only DNA evidence found was hers, in Mandy Powers vagina. This detail sounds true. Former Inspector Stuart Lewis was held in a cell for four days, interviewed 26 times and suspended for four years after being arrested in connection with one of the worst crimes in British legal history. He also seems to have rented a room elsewhere as another alternative. There was not enough evidence to connect them to the crime and the Lewises were never charged. An accused MS-13 gang member has been arrested in Holiday, Florida, and charged in what the sheriff described as a "demonic" murder of an Uber Eats delivery driver whose remains were found . Morris, though he admitted to taking amphetamines in the past, denied that he had bought or used them this time; and no other witnesses were available to testify to his supposedly psychotic state. Nothing should have been easier in a small community, where everyone knew everyone else (and not infrequently in the biblical sense). An examination of a sock identified the presence of a mixed Y-STR profile that links David Morris or a male relative to the crime scene. During his initial interview, he said the gold chain wasn't his, but was similar to one he had broken about two weeks later while working on a building site. Police commission independent forensic review of Clydach Murders - ITVX BBC NEWS | UK | Wales | Clydach murders 'worst in Wales' This in turn threw out the reason why his chain would be at the home. David Morris denies the 'massacre' of Mandy Power and her family. During that trial, the prosecution produced evidence via phone records proving he was at home at the time he claimed to be sleeping with Mandy. The man convicted of the Clydach murders has died in prison, it has been confirmed. David Morris was found guilty of murdering an entire family of four including two young . The negative impact on myself and my family over the last 22 years has been severe and long lasting. To bolster this claim, the police produced a small-time drug dealer, who said that he had sold Morris amphetamines shortly before the murders. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? It would not reflect well on him. . They might have sought to protect their own, or those whom they thought were their own; and it was obvious from the outset that, with such a clear conflict of interest, the South Wales Police should have handed over the investigation to another force. Stephen and Alison Lewis separated after Morriss conviction. Morris knew Mandy Power: in fact, he was having a sexual relationship with her. "It's torn the community apart. What the unusual mass murder verdict means for a man who killed three women in Knoxville. Is climate change killing Australian wine? University lecturer and journalist Brian Thornton, one of the founders of the Crime and Justice Research Centre at the University of Winchester, has studied the Clydach murders for a decade. "One of the difficult things is separating the fact and fiction, the gossip from the truth.". ST. LOUIS COUNTY Two people are dead after an apparent murder-suicide in north St. Louis County. Is climate change killing Australian wine? But the police were clearly reluctant to pin the blame on their ownnamely, one or both Lewis twins, or Alison, a former police officer. However, scientists cannot determine how or when the profile was transferred onto the sock, but claim the DNA is more likely than not to be Morris's. Baby taken to hospital after dog attack in Caerphilly, Wales, Princess of Wales has handbag 'stolen' by baby boy on visit to Aberfan, Prince William and Kate abseil off Brecon Beacons cliff during visit to South Wales. Mandy Power, aged 34, her invalid mother, Doris Dawson, and her two children, Katie and Emily, aged ten and eight, were killed with a blunt instrument, wielded with such force that it inflicted injuries far greater than those necessary to cause death. At the least, his guilt was not proved beyond reasonable doubt, and Morris lays bare a story of police corruption and incompetence, lawyerly dishonesty, and judicial unfairnessliberally assisted by local prejudice and a willingness to lie that is, as the outdated saying goes, un-British. The murderer either had a key, or was let in, to the house, suggesting that he was well-known at least to Mandy Power, who, it turned out, was well-known to many locals. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Morris spent 22 years in prison for killing Mandy Power, 34, her daughters Katie, 10, and Emily, eight, and her 80-year-old mother Doris Dawson. Key forensic evidence identified during review of Clydach Murders 6 Feb 2022. Morris' sister and aunt spoke with WalesOnline in September 2021 you can read the interview here. Many of his neighbors did not like him, true, though it is not clear whether this was because of past or present behavior. These failures have resulted in constant speculation of the safety of the conviction.. However, Morris's sister Debra Morris said the announcement did not go far enough: "It's not independent for me. Campaigners had spent years calling for his release, casting doubt on the integrity of the original investigation. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? A forensic review of evidence linked to the brutal murders of a family of four more than 20 years ago has been agreed. The man convicted of the Clydach murders in the Swansea Valley died of natural causes in prison, a coroner has concluded. Twenty years on, the Clydach killings remain horrificand contested. Morris said he did have sex with Mandy and asked for money for the chain, but only to affirm his innocence rather than hide his guilt. Firefighters found the bodies of Ms Power and the girls laid out on the landing when they came to tackle the blaze. Detective Carey said: "The outcome of the forensic assessment and completion of further actions have not established any information that undermines the conviction of Morris. Alison herself had been in the police force but had been invalided out on disability after witnessing an upsetting suicide. A judge has ruled that an appeal on behalf of a man found guilty of murdering four members of the same family, should go ahead. The vicious death sparked one of the most expensive and extensive investigations in the history of the South Wales police. A year before her arrest, Alison's lover Mandy Power had been found dead along with Mandy's mother Doris and daughters, Katie, 10, and Emily, aged eight. His legal representatives made a request to South Wales Police in November, following the airing of a BBC Wales Investigates programme on the conviction of Mr Morris, asking for various items of evidence to be released for further investigation by their forensic scientists. Morris, 59, collapsed and died by the medication hatch on Alpha wing in Long Lartin prison, Worcestershire, last August. Why would Morris, by now the accused, have made it up? Though, or perhaps because, Clydach is a small place, tight-knit and socially incestuous, the storya shocking one, of byzantine complexityis more than enough to put one off the supposed joys of community, if not forever, at least for some time. Murder in the Valleys is a new true crime series looking at the horrifying Clydach murders. After waiting, wondering, they thought at last the 12-month murder probe might be drawing to a close when police made three arrests. Hania Aguilar loved purple and science. Campaigners had spent years calling for his release. However, this ruling was later overturned on appeal due to a conflict of interest by a defence solicitor. "As well as it being an interesting case with extraordinary details, I think there is a legitimate reason for opening this up and looking at it again. Yet a second trial found Morris guilty on precisely the same evidence as had the first, flawed though it was. What is required is an open and transparent investigation to finally get to the truth of what happened. At the time, he was a father to two daughters, and was living with his girlfriend, and didn't want to be found out as a cheater. This was therefore to be their model. The force said it had decided a "proportionate course of action", which was to appoint an independent senior investigating officer and an independent forensic scientist to oversee a review of the areas referred to by Morris's legal representatives. It shows an almost complete breakdown of official probitya probity that many of the British once (perhaps naively) thought characteristic of their society. He spent 22 years in jail for killing Mandy Power, 34, her daughters Katie, 10, and Emily, aged eight, and her 80-year-old mother Doris Dawson. Murder in the Valleys takes a forensic look at the biggest murder investigation in Welsh history. The alternative suspects came from within their own ranks officers (and twin brothers) Stuart and Stephen Lewis, and Stephen's wife Alison. The new evidence emerged after the force appointed an independent senior investigating officer and forensic laboratory to oversee a forensic review of the case material following a request from Morris's representatives last year. Morriss first trial ended with his conviction, but it was quashed when it emerged that his solicitor (in England and Wales, the lawyer preparing the case instructs the advocate, who pleads it in court, the two functions being separated) was acting not only for Morris but for the three Lewises, the only other suspects in the case. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. At first, he denied that the chain was his, though he acknowledged the lie a few days before his first trial, three years later. We have asked for this for a long time and South Wales Police are choosing who looks at it. A judge convicted him again at Newport Crown Court during a retrial in 2006 and David was sentenced to life imprisonment. He had spent the rest of his life maintaining his innocence and appealing his conviction. Now for the first time in 22 years, Stuart Lewis has spoken about the ordeal that has ruined his life, as The Mirror reports. Circumstantial evidence also implicated Alison Lewis, including her jealousy and capacity for violence and her awareness that her lover was still seeing men. Ahead of the show's launch, here's what happened that night, as well as the arguments for and against David's conviction. He described the sex in some detail. Morris was convicted for the second time in 2006 and was initially given a whole-life sentence, which was reduced on appeal to 32 years. The main chapel in the little city of Brecon is now a pharmacy, caring for the bodies instead of the souls of the local people. Due to your consent preferences, youre not able to view this. Dietrich Weismann Fellow at the Manhattan Institute. I am puzzled why people cant see Morris for what he is. David Morris was jailed for the murder of Mandy Power and her two daughters, Katie and Emily, as well as her mother Doris Dawson, in 1999. She had so much to give and so much to live for. The murders took place at 9 Kelvin Road, Clydach, in the early hours of June 27, 1999. And, despite a local labourer being later convicted of the murders, they still have to deal with the fact that some locals in Clydach, near Swansea, still believe they are responsible for wiping out three generations of the same family. During David Morris trial, the jury heard that hed had a sexual relationship with Mandy Power. I was remanded in custody for four days, interviewed on 26 occasions and suspended for four years., In a statement given exclusively to the Mirror, Stuart says he believes police officers made a catalogue of errors fuelling speculation his family was responsible for the tragedy. Man and woman shot dead after apparent murder-suicide in St. Louis County "I feel for Alison. Clydach murders appeal goes ahead. David Morris | Murderpedia, the encyclopedia of murderers Morris has always maintained his innocence, but a bid to take his case to the Court of Appeal was rejected as recently as 2018 by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Mandy Power, 34, her bed-ridden mother Doris Dawson, 80, and her daughters Katie, 10, and Emily, eight, were found dead by firefighters at . Morris appeared to have no motive to kill Mandy Power or the three others, but the prosecution got around this by alleging that he was drunk and psychotically high on amphetamines at the time and had reacted furiously to Powers refusal to have sex. However he was convicted again during a retrial in 2006 and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Speaking on the biggest murder inquiry in South Wales' history, he said: "I was a serving police officer 22 years ago, who was wrongfully arrested for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Alison was also known to be expert in handling the kind of blunt instruments used in some forms of martial arts. David 'Dai' Morris was sentenced in 2002 for the murders of three generations of a family who were bludgeoned to death in their home in Clydach, Wales. Y chromosome STR profiling can detect the male component even in extreme mixtures of male and female DNA and is often used in forensics, paternity, and genealogical DNA testing. The inquiry was the largest and most complex murder investigation ever undertaken by a Welsh police force. Stuart Lewis was the first senior policeman on the scene after firefighters had brought the blaze at 9 Kelvin Road under control and it became clear that four people had been killed before it was set. Another possible motive was that Power threatened to expose him to his girlfriend Jewell, supposedly a close friend of hers. Accounts made by two witnesses in a BBC documentary Beyond Reasonable Doubt? He spent 22 . David Morris, 42, received four life sentences in 2002 for battering to death Mandy Power, her daughters Katie and Emily and her mother, Doris . One such show that garnered attention for this phenomenon was the controversial drama 13 Reasons Why.