LEVI BELLFIELD TO UNDERGO DNA TEST OVER 1996 RUSSELL MURDERS

The serial killer Levi Bellfield will undergo a DNA test in connection with the 1996 murders of Lin and Megan Russell. The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) will conduct the test as part of an inquiry into whether Michael Stone was wrongly convicted of the killings. Lin Russell was 45 years old; her daughter Megan was six years old at the time of their deaths.

Michael Stone has maintained his innocence since his 1998 conviction for the murders of Lin and Megan Russell. The CCRC's decision to test Bellfield's DNA indicates the commission is investigating alternative suspects in the case. The nature of the evidence prompting the CCRC to pursue Bellfield's involvement has not been detailed in available sources.

The inquiry represents a significant development in a case that has remained contested for over two decades. Stone's conviction has been the subject of previous legal challenges and public scrutiny regarding the quality of evidence used to secure it. The outcome of Bellfield's DNA test will determine whether further investigation into alternative suspects is warranted in the case.