THE convictions of Michael Stone for the murder of Lin Russell and her daughter Megan are to be reviewed after serial killer Levi Bellfield is reported to have confessed to the crimes.
Stone is serving three life sentences for the murders of Ms Russell, 45, and her six-year-old daughter, who were found bludgeoned to death in Chillenden, Kent, in July 1996.
Ms Russell’s other daughter, Josie, then nine, suffered severe head injuries in the attack and the family’s dog, Lucy, was killed.
Last year, Bellfield, who is serving two whole-life orders, claimed responsibility for the murders before later retracting his statement.
In April, lawyers acting for Stone claimed that Bellfield had written and signed a fresh confession to the murder.
Bellfield was given a whole-life term for murdering Marsha McDonnell, 19, in 2003, murdering Amelie Delagrange, 22, and trying to murder Kate Sheedy, 18, in 2004.
He was already serving his sentence when he went on trial for killing schoolgirl Milly, who was snatched from the street walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002.
Bellfield was found guilty of abducting and killing Milly following a trial at the Old Bailey in 2011.
Mark McDonald, the long-term barrister acting for Stone, said to the Guardian: “Michael Stone has been in prison for 26 years for a crime he did not commit.
“I am really pleased that the CCRC have reconsidered their decision and decided to review this case again.
“It is essential that this review is undertaken as a matter of urgency and Stone’s conviction is referred back to the Court of Appeal.
“The decision as to whether Bellfield is credible needs to be taken by the Court of Appeal, not the CCRC.”
The CCRC said in a statement: “Michael Stone’s murder convictions will be reviewed again by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) following a request from his representatives.
“In 2001, Mr Stone was sentenced to life imprisonment at Nottingham Crown Court for the murders of Dr Lin Russell and her six-year-old daughter Megan, and the attempted murder of Dr Russell’s nine-year-old daughter Josie, in 1996.
“The CCRC’s previous reviews found no credible evidence or argument that raised a real possibility of the convictions being quashed, these conclusions are not affected by the new review.”
Bellfield had boasted that he made up a false confession to murdering Lin and Megan Russell for “cash and fun”.
He wrote to Kent Police admitting he lied to get a £5,000 payment to a relative.
A source said to The Sun: “Bellfield wrote that the things he said in the confession weren’t true.”
The source claimed Bellfield made the claim for “fun” and to claim “expenses.”
Kent Police checked the payment, which Bellfield alleged had been made on behalf of someone known to Michael Stone, 63, who is serving life for the murders in the same jail as Bellfield.
It is also understood that Bellfield’s false version did not tally with what survivor Josie Russell told police.
Bellfield, 55, had made two confessions over the 1996 attack on the Russells in Kent.
He retracted the first but later made a detailed confession.
Ex-Met Det Chief Insp Colin Sutton told The Sun: “My view is that Bellfield knows he is in prison forever, that he has somehow joined up with Stone and offered to lie on his behalf for payment.”
