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[narrator] Every 90 seconds,
someone is reported missing.
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Many return to their families,
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but for others,
something has gone seriously wrong.
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A 22-year-old woman has gone missing
after a Christmas party.
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It's a nightmare that you've lived with.
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The phone call in the early hours.
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The family of Lorraine Benson
received a call
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that she hadn't arrived.
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[narrator] What happens in
the police investigation that follows…
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Uniformed officers had a gut instinct
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that something was wrong.
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There were other cases of similar women
that had been attacked.
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[narrator] what happens
to the family at its heart…
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You can't believe
you're living through the anxiety.
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Just wasn't happening.
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[narrator reading]
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[Lorraine] God, he's a handsome devil,
isn't he, Daddy?
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Not as good-looking as my mummy, though.
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Smile at me, Mummy.
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No, at me.
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-At you?
-At me.
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[Lyn] I'm looking at you.
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[Lorraine] Well, in that case,
look at the lens.
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-That's it, yes!
-Ah!
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-Hello.
-I'm on film. [laughs]
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You are on camera.
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-The red light's on, is it?
-Yeah.
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-The red light's on.
-You'll hear that
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throughout the whole video,
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'cause everyone's been saying,
"Is the red light on?"
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-Oh, goodness me.
-Is the red light on?
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[Lyn] And…
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cut.
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[laughs]
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Obscene.
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Are we still on?
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-Ooh, yes.
-Yeah, really?
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[Lorraine] John, thank you
for coming down for my 21st.
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That's all right, Lorraine.
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[Michael Benson]
Well, she was our third, our youngest.
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Lorraine was very independent.
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She was our daughter and that was it.
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[Lorraine laughs]
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[Lyn] Loved her friends, loved going out.
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Parties.
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Loved kids.
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{\an8}Animals.
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{\an8}Especially her tortoise.
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[Mick] She seemed
to have time for everybody.
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[smacks lips] Uh…
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Loved her sisters.
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She loved everybody, really.
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[gentle music playing]
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Through school…
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{\an8}didn't know quite what she wanted to do.
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{\an8}But, you know, you knew
she'd find her level sooner or later,
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which she did.
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Then she suddenly found photography.
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And, uh, [exhales]
got herself a good camera.
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Took a lot of pictures, got herself a job.
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And she was in her element, really,
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just taking pictures all day.
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Living her life, she had it about right.
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Uh, it's a cliché, but she was fun-loving.
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[Lyn] In the morning,
she said, "I'm off to work."
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A party later on.
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She loved Christmas.
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[narrator] Five days before celebrating
Christmas with her family,
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Lorraine Benson is off
to her work's Christmas party.
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All right, have a good time.
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And she always rang whenever she was out
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-to let us know…
-[chuckles]
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where she was.
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[dramatic music playing]
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[Mick] About half past 8:00 that night,
we were sitting in the front room there
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-and the phone went.
-[phone rings]
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I picked the phone up, it was Lorraine.
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She said, "Hello, Dad."
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She says, uh…
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She said, "I won't be home tonight.
I'm going to Lotta's."
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Lotta was the mother
of one her friends, Peter.
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"Peter's off to Australia on a gap year."
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And she said, "I'm going,"
and I'll just cheer him off.
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And she said, "Don't worry about me,
I've got work in the morning."
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So it was like, kiss kiss down the phone
and that was that.
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[dramatic music playing]
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Uh…
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We went to bed and it was
20 past 1:00, the phone went.
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[phone ringing]
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As any parent would say, you know, just a…
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It's a nightmare that you've lived with.
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The phone call in the early hours.
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I woke up and it was Lotta.
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Uh, she said, "Is Lorraine with you?"
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I said, "Don't be silly,
she's coming to you."
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She said, "She's not here."
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She said, "Well, when she got
to Raynes Park she did ring me.
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Peter was supposed to meet her
at Raynes Park,
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but he got caught up
with a couple of mates
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and they were having a drink
'cause obviously he was going away."
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And as he wasn't there, Lotta said,
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"Don't worry, I'll get the car
and come and get you."
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And then Lorraine said,
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"Don't worry, I can walk.
It's only about a mile."
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Along Coombe Road, even late at night,
it's bright and open.
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She began walking down Coombe Road
to get to Holland Avenue.
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It's… I don't know what the mileage,
one mile, whatever it is.
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-[birds chirping]
-[traffic humming]
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The family of Lorraine Benson
received a call
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{\an8}from her friend's house
who she was going to visit that night,
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{\an8}that she hadn't arrived.
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{\an8}They were obviously concerned
and called the police.
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[gentle music playing]
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It's 30 years in December
since I've been here.
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And things have changed considerably.
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It brings back all kinds of memories.
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When Lorraine went missing
it was just before Christmas.
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She had, in fact, been
to a Christmas party that night.
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[dramatic music playing]
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In December of 1988,
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{\an8}I was the sole female detective constable
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{\an8}working at Wimbledon Police Station
in South London.
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And I was appointed to be
the Family Liaison Officer
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when there was a report
of a missing young lady.
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My natural reaction was, "Why?
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Why do you require CID now?"
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That is so unusual.
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If an adult is reported missing,
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then normally 24 hours would be left
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before a formal investigation
would be launched.
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Normally, the last you'd hear of somebody
in those circumstances
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was when they've gone to a party
or something like that.
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More often than not,
especially at that time of year,
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they would have gone to a friend's house,
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be too worse for wear.
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It would not be escalated
as a serious case for 24 hours
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unless there was some unusual information.
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The uniformed officers had a gut instinct
that something was wrong.
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She'd made that phone call to say,
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"I'm at the train station,
my friend hasn't come to meet me,
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I've got a short walk to go."
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And it was just one road,
one long main road to walk.
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It would have taken ten minutes
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for a fit person to walk the distance
to her friend's house.
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All the circumstances,
the phone call a short time before
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to say, "I'm just up the road,
I'll be there," and not turning up.
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Uh, the fact that
the friend hadn't met her
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when was supposed to,
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that she was walking alone,
quite late at night,
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I think it was early in the morning.
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It was that gut instinct where the DI,
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Detective Inspector actually,
then urged me to spend time
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and try and find out as much as possible,
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and to get my initial reaction,
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"Did I think that this actually
warranted more investigation or not?"
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{\an8}[narrator]
Officers at Wimbledon Police Station
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{\an8}had a very good reason to be concerned
about Lorraine's disappearance.
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There were other cases of similar women
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that had been attacked very close by.
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[dramatic music playing]
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And that would have been
in the back of his mind.
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In Kingston, the police
had started a major inquiry
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with a team of detectives
looking into a series of rapes,
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uh, which is…
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Just the border of which is just around
the corner from where we are now.
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It was stressed to me that
they felt that there was more to this
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and that we should start
investigations early.
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[dramatic music playing]
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[Gary Shorricks] Inspector Wayne Henry
was the duty officer that night
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and he deployed his team
to carry out an area search
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to look for Lorraine.
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They would carry out as many inquiries
as they could in the darkness
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to either establish what had happened
or to find Lorraine.
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[narrator]
The police's only source of information
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are Mick and Lyn Benson,
and Peter's mother, Lotta.
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The demeanor of the parents
and the mother of the friend
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where Lorraine was supposed to arrive,
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those things were all
very early indicators
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that this was beyond the normal.
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When Lotta told me what was going on,
I went over there.
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Strangely, when I walked in
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there were two police constables
already in there.
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And then really it was down to me
as the liaison officer
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to sit down with them
and try to actually evidence in writing
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what was at that time, a gut instinct,
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to try and glean
as much information from them
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and put pen to paper
to convince more senior officers
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that this truly was a serious case.
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And I said to the officer then, I said,
"I've always been pro police,
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but there's not even a crime
to be seen yet
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and you're on the case."
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And he turned round and said,
"These last few months
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there have been so many sexual assaults.
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The first sign or talk of one,"
he said, "We're out."
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[narrator] With little to go on,
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officers keep an open mind
about what may have happened to Lorraine.
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In any case
where a young girl goes missing,
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the father is normally
questioned quite closely.
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The police officer said,
"We go out and look for her."
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We ended up in the car,
went back to Raynes Park.
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It turns out that the father
is usually the main suspect.
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So in retrospect, they just stand back.
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I've been involved in interviewing parents
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and loved ones before,
where, in fact, at the back of your mind
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you know that possibly
they are the culprit.
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It was when you start looking for her,
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you're aware that you're in front.
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They're not leading you,
but they're waiting for you
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to go somewhere you shouldn't go,
and then go, "Ooh, look what I've found."
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[narrator] It's the early hours
of December the 20th, 1988.
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Police are searching for Lorraine Benson,
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who hasn't arrived at her friend's house
after a work Christmas party.
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This has been made
a high-risk missing person's case
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because of recent attacks
in the local area.
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Everyone close to Lorraine
is thoroughly investigated.
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{\an8}In any case
where a young girl goes missing,
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{\an8}the father is normally
questioned quite closely.
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{\an8}At the back of your mind, you know
that possibly they are the culprit.
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But he was eliminated quite early on
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because he was in a different part
of London when Lorraine was missing.
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[narrator] The police's attention
turns to the man
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Lorraine was supposed to be meeting.
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Lorraine's friend, Peter, that
was supposed to meet her at the station
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was also arrested.
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Colleagues who spoke to Peter
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told me that obviously his reactions
were, of course,
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just devastated to start with,
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confusion as to why he'd been arrested,
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moving on to understanding
why he would be a suspect,
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back to anger.
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Why was he the suspect?
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Why weren't they actually
finding the real suspect?
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And the concentration of police activity
around his house,
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knowing that Lorraine
was out there somewhere,
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and yet his house was being
searched from top to toe for clues
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by police officers
in front of all the neighbors.
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Peter was eventually eliminated
from the inquiry.
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He was exonerated very early on
in the inquiry, fortunately for him.
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And he turned to actually
be a sterling person
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that supported the family throughout.
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The number one priority
is to find Lorraine.
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Whether, at that point,
243
00:12:23,563 --> 00:12:25,723
Mick or any of the family
were the suspects,
244
00:12:25,803 --> 00:12:27,963
or whether it was somebody else
who was a suspect,
245
00:12:28,043 --> 00:12:31,323
the key priority always
is to focus on where is Lorraine.
246
00:12:36,963 --> 00:12:39,883
I sat down with Mick
with a map of Wimbledon
247
00:12:39,963 --> 00:12:44,003
{\an8}and we actually chatted through
the route Lorraine would have taken.
248
00:12:45,163 --> 00:12:48,483
I then took that map through
to Detective Inspector Benham
249
00:12:48,563 --> 00:12:52,683
and explained to him this is where
I think the search should start,
250
00:12:52,763 --> 00:12:54,123
and he agreed with me.
251
00:12:54,203 --> 00:12:57,003
DI Benham then briefed a uniform team,
252
00:12:57,643 --> 00:13:00,003
who specialized in searching,
253
00:13:00,083 --> 00:13:03,123
and they slowly traced back
along the main road first,
254
00:13:03,203 --> 00:13:05,203
from A to B, the most direct route
255
00:13:05,283 --> 00:13:06,963
and then down the side roads.
256
00:13:07,923 --> 00:13:10,563
[Shorricks] Officers on the night
established this scene.
257
00:13:12,603 --> 00:13:17,043
It was a torchlight search
by the officers in the vicinity
258
00:13:17,123 --> 00:13:19,123
that they knew Lorraine would be walking.
259
00:13:19,243 --> 00:13:21,603
Um, and that's when
they found her property.
260
00:13:24,083 --> 00:13:28,883
In that first initial walk through
of the main road of Coombe Lane,
261
00:13:28,963 --> 00:13:31,203
an item of jewelry was found.
262
00:13:34,443 --> 00:13:38,843
{\an8}A police officer,
"Has she got a hooped earring?
263
00:13:39,683 --> 00:13:41,683
-A leather hooped earring?"
-[sighs softly]
264
00:13:42,243 --> 00:13:44,563
I showed it to Mick to ask him
whether he recognized it
265
00:13:44,643 --> 00:13:45,883
and initially he didn't.
266
00:13:45,963 --> 00:13:48,243
He phoned Lyn at home, his wife.
267
00:13:48,323 --> 00:13:50,403
No, I said to Lyn,
268
00:13:50,483 --> 00:13:53,043
"Has Lorraine got
a leather hooped earring?"
269
00:13:53,123 --> 00:13:54,443
So she said, "No."
270
00:13:56,403 --> 00:13:59,643
Initially, relief, it's not hers.
271
00:14:00,523 --> 00:14:04,203
And I could see the relief on Mick's face.
"No, it's okay, it's not hers."
272
00:14:04,283 --> 00:14:07,163
And almost you could see
he was convincing himself
273
00:14:07,243 --> 00:14:10,083
that actually, "No, that's fine,
discard that, phew.
274
00:14:10,483 --> 00:14:11,443
Let's move on."
275
00:14:11,523 --> 00:14:13,603
And then the phone call back.
276
00:14:14,043 --> 00:14:16,003
She said, "I think
she's borrowed mine, Mick."
277
00:14:16,523 --> 00:14:17,923
[sniffles]
278
00:14:21,243 --> 00:14:24,323
"No. I did lend her
a pair of my earrings."
279
00:14:25,243 --> 00:14:27,843
She realized, in fact,
it was a pair of her own earrings
280
00:14:27,923 --> 00:14:29,323
that she'd lent Lorraine.
281
00:14:30,963 --> 00:14:34,643
And that changed to one
of complete despair,
282
00:14:34,723 --> 00:14:37,003
and that reinforcement of worry
283
00:14:37,523 --> 00:14:39,003
and complete helplessness.
284
00:14:42,283 --> 00:14:45,403
[Mick] The police officer said,
"I think you better come over."
285
00:14:45,763 --> 00:14:48,483
We were taken straight to this car port.
286
00:14:50,923 --> 00:14:52,683
And he shone his torch down.
287
00:14:53,723 --> 00:14:55,603
Nothing there looked like Lorraine.
288
00:14:59,203 --> 00:15:02,683
And then he moved the torch
a little bit on the earring.
289
00:15:03,843 --> 00:15:05,083
Um…
290
00:15:07,803 --> 00:15:10,403
Yeah, Lyn said,
"I think that's my earring."
291
00:15:10,483 --> 00:15:14,123
So the police officer said,
"Well, we better move away,
292
00:15:14,203 --> 00:15:16,523
you know, you're gonna start
treading on it, evidence."
293
00:15:19,723 --> 00:15:22,963
The earring was actually
emotionally a very difficult time
294
00:15:23,043 --> 00:15:24,363
for both Mick and Lyn.
295
00:15:26,163 --> 00:15:30,163
[Lyn] Please let her be found
and she's alive, she's okay.
296
00:15:34,723 --> 00:15:37,483
Just couldn't believe it was happening.
297
00:15:39,443 --> 00:15:41,083
[suspenseful music playing]
298
00:15:42,163 --> 00:15:45,003
[Jenny Wood] That was the first clue
that we were on the right path
299
00:15:45,083 --> 00:15:47,203
of the direction that
Lorraine had gone in.
300
00:15:48,523 --> 00:15:52,443
And the next items that were found
were a bag with a change of clothes.
301
00:15:53,163 --> 00:15:56,683
It was a key driver
for then going back out,
302
00:15:56,763 --> 00:15:58,603
geeing on the search teams, say,
303
00:15:58,683 --> 00:16:00,203
"We're getting there, guys."
304
00:16:00,683 --> 00:16:03,363
When Lorraine's items had been found,
305
00:16:03,443 --> 00:16:05,483
the scene has to be kept sterile.
306
00:16:05,563 --> 00:16:08,883
So an officer would be placed
to keep anybody else from going in
307
00:16:08,963 --> 00:16:10,323
to contaminate the scene.
308
00:16:10,403 --> 00:16:12,283
The officer in charge would have requested
309
00:16:12,363 --> 00:16:15,443
the forensic teams to be called
from Scotland Yard,
310
00:16:15,523 --> 00:16:18,443
and then, in the day,
the local forensic officers,
311
00:16:18,523 --> 00:16:21,403
in those days they were termed SOCOs,
Scenes of Crimes Officers,
312
00:16:21,483 --> 00:16:24,163
then they would have come along
to assist at the scene as well.
313
00:16:24,243 --> 00:16:27,283
They went back and it was an even finer,
more detailed search.
314
00:16:27,363 --> 00:16:28,883
[Shorricks] Forensics teams turned up.
315
00:16:28,963 --> 00:16:31,923
On the car that was parked
at the end of the alleyway behind me,
316
00:16:32,003 --> 00:16:33,923
there were some disturbance marks
317
00:16:34,003 --> 00:16:36,163
where, it had been there for some time,
318
00:16:36,243 --> 00:16:39,003
the dust had all congregated on the door,
319
00:16:39,083 --> 00:16:40,763
and that had been disturbed.
320
00:16:42,203 --> 00:16:45,083
But also, more crucially found
very close to the car
321
00:16:45,163 --> 00:16:46,923
was a discarded handkerchief.
322
00:16:49,003 --> 00:16:51,923
The handkerchief had blood.
323
00:16:53,123 --> 00:16:57,043
There was also saliva and mucus debris.
324
00:16:58,803 --> 00:17:04,243
Items that are seized
are put into forensic bags and sealed
325
00:17:04,323 --> 00:17:06,483
so that there can be
no cross contamination.
326
00:17:09,923 --> 00:17:12,963
[Julie Allard] A forensic scientist always
needs to have an open mind,
327
00:17:13,043 --> 00:17:16,203
particularly in the investigative stages
of a case.
328
00:17:16,283 --> 00:17:20,043
Is there something else
on the item or in the evidence
329
00:17:20,122 --> 00:17:21,923
that may be worth looking at?
330
00:17:22,003 --> 00:17:24,683
{\an8}With this case, it was allocated to me
331
00:17:24,763 --> 00:17:27,323
{\an8}because I was already dealing
with a series of rapes
332
00:17:27,402 --> 00:17:30,083
{\an8}which had occurred in the Kingston area,
333
00:17:30,163 --> 00:17:32,283
and it was thought that
the cases may be linked.
334
00:17:34,203 --> 00:17:38,083
We had bags and bags and bags
and bags of pieces.
335
00:17:38,803 --> 00:17:41,643
{\an8}At that stage, we never knew
336
00:17:41,723 --> 00:17:44,283
what we'd found that would be
of any benefit anywhere.
337
00:17:45,643 --> 00:17:48,043
[narrator] With the forensics team
hard at work,
338
00:17:48,123 --> 00:17:52,963
their investigating colleagues
are hunting for more clues and witnesses.
339
00:17:53,043 --> 00:17:56,123
The inquiry continued
with house to house inquiries
340
00:17:56,203 --> 00:17:58,683
to establish what people had seen.
341
00:17:58,763 --> 00:18:02,243
And witnesses on Coombe Lane
behind me had heard noises,
342
00:18:02,323 --> 00:18:04,883
screams that they thought
was just a drunken fight.
343
00:18:04,963 --> 00:18:08,243
She had a very distinctive long white mac
she'd just bought herself.
344
00:18:08,323 --> 00:18:09,883
As they pieced it together,
345
00:18:09,963 --> 00:18:12,523
{\an8}there was a bus driver
who remembered Lorraine.
346
00:18:12,603 --> 00:18:15,083
{\an8}He said he was driving down,
he said there was a young lady
347
00:18:15,163 --> 00:18:18,363
{\an8}in a long white coat
walking very purposefully.
348
00:18:19,923 --> 00:18:23,283
{\an8}Another witness had seen her
being supported by a man
349
00:18:23,363 --> 00:18:25,563
{\an8}by the roundabout further along Coombe.
350
00:18:28,043 --> 00:18:31,843
But one person come out the door
when she heard two people arguing.
351
00:18:31,923 --> 00:18:35,203
He heard this argument
between boy and girl,
352
00:18:35,283 --> 00:18:37,323
thought they were a courting couple.
353
00:18:37,403 --> 00:18:39,723
Could very well have been Lorraine.
354
00:18:40,523 --> 00:18:44,523
So that was a sighting
that the police were working on.
355
00:18:44,603 --> 00:18:47,963
It would appear that Lorraine
got to within about 40 yards
356
00:18:48,043 --> 00:18:51,443
of Lotta's front door
when she was attacked.
357
00:18:55,603 --> 00:18:58,203
And we know that Lorraine
never reached her destination
358
00:18:58,283 --> 00:19:01,843
and forensics have confirmed
struggles along the way.
359
00:19:01,923 --> 00:19:04,563
It would appear
he went off in front of her,
360
00:19:04,643 --> 00:19:08,083
then got to where Lorraine was going
361
00:19:08,163 --> 00:19:11,243
and jumped out of this alleyway
that he was in, a little car port.
362
00:19:12,723 --> 00:19:16,243
Uh, stunned Lorraine
with a blow to the head.
363
00:19:16,323 --> 00:19:19,203
Then he's half dragged,
half carried her up the street.
364
00:19:19,283 --> 00:19:21,323
People saw this going on,
365
00:19:21,403 --> 00:19:22,483
but it was Christmas,
366
00:19:22,563 --> 00:19:24,283
they thought
it was boyfriend and girlfriend
367
00:19:24,363 --> 00:19:25,763
and she'd had too much to drink.
368
00:19:29,723 --> 00:19:31,403
Looked like she was being helped.
369
00:19:31,483 --> 00:19:34,003
Maybe struggling a bit,
but nobody actually reported that.
370
00:19:34,083 --> 00:19:36,123
They didn't think
it was anything out of ordinary.
371
00:19:36,203 --> 00:19:39,123
It's the 19th of December,
a lot of merriment going on,
372
00:19:39,203 --> 00:19:40,723
and nobody should feel guilty
373
00:19:40,803 --> 00:19:43,563
about not actually taking
second heed of what they saw.
374
00:19:45,603 --> 00:19:49,163
Crucial pieces of evidence were found
in that fine fingertip search,
375
00:19:49,243 --> 00:19:50,843
which included the earring.
376
00:19:50,923 --> 00:19:53,883
That confirmed she was definitely
walking that route back.
377
00:19:54,323 --> 00:19:57,203
{\an8}The handkerchief
that was discarded nearby,
378
00:19:57,283 --> 00:19:59,523
{\an8}that handkerchief had evidence on it.
379
00:19:59,603 --> 00:20:02,923
{\an8}The theory was that the handkerchief
may have been the offender's.
380
00:20:03,763 --> 00:20:07,123
And also, were there any stains on it
381
00:20:07,203 --> 00:20:08,803
to link it to Lorraine Benson?
382
00:20:08,883 --> 00:20:11,763
When I first became a forensic scientist,
383
00:20:11,843 --> 00:20:14,403
um, the only way you could type stains
384
00:20:14,483 --> 00:20:16,523
was to carry out a blood grouping test.
385
00:20:16,603 --> 00:20:19,283
And they didn't provide
a lot of discrimination,
386
00:20:19,363 --> 00:20:22,563
and you needed a large amount
of sample to get a result.
387
00:20:22,643 --> 00:20:24,763
We've always been able to type blood,
388
00:20:24,843 --> 00:20:28,883
but DNA had not long been
used as an investigative tool.
389
00:20:30,243 --> 00:20:34,163
DNA profiling really only
became routinely used
390
00:20:34,243 --> 00:20:37,963
in criminal cases in 1988,
391
00:20:38,043 --> 00:20:40,563
when it was used on
the most serious cases,
392
00:20:40,643 --> 00:20:44,563
so murders, sexual assaults,
and for testing blood,
393
00:20:44,643 --> 00:20:47,243
semen stains and, occasionally, saliva.
394
00:20:49,923 --> 00:20:52,283
The next stage, finding the vehicle,
395
00:20:52,363 --> 00:20:54,483
confirmed a struggle had taken place.
396
00:20:55,603 --> 00:20:58,403
We've got evidence
of a young woman going missing,
397
00:20:58,483 --> 00:21:00,523
matched the profile of other ladies
398
00:21:00,603 --> 00:21:02,363
that had been attacked in the area,
399
00:21:02,443 --> 00:21:04,283
{\an8}and that there clearly
had been a struggle.
400
00:21:04,363 --> 00:21:06,043
{\an8}We're not saying
they're definitely linked,
401
00:21:06,123 --> 00:21:08,803
but it was justification
to actually revisit all the information,
402
00:21:08,883 --> 00:21:12,883
all the evidence that Kingston Police had
on the linked sexual attacks,
403
00:21:12,963 --> 00:21:17,443
but also to refocus the forensic
laboratory on samples they'd taken,
404
00:21:17,523 --> 00:21:22,523
evidence they had forensically
from the other cases in Kingston,
405
00:21:22,603 --> 00:21:27,963
and see if there was a link,
whether it be fiber, saliva, DNA, blood
406
00:21:28,043 --> 00:21:30,763
between the cases in Kingston
407
00:21:30,843 --> 00:21:33,643
and the evidence they'd found
in Lorraine's case.
408
00:21:33,723 --> 00:21:37,403
[narrator] This possible connection
with a local serial sex attacker
409
00:21:37,483 --> 00:21:39,803
is the police's best line of inquiry.
410
00:21:39,883 --> 00:21:43,083
[Wood] It gave more of a profile
of who we were looking for,
411
00:21:43,163 --> 00:21:45,523
more of a description.
We had a very vague description
412
00:21:45,603 --> 00:21:47,283
from house to house inquiries,
413
00:21:47,363 --> 00:21:49,723
but nothing much to go on,
a shadow of a man.
414
00:21:53,163 --> 00:21:54,403
[narrator] Day breaks,
415
00:21:54,483 --> 00:21:59,163
and Family Liaison Officer Jenny
has sensitive questions for Mick and Lyn.
416
00:22:00,803 --> 00:22:03,163
[Wood] So I had to ask about
Lorraine's personal life.
417
00:22:03,243 --> 00:22:04,843
Was she a promiscuous young lady?
418
00:22:04,923 --> 00:22:07,763
A very difficult question
to ask in such trying times.
419
00:22:08,403 --> 00:22:10,563
What was her normal pattern of behavior?
420
00:22:10,643 --> 00:22:13,363
When the police put it together,
she did everything right.
421
00:22:13,443 --> 00:22:16,523
When she left the party,
she came with two other girls.
422
00:22:16,603 --> 00:22:19,283
They got on the train together
through to Raynes Park.
423
00:22:19,363 --> 00:22:21,003
She did everything right.
424
00:22:21,483 --> 00:22:23,323
She had company, she did this,
425
00:22:23,403 --> 00:22:26,283
when she was walking,
she was walking towards the traffic.
426
00:22:27,003 --> 00:22:29,523
I was saying to myself, I can remember,
427
00:22:31,243 --> 00:22:33,443
"My God, I hope she's all right.
428
00:22:33,523 --> 00:22:35,683
Please let her be all right."
429
00:22:39,123 --> 00:22:40,323
[sighs]
430
00:22:40,403 --> 00:22:44,883
I didn't realize, emotionally,
how intense it would be
431
00:22:45,443 --> 00:22:49,643
to take on board
the distress of the parents.
432
00:22:49,723 --> 00:22:55,723
Well, you can't… Can't believe
you're living through the anxiety…
433
00:22:58,003 --> 00:23:00,403
of maybe not seeing her again.
434
00:23:01,683 --> 00:23:04,043
There was something terribly wrong here
435
00:23:04,123 --> 00:23:06,763
and although I was really hopeful
that we would find her injured
436
00:23:06,843 --> 00:23:08,683
or confused somewhere,
437
00:23:08,763 --> 00:23:12,603
in the back of my mind I knew,
as Mick did,
438
00:23:12,683 --> 00:23:16,003
that perhaps the worst of the worst things
could have happened to her,
439
00:23:16,083 --> 00:23:20,323
and trying to not show that fear.
440
00:23:26,123 --> 00:23:30,883
This is not a particularly
well-advertised pathway,
441
00:23:30,963 --> 00:23:33,723
and somebody who knew their way around
442
00:23:33,803 --> 00:23:35,283
would know about this place.
443
00:23:35,923 --> 00:23:38,203
I don't think it's somewhere
you would stumble across
444
00:23:38,283 --> 00:23:40,043
being at the end of a road.
445
00:23:41,723 --> 00:23:45,203
[Wood] There was an alleyway
that leads on to playing fields.
446
00:23:45,283 --> 00:23:47,803
I believe those playing fields
back onto a school.
447
00:23:48,443 --> 00:23:51,283
Very dense undergrowth and thick brambles.
448
00:23:51,843 --> 00:23:55,763
And by that time, police dogs
were also part of the search party.
449
00:23:55,843 --> 00:23:57,363
And police dogs are brilliant.
450
00:23:57,443 --> 00:23:59,923
You give them a piece of clothing,
they sniff it, they go off,
451
00:24:00,003 --> 00:24:01,603
they find what they have to find.
452
00:24:01,683 --> 00:24:04,923
And it was during the search
of this particular alleyway
453
00:24:05,003 --> 00:24:08,843
that Lorraine's body was found
to my left, by the school.
454
00:24:11,883 --> 00:24:13,763
And the search team were led
455
00:24:13,843 --> 00:24:16,763
to where Lorraine's body
was actually found,
456
00:24:16,843 --> 00:24:17,923
hidden in brambles.
457
00:24:19,643 --> 00:24:21,203
[birds chirping]
458
00:24:23,003 --> 00:24:28,483
And she'd been covered by various bits
of the foliage that were around.
459
00:24:28,563 --> 00:24:30,043
[birds chirping]
460
00:24:30,883 --> 00:24:33,643
In every investigation
of a missing person,
461
00:24:33,723 --> 00:24:35,843
when the body is found
462
00:24:35,923 --> 00:24:38,883
and it turns into a murder investigation,
463
00:24:38,963 --> 00:24:41,803
everything becomes a little more serious.
464
00:24:46,163 --> 00:24:49,563
[narrator] It's around 12 hours
since Lorraine Benson disappeared,
465
00:24:49,643 --> 00:24:51,443
and police have found a body.
466
00:24:52,003 --> 00:24:54,203
They now need to inform her parents.
467
00:24:55,203 --> 00:24:57,803
[Wood]
I was told that a body had been found.
468
00:24:57,883 --> 00:25:00,243
And the description of the body,
a young girl,
469
00:25:00,323 --> 00:25:02,243
{\an8}meets Lorraine's description
470
00:25:02,323 --> 00:25:04,483
{\an8}and the clothing she was actually wearing,
471
00:25:04,563 --> 00:25:05,843
{\an8}which wasn't much at that time.
472
00:25:09,723 --> 00:25:12,243
I then volunteered
to go and tell the family
473
00:25:12,323 --> 00:25:14,843
that a body had been found
and we suspect it to be Lorraine's.
474
00:25:15,323 --> 00:25:18,683
{\an8}And it was Inspector A.B. Benham
and Jenny Wood.
475
00:25:20,043 --> 00:25:21,403
I didn't know what to say.
476
00:25:22,843 --> 00:25:24,043
But they knew.
477
00:25:25,003 --> 00:25:27,883
When I opened the front door to 'em,
I just had to look at her, I said,
478
00:25:27,963 --> 00:25:30,003
-"You've found her, haven't you?"
-[Lyn sighs]
479
00:25:30,083 --> 00:25:32,683
And he said, "Yes," and I… "Come in."
480
00:25:32,763 --> 00:25:34,603
I said to Lyn, "They've found her."
481
00:25:35,763 --> 00:25:38,443
And, uh, Lyn said, "Oh, thank God."
482
00:25:39,563 --> 00:25:42,203
And, uh, I said, "No, it's not good news."
483
00:25:44,923 --> 00:25:46,883
One of the worst days of my career.
484
00:25:46,963 --> 00:25:49,923
Many a time I've been asked
to actually call their houses
485
00:25:50,003 --> 00:25:51,843
and explain a loved one had died.
486
00:25:55,963 --> 00:25:59,803
I knew so many intimate things
about her and the family,
487
00:25:59,883 --> 00:26:03,403
to then have to go and tell the family
that actually we'd found a body,
488
00:26:03,883 --> 00:26:05,803
it was awful for them. Um…
489
00:26:06,803 --> 00:26:07,843
What could I do?
490
00:26:07,923 --> 00:26:10,123
I didn't even say anything
when I got there,
491
00:26:10,203 --> 00:26:13,443
they just took one look at me
and I gave Lyn a hug.
492
00:26:18,283 --> 00:26:19,483
[softly] Yeah.
493
00:26:21,083 --> 00:26:22,123
Yeah.
494
00:26:24,763 --> 00:26:26,243
This wasn't happening.
495
00:26:28,083 --> 00:26:29,323
I couldn't believe it.
496
00:26:32,323 --> 00:26:33,643
[sighs]
497
00:26:37,523 --> 00:26:38,723
Not Lorraine.
498
00:26:42,403 --> 00:26:46,363
I just remember Lyn froze to the spot.
499
00:26:46,443 --> 00:26:50,243
She… The tears just fell down her face
500
00:26:51,643 --> 00:26:52,523
and she was shaking.
501
00:26:52,603 --> 00:26:56,083
And Mick just started crying.
502
00:26:56,163 --> 00:26:59,483
Um, "No, no, no, oh, Lyn, Lyn."
503
00:26:59,563 --> 00:27:02,563
He was totally inconsolable,
I mean, this was his baby girl.
504
00:27:02,643 --> 00:27:06,683
And Lyn just stood there totally
frozen to the spot and helpless.
505
00:27:08,083 --> 00:27:09,643
I felt I was intruding.
506
00:27:09,723 --> 00:27:12,723
I wanted to leave them
to their own personal space.
507
00:27:12,803 --> 00:27:15,243
And I tried to make my…
I made my excuses and said,
508
00:27:15,323 --> 00:27:17,323
"You really need time to be alone now."
509
00:27:17,923 --> 00:27:20,403
And bless them.
They've said, "No, you're part of this.
510
00:27:20,483 --> 00:27:22,563
Don't leave us now, we need you."
511
00:27:23,283 --> 00:27:25,083
That meant a lot to me,
512
00:27:25,163 --> 00:27:27,363
personally as well as professionally.
513
00:27:27,763 --> 00:27:31,923
Um, but I could see
they still needed time, time out,
514
00:27:32,003 --> 00:27:35,283
and I did what any good copper does,
I went and made a cup of tea.
515
00:27:35,363 --> 00:27:38,123
It was probably the worst cup of tea
I've ever made in my life.
516
00:27:39,483 --> 00:27:44,283
He said, "Are you prepared
to do a identification?"
517
00:27:46,003 --> 00:27:48,203
I said to Lyn,
"I don't want you to see that,
518
00:27:48,283 --> 00:27:50,083
so I'll go there on me own."
519
00:27:50,163 --> 00:27:54,763
{\an8}Uh, Mick Benson would have
had to go to the hospital
520
00:27:54,843 --> 00:27:56,843
{\an8}or mortuary and identify his daughter.
521
00:27:57,603 --> 00:28:00,843
Those of us who've never been
in that situation can only imagine.
522
00:28:02,323 --> 00:28:04,243
[Wood]
There was still a slight glimmer of hope.
523
00:28:04,323 --> 00:28:07,363
"Okay, there's a body.
It still might not be Lorraine."
524
00:28:08,523 --> 00:28:12,723
There's a window, 18 inches, 18 inches.
525
00:28:14,523 --> 00:28:15,523
Uh… [sighs]
526
00:28:15,603 --> 00:28:17,443
"When you're ready, tap here
527
00:28:17,523 --> 00:28:20,203
and the man on the other side
will pull the curtains."
528
00:28:21,363 --> 00:28:25,403
Uh, of course he pulled the curtains
and there's Lorraine.
529
00:28:25,483 --> 00:28:27,523
But I said many times,
530
00:28:28,243 --> 00:28:30,923
I looked at it
and that wasn't my daughter.
531
00:28:31,003 --> 00:28:33,443
And I don't care how mawkish it sounds,
532
00:28:34,283 --> 00:28:36,883
that was just a shell, her soul had gone.
533
00:28:38,163 --> 00:28:42,923
And this was such a feeling
of relief in that respect,
534
00:28:43,003 --> 00:28:45,963
but not the pain that was there
and was to follow.
535
00:28:46,843 --> 00:28:47,883
Uh…
536
00:28:47,963 --> 00:28:49,723
I couldn't kiss her goodbye.
537
00:28:51,043 --> 00:28:53,763
Couldn't touch her because of DNA.
538
00:28:53,843 --> 00:28:55,683
And you could see she'd been in a fight.
539
00:29:00,483 --> 00:29:04,483
She was one tough little cookie,
she really was.
540
00:29:05,443 --> 00:29:08,203
Without having gone through that
as an individual,
541
00:29:08,283 --> 00:29:10,603
we can only imagine
what it's like for families.
542
00:29:10,683 --> 00:29:14,283
I've seen the devastation that it's caused
to the Benson family over the years.
543
00:29:17,363 --> 00:29:19,843
I don't how they got through that day,
544
00:29:19,923 --> 00:29:22,043
I don't know how they
get through the week,
545
00:29:22,123 --> 00:29:23,923
I don't know how they get through life,
546
00:29:24,003 --> 00:29:27,523
knowing what they know,
what's happened to lovely Lorraine.
547
00:29:27,603 --> 00:29:29,843
[dramatic music]
548
00:29:29,923 --> 00:29:32,203
I can't really explain how they felt.
549
00:29:32,283 --> 00:29:34,483
I could only see how they were.
550
00:29:34,563 --> 00:29:36,923
And I wanted to be able
to take some of that hurt away,
551
00:29:37,003 --> 00:29:39,483
and the only thing I could possibly do,
552
00:29:39,563 --> 00:29:41,363
perhaps it made me feel better,
553
00:29:41,443 --> 00:29:45,363
was to just say to them, "We won't
give in, we'll find the bastard."
554
00:29:47,403 --> 00:29:49,483
[Shorricks] When Lorraine is found,
555
00:29:49,563 --> 00:29:52,163
the first thing is the preservation
of the scene,
556
00:29:52,243 --> 00:29:55,683
this complete alleyway
would have been taped off at both ends,
557
00:29:55,763 --> 00:29:58,923
no one would have been
able to come into here.
558
00:29:59,003 --> 00:30:02,083
When a police officer finds a body,
they don't touch it.
559
00:30:02,163 --> 00:30:04,643
And then the forensic teams would come in
560
00:30:04,723 --> 00:30:07,403
and they would do what's necessary
561
00:30:07,483 --> 00:30:09,803
to preserve all forensic evidence.
562
00:30:09,883 --> 00:30:12,363
Then they're put into a body bag
and taken to the mortuary
563
00:30:12,443 --> 00:30:15,203
where the forensic examination continues.
564
00:30:17,603 --> 00:30:20,203
The circumstances of her going missing
565
00:30:20,283 --> 00:30:22,723
and the circumstances of her being found,
566
00:30:23,763 --> 00:30:26,603
it was proved
at the post mortem examination
567
00:30:26,683 --> 00:30:28,963
that Lorraine had indeed been murdered.
568
00:30:29,923 --> 00:30:31,483
[narrator] Injuries to Lorraine's body
569
00:30:31,563 --> 00:30:35,123
reveal that she fended off her attacker
without being raped,
570
00:30:35,203 --> 00:30:37,283
before being strangled using a ligature.
571
00:30:38,243 --> 00:30:41,283
A piece of rope was also found in the area
572
00:30:41,363 --> 00:30:44,883
{\an8}where Lorraine Benson's body was located.
573
00:30:44,963 --> 00:30:48,723
{\an8}And we investigated that type of rope.
574
00:30:50,363 --> 00:30:53,723
Lorraine had some defensive bite marks
on her left forearm.
575
00:30:53,803 --> 00:30:55,843
The pathologist is the likely one
576
00:30:55,923 --> 00:30:59,443
to find things like the bruises
from the teeth marks.
577
00:31:00,723 --> 00:31:04,003
There were bite marks found
on Lorraine Benson's left arm
578
00:31:04,083 --> 00:31:05,283
and her hand.
579
00:31:06,883 --> 00:31:09,643
The inquiry, already intensive,
580
00:31:09,723 --> 00:31:11,683
became even more intensive.
581
00:31:11,763 --> 00:31:15,923
And, uh, we set about trying to find
the person who'd done this.
582
00:31:17,643 --> 00:31:19,883
There is someone out there
who's committed a murder
583
00:31:19,963 --> 00:31:23,523
and I think the worst case scenario
is that another one would be committed.
584
00:31:23,603 --> 00:31:26,843
So we are dedicated
in trying to find this person
585
00:31:26,923 --> 00:31:28,403
and get them off the streets.
586
00:31:30,123 --> 00:31:31,723
[Wood] Early on in the investigation,
587
00:31:31,803 --> 00:31:34,203
a couple of police officers
had been tasked
588
00:31:34,283 --> 00:31:38,923
with looking through previous arrests
in the whole area.
589
00:31:39,003 --> 00:31:41,603
{\an8}Anybody that was either a rapist,
590
00:31:41,683 --> 00:31:43,443
{\an8}who'd been charged and convicted,
591
00:31:43,523 --> 00:31:47,883
{\an8}anybody who was a peeping Tom, a burglar,
592
00:31:47,963 --> 00:31:51,043
{\an8}and just look at their profiles
and see if any of those would match.
593
00:31:51,123 --> 00:31:53,483
And so, if you can imagine,
hundreds and hundreds of names
594
00:31:53,563 --> 00:31:54,483
came into the system.
595
00:31:54,563 --> 00:31:56,723
It wasn't a computer system,
it was a Rolodex system.
596
00:32:00,763 --> 00:32:03,283
[narrator] The police need to work
through each and every record
597
00:32:03,363 --> 00:32:05,643
of potential perpetrators.
598
00:32:05,723 --> 00:32:09,043
It's a laborious and methodical process.
599
00:32:09,123 --> 00:32:13,083
But then something happens that changes
the direction of the investigation.
600
00:32:13,163 --> 00:32:16,363
There was a rape, or attempted rape,
in the locality.
601
00:32:17,923 --> 00:32:21,683
The suspect was actually arrested
only a couple of streets away
602
00:32:21,763 --> 00:32:23,523
from where Lorraine's body was found,
603
00:32:23,603 --> 00:32:27,163
and only a couple of streets away
from where her final destination was.
604
00:32:28,003 --> 00:32:30,803
[narrator] The suspect
is 19-year-old local man,
605
00:32:30,883 --> 00:32:32,043
John Dunne.
606
00:32:32,123 --> 00:32:33,963
[Shorricks]
The officer in charge at Wimbledon
607
00:32:34,043 --> 00:32:36,603
decided that there was some kind of link.
608
00:32:36,683 --> 00:32:38,603
It was like a light had been switched on.
609
00:32:39,883 --> 00:32:43,003
And it ticked enough boxes
for him to be prioritized
610
00:32:43,083 --> 00:32:44,843
and brought to the very top of the list
611
00:32:44,923 --> 00:32:49,443
rather than just one of hundreds of people
that may meet the profile.
612
00:32:50,723 --> 00:32:52,963
[narrator] February 2, 1989,
613
00:32:53,043 --> 00:32:56,683
police have arrested John Dunne
on suspicion of killing Lorraine Benson.
614
00:32:56,763 --> 00:32:58,003
They've got a long way to go
615
00:32:58,083 --> 00:33:00,243
before they can charge him
with her murder.
616
00:33:00,323 --> 00:33:03,923
At the time that we arrested him,
he was a suspect,
617
00:33:04,003 --> 00:33:09,283
{\an8}but the evidence in relation
to the murder wasn't great.
618
00:33:09,363 --> 00:33:12,323
{\an8}There was enough to talk to him
about his movements.
619
00:33:12,403 --> 00:33:15,803
{\an8}Initially, we didn't know,
it was just another person
620
00:33:15,883 --> 00:33:19,403
{\an8}who was being arrested for a murder
and for another offense.
621
00:33:19,483 --> 00:33:21,603
There'd been another attempted rape
622
00:33:22,643 --> 00:33:24,403
in the same area, Raynes Park.
623
00:33:24,483 --> 00:33:27,203
And it turned out
he'd broken into her house,
624
00:33:27,283 --> 00:33:30,203
breaking the French windows,
doors, to get in.
625
00:33:31,163 --> 00:33:32,963
And he had a ligature.
626
00:33:33,043 --> 00:33:37,043
{\an8}Because he met the profile,
it justified interviewing him
627
00:33:37,123 --> 00:33:39,403
{\an8}and if necessary, arresting him
to get a DNA sample.
628
00:33:39,483 --> 00:33:41,723
{\an8}A blood sample was obtained from him
629
00:33:41,803 --> 00:33:44,403
{\an8}which was then submitted
for DNA profiling.
630
00:33:46,003 --> 00:33:48,723
[narrator] With John Dunne
in custody for other crimes,
631
00:33:48,803 --> 00:33:50,763
he's interviewed further by officers.
632
00:33:51,363 --> 00:33:54,403
John Dunne initially never admitted
633
00:33:54,483 --> 00:33:56,923
anything to do with Lorraine, no meetings.
634
00:33:57,443 --> 00:33:59,643
[narrator] Fingerprints, clothing and DNA
635
00:33:59,723 --> 00:34:03,923
are taken to forensically compare
to evidence from previous crime scenes.
636
00:34:04,003 --> 00:34:06,563
A blood sample was obtained
from John Dunne
637
00:34:06,643 --> 00:34:09,923
didn't match the rape series
in the Kingston area
638
00:34:10,003 --> 00:34:12,722
that was also under investigation
at that time.
639
00:34:13,843 --> 00:34:16,643
[narrator] Forensics turn their attention
to other evidence.
640
00:34:16,722 --> 00:34:19,643
The car was submitted to the laboratory.
641
00:34:19,722 --> 00:34:23,762
There were actually marks on the external
part, in the dust of the vehicle.
642
00:34:23,843 --> 00:34:26,643
I initially looked at them
to see if there was anything
643
00:34:26,722 --> 00:34:29,923
that matched the fabric weave
of Lorraine's coat,
644
00:34:30,003 --> 00:34:32,722
but there was some zigzag lines
in the dust
645
00:34:32,803 --> 00:34:35,682
which at first were a bit of a mystery.
646
00:34:36,403 --> 00:34:39,643
But eventually I realized
that they could have been made
647
00:34:39,722 --> 00:34:42,123
by the teeth on the zip of her coat,
648
00:34:42,202 --> 00:34:45,282
and I carried out some trial experiments
that confirmed that.
649
00:34:45,363 --> 00:34:49,123
They identified the jacket
that Lorraine was wearing
650
00:34:49,202 --> 00:34:52,242
and also a jacket that was taken
from John Dunne's home.
651
00:34:52,323 --> 00:34:55,603
Large numbers of those particular zips
would have been produced,
652
00:34:55,682 --> 00:34:56,803
but it did corroborate
653
00:34:56,883 --> 00:34:59,523
that there'd been a struggle
by the side of the car.
654
00:35:02,723 --> 00:35:05,963
It had already been proposed
by the exhibits officer
655
00:35:06,443 --> 00:35:09,163
to ask for him to provide
a dental impression,
656
00:35:09,243 --> 00:35:12,203
where you bite into some goo.
657
00:35:12,283 --> 00:35:15,683
Same as if you go to a dentist
to have a brace fitted or something.
658
00:35:15,763 --> 00:35:17,443
That was submitted to the laboratory.
659
00:35:17,523 --> 00:35:20,403
[Allard] There were bite marks found
on Lorraine Benson's left arm
660
00:35:20,483 --> 00:35:21,683
and her hand.
661
00:35:21,763 --> 00:35:24,443
They were examined
by a forensic odontologist
662
00:35:24,523 --> 00:35:28,923
who confirmed that they were consistent
with John Dunne's dental impressions.
663
00:35:31,483 --> 00:35:35,003
[narrator] With some useful results
out of forensic investigations,
664
00:35:35,083 --> 00:35:37,323
officers couldn't have hoped
for a better result
665
00:35:37,403 --> 00:35:38,843
than the next development.
666
00:35:39,803 --> 00:35:43,963
It was the very early days of
DNA profiling for the Met Police.
667
00:35:44,043 --> 00:35:46,803
The first test on the handkerchief
668
00:35:46,883 --> 00:35:49,803
provided a DNA result
from the nasal mucus.
669
00:35:50,723 --> 00:35:53,403
It was a really exciting result
670
00:35:53,483 --> 00:35:56,683
because it was the first time
we'd obtained a DNA profile
671
00:35:56,763 --> 00:35:58,323
from nasal mucus.
672
00:35:59,243 --> 00:36:02,683
We finally established
Lorraine Benson's profile
673
00:36:02,763 --> 00:36:04,683
on the 3rd of February,
674
00:36:04,763 --> 00:36:07,803
and that showed that
the blood was a match with her,
675
00:36:07,883 --> 00:36:09,603
but the nasal mucus wasn't.
676
00:36:10,843 --> 00:36:13,283
Further DNA tests were carried out
677
00:36:13,363 --> 00:36:17,563
and they confirmed that Dunne
matched the nasal mucus profile
678
00:36:18,163 --> 00:36:21,803
and the figure for that was around
one in one-and-a-half million
679
00:36:21,883 --> 00:36:24,003
for the white Caucasian population.
680
00:36:25,323 --> 00:36:28,683
[Wood] His DNA was confirmed
as the DNA on the handkerchief
681
00:36:29,603 --> 00:36:31,483
that also had Lorraine's blood on it.
682
00:36:31,563 --> 00:36:35,083
The Forensic Science Service
gave us such good evidence.
683
00:36:35,163 --> 00:36:39,283
For the first time ever,
nasal debris or mucus on the handkerchief
684
00:36:39,363 --> 00:36:41,563
had been used to identify somebody.
685
00:36:41,643 --> 00:36:43,923
That had never been done before anywhere.
686
00:36:44,003 --> 00:36:46,803
[Allard] Today, it might be
considered fairly routine,
687
00:36:46,883 --> 00:36:51,763
but at the time this was a double first
to get a DNA result from an unusual sample
688
00:36:51,843 --> 00:36:54,003
to help solve the murder,
689
00:36:54,083 --> 00:36:58,523
and it was the first murder
that DNA profiling had helped to solve
690
00:36:58,603 --> 00:37:00,523
in the Metropolitan Police Laboratory.
691
00:37:01,963 --> 00:37:04,123
[Wood] So it was extraordinary.
692
00:37:04,203 --> 00:37:07,443
And it showed how dedicated
the whole team were,
693
00:37:07,523 --> 00:37:10,003
which were the forensics
as well as the police.
694
00:37:11,043 --> 00:37:14,163
The whole inquiry, looking back on it,
695
00:37:15,323 --> 00:37:20,323
is an amazing amount of teamwork
by the various bodies that were involved,
696
00:37:20,403 --> 00:37:23,203
from the inquiry team
with which I was involved,
697
00:37:23,283 --> 00:37:24,603
the Forensic Science Services,
698
00:37:24,683 --> 00:37:28,203
but back to the first actions
at the scene of the crime
699
00:37:28,283 --> 00:37:30,763
initiated by Inspector Henry and his team.
700
00:37:30,843 --> 00:37:32,123
If they hadn't done that,
701
00:37:32,203 --> 00:37:35,203
we would never would have had
those articles and evidence.
702
00:37:35,283 --> 00:37:38,243
It's always referred to by us as the first
steps of the scene of a crime,
703
00:37:38,323 --> 00:37:41,483
and properly done,
it helped to solve this case.
704
00:37:41,563 --> 00:37:44,363
[narrator] The compelling evidence
enabled the police
705
00:37:44,443 --> 00:37:47,243
to put pressure on John Dunne
to tell the truth.
706
00:37:47,323 --> 00:37:49,203
He was still denying everything.
707
00:37:49,283 --> 00:37:51,003
They had the evidence they had picked up,
708
00:37:51,083 --> 00:37:52,203
he's still denying that.
709
00:37:52,283 --> 00:37:54,723
Several times he was brought back
to the police station
710
00:37:54,803 --> 00:37:58,203
for further interviews
to put further allegations to him
711
00:37:58,283 --> 00:38:01,083
or further questions,
further inconsistencies.
712
00:38:02,523 --> 00:38:05,283
And when they were talking,
suddenly he said,
713
00:38:05,883 --> 00:38:08,843
"I do seem to remember a blonde girl."
714
00:38:10,363 --> 00:38:12,403
[narrator] DC Gary Shorricks
and his partner
715
00:38:12,483 --> 00:38:15,643
have built a level of trust
with Dunne which pays off.
716
00:38:15,723 --> 00:38:17,083
During one of those interviews,
717
00:38:17,163 --> 00:38:19,763
he handed the police officer
a written confession
718
00:38:19,843 --> 00:38:21,603
that he'd pre-prepared,
719
00:38:21,683 --> 00:38:23,963
actually admitting that
the handkerchief was his
720
00:38:24,043 --> 00:38:25,923
and it was Lorraine's blood on there.
721
00:38:27,643 --> 00:38:31,043
[narrator] With police keen to let
Mick and Lyn know of any developments,
722
00:38:31,123 --> 00:38:33,003
-an officer calls straight away.
-[phone rings]
723
00:38:33,083 --> 00:38:35,403
I got a phone call and it's Bernie Davis.
724
00:38:36,643 --> 00:38:38,523
He said, "I think we got him, Mick."
725
00:38:39,803 --> 00:38:42,963
And I said, "What?"
He said, "I'm 110% sure we've got him."
726
00:38:43,043 --> 00:38:44,843
I said, "That's good enough
for me, Bernie."
727
00:38:44,923 --> 00:38:47,643
There was never a doubt in my mind
that they would get him.
728
00:38:50,403 --> 00:38:53,283
So, he admitted actually
being in contact with Lorraine.
729
00:38:53,883 --> 00:38:56,243
And that later further led then
to him actually admitting
730
00:38:56,323 --> 00:38:58,283
and pleading guilty at court
to her murder.
731
00:39:01,323 --> 00:39:05,723
The Bensons were informed
fully throughout of what was going on,
732
00:39:05,803 --> 00:39:08,803
and we took the family to court
733
00:39:09,723 --> 00:39:11,643
for the trial.
734
00:39:11,723 --> 00:39:14,563
I was keeping an eye on Mick Benson
735
00:39:14,643 --> 00:39:16,723
who was in the gallery upstairs.
736
00:39:16,803 --> 00:39:19,243
And when he saw John Dunne,
737
00:39:19,323 --> 00:39:22,043
he did what I think
any father would have done.
738
00:39:22,123 --> 00:39:25,163
He got out of his seat,
I could see his fist was clenched.
739
00:39:25,243 --> 00:39:26,883
If he could have got hold of him,
740
00:39:26,963 --> 00:39:29,523
he would have liked to do
some serious damage to that man.
741
00:39:31,003 --> 00:39:35,563
It was explained at John Dunne's trial
by the prosecutor,
742
00:39:35,643 --> 00:39:39,123
that she had, in fact, been
murdered by strangulation.
743
00:39:39,203 --> 00:39:40,763
{\an8}A ligature had been used.
744
00:39:40,843 --> 00:39:43,243
{\an8}A piece of rope was found near her body,
745
00:39:43,323 --> 00:39:46,403
{\an8}which matched some of the marks
found on Lorraine,
746
00:39:46,483 --> 00:39:49,083
{\an8}but could never be proven
to be the piece of rope
747
00:39:49,163 --> 00:39:50,563
{\an8}that had actually been used.
748
00:39:50,643 --> 00:39:55,123
{\an8}John Dunne had denied
being involved in Lorraine's murder,
749
00:39:55,203 --> 00:39:59,803
but the overwhelming nature of the DNA,
I think, played a part
750
00:39:59,883 --> 00:40:02,403
in him eventually
pleading guilty at court.
751
00:40:02,483 --> 00:40:05,683
I hope that the Benson family
752
00:40:05,763 --> 00:40:09,363
felt that something had been done
753
00:40:09,443 --> 00:40:11,923
to honor their daughter's memory,
754
00:40:12,003 --> 00:40:16,763
that the person who'd done this to her
was there before them
755
00:40:16,843 --> 00:40:19,323
and admitting to it in a court of law.
756
00:40:19,403 --> 00:40:22,723
And then the Judge did his part
in sentencing him to life imprisonment.
757
00:40:23,883 --> 00:40:28,443
I think John Dunne pleaded guilty
as a result of the wealth of evidence,
758
00:40:28,523 --> 00:40:30,283
not just in his confession
759
00:40:30,363 --> 00:40:34,443
but the forensic evidence
and the witness evidence
760
00:40:34,523 --> 00:40:38,003
compiled by a fantastic team
of police officers,
761
00:40:38,083 --> 00:40:40,203
detectives and forensic teams.
762
00:40:40,283 --> 00:40:41,683
Everybody played their part.
763
00:40:41,763 --> 00:40:45,123
He wouldn't be where he is today
if it wasn't for that kind of work.
764
00:40:47,283 --> 00:40:50,523
Mick and Lyn Benson, you can imagine,
it's not the end for them.
765
00:40:50,603 --> 00:40:52,403
They've got
the rest of their lives to live
766
00:40:52,483 --> 00:40:56,203
knowing that this person
has murdered their daughter
767
00:40:56,283 --> 00:40:59,603
for no reason other than
his own personal satisfaction.
768
00:41:01,363 --> 00:41:04,043
If only Lorraine had been lazy,
769
00:41:04,123 --> 00:41:05,883
"Oh, I'll wait here and get the car."
770
00:41:05,963 --> 00:41:07,923
If only Peter had been there.
771
00:41:08,003 --> 00:41:09,403
And if only, the big one there,
772
00:41:09,483 --> 00:41:11,923
if only the scum wasn't out there.
773
00:41:14,843 --> 00:41:17,163
You read these stories in the paper…
774
00:41:19,683 --> 00:41:22,363
and you think, you know,
"It'll never happen to us."
775
00:41:25,683 --> 00:41:26,803
It did.
776
00:41:31,723 --> 00:41:33,083
[cries]
777
00:41:48,963 --> 00:41:51,003
{\an8}[theme music playing]