Member-only story
Eye witness evidence against Luke Mitchell.
Jodie Jones was a 14 year old school girl who lived in the Easthouses area of Dalkeith. She attended St David’s High School and was described as “bright” and “level headed” by her family. They have spoken of her keen interest in music, particularly the rock band Nirvana as well as her talents in painting and poetry. Jodie lived with her family and began a relationship with Luke Mitchell in March of 2003. On the 30th of June 2003, Jodi Jones was murdered in woodland off Roan’s Dyke Path near Dalkeith. She was found beyond a wall with her hands tied behind her back with severe cuts across her body. The forensic pathologist attending the scene reported extensive defensive wounds on Jodie and noted that a sharply pointed, bladed weapon was likely used to inflict the injuries.
Luke Mitchell, her 15 year old boyfriend was eventually convicted of her murder at the High Court in Edinburgh in a case reliant solely on circumstantial evidence.
In cases of this nature, each piece of circumstantial evidence must be looked at by the jury and considered as part of a bigger picture that the prosecution argues, points to the guilt of the accused person. In this case, there was no direct evidence (such as DNA evidence) linking Luke with the murder. Questions about the trial have been raised and doubts about the strength of Luke’s conviction have gathered momentum through alternative media outlets in recent years.
In 2021, a documentary called ‘Murder in a Small Town’ was aired on a UK mainstream television channel called ‘Channel Five’ and highlighted a series of concerns regarding Luke’s conviction. The documentary focussed on two retired detectives and a criminologist who raised points of concern relating to lack of (and disputed) evidence and a number of alternative suspects that were overlooked by the police. You can read more about what was raised in the documentary and other media channels such as the James English podcast ‘Anything Goes’ by clicking on the following link:
Is Luke Mitchell innocent?. A new Channel 5 documentary will… | by Scottish True Crime | Medium
One of the key elements of the circumstantial case was the evidence of Andrina Bryson who testified for the prosecution. She reported seeing a male and a female at the Easthouses end of Roan’s…
