An 86-year-old man has been taken into custody by detectives investigating the brutal shotgun killings of a married couple in south Wales more than three decades ago.
A Chilling Cold Case Reopened
Harry Tooze, 64, and his wife Megan, 67, were found dead at their farmhouse in the village of Llanharry on 26 July 1993. The couple had been fatally shot with a 12-bore shotgun. The case, which has remained one of Wales's most haunting unsolved murders, took a dramatic new turn this week with the arrest of the elderly suspect.
South Wales Police initiated a fresh forensic review of the evidence in 2023. This renewed scrutiny led directly to Wednesday's arrest. The man is currently being questioned in police custody.
A Case Marred by Controversy and a Quashed Conviction
The original investigation led to the conviction of Jonathan Jones, the boyfriend of the Toozes' daughter, Cheryl. In 1995, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the double murder.
However, the case against him spectacularly collapsed less than a year later. Cheryl Tooze mounted a vigorous campaign protesting his innocence. In 1996, three Court of Appeal judges took just five minutes to overturn the conviction, freeing Jones. The appeal court criticised the original trial judge, and it was later revealed that police had failed to properly seal the crime scene.
Police Appeal for Information After 30 Years
Detective Superintendent Mark Lewis, the senior investigating officer, emphasised that inquiries are ongoing. "While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our inquiries are very much ongoing," he stated.
He made a direct appeal to the public: "This case has affected many people over the years and our aim is to find the answers to the unanswered questions which remain about their deaths over 30 years on. Even with this passage of time I appeal to anyone who has any information about the murders to come forward and speak to police."
The sequence of events on the day of the murder was tragically ordinary. The couple left their farm to collect their pensions in Llanharry and were seen returning home around 11am. Neighbours reported hearing two gunshots at approximately 1:30pm, but this was not initially alarming given the rural setting. Concern arose when the couple's daughter could not reach them by telephone. Police officers discovered their bodies in a cow shed on the property.
The arrest marks a pivotal moment in a case that has evaded resolution for generations, offering a glimmer of hope for long-awaited justice.
