A woman's bloody fingernails provided the crucial DNA evidence that led to the arrest and conviction of her murderer, 12 years after the crime. Una Crown was brutally murdered by David Newton, who stabbed her and set her body on fire in an attempt to conceal the crime.
A woman's bloody fingernails provided a crucial clue that led to the arrest and conviction of her murderer, 12 years after the crime. Una Crown, 86, was brutally murdered by David Newton, who stabbed her and then set her body on fire in an attempt to conceal her injuries at her home in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire , in 2013. The widower, who lived alone, also robbed her of her wedding ring and £40. Her husband had died years earlier. Relatives discovered her body lying in a pool of blood at home.
Initially, police believed she had died from a heart attack while trying to extinguish a fire. They assumed the marks around her neck were caused by a scarf she was wearing. However, a postmortem examination revealed she had been stabbed, leading to the launch of a murder investigation.Newton, 70, was seen walking unsteadily near Mrs Crown's house around 8:30 pm on the night of her death. When questioned by police, he denied any involvement in her murder, claiming he knew Mrs Crown slightly and had once repaired her back door. However, DNA evidence from her fingernails linked Newton to the crime scene, and he was charged in 2023. On Thursday, he was found guilty of Ms Crown's murder.The Cambridgeshire police officers who initially investigated the murder faced criticism from the force's own professional standards department for making 'flawed decisions' during the probe. Ms Crown's family also expressed dissatisfaction with the police's efforts in 2013. Detective Superintendent Iain Moor, the senior investigating officer, said: “Today we have finally secured justice for Una and her family, 12 years after her death.“Mistakes were made during the initial investigation in 2013, for which we have apologised to Una’s family. “Once again, we acknowledge those errors and apologise it has taken this long for Una’s family to get justice. However, my aim as the senior investigating officer when I took on this role in the past few years was to make sure they didn't wait any longer.“Vital evidence was retained from the 2013 crime scene which gave the crucial evidence breakthrough using a DNA testing technique not available in 2013.“For more than a decade David Newton thought he had gotten away with this most horrendous crime, but today’s result shows you cannot hide forever.“I would like to commend the 2013 team and current investigation team for their painstaking work. We have been supported by incredible experts, witnesses and specialists who have helped us discover who was responsible.” Paying tribute to Ms Crown, her family said: 'In 2013 we heard our Auntie Una had passed away. Two days later we heard it was murder and our world’s stopped. 'An elderly widow watching her favourite TV programme, feeling warm and safe in her own home. The attack was brutal, horrific and an assault on a defenceless frail elderly widow.'The verdict today has prevented him causing further distress and misery to others. Since her untimely and savage death, three close family relatives, including her brother, have sadly passed away not knowing her killer has been brought to justice.“We’d like to thank all who have helped get us to this point today and we can now carry on with our lives knowing justice has been done.
Murder DNA Evidence Cold Case Justice Fingernails Cambridgeshire
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