Man charged with three cold case murders

A man serving a life sentence for killing a pensioner has been charged with murdering three men who were found dead in 1994, police said today.

West Mercia Police said Robin Ligus, 58, was charged yesterday with the murders of Trevor Bradley, Brian Coles and Bernard Czyzewska after a cold case review of their deaths.

Mr Bradley, 53, was found dead in a burnt-out car near Melverley, Shropshire, in April 1994, while the body of Mr Coles, 57, was found in October 1994 at his home in Higher Heath, near Whitchurch, also in Shropshire.

The body of Mr Czyzewska, 36, was found in the River Severn at Shrewsbury in November 1994.

Ligus, who is due to appear before magistrates in Birmingham next Thursday, has been in custody since November 1994 after being convicted of killing 75-year-old Robert Young during a burglary at his Shrewsbury home.

The West Mercia force confirmed that a comprehensive file of evidence concerning the three deaths was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service complex case unit in December 2009.

A force spokesman said: "Following extensive consideration of the evidence available, Robin Stanislaw Ligus, a local man from Shrewsbury, was charged yesterday with the murders of Trevor Bradley, Brian Coles and Bernard Czyzewska."

Detective Inspector Andy Parsons, who has been leading the investigation, said the immediate family members of the victims have been made aware of the recent police investigation and the decision of the CPS.

The officer added: "Family liaison officers have been deployed to support them through the trial process.

"In order not to prejudice the outcome of the court cases, I am not in a position to answer further questions around the evidence at this stage."

The head of the CPS complex case unit, Jayne Salt, said: "Following a long and detailed investigation by West Mercia Police, we received a file in December 2009 on Robin Ligus.

"Due to the sheer volume of information contained in this file, it has taken until now to carefully review all of the available information to ensure that we have sufficient evidence and that it is in the public interest to charge Mr Ligus with any criminal offences that he may have committed.

"With all of the evidence having now been examined, I have authorised officers from West Mercia Police to charge Mr Ligus with three counts of murder."

A statement issued by West Mercia Police said Ligus had been in custody since November 20, 1994, and that he was "due for consideration of release" in 2011.