Billie-Jo Jenkins: Police review forensic material in major unsolved murder case

Girl was bludgeoned to death in her back garden in 1997

Billie-Jo Jenkins, 13, was beaten to death at her foster home in Hastings, East Sussex, in February 1997. (Getty Images)

Police are conducting a review of one of the UK’s most high-profile unsolved murder cases - the killing of 13-year-old Billie-Jo Jenkins who was bludgeoned to death in her back garden in 1997.

Forensic experts from Sussex Police will re-inspect material linked to her murder to establish whether scientific advances are able to uncover new leads in the case.

Ms Jenkins was killed with an 18-inch iron tent peg as she painted the patio doors in the garden of her foster home in Hastings, East Sussex.

Billie-Jo’s foster father, Sion Jenkins, formerly a secondary school deputy head teacher, was convicted of her murder in July 1998 after hundreds of spatters of her blood were discovered on his trousers and jacket.

After six years in prison, Mr Jenkins was formally acquitted of her murder in 2006 in a re-trial. The defence maintained the blood spray was breathed onto his clothes as Bille-Jo lay dying in his arms.

He always denied murdering her.

Billie-Jo lived in the care of Mr Jenkins, his then wife and their four daughters for four years prior to her death.

The force said in a statement that all unsolved murder is “assessed two-yearly to examine any new information that may have become available”.

Sussex Police said: “Currently, no new information has been provided in this case and it is not being re-investigated.”

It added: “We are currently carrying out a forensic review of material held on the case in order to establish whether or not scientific advances can provide new evidence or lines of enquiry.”

Officers are continuing to appeal for information with regards to Bille-Jo’s murder.