DNA proof traps real killer after 32 years

15 November 2007 
The New Paper

He lived like a free man for 32 years. He kept quiet as an innocent man was sent to jail for his horrendous crime. But, on Monday, justice was finally served on UK comic-book dealer Ronald Castree, 54, who was found guilty of sexually assaulting and killing an 11-year-old girl, Lesley Molseed, in 1975. His DNA samples matched the semen stains found in Lesley's underwear. Judge Openshaw, who presided over the trial, recommended at least 30 years in prison without parole for Castree, reported The Times, London.

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Max McLean, paedophiles, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko

Police in the dock

14 November 2007
Mirror
Sue Carroll

In 1975, when 11-year-old Lesley Molseed was stabbed to death and her body dumped on a remote moor, the police approach to suspects was, to say the least, robust. Think of DCI Gene Hunt in 70s-style TV cop show Life On Mars and his determination to secure a conviction at any cost. We must assume it was this attitude which led to an innocent man, Stefan Kiszko, serving 16 years for a crime he didn't commit.

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, paedophiles, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko

Starting the hunt all over again

14 November 2007 
Rochdale Observer

The day after Stefan Kiszko’s acquittal, West Yorkshire police reopened the investigation into Lesley Molseed’s murder. A murder incident room manned by 15 detectives was set up at Bradford police station and fresh information about possible suspects had already been sifted through.

Continue Reading... Labels: Lesley Molseed, Rochdale, Stefan Kiszko, Trevor Wilkinson

Unlocking the mysteries of a trail gone cold

14 November 2007
Rochdale Observer

Cracking a cold case first thrust into the public eye over three decades ago was naturally a difficult task for police investigating Lesley Molseed’s killing. After all, they would have to have concrete evidence against the real killer, particularly in a case described as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in UK history. Fortunately the West Yorkshire Police team had the groundbreaking scientific techniques to finally catch the 11-year-old Turf Hill schoolgirl’s killer. And the evidence was almost infallible. A DNA profile obtained from semen on the victim’s clothes matched Ronald Castree – the chance it could have been someone else was a billion to one.

Continue Reading... Labels: DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Max McLean, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Stefan Kiszko

Silent clue that finally made its voice heard

14 November 2007
Rochdale Observer
A small piece of sticky tape proved to be the silent clue which waited for science to catch up and allow it to speak. The tape, tucked inside half a brown envelope, contained samples taken from Lesley’s clothing. In 1975 forensic scientist Peter Guise had wrapped it around a wallpaper seam roller and rolled it over the inside and outside of Lesley’s underwear. At the time he was looking for fibres and blood, unaware that many years in the future scientists would be able to create a DNA profile from this or any of the other human cells which also happened to have been picked up by the tape.

Continue Reading... Labels: DNA, FSS, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Stefan Kiszko

Child abuser wrongly thought to be killer

14 November 2007
Rochdale Observer

Paedophile Raymond Hewlett was the man many wrongly believed had killed Lesley Molseed. The 30-year-old from Todmorden was married, but having an affair with a 15-year-old at the time of the murder. A day after Lesley’s body was found, he fled to Ireland with the teenager, telling her they had to avoid the police.

Three years earlier, in September 1972, he had abducted a 12-year-old girl on her way to school. He drove her to the moors 10 miles from Todmorden, forced her to lose consciousness by putting a rag covered in paint thinner over her face, then sexually assaulted her.

In another attack in 1978 he went into the house of someone he knew while their daughter was alone at home. Armed with a gun he tried to strip her, but fled when she told him a visitor was expected at any moment. In 1988 in Mold he kidnapped and indecently assaulted a 14-year-old girl.

When police reinvestigated Lesley’s murder it was obvious that he would become a suspect.

They spoke to witnesses who had seen what looked like his van in the layby off the A672 near to where Lesley’s body was found. It was where he used to take his teenage girlfriend to have sex. They also interviewed convicts he was in jail with when he was questioned about Lesley’s killing.

All said he had disguised the issue, saying he was being interviewed about killing a woman rather than a child, but one said he had admitted to killing her. Another said he had mentioned having sex with someone called Lesley. But DNA evidence from Lesley’s clothing excluded Hewlett from the murder.

After being questioned and released, Hewlett didn’t stay in Todmorden. Police say they do not know where he is, but that he was last known to be in Spain.

Continue Reading... Labels: DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale

DNA match ruled out paedophile who was once prime suspect for murder

13 November 2007
Yorkshire Post

Ronald Castree's barrister claimed his client was not Lesley Molseed's killer, and even named the man who "probably" murdered her - a paedophile called Raymond Hewlett.

Nobody knows where Hewlett is currently - he was last seen in Spain many years ago and is even now thought to be living somewhere in continental Europe - but the reality is that despite once being the prime suspect in the case, Hewlett was only ever a smokescreen introduced to the trial by Castree's legal team.

Continue Reading... Labels: DNA, FSS, Ireland, Lesley Molseed, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

Two faced charges of perverting course of justice

13 November 2007
Yorkshire Post

The retired forensic scientist and senior police officer faced being prosecuted for perverting the course of justice over Stefan Kiszko's conviction. Appeal court judges were told that the evidence that Stefan Kiszko could not have been responsible for the semen stains found on Lesley Molseed's body was available at the time of the trial - but was never disclosed to the defence.

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, paedophiles, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

Timeline Molseed case - Manchester Evening News

October 5, 1975: Lesley Molseed, 11, disappears while running an errand for her
13 November 2007
Manchester Evening News

Timeline:

Continue Reading... Labels: Campbell Malone, Crown Prosecution Service, Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

Girl's killer jailed, 32 years after she was murdered

13 November 2007
The Guardian
Martin Wainwright
Comic dealer told he must serve at least 30 years DNA evidence cleared wrongly jailed tax clerk


A dealer in children's comics was jailed for life yesterday for the frenzied murder of schoolgirl Lesley Molseed on Yorkshire moorland 32 years ago. Ronald Castree, 54, a father of two, was condemned by a judge for destroying a second innocent life after staying silent as a tax clerk, Stefan Kiszko, served 16 years for the killing. Castree, who was convicted by a majority verdict after 11 1/2 hours, claimed in tears from the dock that he was the victim of a second miscarriage of justice.

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, Max McLean, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

A small piece of sticky tape proved to be the silent clue

13 November 2007
Manchester Evening News

A small piece of sticky tape proved to be the silent clue which waited for science to catch up and allow it to speak. The tape, tucked inside half a brown envelope, contained samples taken from Lesley's clothing.

Continue Reading... Labels: DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, Raymond Hewlett, Ronald Castree, Stefan Kiszko

Conviction too late for victim of 'worst miscarriage of justice of all time

13 November 2007
The Times
Russell Jenkins

The family of Stefan Kiszko said last night that they hoped Ronald Castree "rots in Hell" for ruining the lives of two families. Ann Kiszko, the aunt of the former Inland Revenue tax clerk, is one of the few surviving members of the Ukrainian clan who came to work in the cotton mills of Rochdale after the Second World War. She always knew that Stefan, a lumbering giant of a man whose size belied his gentleness, was innocent of Lesley Molseed's murder. It was simply not in his nature.

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, paedophiles, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko

Justice ..32 yrs late

13 November 2007
Mirror
Paul Byrne and Patrick Mulchrone
EXCLUSIVE Child sex fiend who murdered Lesley gets life in jail

Child sex killer Ron Castree who let an innocent man serve 16 years for his crime was told yesterday he would probably die in jail. The kinky comic book dealer was finally convicted of stabbing to death Lesley Molseed, 11, 32 years after he dumped her body on moorland. Lesley's family was jubilant. Mum April Garrett said: "Our long quest for justice for her is now over."

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Max McLean, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko

Luck runs out for predator who boasted of exploits

13 November 2007
The Times
Russell Jenkins

While an innocent man languished in jail for the murder of Lesley Molseed her real killer ran a business selling American superhero comics. When it was finally conceded that Stefan Kiszko could not have murdered the child, the real killer was posing in a Batman baseball cap and telling one national newspaper that "the timeless appeal of the comic is escapism".

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, paedophiles, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko

No prosecutions for Molseed police

13 November 2007
Yorkshire Evening Post

IN the aftermath of the clearing of Stefan Kiszko a retired top West Yorkshire detective and a senior Harrogate forensic scientist faced charges of perverting the course of justice.  But the prosecutions of former Det Supt Dick Holland - who later in his career was deputy head of the Yorkshire Ripper inquiry - and Ronald Outteridge did not proceed and reporting of their 1995 court hearing was banned.

Continue Reading... Labels: Crown Prosecution Service, Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, paedophiles, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko

I hope the monster rots in Hell

13 November 2007
The Daily Express


Stefan Kiszko's aunt last night called Castree a monster and said: "I hope he rots in hell." Ann Kiszko attacked Lesley's killer for keeping silent while her nephew wrongly spent 16 years in jail. Ann, in her 70s, added: "I hope that rat has lots of accidents in prison. He has had the best years of his life while Stefan is dead."

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, paedophiles, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko

You'll die in jail

13 November 2007
Mirror
Paul Byrne and Patrick Mulchrone

A report into the police handling of the Stefan case has been kept secret for more than 14 years. An application by the Mirror for the file to be released under the Freedom of Information Act was declined earlier this year. Lancashire Police said the public's best interest was best-served by "nondisclosure".

In 1994 DCI Dick Holland, CS Dibb and forensic scientist Ronald Outteridge were accused of destroying evidence and withholding statements from the defence, proving the whereabouts of Stefan on the day of the murder. Dibb died. Holland and Outteridge never faced trial after it was ruled it would be an "abuse of process."

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, paedophiles, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge

Justice...32 years late

13 November 2007
Mirror
Paul Byrne and Patrick Mulchrone
Child sex fiend who murdered Lesley gets life in jail

Child sex killer Ron Castree who let an innocent man serve 16 years for his crime was told yesterday he would probably die in jail. The kinky comic book dealer was finally convicted of stabbing to death Lesley Molseed, 11, 32 years after he dumped her body on moorland. Lesley's family was jubilant. Mum April Garrett said: "Our long quest for justice for her is now over." Castree also abducted a girl of nine and assaulted a boy of seven. Yesterday as the pervert began a minimum 30-year sentence his male victim, now a married dad of two, told for the first time of his harrowing ordeal. He said: "For 30 years I thought I'd been grabbed by a paedophile. Now it turns out he was a killer."

Continue Reading... Labels: Campbell Malone, Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lancashire Police, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko

Two faced charges of perverting course of justice

13 November 2007
Yorkshire Post

The retired forensic scientist and senior police officer faced being prosecuted for perverting the course of justice over Stefan Kiszko's conviction. Appeal court judges were told that the evidence that Stefan Kiszko could not have been responsible for the semen stains found on Lesley Molseed's body was available at the time of the trial - but was never disclosed to the defence.

Once Mr Kiszko had been cleared in 1992, an investigation into the handling of the case was undertaken by Lancashire Police. Both Ronald Outteridge - the senior forensic scientist working in Harrogate at the time - and Superintendent Dick Holland, were charged with perverting the course of justice in 1994.

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

The conviction of Ronald Castree marks the final chapter

13 November 2007
Manchester Evening News
Nicola Dowling

THE conviction of Ronald Castree marks the final chapter in one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British criminal history. A series of blunders by detectives investigating the murder of Lesley Molseed resulted in an innocent man - Stefan Kiszko - spending 16 years in prison for the crime while the real killer remained free. Last night, West Yorkshire Police made a public apology for their handling of the case. Det Chief Supt Max McLean said: "We are very, very sorry for what happened. It was a dreadful miscarriage of justice.  "I am so pleased today we have put things right. We have got the real killer." 

Continue Reading... Labels: Campbell Malone, Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Ireland, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, Max McLean, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

Twists and turns of Molseed Inquiry

12 November 2007
Press Association
Dave Higgens

The release of Stefan Kiszko in 1992 reignited the question of who did kill Lesley Molseed. Speculation at the time about who did it ranged from notorious serial killers such as child-murderer Robert Black and Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe to people from the local community in Rochdale.

Continue Reading... Labels: DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

Beast the killer tried to blame

12 November 2007
Halifax Evening Courier

The evidence against Castree was overwhelming - but he tried to point the finger at one of Britain's most wanted criminals. Paedophile Raymond Hewlett is being hunted in connection with a serious sex assault on an eight-year-old girl in Manchester in 1975. He is the subject of an international manhunt and thought to be living a nomadic life in Spain.

Continue Reading... Labels: Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Ronald Castree, Scots Guard, Stefan Kiszko

'Ultimate Vindication' for wrongly-jailed loner

12 November 2007
Press Association
Dave Higgens

The conviction of Ronald Castree marks the ultimate vindication of Stefan Kiszko - the man who needlessly spent 16 years in prison for Lesley Molseed's murder. The former Inland Revenue clerk was jailed for life at Leeds Crown Court on July 21 1976.

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, paedophiles, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko

Net finally falls on right man

12 November 2007
Guardian Unlimited
For almost 30 years Ronald Castree walked free, as another man was jailed for his crime. But advances in forensic science meant justice was finally served

When Ronald Castree stabbed schoolgirl Lesley Molseed to death on a lonely stretch of Yorkshire moorland 27 years ago, he began a course of events which were to destroy a second innocent life. As well as murdering the child, he stayed silent as a blameless man was convicted of the killing and sent for 16 years to prison where he was attacked by fellow-inmates and routinely bullied and humiliated.

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko

Castree guilty of Molseed murder

12 November 2007
Yorkshire Post

A comic book dealer has been jailed for life and told he must serve a minimum of 30 years for the murder of schoolgirl Lesley Molseed more than 30 years ago. The 11-year-old, who had learning difficulties, went missing while running an errand for her mother in Rotherham on Sunday October 5, 1975. Her body was found three days later on moorland near the Manchester Yorkshire border. She had been sexually assaulted and stabbed to death.

Continue Reading... Labels: DNA, FSS, Ireland, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, Max McLean, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Scots Guard, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

Molseed: The man wrongly jailed

November 12, 2007
Manchester Evening News

STEFAN Kiszko spent 16 years in jail for a crime he could not have committed. When he was finally freed in 1992, aged 41, he was a broken man and died two days before Christmas the following year.

Continue Reading... Labels: Campbell Malone, Dick Holland, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

Molseed: Timeline and gallery

12 November 2007
Molseed: Timeline and gallery

Continue Reading... Labels: Campbell Malone, Crown Prosecution Service, Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Ireland, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

Decades of botched investigations

12 November 2007
Press Association
Amy Caulfield

Here is the timeline of events surrounding Lesley Molseed's murder since she went missing 32 years ago.

Continue Reading... Labels: Dick Holland, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko

Castree defence team claim former Todmorden man killed Lesley

09 November 2007
Todmorden News

A former Todmorden man has been named as the probable killer of Lesley Molseed by the lawyer defending an Oldham man standing trial for the schoolgirl's murder. Ronald Castree's defence counsel Rodney Jameson QC told Bradford Crown Court that there was "an overwhelming possibility" that the man who sexually assaulted Lesley and stabbed her 12 times was convicted paedophile Raymond Hewlett, who was living in Todmorden in the mid 1970s.

Continue Reading... Labels: Christopher Coverdale, DNA, FSS, Ireland, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Rosalee Dolan, Rosalie Dolan, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

You've got the wrong man again, says 'sex murder' defendant

6 November 2007
The Daily Express
Paul Broster

The man accused of sexually assaulting and murdering 11y ear-old Lesley Molseed yesterday insisted: "I did not kill her." Comic book trader Ronald Castree, 54, denied snatching her 32 years ago and stabbing her to death on desolate moorland. Instead his defence team named "violent and dangerous paedophile" Raymond Hewlett.

Continue Reading... Labels: DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

Lesley Molseed murder trial: Finger pointed at ex-Tod man

6 November 2007 
Halifax Evening Courier

The jury in the Lesley Molseed murder trial has heard that her killer could have been a former Todmorden man. Ronald Castree, 54, denies murdering the 11-year-old schoolgirl on moorland above Ripponden in October 1975. And yesterday, defence counsel Rodney Jameson QC told Bradford Crown Court that there was "an overwhelming possibility" that the man who sexually assaulted her and stabbed her 12 times was convicted paedophile, Raymond Hewlett.

Continue Reading... Labels: Christopher Coverdale, DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Ronald Castree, Rosalee Dolan, Rosalie Dolan, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

Defendant denies murdering girl 30 years ago

5 November 2007
Press Association
Dave Higgens

The man accused of murdering schoolgirl Lesley Molseed more than 30 years ago told a jury today that he did not kill the 11-year-old. Ronald Castree, 54, was asked if he was guilty almost as soon as he took to the witness box at Bradford Crown Court. Rodney Jameson QC, defending, asked him: "Did you murder Lesley Molseed?" Standing with his hands clasped in front on him, bald-headed Castree replied: "No, sir. I did not kill Lesley Molseed."

Continue Reading... Labels: DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Ronald Outteridge, Stefan Kiszko, West Yorkshire Police

Lesley Molseed murder trial

Defence claims Calderdale paedophile is real killer
5 November 2007
Halifax Evening Courier

A defence barrister has named a man who may have murdered schoolgirl Lesley Molseed more than 30 years ago. Rodney Jameson, QC, told Bradford Crown Court today there was "an overwhelming possibility" the man who murdered Lesley, of Delamere Road, Rochdale, was convicted paedophile Raymond Hewlett, formerly of Todmorden. Mr Hewlett was investigated by police in 1992 after Stefan Kiszko, who was wrongly accused of the murder and spent 16 years in prison for it, had his conviction quashed.

Continue Reading... Labels: DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Madeleine McCann, paedophiles, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Stefan Kiszko

Lesley Molseed murder trial: defence claims Calderdale paedophile is real killer

5 November 2007
Halifax Evening Courier

A DEFENCE barrister has named a man who may have murdered schoolgirl Lesley Molseed more than 30 years ago. Rodney Jameson, QC, told Bradford Crown Court today there was "an overwhelming possibility" the man who murdered Lesley, of Delamere Road, Rochdale, was convicted paedophile Raymond Hewlett, formerly of Todmorden.

Continue Reading... Labels: DNA, FSS, Lesley Molseed, Raymond Hewlett, Rochdale, Ronald Castree, Stefan Kiszko