Manchester Evening News
Andrew Nott
THE hunt for the killer of 11-year-old schoolgirl Lesley Molseed, who was stabbed to death 26 years ago, is to be officially re-launched, it was revealed today. Lesley, from Rochdale, was knifed 12 times in 1975 and the first inquiry led to innocent Stefan Kiszko spending 16 years in jail. A second investigation identified another prime suspect - but failed to gather sufficient evidence to charge him.
The new bid to bring the killer to justice will begin next Tuesday, involving an examination of evidence produced by an investigation by the Manchester Evening News. A special murder incident room equipped with computer aids unavailable at the time of the previous two inquiries has been set up at Halifax police station. While the file has never been closed, this is the first time in nearly 10 years that a team of detectives will actively investigate the case.
Det Chief Supt Max McLean, of West Yorkshire CID, said today: "This is a full scale murder inquiry and we are using all resources neccessary. "We will be going through the huge mass of paperwork which the other investigations generated and then use computer analysis to help us move to the next stage.
"The investigation team will work closely with the forensic science laboratory at Wetherby and I expect to involve the expertise of psychologists and criminal profilers." Police already have a number of suspects whose names were thrown up during the previous inquiries, but Mr McLean says that he is keeping an "open mind". "It is a cliche," he said, "but there is no point in making assumptions before we have even begun looking in detail at the evidence."
One suspect named by the M.E.N. is fairground worker and trawlerman Raymond
Hewlett, currently believed to be out of the country. He was at the centre of the second investigation nearly a decade ago after it was proved that the man serving life for the killing, tax clerk Stefan Kiszko, could not have been responsible.
Mr Kiszko was cleared and freed in 1992, but died the following year. His mother, Charlotte, who tirelessly led a campaign to prove he was not guilty, died six months later. Lesley was sexually assaulted and killed in 1975. Her body was found on moorland above Ripponden.
Timid Mr Kiszko made a confession, but with no lawyer present, which brought the first inquiry to a premature end. Forensic evidence later proved beyond doubt he could not have been the murderer. Police have set up a hotline to the incident room on 01422 337048.
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