Solved 40 years later: The murder of Janet Commins
Killer Britain with Dermot MurnaghanJanet Commins was an everyday teenage schoolgirl in 1976 when the unthinkable happened to her. While walking home from swimming, she was attacked, sexually assaulted and murdered.
The death of a girl so young in such a horrific way was awful enough, but the situation was made all the more terrible because of how her case was handled. A flawed investigation by police led to the conviction of the wrong man, leaving the true culprit to walk free for around 40 years.
Advances in technology and forensic science eventually led to the real killer being caught. However, the case is still incredibly frustrating due to the mismanagement that surrounds it.
Join us at Crime+Investigation as we examine the case of Janet Commins’s murder, including how the police fumbled the investigation in the aftermath of her death. The case is also featured on the latest series of Killer Britain with Dermot Murnaghan, which is available now on Crime+Investigation.
Janet Commins goes missing
Janet Commins was a 15-year-old girl who lived in Flint, North Wales, in 1976. On 7th January, Janet arranged to go to the local swimming baths with a friend. Her mother said she couldn’t go, as she thought Janet looked unwell. Despite this, Janet went anyway, leaving a note for her parents saying she would be home at around 8:30pm. Janet never returned home.
The body is discovered
It was four days later when Janet’s body was discovered by local children playing hide and seek. She had been hidden near a school playing field underneath a thicket.
Janet’s body had various wounds, including neck abrasions, bruising, and a scalp wound. Her shoes were missing, but she was still clothed.
Janet had been violently sexually assaulted. She died by suffocation, caused either by being face down during the attack or by a hand around her nose and mouth.
A wrongful conviction
All men in the area between the ages of 17 and 22 were asked to give full accounts of their movements on the night Janet was killed. However, there was one man whom the police honed in on pretty quickly: Noel Jones.
Jones was 18 at the time and a member of the travelling community, though he originated from Coedpoeth in Wrexham. He was barely literate and quickly became a scapegoat for the authorities. Jones was picked up on the day Janet’s body was found.
After his arrest, Jones was held with no adult or legal representation as he was interrogated. This is illegal in this day and age, but before the 1984 Police and Criminal Evidence Act came to be, it was common practice.
Under significant pressure, Jones signed two confessions, despite no concrete evidence and inconsistent statements. In later interviews, Jones said that he could hardly read the statements that had been written.
Jones went on to plead guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 years. He only served six years, but whilst there, he was subject to constant beatings.
DNA breakthrough
A cold case review of Janet’s murder occurred in 2006, and new forensic technology was used to analyse original DNA evidence. Some of the evidence had not been documented, as was common practice in 1976. However, some DNA was preserved, and it was uploaded to the National DNA Database.
Stephen Hough
In 2016, a man named Stephen Hough sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl, and his DNA was taken and also uploaded to the database. The sample matched that found on Janet’s body.
Interestingly enough, Hough was also a person of interest in 1976, when he was almost 17. He was evasive and told police a story about stealing fuel on the night Janet was killed. His story was believed, and he managed to evade authorities for his horrific actions for another 40 years.
In July 2017, Hough was sentenced to 12 years for the rape, sexual assault and manslaughter of Janet Commins. He also received an additional three years for the 2016 assault.
The murder and assault of Janet Commins was a heinous and despicable crime, but it is also highly frustrating. The archaic practices of authorities in 1976 led to the perpetrator walking free for decades, and going on to assault other young girls. Not only that, but Noel Jones suffered from persecution for a crime he did not commit for many years.
There is a spark of light in this dark case, though. The diligent work of the police who opened up the cold case allowed the truth to finally be revealed. With this revelation, the true criminal is behind bars, Noel can move on, and Janet’s family can have some much-needed closure.
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