Diane Chenery-Wickens
Birmingham, April 29, 2009 … Forensic Science Service experts worked their way through hundreds of pieces of evidence as part of the police investigation into the disappearance of Emmy award-winning make-up artist Diane Chenery-Wickens.
Chenery-Wickens, who had worked on high-profile TV series including Pride and Prejudice and League of Gentlemen, disappeared on the night of January 22, 2008.
Until her body was found dumped in woodland some four months later, Sussex Police had no murder scene and consequently needed to submit evidence from various sites of interest associated with their enquiries.
It was only by painstakingly working their way through the evidence that Forensic Science Service experts were able to eventually discredit the version of events given by David Chenery-Wickens, who killed his wife before dumping her body at Worth Lane, Little Horsted, East Sussex.
“Without a murder scene we were supplied with items from multiple locations including the marital home, both partners’ cars and the Lavender Line railway preservation society of which the husband was a member,” explained FSS forensic scientist Helen Myhill. “That meant we had to examine several hundred items.”
The FSS was sent the first submissions – from the couple’s cars and the home at Hazelden Cottage, Duddleswell – on February 5.
The initial batch of items did not include the victim’s watch and a ring, both of which she was believed to wear constantly. These items were later found at the cottage, leading police to suspect they had been recovered from the victim and placed in the cottage.
Chenery-Wickens told police his wife had not been wearing the items on the night she disappeared but FSS experts found bloodstains on the items.
Using the Low Copy Number DNA profiling technique pioneered by the FSS – which enables DNA profiles to be obtained from tiny amounts of genetic material – forensic scientists were able to confirm the blood was from Diane Chenery-Wickens.
On top of that discovery, FSS scientists were able to say the location of the bloodstains was consistent with them being removed while she was bleeding.
Meanwhile staff from the FSS’ marks and traces team spent days searching an Audi A4 car belonging to the couple for potential footprints and removing particles of material from the boot and other locations in case they would be needed at a later stage.
Dr Sarah Jacob and her footwear team in London also examined 13 pairs of shoes, an odd shoe and images of another eight pairs of footwear from various locations to see if a match could be found with a partial footprint in the Audi.
A breakthrough came when a dog walker found Diane’s body on May 15.
The remains were identified from dental records and no cause of death could be established from the post mortem.
This would subsequently open up a potential defence at trial with Chenery-Wickens’ lawyers claiming a discarded phial nearby was evidence Diane had committed suicide.
But FSS toxicologist John Slaughter discredited this idea by finding no trace of any drug in her body.
“We tested for all commonly found substances and particularly the drug found in the discarded phial nearby – which was of the type used by vets to put down animals,” explained John.
FSS personnel tested holly found covering the body for an attacker’s bloodstains, looked for possible fibre matches between the attacker and victim and even brought in an expert to examine whether soil found on the husband’s shoes matched the site where the body was found, after Chenery-Wickens told police he had never visited the site.
A pair of cowboy boots was found alongside the body, tallying with Chenery-Wickens’ account of the outfit his wife had been wearing when she vanished.
But FSS personnel spotted the footwear still had boot shapers inside, suggesting they had not been worn at the time of death and leading police to suspect the husband had returned to the site to corroborate his account of events.
David Chenery-Wickens was given a life sentence for murder, with a minimum 18-year-term, at Lewes Crown Court in March 2009.
For more information, please contact:
Kay Francis, Director of Communications
Tel: +44 (0) 121 3298581 Mobile: +44 (0) 7867 537 779
E-mail: kay.francis@fss.pnn.police.uk
Lisa Palmer, Chief Press Officer
Tel: +44 (0) 121 329 5225 Mobile: +44 (0) 7808 682 659
E-mail: lisa.palmer@fss.pnn.police.uk
Max Hall, Press Officer
Tel: +44 (0) 121 3295293 Mobile: +44 (0) 7900 053 555
E-mail: laura.mackin@fss.pnn.police.uk
Notes to Editors
About the FSS
· The FSS is one of the world’s leading providers of forensic science services, and is the market leader in the UK. Its principal activities include an unrivalled range of services for forensic casework, consultancy and training (including development of new forensic establishments abroad), paternity testing, and the supply of high quality evidence recovery kits and packaging (Scenesafe).
· Customers include the 43 police forces in England and Wales, public sector organisations and commercial companies, defence solicitors, and more than 60 overseas governments and law enforcement agencies.
· TheForensic Science Service®is a trading name of Forensic Science Service Ltd., which is a UK Government owned company (GovCo). The Forensic Science Service and FSS are registered trademarks of Forensic Science Service Ltd.
- For more information visit www.forensic.gov.uk