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From The Times
February 17, 2007

Nickell murder DNA ‘blunder’

Fiona Hamilton

LONDON The Home Office has ordered an investigation into a suspected DNA blunder that may have stopped police identifying Rachel Nickell’s true killer six years ago.

Ms Nickell, 23, was stabbed 49 times and sexually assaulted in front of Alex, her two-year-old son, on Wimbledon Common in 1992.

Over the next two years Colin Stagg was charged and later acquitted of her murder after police officers were accused of trapping him into a confession. He spent one year in prison.

During the 2001 review of the case forensic teams examined items recovered from the murder scene. They are believed to have missed small samples of DNA that match the DNA profile of a man currently being held at Broadmoor on separate offences. Detectives are believed to be on the verge of prosecuting him for the murder of Ms Nickell.

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