Duncan Jackson

14th September 1985, Avril Dunn, and Duncan Jackson were known to each other, and had been playing Darts together in the Heron pub in the Limbury Meads area of Luton that evening.
(interestingly, the same pub where this author worked)

Avril disappeared on her short walk home.
Jackson took her to Sundon Park, Luton where he beat her, stamping on her chest, causing massive internal injuries, he then strangled her. He then dump[ed her body in nearby Spiney Woods, bordering Sundon Park and The Marsh Farm Estate. 

Police searched a shed in Sundon Park connected to Jackson and found traces of bitumen which matched black marks found on Mrs Dunn's body.
The police also found a bone-handled knife in the shed, which matched knife marks on Avril Dunn's T-shirt.

The case remained unsolved with little evidence. Seminal fluid was recovered from Avrils' body, but DNA sampling were not as advanced in 1985.

14th September 1998, Jackson was arrested, after a cold case reviews, using new developments in DNA techniques were able to establish that it was in fact his DNA on Avril's body.

27th January 2000, Duncan Jackson now aged-37, and a father of four children, sy#tood trial at Reading Crown Court charged with murder, he denied the charge.  

The court was told that semen stains found on Avrils' clothing could not be identified at the time, but new advances in DNA techniques meant this was now possible.

Jackson was found guilty by the jury, a majority verdict of ten to two.  Duncan Jackson given a life sentence, but the judge did not set a minimum term at the time.

19th December 2001, Jackson was notified by the Home Secretary that his minimum term was set at 15-years.

An appeal by Jackson against the length of the sentence was rejected.