A former detective says new evidence shows two men jailed for the Essex Boys murders may be innocent.
Steele can now be released from prison this month, while Whomes left the prison system five years ago. The Criminal Cases Review Commission checks old cases and is currently re-examining this case from 1995.
A former detective has provided new evidence to the commission. David McKelvey, who runs an investigative company called TM-Eye, produced a report that catalyzed the review.
Initially, McKelvey believed in their guilt, but after three years of work, he now believes a mistake was made.
The appeal argues that a man, “Mr. D,” could be the actual perpetrator and raises concerns about potential police corruption, suggesting possible misconduct by some officers.
Several issues plague the case, particularly concerning evidence. There are suspicions that a “supergrass” may have provided false testimony in court. Implausible car journey timelines, uncalled witnesses, and questionable footprints in the snow are also points of contention.
Essex Police maintain their defense of their work. They claim to have encountered no new evidence discrediting their original findings, according to a report in The Mirror newspaper.
Darren Nicholls, a criminal, testified against Steele and Whomes. His testimony, now seen as weak, claimed that the two men planned the killings due to a drug deal gone wrong.
According to Nicholls, Steele lured the victims to Workhouse Lane under the pretense of delivering cocaine, while Whomes waited there. Nicholls stated that he dropped Whomes off earlier and was later called to pick him up after the shootings took place.
Whomes then allegedly shot the victims with a shotgun, and afterwards contacted Nicholls for a ride, or at least, that’s Nicholls’ version of the crime. McKelvey, however, doubts this account. He and Albert Patrick submitted a report to the CCRC backing an earlier statement from a different robber.
This robber claimed that “Billy” Gale paid him £5,000 to drive “Mr. D” close to the crime scene for a drug deal with the eventual victims, further stating he saw “Mr. D” with a gun that day.
At the time, the police dismissed this alternate account, citing inconsistencies with other known information pertaining to the case.
Nicholls only came forward months later, alleging he drove the getaway car for Steele and Whomes. McKelvey believes police were biased and that corruption may have influenced the investigation.
Nicholls confessed to driving the getaway car in exchange for a reduced sentence after being caught with cannabis in his van. He knew Whomes, Steele, and the victims involved.
The judge emphasized the importance of Nicholls’ word in the original trial. McKelvey’s current report directly contradicts this, alleging Nicholls fabricated his testimony. Witnesses have even stated Nicholls admitted to lying under oath.
The report claims that police may have assisted Nicholls in his lies. Senior officers may have even actively suppressed contradictory evidence. Furthermore, Nicholls secured a book deal about the case, information withheld from the judge and jury. He presently lives under an assumed identity.
Nicholls claimed he met Steele and Whomes around 5:00 PM near Colchester, specifically in Marks Tey. However, McKelvey argues the timelines presented by Nicholls are incompatible with available phone data.
Phone records place Whomes in Sudbury, Suffolk at 5:12 PM, a 24-minute drive away, making Nicholls’ version impossible. As McKelvey stated, “Whomes can’t be a time traveler,” meaning Nicholls’ story is fundamentally flawed. Further investigation has revealed additional inconsistencies in the timings.
A document known as “Operation Tiberius” reveals that gangsters were interested in killing the drug dealers around that time because they may have supplied drugs to Leah Betts, who tragically died after consuming ecstasy.
Leah Betts’ death triggered public outrage. The report implies these gangsters had connections within the police force and even suggested actively “taking out” Leah’s drug supplier. A corrupt ex-officer was reportedly mentioned.
Further doubts arise from the presence of footprints in the snow. The prints were identified as belonging to Reebok trainers.
Nicholls implicated the killer by stating that they wore Reebok trainers, while Steele and Whomes were wearing wellington boots according to his account.
Finally, a victim made a 17-second phone call at 6:26 PM to someone who police never questioned during the trial. McKelvey notes this individual was a suspected criminal and potentially knew the actual shooter from previous dealings.
According to the police files, this man was considered relevant to the case. However, the investigation abruptly stopped when his lawyer declined an interview.