Forensic Science International: Reports (Dec 2020)
Practitioner narrative part 1: Fibres stands alone - R-v-Everson a case in double jeopardy
Abstract
In 1993, David Watkins's body was found in woodland near Reading, UK. He had been shot. Andrew Everson was tried for his murder and acquitted. The only forensic evidence linking Andrew Everson to the crime was fibres. A change in the law allowed prosecution authorities to review the evidence to assess whether an application to quash the acquittal of Andrew Everson could be supported. This series of three papers seeks to provide an account of how one of these cases was investigated, the unique challenges it provided to investigators and lessons that can be learned from it. This first part details the initial stage of the case, the review of the paperwork from 1993.
