Netflix documentary The Chillenden Murders has renewed interest in the 1996 murders of Lin Russell and her six-year-old daughter Megan.
Netflix’s latest true crime offering, The Chillenden Murders, has left viewers questioning whether convicted murderer Michael Stone is still behind bars.
Back in July 1996, a chilling incident unfolded when 45-year-old mum Lin Russell and her daughters Josie, nine, and Megan, six, were walking their family dog Lucy down a country lane.
They were approached by a man who tied them up and brutally killed Lin and Megan with a hammer, along with Lucy but, thankfully, Josie survived the attack.
A year later, following a Crimewatch Appeal that resulted in numerous leads, 37-year-old Michael Stone was arrested for the murders and attempted murder. He was subsequently handed three life sentences with a minimum term of 25 years.
Is Michael Stone still in prison?
Yes, Michael Stone, now a convicted murderer, remains behind bars at HMP Full Sutton near York.
Serial killer Levi Bellfield did confess to the murders of Lin and Megan in 2022, only to later retract his statement.
Bellfield is currently serving two life sentences for the murders of Marsha McDonnell, Amelie Delagrange, 13-year-old Milly Dowler and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy.
Despite nearing three decades in prison, Stone continues to assert his innocence.
As the Netflix documentary, which first aired in 2023, concludes, a caption reveals: “Michael Stone lost a second appeal against his conviction in 2005.
“In 2011, Stone’s legal team was refused permission to apply for judicial review of the CCRC decision not to refer his case to the Court of Appeal.
“Michael Stone’s case has been under active investigation at the Criminal Cases Review Commission since 2017.
“The Commission is yet to reach a decision regarding whether or not to refer the case back for appeal.
“Michael Stone still protests his innocence of these crimes and his legal team continues to work to overturn his conviction.”
The Chillenden Murders: Who Killed Lin and Megan? can be streamed on Netflix.
