Scottish woman's murder in Crete: ex-partner found guilty after 17 years
A man in Crete has been found guilty of the murder of Jean Hanlon, 53, from Scotland, following a 17-year investigation led by her three sons and private investigators.
Scottish woman's murder in Crete: ex-partner found guilty after 17 years
A man has been found guilty of the murder of Jean Hanlon, a 53-year-old Scottish woman who disappeared in Heraklion, Crete in 2009, following a trial that lasted 17 years.
The case began when Hanlon, who had moved to Crete to start a new life, failed to appear for scheduled babysitting work. Greek authorities initially attributed her death to an accident, after her body was found in the water. However, her three sons — Robert, Michael and David — refused to accept this conclusion.
The brothers pushed for a second autopsy, which within two years revealed injuries consistent with a struggle, including a blow to the back of the head. Greek authorities opened and closed the case four times over the following decade. Two men were wrongly accused.
In 2023, the brothers hired private investigator Harris Veramon and his associate Niko Arkouli. Veramon examined Hanlon's diary, which mentioned a man with whom she had had a brief relationship in early 2009 but had ended. The investigators concluded that the suspect was a "rejected stalker" who could not accept the break-up and falsely believed that she was in a relationship with another man.
According to the private investigator's report, Hanlon was with the suspect at Café Marina on the night she disappeared. This report was sufficient for the case to go to court.
During the trial, the defendant's sister testified that her brother had been diagnosed with mental health disorders and became aggressive when he did not take his medication. The prosecution argued that he was not taking his medication during his relationship with Hanlon.
The victim's three sons testified at the beginning of the trial, asserting that their mother had ended the relationship amicably but the suspect continued to "intimidate" her.
Source: BBC
Source: Google News UK — Crime (en)