The murder of Billie-Jo Jenkins

Billie-Jo was murdered in East Sussex on 15th February 1997 at her family home. She was only 13 years old.

Who killed Billie-Jo?

Billie-Jo was brought up in East London. Her father Bayard Jenkins was in prison and her mother was unable to cope on her own to bring up Billie-Jo so she was put into foster care at age 9 to an unrelated couple Sion and Lois Jenkins. Billie-Jo moved with the family to Hastings and attended Helenswood School.

On the 15th February 1997, Billie-Jo's body was found in the back garden of the family home in Hastings. She had been hit over the head with an iron tent peg whilst working alone painting the patio doors. The rest of the family was reported to be away from the home at the time. An unnamed local man was arrested on suspicion of murder soon after. He was released from police custody and detained under the mental health act. On 24th February, Sion Jenkins was arrested on suspicion of murder, he was charged with murder on the 14th March 1997. Sion told police that he found her in a pool of blood on the patio when he returned home from a shopping trip with tow of his daughters Annie and Charlotte.

He became the 3rd suspect following a police investigation which revealed erratic behaviour by Sion around the time of the incident and this was supported by the discovery of 158 microscopic blood spots on his clothing. After a trial he was convicted on 2nd July 1998 of the murder of Billie-Jo Jenkins and sentenced to life in prison. Sion appealed in 1999 but it was denied. In May 2003 following a two year investigation by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, Sion's case was referred back to the Court of Appeal. The basis for the referral is that "there is evidence, not before the jury, that suggests Mr Jenkins could not have committed the murder". The second appeal in August 2004 was successful and the Court of Appeal quashed his original conviction as unsafe and ordered a retrial, with Jenkins being released on bail. At the retrial forensic scientists stated that the microscopic blood spray could have been released from Billie-Jo's airways as Sion moved her. The jury was unable to come to a majority verdict after 39 hours. At the Old Bailey in London on 9th February 2006, Sion was declared in consequence not guilty. The Crown Prosecution Service indicated that no further retrials of Sion would be sought and he was formally acquitted.

In 2010 the British Government refused an application from Sion for financial compensation for his imprisonment sentence. At around the time of the murder a mentally ill man was seen in the street and area. He was taken into custody but was considered unable to be questioned. Sion claimed that he and his wife Lois were "so worried about prowlers and break-ins in the area where they lived that they had security lights and window locks fitted to their home". Charlotte stated on video that a side gate may have been open when they returned.

On 19th January 2008 in Alexandra Park, Hastings, a memorial seat made from a locally felled oak tree by local artist Joc Hare was dedicated to the memory of Billie-Jo. The first few words on the seat read "Side by side or miles apart, friends are close to the heart".

The case is still unsolved to this day. Billie-Jo's mother Deborah Barnett has called for police to reopen the case on the 20th Anniversary of her death. The case has not been touched for more than a decade. Billie-Jo would of been 35 years old this year.