Full Breakdown
Police Re-examine 1999 CCTV in Jill Dando Murder
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
On April 26, 1999, BBC presenter Jill Dando was shot dead outside her Fulham home. Detectives are now reviewing enhanced CCTV footage from Putney Bridge Underground station, captured about a mile from the crime scene shortly after the killing. The footage shows an unidentified man, dubbed “Man X,” sprinting near the station roughly 20 minutes after the shot was fired.
Background & Context
The Dando case has been one of the United Kingdom’s largest homicide investigations. Initial inquiries named over 2,000 potential suspects, leading to the conviction of Barry George in 2001, which was later quashed in 2008 after a retrial. Since then, the investigation has undergone numerous reviews, with the Metropolitan Police repeatedly assessing whether advances in technology could yield new leads.
Potential Serbian Connection
Since 2024, The Mirror and other outlets have reported that facial-comparison expert Emi Polito identified similarities between “Man X” and Milorad Ulemek, a former French Foreign Legionnaire and Serbian paramilitary commander convicted of war crimes. Witnesses have claimed the man they saw running near Dando’s home resembled Ulemek, noting a distinctive striped tie and a dent on the bridge of his nose that matches an e-fit released in 1999. Ulemek is currently serving a 40-year sentence in Serbia for planning high-profile assassinations.
Official Statements & Responses
Metropolitan Police spokespeople have repeatedly emphasized that the CCTV review is part of ongoing inquiries and does not constitute a new investigation. They note that recent CCTV-enhancement technology now allows the original 1999 footage to be examined in greater detail. The force has not confirmed whether the review has produced any substantive leads beyond the identification of “Man X.”
Witness Accounts
- A female motorist driving on Fulham Palace Road reported seeing a man in a suit “running for his life” at the time of the shooting and later identified “Man X” in the station footage.
- Neighbour Richard Hughes and resident Geoffrey Upfillbrown described the gunman as “similar” to an e-fit produced by a witness.
- A second witness stated he was “80 % sure” the man he saw near the scene was Ulemek.
Data & Statistics
- The original CCTV footage dates from 1999 and was stored in approximately 223 boxes of material.
- Cold-case officers spent ten months locating and digitising the footage.
- Over 2,500 people were interviewed and more than 3,700 exhibits collected during the original Operation Oxborough investigation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Police have dismissed the motorist’s identification of “Man X,” arguing the description does not precisely match the footage, while the same witnesses continue to assert a strong resemblance to Ulemek.
- No public statement has confirmed whether the enhanced footage reveals any new facial features that could definitively link “Man X” to Ulemek or any other suspect.
Verbatim Quotes
- “In the 27 years since Jill Dando's murder, the investigation has been subject to numerous reviews, aiming to identify whether matters could be progressed with advances in technology and forensics.” — Scotland Yard spokesperson
What’s Next
The Metropolitan Police have indicated that the CCTV review will remain part of “ongoing enquiries.” No specific future actions, such as a formal reopening of the case or a public appeal for new information, have been announced.