Raymond Buck, a father of three who died by suicide in 2000, has emerged as a new person of interest in the investigation into the brutal 1996 murders of Lin Russell and her six-year-old daughter Megan, as well as the attempted murder of their older daughter, Josie, near the village of Chillenden, Kent. The attack, carried out with a claw hammer in broad daylight, also targeted the family’s white terrier, Lucy. Josie, despite severe skull fractures, survived the assault.

At the time, Michael Stone, a former heroin addict with a history of violent offenses, including a prior hammer attack, was arrested and convicted for the crimes. He is currently serving three life sentences and has consistently maintained his innocence, declining to seek parole to avoid admitting guilt.

The reconsideration of Buck’s potential involvement arises from two new witnesses who have submitted sworn statements to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), which is reviewing Stone’s conviction and conducting fresh forensic analysis using modern DNA techniques. One witness is Buck’s ex-wife, who reportedly alerted Kent police shortly after the murders but whose concerns were not pursued by the authorities. She has provided the CCRC with a dossier containing documents, including a letter from Buck featuring threatening language, though the timing of the correspondence remains unclear. The ex-wife has also alleged domestic violence and submitted reports regarding Buck’s psychiatric history. Buck was known to have engaged in unusual behavior, including a 1997 bomb hoax at the Home Office, which led to a court conviction for communicating false information.

The second witness is Ross Shields, who remembers Buck from childhood and claims to have overheard him confessing to killing three people on the day of the murders. Shields, who was nine at the time and was staying with Buck’s sister, Tracy, stated that Buck admitted to killing the family and their dog. That account, while detailed in a seven-page CCRC statement, is disputed by Tracy Shields, who describes her nephew as a “troubled soul” and denies any such confession occurred.

Buck’s family has expressed considerable distress at the recent allegations. His son Thomas has offered to provide a DNA sample to the CCRC to help clarify whether his father was involved. Thomas has also challenged some elements of the accusations, noting inconsistencies such as Buck reportedly being seen near the crime scene on the day of the attack, while the family questions the existence of relatives in that location. They also dispute public claims about Buck’s alleged occult interests and the timing of a tattoo associated with satanic imagery, suggesting it was acquired well after the murders. Thomas described his father as a caring parent and denied any history of violence toward the children.

Legal representation for Michael Stone acknowledged that while the new testimonies do not prove Buck’s guilt, they consider him a credible person of interest who merits inclusion in the ongoing CCRC inquiry. The forensic review, employing advanced DNA methods that have previously led to exonerations in other high-profile cases, may provide pivotal evidence in determining whether Stone’s conviction is safe or if another individual, potentially Buck, was responsible.

The CCRC investigation remains active, with DNA results anticipated later this year. The outcome could have significant implications for the Russells, the Buck family, and Stone, potentially resolving decades of uncertainty surrounding the Chillenden murders.