Lynda and Dawn | Part 1: Young Lives Cut Short

In this two-part end-of-season special, I tell the stories of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth, who were murdered in Narborough and Enderby, Leicestershire, in 1983 and 1986.

In this first part, I explore the lives of Lynda and Dawn while delving into their respective murders.

I also discuss the first three years of what would eventually be a four-year hunt for justice, culminating with the wrongful arrest of an innocent man.

Next week, in part 2, I'll start by discussing a revolutionary discovery that changed history and led to the actual perpetrator's arrest and conviction whilst also providing some background information about the person responsible for murdering Lynda and Dawn.

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Intro music:⁣
David John Brady - 'Throw Down the Gauntlet'⁣
davidjohnbrady.com

References:⁣
2,000 cleared in murder hunt. (1987, May 19). Leicester Daily Mercury, 12.
300 at funeral hear tribute to Dawn. (1986, August 28). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1.
Dalrymple, J., Dow, I., & Ritchie, M. (1986, April 21). FIND THIS FIEND: VICTIMS OF THE MYSTERY KILLER. Daily Record, 7.
DAWN: HUNT FOR DOUBLE KILLER. (1986, August 4). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1–11.
Dawn: Man seen fleeing from scene. (1986, August 5). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1.
Dawn murder: youth charged. (1986, August 10). Sunday Mirror, 5.
Dawn remand: “Prejudice” row. (1986, August 14). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1–22.
Dawn vanishes after trip: Huge hung for missing schoolgirl. (1986, August 1). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1–19.
Dawn: “We were not asked to take youth.” (1986, August 15). Leicester Daily Mercury, 21.
Dawn’s last journey retraced. (1986, August 7). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1–19.
Does this photo jog your memory? (1983, December 12). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1.
Donnelly, T. (1983, November 23). HUNT IS ON FOR TWO KILLERS. Nottingham Evening Post, 1.
“Double killer” theory on teenagers. (1983, November 23). Belfast Telegraph, 2.
Everitt, J. (1984, November 20). MURDERER WILL BE FOUND, SAYS MOTHER. Leicester Daily Mercury, 16.
Fingerprinting lab launched. (1987, July 14). Leicester Daily Mercury, 11.
Genetics test in hunt for killer. (1987, January 2). Coventry Evening Telegraph, 2.
HUNT FOR KILLER: £20,000 REWARD. (1986, December 4). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1.
Hunt for killer: Plea to parents. (1983, December 5). Leicester Daily Mercury, 11.
Hunt for sex killer. (1983, November 23). Western Daily Press, 3.
KILLER HUNT TESTS - GOOD RESPONSE. (1987, January 6). Leicester Daily Mercury, 16.
Lynda “might have screamed.” (1983, December 1). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1–23.
Lynda murder: 30 give help. (1984, November 21). Leicester Daily Mercury, 11.
Lynda: Plea to writer of phone note. (1984, January 6). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1.
Lynda: Police to take video on tour. (1984, February 23). Leicester Daily Mercury, 19.
Lynda seen with punk in city. (1984, May 17). Leicester Daily Mercury, 23.
Lynda was strangled. (1983, November 23). Coventry Evening Telegraph, 12–13.
Lynda: Youth seen running. (1983, December 2). Leicester Daily Mercury, 27.
M69 body: murder hunt. (1983, November 22). Coventry Evening Telegraph, 1.
Mallon, F. (1986, August 8). £15,000 offer in the hunt for Dawn’s killer. Coventry Evening Telegraph, 4.
Meehan, J. (1986a, August 9). YOUTH ACCUSED OF DAWN’S MURDER. Coventry Evening Telegraph, 1.
Meehan, J. (1986b, August 11). Youth remanded on Dawn charge. Coventry Evening Telegraph, 1.
Meehan, J. (1986c, November 28). Law and the genetics of innocence. Coventry Evening Telegraph, 6.
Meehan, J. (1986d, December 19). Viewers in rush to aid murder hunt police. Coventry Evening Telegraph, 3.
Meehan, J. (1987, March 12). Hunt for double sex killer goes overseas. Coventry Evening Telegraph, 15.
Morpurgo, P. (Director). (1986, December 18). Crimewatch(P. Chafer, Ed.). BBC. Retrieved December 9, 2023, from https://youtu.be/pazAGayH3gk?si=T7kyVPsz_D82JbYc
Murder charge youth remanded. (1986, August 15). Dundee Courier, 6.
Murder hunt: Calls flood in. (1987, January 3). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1–9.
Murder hunt police seek “crying youth.” (1983, December 8). Leicester Daily Mercury, 21.
Murder incident room is closed. (1984, April 28). Leicester Daily Mercury, 12.
Murder of Lynda: Police issue new appeal for clues. (1986, April 26). Leicester Daily Mercury, 11.
Murder squad seek punk. (1983, November 25). Oadby & Wigston Mail, 1.
Murdered girl victim of “horrific sex attack.” (1986, August 4). Irish Independent, 18.
Murder “started road into debt.” (1985, July 9). Leicester Daily Mercury, 6.
Mystery girl “was Lynda.” (1984, March 7). Leicester Daily Mercury, 21.
Palmer, F. (1983, November 23). Killer’s victim in a lane. Daily Mirror, 15.
Penlington, A. (1987, January 10). New tests in murder hunt will be costly. Coventry Evening Telegraph, 3.
Pioneering step into courts for new test. (1987, August 5). Leicester Daily Mercury, 22.
Police find body on path: Murder hunt as Dawn is found Dead. (1986, August 2). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1–11.
Punks and police join to mourn Lynda Mann. (1984, February 3). Leicester Daily Mercury, 27.
Scarf used to kill Lynda, inquest told. (1984, January 26). Leicester Daily Mercury, 19.
Sex attacker hunted after Dawn’s murder. (1986, August 4). Liverpool Daily Post (Welsh Edition), 4.
Sex brute hunted. (1986, August 3). Sunday Independent (Dublin), 4.
Taylor, N. (1984, February 3). Lynda in walk to death on Black Pad. Leicester Daily Mercury, 30.
Tears of strangled girl’s parents. (1986, August 5). Coventry Evening Telegraph, 1.
TELL ON STRANGLER: Don’t shield girls double murderer, pleads mum. (1986, August 4). Coventry Evening Telegraph, 1–2.
The family who have nothing to celebrate. (1983, December 23). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1.
Writer of Lynda note is traced. (1984, January 7). Leicester Daily Mercury, 13.
YOUTH GOES FREE: Now a double murder hunt is launched. (1986, November 22). Leicester Daily Mercury, 1.