A FAMILY today held a tearful vigil for a mother and her two daughters who died in an arson attack 27 years ago.
The murders of Diane Jones, 21, Shauna, two, and 13-month-old Sarah Jane on October 11, 1995, remain unsolved.
7
7
7
Balloons were released and relatives said prayers at a vigil for the young mother and her daughters at their home in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.
Diane and the babies were asleep at 2 a.m. when their killer poured gasoline through their letterbox and lit a match.
Relatives in a neighboring house awoke to see her house on fire and knew she was trapped inside with her daughters.
Two women were jailed for their part in the fatal arson but were released after their convictions were quashed.
Police said the murder file remains open, but Diane’s family has not been contacted by officers in 20 years.
Relatives have now released unseen photos of Diane and her daughters in the hopes that it will encourage people to come forward with new information.
Her sister Mary, 45, said: “We never got justice for Diane and her two little girls – it’s like they never existed.
“But we have never forgotten it and this year we decided to celebrate the anniversary in a special way.
“Diane had a heart of gold and she loved her babies – they were her world.
“That’s what I thought when we released the balloons on the exact spot where she and her daughters were killed.”
The gutted town hall on the Gurnos estate was bulldozed years ago and a small memorial plaque now stands on the site.
Diane’s family laid flowers and teddy bears and released pink, purple and yellow balloons, the single mother’s favorite colors.
Mary said: “It’s been 27 years but it feels like yesterday. It was the worst day of my life.
“I could see their house from my house and when I woke up I saw it going up in flames and firefighters trying to reach my sister and her little girls.
“We don’t know why they were killed, although when we were told the motive was jealousy.
“We want the police to re-examine the case and give us some answers.”
The murder led to more tragedy for the family – Diane’s father Johnny committed suicide at the age of 52.
When her mother Myra was stricken with cancer, she begged the police for answers, but she died tragically without justice for Diane, Shauna and Sarah Jane.
Mother-of-three Mary said: “Now I feel the same as our mother, I want justice for Diane and her girls.
“The killer or killers have yet to be there and the police say the case is still open.”
Two local women – Donna Clarke and Annette Hewins – were acquitted of murder but found guilty of arson with intent to endanger life and were given 20 years and 13 years in prison.
But the couple were released on appeal in 1999 and South Wales Police have never made an arrest in connection with the murders.
In 2006, the Corps announced that the mother of five Hewins was not involved in the deaths of Diane Jones and her daughters.
Hewins died in 2017 after being classified under the Mental Health Act.
Detective Chief Superintendent Jason Davies said South Wales Police would respond to any new information about the 1995 killings.
He said: “All historic murder cases are assigned to the Major Crime Review Unit and remain under active consideration.
“They will be re-examined as new information is received or when opportunities arise as a result of advances in forensic science.
“Each case is reviewed periodically. If information comes in from the public or other forces, we act on it.”
7
7
7
7