Murders Of Harry And Megan Tooze

The murders of Harry and Megan Tooze, also known as the Llanharry murders, were the high-profile killings of an elderly couple at their remote Ty Ar y Waun farm near Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales, United Kingdom, on 26 July 1993. The couple were shot dead at point blank range with a shotgun in an execution-style killing, and their killer had attempted to hide their bodies in the cowshed of the farm. Their best china was found mysteriously laid out on the table in the farmhouse as if the couple were expecting a close guest, and their lunch was found cooked but not eaten on the stove. It was described by the lead detective in charge of the case as the "most baffling" case he had investigated.

Jonathan Jones, the boyfriend of the Toozes' daughter, was initially convicted of their murders in 1995. His fingerprint had been found on one of the teacups, despite him saying he had never used it, while his alibi was found to not be supported by anyone. Jones had claimed he spent the day visiting estate agents in Orpington, but no estate agents in the area said they remembered seeing or speaking to him; he was subsequently forced to admit that he had never been to any estate agents that day. It was determined that Jones had killed the victims for their £150,000 life insurance payment as he was in financial difficulty.

Jones' conviction was subsequently quashed a year later, although to this day no-one has ever come forward to confirm his alibi and there remains no proof of what he was doing that day. He has been denied compensation as there is no evidence that proves he was innocent, and subsequent attempts to solve the murders have failed to unearth any new suspects. The case remains one of Wales' most notorious unsolved murders.

Background

Harry and Megan Tooze were an elderly couple who lived together on a remote farm just north of Llanharry in South Wales. Harry was aged 64 at the time of the murders, while Megan was aged 67. Harry was well known in the community through his market garden business, although he had retired seven years previously when the couple's only daughter, Cheryl Tooze, had also moved away. Harry still spent time growing cabbages at his farm, but the pair were said to live an "uneventful" life. Around a year before the murders, in 1992, Harry's shotgun, which he used to shoot rabbits that were attempting to eat his cabbages, was mysteriously stolen from the farm.

Murders

On the morning of Monday 26 July 1993, the Toozes left the farm to collect their pensions in Llanharry. While shopping at the local Tesco supermarket Harry bumped into one of his sisters, who did not notice anything unusual about her brother. A neighbour reported seeing the couple arriving back at the farm by around 11:00 am.

At around 1:30 pm, two shots were heard by neighbours thirty seconds apart. They did not consider this unusual, as they knew Harry often shot rabbits. Cheryl rang the house approximately ninety minutes later but received no answer. That evening, when her nightly phone call again went unanswered, Cheryl alerted her parents' neighbours, who in turn summoned the South Wales Police.

Responding officers discovered Harry and Megan's bodies in a cowshed on the farm, buried under hay. They had both been shot with a shotgun at point blank range in an execution-style killing. Inside the farmhouse, the table had been set for lunch with the couple's best china; a teacup was also set on the table, which police learned was only ever used when an important visitor was present. The crockery that had been set out was never used for everyday use. The lunch was found cooked on the stove but not eaten. There were no signs of robbery.

The nature of the crime scene made police believe that the Toozes may have known their killer. They considered that they may have stopped by unannounced, which would explain why the stove had been turned off and tea prepared. The indications were that the couple had not themselves drunk from the teacup, with Megan's own favourite mug nearby and Harry's mug also on the table, pointing to there being a visitor at the farm that lunchtime. A white shirt of Harry's was found laid out on the bed, further indicating that he was expecting someone or going out for a social engagement.

Initial investigation

Murder-suicide was quickly ruled out when drag marks believed to have been made from a body were found going from near the farmhouse to the cowshed. A forensic and ballistics analysis determined that Harry had been shot just inside the door of the cowshed, after which he was placed in a trough and covered with hay and tarpaulin sheets in order to conceal the body. Megan had been shot at the other side of the farmhouse, possibly near the corner of the kitchen, and it was theorised that she may have been trying to escape. Her body had then also been placed in the cowshed and covered with a carpet. Both victims had each been shot once in the back of the head from two to three feet away.

The entrance to the cowshed was out of view of neighbours. A number of heavy tools kept in the doorway would have had to have been moved to enter, and it appeared they had later been moved back to their original position. It was believed that the shots used were number 7 shot, but no cartridges were located. Number 7 was not the type of shot Harry had ever used. No evidence would be found that suggested that the shotgun stolen from Harry a year before had been the one used in the murders.

At first it was thought that the shooting might have been a professional hit, but ballistics experts then determined that it may only have been determination that was needed to carry out the murders successfully. Forensic evidence in the cowshed indicated that the killer would likely have been splattered with blood and body tissue, but no blood was found anywhere else on the farm. Because Harry's body showed evident hypostasis on the side he was not found lying on, it was concluded that he had been moved three to four hours after he had died. Megan's body showed hypostasis in a much smaller amount, possibly suggesting that she may have been killed some time after Harry.

The murder weapon was not located, and the investigative team initially focused on the possibility that the Toozes had disturbed an intruder. However, there was no evidence of intrusion and nothing had been stolen, with money and valuable jewellery left in the house untouched. Harry himself had £75 on him which had also been left untouched.

On 28 September 1993, two months after the murders, a reconstruction and appeal was shown on the BBC
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