Jill Dando

Jill Dando (1961-1999) was a British television presenter who was murdered outside her home in London, leading to a nationwide hunt for her killer.

Jill Dando was born in Weston-super-Mare and worked as a journalist before going into television. She presented news and travel programmes, and was one of the main presenters of the Crimewatch UK series. As a result, her murder raised suspicions that she might have been the victim of organised crime.

The police investigation lasted two years. Barry George, an unemployed man with a severe personality disorder, was eventually convicted of the murder. It emerged after the court case that he had previously been arrested for stalking Diana, Princess of Wales, to whom Jill Dando was considered to bear a strong physical resemblance.

The Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science was founded in recognition of her role in fighting crime.