Who Killed Jill Dando? on Netflix: Five interesting theories behind the real-life events

Modified Sep 25, 2023 22:55 GMT

The world of true crime documentaries has brought forth another watch on Netflix - Who Killed Jill Dando?

The investigative television mini-series directed by Marcus Plowright will release three episodes exploring the mysterious murder of the English journalist and television presenter Jill Dando. The high-profile case that remains unsolved has received multiple angles, leading to the birth of numerous interesting theories.

The official synopsis of Who Killed Jill Dando? on Netflix reads,

"Revisit the shocking 1999 murder of beloved TV presenter Jill Dando, which continues to mystify experts and the public, in this in-depth documentary."

In this article, we shall look into five interesting theories surrounding the real-life incidents in the murder of Jill Dando.

Netflix's Who Killed Jill Dando? has brought forth theories of the murder mystery - Five theories explored

1) Unintended target

The murder of Dando in broad daylight was believed to have taken place under a presumption that the victim was Lisa Brinkworth, an ex-undercover BBC journalist, and the intended target.

According to arguments by lawyers in the Paris court, the confusion between Brinkworth and Dando rose.

“Because of similarities in their appearance and occupation, and because they both lived in the same area of west London.”

At the time, Lisa Brinkworth was involved in a lawsuit where she stood against Gérald Marie, the French model agency boss, who allegedly assaulted her during her undercover years. She flew out of Paris the same evening she was warned by her lawyers about the possible missed target by a hired hitman from the Russian mafia hitman.

2) Result of obsessive stalking

Before the shooting, Dando had announced her engagement to her doctor, Alan Farthing, and the two had set a date for later that year. With the police investigation unfolding, the investigators found close to 140 people who were obsessed with the journalist.

Dando had received explicit meeting invites to mails from her so-called stalkers. However, all of them were ruled out for the case as none of the suspects were present in Fulham on the day of the crime. Her phone history was checked along with interviews with ex-lovers with no evidence.

In 1008, The Guardian had reported Dando being tired of obsessive fans.

3) Joe, the Spanish barman

The reports from the erstwhile National Criminal Intelligence Service suggested that Dando could have been killed by a Spanish barman named Joe. Joe supposedly had connections to English criminal Kenneth Noye, as the report suggested.

"Joe runs a bar in Tenerife, frequented by leading ex-pat criminals. He’s described as a frustrated gangster reputed to owe money to Kenny Noye. There’s been talk Joe has been keen to rehabilitate his reputation with gangster creditors.”

Kenneth Noye was put behind bars for life due to a 1996 road rage accident that took the life of Stephen Cameron.

4) Connections with Serbia

There has been enough speculation regarding Dando's time with Crimewatch and the consequences it may have brought with it.

Mark Williams-Thomas, the ex-police officer and investigative journalist, reported that an anonymous tip was left by a man in the 2017 ITV program. However, the indications of a seasoned killer were not pursued, owing to rookie mistakes at the crime scene.

The killer left behind the empty bullet casing, picked a place with no known escape routes, and did not use a silencer on the gun.