Content warning: This article contains details of murder which some readers may find distressing.

In 1999, the murder of famous British journalist and presenter Jill Dando shocked the nation.

The unsolved case was made into a three-part Netflix documentary, 'Who Killed Jill Dando'.

Netflix's documentary featured an interview with Barry George, the man who was wrongly convicted of Jill's murder. 

Who is Jill Dando?

Jill Dando was born in Somerset and attended a comprehensive school before gaining a degree in journalism at Cardiff Metropolitan University.

After graduating, Jill began working at the local paper, Weston Mercury alongside her brother Nigel and father Jack.

She later became one of the UK's most popular journalists who regularly presented BBC shows starting in the late 1980s. 

Throughout her time on TV, Dando presented several news shows from BBC's Breakfast Time, BBC One O'Clock News and the Six O'Clock News.

Jill later went on to present Crimewatch alongside Nick Ross and in 1997 won the BBC's Personality of the Year.

How was Jill Dando killed?

In 1999, Jill was living between her home in Chiswick with her finance Alan Farthing and her home in Fulham which she was selling.

Arriving at the home at 11.30am on April 26, Jill made it to the front door when a person grabbed her, forcing her to the ground and shot one bullet into her left temple. 

15 minutes after the attack, Jill's neighbour found her and the journalist was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. 

Somerset County Gazette: Jill Dando was murdered in April 1999.Jill Dando was murdered in April 1999. (Image: PA)

Who killed Jill Dando?

Following an investigation that included interviewing more than 2,500 people and tracing over 1,200 cars, the police were unable to find Jill's killer. 

However, in 2000, Jill's neighbour Barry Geroge was arrested and charged with the murder. 

The arrest came after a photo of him wearing a gas mask and holding a blank-firing pistol was found along with a single grain of gunshot residue in his pocket. 


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George was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment on July 2, 2001.

After being convicted, George appealed in 2002 but was dismissed and later in 2006 appealed again on new evidence. 

After numerous amounts of research and several appeals, in 2008 George gained a retrial and was acquitted on August 1. 

The police have never been able to find Jill's murderer and the case remains unsolved.