IN 2003, then 14 year-old Luke Mitchell hit headlines after he became the centre of a murder investigation.
When the body of 14 year-old Jodi Jones was discovered, her boyfriend at the time, Luke Mitchell, was the main suspect in the case.
Who is Luke Mitchell?
Luke Mitchell first hit headlines back in 2003, after his teenage girlfriend, Jodi Jones, was found murdered near her home in Midlothian, Scotland.
Jodi and Luke were just 14 at the time of the murder – and they had only been dating for four months.
The schoolboy lived in Newbattle, near Easthouses, with his mother Corinne and his older brother.
He was a pupil at St David's Roman Catholic High School – where Jodi also attended school.
When Police Scotland began to investigate the murder of Jodi Jones, the quickly began to point the finger at Mitchell.
They soon discovered that the letters LM and JJ were cut into bark near to where Jodi's body was found.
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Suspicion around Mitchell only intensified when police discovered the ease in which Jodi's boyfriend was able to locate her body – Mitchell’s dog, allegedly stopped at a "V" in wall, where Mitchell climbed through – locating her body at 10.30pm.
While members of her family, who were also out frantically searching for her, remained on the other side.
After 10 months of investigation, Mitchell was arrested and charged with the murder of Jodi Jones.
He was also charged with the possession of a knife or knives in public places, including St David's High School – and of being connected in the supply of cannabis resin.
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The timing of this meant that he could be tried as an adult in court – he pleaded not guilty and lodged a special defence of alibi that he was at home cooking dinner at the time of the murder.
However, in 2005, at just 16 – Mitchell was found guilty of murder following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.
After being condemned as "truly wicked" by Judge Lord Nimmo Smith – Mitchell was sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison before being considered for parole.
Where is Luke Mitchell now?
Luke Mitchell is still in prison – where he has served 17 years of his 20 year sentence.
For nearly two decades, the now 31 year-old has denied any involvement in the murder of Jodi Jones.
In the 2001 documentary, Murder in a Small Town – Mitchell protested his innocence once more, just as he has done for the last two decades.
Mitchell told the documentary: “I can’t be more clear. I absolutely did not kill Jodi and I’ve been locked up for a crime I didn’t commit.
“I will not admit to something I’ve not done. I want to clear my name."
In the documentary, two new detectives claimed to have uncovered details of other male DNA found at the crime scene, and new information about another male from a witness living in the area at the time.
However, Police Scotland deny the claims saying they are "satisfied" that a thorough investigation was carried out and that "no other individuals" needed to be traced.
What happened to Jodi Jones?
Jodi Jones was killed on June 30, 2003 – as she made her way to visit her boyfriend, Luke Mitchell.
Jodi had been taking a shortcut along a woodland path to get to Mitchell’s house when she was brutally attacked.
When her family discovered that the teenager had not made it to Mitchell's house or returned home, they began searching for her.
Her body was discovered on the path known as Roan’s Dyke, near her home, by Mitchell and members of her family at around 10:30pm that evening.
In a brutal knife attack, Jodi's hands had been tied behind her back, her throat had been cut and her body repeatedly slashed.
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Jodi had suffered wounds to her face, ear, mouth, breast and abdomen – as well as being hit in the head and body.
She had also suffered compression to her neck, which restricted her breathing.
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