British police have reopened the door to one of the most puzzling mysteries in BBC history after the Daily Mirror published new findings linking infamous Serbian mercenary Milorad Ulemek to the 1999 murder of presenter Jill Dando.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that it is analyzing the evidence obtained by the Mirror, including a long-hidden CCTV recording of a man, as well as a photograph of Ulemek — a double murderer and commander of the notorious JSO unit — wearing an unusual striped tie identical to the one worn by the mysterious “Man X” captured on the footage.
As revealed by the Mirror, police will now examine the original recordings of the man filmed about 20 minutes after the gunshot on what is believed to be the attacker’s most likely escape route. Files containing the footage were reportedly buried in more than 223 boxes of police material that remained unopened for years.
Now, thanks to advanced forensic technology, investigators believe they will be able to compare the recording with photographs of Milorad Ulemek Legija, a man whose name echoed fearfully throughout the wars in the former Yugoslavia.
Two witnesses
One detail stands out in particular: a dark blue tie with distinctive stripes, exactly like the one seen on the mysterious man in the CCTV video. Forensic analyst Amy Polito determined “a highly significant similarity” specifically in the arrangement of the dark tones within the light stripes.
“A detailed analysis provides moderate support for the claim that it is the same type and design of tie,” Polito states, adding that the low resolution of the copy limited the ability to reach a definitive conclusion.
Two key witnesses told the Mirror they are convinced that Ulemek is the person they saw fleeing the crime scene in Fulham.
One female witness pointed to “Man X” on the CCTV recording a month after the murder: “I am convinced it is the same man I saw running down the street… he was running as if his life depended on it.”
The second witness stated he was “80 percent sure” that it was Legija who almost ran in front of his van on the same street.
Ulemek, a former member of the French Foreign Legion, leader of a criminal clan, and commander of the Unit for Special Operations — a unit known for political assassinations and war crimes — is already serving 40 years in prison in Serbia.
He was convicted of murdering former Serbian president Ivan Stambolić and organizing the assassination of Prime Minister Zoran Đinđić in 2003.
He speaks fluent English, and according to British descriptions from 1999, his build, height and hair color match the attacker’s description.
The Mirror first reported in April 2024 that Ulemek matches “Man X” from the CCTV footage. A facial recognition expert then concluded that they are completely identical in key facial features — the shape of the jaw, hairline, and mouth.
Same tie
A later analysis revealed another detail: an indentation on Ulemek’s nasal bone, the same one visible on the police e-fit portrait of the mysterious “sweaty man” whom investigators still seek.
Ulemek’s tie, identical to the “Man X” tie, was likely the work of the late Belgrade fashion designer Neven Vrgoč, who crafted hand-painted, unique ties — favorites among the wealthy and influential in the 1990s.
Employees at his shop could not confirm whether it was one of his originals because no record of all pieces exists.
At the time Jill Dando was murdered, NATO was bombing Serbia. Only 20 days earlier, she had hosted a humanitarian appeal for Kosovo refugees in which she described Kosovo as a “former Yugoslav province” — a formulation that infuriated the regime of Slobodan Milošević.
Just hours after the murder, the BBC received a call claiming: “This is the answer to the NATO attack.”
Because of the Mirror’s revelations, British MPs have called for the case to be officially reopened, and the chief prosecutor who pursued Milošević for war crimes stated that “Ulemek must be questioned.”
A murder that still haunts Britain
Jill Dando, then the most recognizable face of the BBC, was murdered on April 26, 1999, in front of her home in Fulham. The attacker approached her from behind, pressed a gun to her left temple, and fired one shot. She died at the scene.
The investigation drifted for years. Barry George, a local man with intellectual disabilities, was tried and spent eight years in prison before being acquitted in 2008.
The Metropolitan Police responded again following the Mirror’s latest discovery: “In the 26 years since the murder of Jill Dando, the investigation has been reviewed in detail several times… No unsolved murder anywhere is ever closed, and detectives are assessing new information to determine whether it represents a possible investigative lead.”
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Source: : Telegraf.rs Foto: sofia-ikona.ucoz.ro