What happened to Jill Dando? True story behind new Netflix series

As the Netflix documentary unearths the strenuous investigation that went into Jill's death, here is a look at the true story of her death - and if anyone was ever convicted for her murder.

Who was Jill Dando?

Jill Dando was an English journalist, TV presenter and newsreader who spent most of her career at the BBC. She was regularly watched by millions of Brits on the six o'clock news and Crimewatch.

She began her career as a trainee reporter for the local weekly newspaper, the Western Mercury, where her father and brother, Nigel, worked.

After five years as a print journalist, Jill began working for the BBC and her success continued to grow.

Over the course of her career, Jill presented the breakfast news, six o'clock news, Crimewatch and the travel review programme Holiday.

At the time of her death, Dando was one of the most high-profile on-screen staff at the BBC, and in 1997, she was named BBC Personality of the Year.

Jill was living in Fulham, west London, at the time of her death, and was engaged to gynaecologist Alan Farthing, later Queen Elizabeth II's personal physician.

She and Farthing met on a blind date set up by a mutual friend, and the couple were due to be married in the autumn of 1999.

"She was the nation's sweetheart," said one person in the trailer for Netflix's Who Killed Jill Dando?.

What happened to Jill Dando?

Dando was shot in the head in broad daylight on her doorstep of her home in Fulham, west London.

Her collapsed body was discovered around 14 minutes later by her neighbour at 11:47am.

Dando was rushed to a nearby hospital and was pronounced dead just after 1pm. Her college, Jennie Bond, broke the news live on air - saying she had been stabbed to death. However, it was later confirmed a gun has been used.

Her next-door neighbour reported seeing a man, who they described as tall and aged around 40, walking away from the scene - which is thought to be the only sighting of her alleged killer.

The police reportedly interviewed more than 2,500 people and took more than 1,000 statements in relation to Dando's death.

Was anyone convicted of Jill Dando's death?

Barry George was arrested for Jill Dando's murder on 25th May 2000 - a year after Jill's death - following a police tip-off, and was wrongly convicted.

George lived nearby and was charged by police after it was alleged he had murdered her. The only hard piece of evidence prosecutors used to link him to the scene was a single particle of gunshot residue, which was found on a coat hanging in his wardrobe during a police search, Inside Time writes.

George was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment in July 2001. After a number of appeals, in 2008 Barry George gained a retrial and was acquitted in August of the same year.

What are the theories about Jill Dando's death?

A Serbian hitman

One of the main theories about Jill Dando's death is that she was killed by a Serbian hitman. Twenty days before her death, Dando had presented a Kosovo Crisis Appeal in support of those fleeing the Balkans.

Just days before she was murdered, NATO bombed the Radio Television of Serbia headquarters, killing 16 RTS employees.

Dando's agent, Jon Roseman, said: "We had a lot of mail, but not usually threatening. Then we received a letter that mentioned the appeal she had given earlier that month for Kosovo. It seemed to be somewhat threatening."

The BBC began receiving phone threats, including one from a Serbian saying he had killed Jill Dando.

"Your Prime Minister [Tony] Blair butchered innocent young people," the unknown caller said (as per LBC News). "He butchered, we butcher back. The first one [Jill Dando] was yesterday. The next one will be Mr Hall."

A stalker

Another theory is that Dando was killed by a stalker. Given how popular she was, police began to question whether one of her fans was responsible.

It was claimed the TV presenter had "been irritated by a number of obsessive fans", as per Mail Online.

Detective chief inspector Hamish Campbell, the man leading the investigation, said: "It could either be a stalker or a hitman. However, there are many theories to be explored and nothing will be left untouched."

Various organised crime groups

Many of the theories surrounding Dando's death are linked to her work with Crimewatch. Many people have theorised that she was targeted by the likes of the IRA, a paedophile ring or a gang - largely due to her being the face of Crimewatch.

It has been speculated that her role on the show led to criminals ending up behind bars, which subsequently made her a target.

To this day, the case of Jill Dando's death remains unsolved.

Who Killed Jill Dando? will stream on Netflix from 26th September 2023. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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