Prime Suspect: Murder In Suburbia — who was Dr Robert Jones?
DR Robert Jones was the prime suspect in the horrific killing of his wife, but died before any charges were brought against him.
The unsolved murder is set to feature in the new documentary Prime Suspect: Murder In Suburbia.
Who was Dr Robert Jones?
Dr Robert jones was suspected of murdering of his pregnant wife Diane in 1983.
He was repeatedly questioned by police and was arrested in November 1983 — but was released without charge.
Jones denied any involvement in her killing and stuck to this story until his death.
Diane was a former social worker and was last seen in the Woolpack Inn in her hometown of Coggeshall, Essex on July 23, 1983.
Witnesses in the pub said she was “drunk” and had a row with her husband.
They returned home to Lees Farm, Colchester — but Jones said she then disappeared from there while he parked the car after dropping her off.
Jones did not report her missing until nine days later.
What happened to Diane Jones?
The body of pregnant Diane Jones was found with a fractured skull three months after she went missing from her home on July 23, 1983.
Diane, who was 35 at the time of her tragic death, was found dead in a wood in Martlesham, Suffolk.
Police reportedly believed she had been battered with a spiked hammer not long after her disappearance — but the murder weapon was never found.
When did Dr Robert Jones pass away?
Jones died on March 7, 2023 at the age of 80 in France, having lived there for years.
A Suffolk Police spokesman said his death had limited the scope of the investigation, but the team would continue to exhaust all leads.
Andy Guy, the Major Crime Review and Unsolved Case Team manager, said: “We had been making some positive progress in the case of Diane’s murder and are unearthing new information, even after all this time.
“The death of the suspect in this inquiry means it is unlikely we will be able to progress much further now, as we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with this crime.
“Unfortunately, we were unable to reach the evidential threshold required for a prosecution for murder on two separate occasions.
“This case will remain with our team. Several people have spoken to us recently who had not felt able to do so before, but we would still like to hear from anyone who believes they have information about the incident.”
How to watch Prime Suspect: Murder in Suburbia
Prime Suspect: Murder in Suburbia will be broadcast on Monday April 1, 2024.
The documentary will air on Channel 5 at 10pm and finishes at 11.40pm.
You can also watch the show on My5 — Channel 5’s streaming service.