Suspect in Pamela Lawrence murder linked to three UK deaths

Simon Rochford, the prime suspect in the 1994 murder of Pamela Lawrence, is now connected to three unsolved deaths in the UK, according to new evidence presented in a documentary.

Rochford died by suicide in 2006, the night after being named as a person of interest in an ABC television news story. At the time, he was serving a 15-year sentence for murdering his girlfriend, Brigitta Dickens, who was killed seven weeks after Ms Lawrence in similar circumstances.

Colleen Egan, an investigative journalist and current West Australian Labor MP, led a 28-year investigation into the case. Her documentary, 'Mark of a Murderer,' reveals Rochford's possible involvement in three suspicious UK deaths between 1989 and 1993.

Egan traveled to the UK to trace Rochford's movements in Stroud, Gloucestershire, where he lived during his early adulthood. She worked with a forensics expert and criminologist to examine unsolved crimes, leading to the discovery of Rochford's proximity to three unresolved deaths.

Among the cases, Rochford was reportedly living on the same street as a university student who died in a barn fire. A journal from the time questioned a man named 'Simon,' who was also linked to another death in 1993. The police in Gloucestershire expressed surprise at the findings, noting it was rare to use such a dossier to reopen cold cases.

The documentary also highlights systemic issues in the justice system, including wrongful convictions. Egan advocates for an independent Criminal Cases Review Commission in Australia, similar to those in the UK, New Zealand, and Canada, to address these failures and prevent future miscarriages of justice.