Detective Baker's DNA Pioneering Ends with Pitchfork's Life Sentence

0:00It's March 24th. Welcome in. This is Lester News today, where local news meets AI. David Baker, the detective who spearheaded the hunt for Colin Pitchfork, has died at age 90. Pitchfork became the first murderer caught using DNA evidence after killing two teenage girls in the 1980s. Linda Mann died in November 1983 near Narborough, and Don Ashworth was murdered in July 1986 in Inderby. Baker led the team that put Pitchfork behind bars for life in 1988. The breakthrough came through early DNA testing on hundreds of local men. A teenager was first cleared by the science, leading police to launch a voluntary screening program for young men in the area. Pitchfork tried to dodge it by paying a work colleague to give a sample in his place. When the switch came to light, officers arrested Pitchfork, and the DNA match sealed his guilt. He confessed right away but showed no regret, which Baker later called a sign of psychopathy. Most caught killers expressed some remorse, Baker noted, but not him.

1:02Pitchfork was released on parole years later, but got sent back to prison after breaking conditions. Baker predicted that exact outcome, warning that being around young women again posed a risk. He believed Pitchfork should never walk free. Lester Shire police's chief constable praised Baker's work as the start of a major shift in solving crimes. His determination earned awards by the Queen's policing medal, and his influence will shape officers for generations. Our thoughts go out to his family.