Stuart Campbell, now 66, has spent over two decades behind bars for the horrific crime of murdering his teenage niece, Danielle Jones, back in 2001. Even after all these years, he has never admitted to killing her or revealed the location of her body. Yet, he’s now asking for another chance at freedom.
The Parole Board confirmed last Wednesday that it is reviewing Campbell’s latest request for parole. This isn’t the first time he’s tried to secure his release. His last appeal in 2022 didn’t even make it to a full hearing, as officials decided he was still too dangerous to be let out.
Danielle’s mother, Linda, has always made it clear how deeply the loss of her daughter has scarred her family. Before the 2022 appeal, Linda expressed her determination to confront Campbell. She said, “It’s important I tell him face-to-face how this has impacted me.” She wasn’t sure if she could even look him in the eye, but she was adamant he needed to hear about the pain he’s caused.
Linda has also been vocal about her opposition to his release, especially since Campbell has never disclosed where Danielle’s body is. She’s pointed to Helen’s Law, which aims to keep killers behind bars if they refuse to reveal the whereabouts of their victims.
The tragedy began on a June morning in 2001 in Tilbury, Essex, when 15-year-old Danielle left for school. She never made it back home. Suspicion quickly turned to Campbell, who seemed oddly uninterested in helping search for his niece. As the police investigated, a troubling picture of his past began to emerge.
The evidence against Campbell was damning. Police found notes he had written to Danielle, calling her his “Princess,” hidden in her pencil case. They also uncovered a “sex bag” at his home containing lingerie, handcuffs, and, most chillingly, a pair of blood-stained white stockings with traces of Danielle’s DNA. His alibi fell apart thanks to phone records, and by August 2001, he was arrested for her kidnap and murder.
Campbell wasn’t just a random man in Danielle’s life. He was her uncle by marriage, married to her dad’s sister, Debbie. Shockingly, he first met Debbie when she was just 15, and the two lived together for 13 years before tying the knot in 1998. Danielle, only 12 at the time, was one of their bridesmaids.
The family’s grief has only been compounded by the lack of closure. Without knowing where Danielle’s body is, her parents have been unable to properly lay her to rest. Yet Campbell remains silent, holding onto the truth even as he asks for another chance at freedom.
Now, as the Parole Board reviews his case once more, Danielle’s family is left waiting yet again, hoping that justice, and perhaps some answers, will prevail.
