Murdered schoolgirl's family sickened by T-shirts and key rings saying killer is innocent

Luke Mitchell was found guilty of murdering teenager Jodi Jones when she was just 14, back in 2003, and her body was discovered stripped and stabbed near her home in Dalkeith, Midlothian

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The family of a murdered schoolgirl who was almost decapitated have been left outraged after t-shirts and keyrings are being flogged claiming her killer is innocent.

Luke Mitchell was found guilty of killing Jodi Jones, aged just 14, back in 2003. The teenager was discovered stripped, stabbed, and nearly decapitated near her home in Dalkeith, Midlothian. Mitchell was jailed for at least 20 years but always insisted he was innocent.

Just last month he was moved from Greenock prison to high security Shotts after he failed a drug test. But Jones’ heartbroken family have been left furious after campaigners have started selling “murder merch” raising money.

The move was being fronted by Dr Sandra Lean, who has supported Mitchell since 2006, and has been blasted as misinformation”.

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In a video, The Daily Record reported that Lean showed viewers T-shirts which have slogans such as, “Open your eyes to the lies” with ‘Justice for Jodi and Luke’ on the back. However, Jodi’s family blasted the move.

A relative said: "The campaign and selling murder merch is ­basically just ­fuelling the egos of Mitchell and other people involved. For months we’ve had to sit and listen and watch lie after lie being fed to the public and now Mitchell is being treated like a famous person and idolised. It’s sickening.

"This isn’t justice for Jodi. We have seen misinformation being fed to the public who don’t know any better. What exactly are they funding? If it was legal fees, who is the lawyer and what are they doing? All legal avenues are finished for Mitchell."

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Police Scotland and the Crown Office have both previously said there was no miscarriage of justice. Earlier this year, Mitchell failed a drugs test behind bars, stalling his preparation for freedom.

This came after, around two years prior, he was moved from the high-security Shotts jail to HMP Greenock where he was housed in Chrisswell House - generally used to prepare long term prisoners for progression into an open prison. But plans for “community access visits” were ­withdrawn after Mitchell failed two random drug tests.

A prison source told the Record: “Mitchell came to Greenock in 2021 but has since been in bother where he’s failed drug tests. He has also complained over decisions made about his requests to be allowed to visit his mum in Midlothian.

“He claims he’s only been taking drugs due to the ­treatment he’s receiving inside. It’s been explained to him that his community access was withdrawn due to his own actions but he’s refusing to engage with that.”

The 34-year-old has launched several failed appeals against his murder conviction. His supporters believe he could be exonerated by DNA tests, claiming at least 10 samples on Jodi’s body were never tested. Jodi's family have previously reportedly been subject of abuse by some campaigners supporting Mitchell.