Tooze Murders: Police Release Man, 87, as Forensic Review, Wales 2026

Key Points

• South Wales Police have stated that the arrest made in December 2025 of an 87-year-old man over the 1993 murder of Harry and Megan Tooze will no longer be under investigation.
• The man has been released without charge following the reviewing of evidence as part of the forensic review.
• The suspect has yet to be identified by police, nor has he been charged with any offense.
• This process, which is being undertaken by the Major Crime Investigation Team at South Wales Police, will continue.
• Det Sgt Mark O’Shea pleaded for anyone with information to step forward, claiming that this would assist the family in achieving justice.
• Harry Tooze, aged 64 years old and Megan Tooze, aged 67 years old, were found murdered in their home near Llanharry on 26 July 1993.
• A man was convicted of this crime in 1995 and sentenced to life imprisonment; however, his conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal in 1996.
• The current forensic review was initiated in 2023 and consists of forensic scientist Dr Angela Gallop reviewing retained exhibits using the latest methods.
• Harry and Megan Tooze’s next of kin have been advised by police and kept regularly updated.

Wales (Wales Times) October 02, 2026 – South uk/police/">Wales Police has said that an 87-year-old man arrested in connection with the murders of Harry and Megan Tooze is no longer under investigation, while detectives continue a forensic review of the 1993 killings.

The force announced the development on 2 October 2026, stating that detectives carrying out a forensic review had undertaken a thorough review of the evidence. Following that review, the man, who was arrested in December 2025, was told he would face no further action.

As reported by WalesOnline, South Wales Police said the man was “no longer a person of interest in the case” and had been released “without any further legal proceedings.” The force has not identified him publicly, and no charge was brought against him.

The update does not close the investigation. South Wales Police said the forensic review, led by its Major Crime Investigation Team, remains ongoing.

Why Was the 87-Year-Old Man No Longer Under Investigation?

Police did not publish a detailed explanation of why the man is no longer under investigation. The force said only that the decision followed a thorough review of evidence by detectives conducting the forensic review.

As reported by Alastair Isaac of Swansea Bay News, South Wales Police said the 87-year-old had been released with no further action after detectives “went back over the evidence” as part of the review.

The man had been arrested in December 2025 on suspicion of murder. At the time, he was reported to be 86 years old; he is now 87. He was released on bail following that arrest, according to BBC reporting from December 2025.

The latest police statement confirms that he is no longer under investigation, but it does not say whether any new lines of inquiry have emerged from the evidence review.

What Did Detective Superintendent Mark O’Shea Say?

Detective Superintendent Mark O’Shea said South Wales Police remained committed to solving the murders more than three decades after they occurred.

As reported by Swansea Bay News, Det Supt O’Shea said:

“We remain committed to solving these dreadful murders which happened more than three decades ago.”

He added:

“It is never too late to come forward. Even with this passage of time I appeal to anyone who has any information about the murders to come forward and speak to us, because information they have may help us get justice for the family.”

WalesOnline also quoted Det Supt O’Shea as saying:

“We are dedicated to resolving these horrific murders that occurred over thirty years ago.”

Police said Harry and Megan Tooze’s next of kin are being supported by officers and are being kept regularly updated about developments.

What Happened to Harry and Megan Tooze?

Harry Tooze, 64, and his wife Megan Tooze, 67, were found dead at their farmhouse, Ty ar Waun, near Llanharry in South Wales, on 26 July 1993.

As reported by Swansea Bay News, both had been shot in the back of the head with a shotgun. Their bodies were found hidden beneath hay bales in a cowshed beside the house.

WalesOnline reported that the couple’s remains were found concealed in a cowshed under hay bales. The killings have remained unsolved since the original conviction was overturned.

What Happened in the Original Murder Case?

The initial investigation led to the conviction of Jonathan Jones, the partner of the couple’s daughter, in 1995. He was sentenced to life imprisonment but maintained his innocence.

In 1996, the Court of Appeal overturned his conviction and he was released after spending about a year in prison.

A reinvestigation in 2001 did not result in any charges. The case has therefore remained unresolved for more than 30 years.

What Is the Current Forensic Review?

South Wales Police began a forensic review of the Tooze murders in 2023, on the 30th anniversary of the killings. The review is examining exhibits retained from the original investigation to establish whether advances in forensic science could produce new evidence.

The force is working alongside forensic scientist Dr Angela Gallop, whose previous casework has included the killings of Lynette White and Damilola Taylor, as well as the Pembrokeshire murders.

As reported by ITV News Wales, the review is known as Operation Vega and has focused on exhibits from the original murder scene retained by police, to assess whether they may hold vital clues.

The Major Crime Investigation Team continues to lead the review. Police have stressed that no outcome can be guaranteed in forensic reviews of historic cases.

How Can People Provide Information?

South Wales Police has asked anyone with information about the murders to contact the force through its Major Incident Public Portal. In an emergency, people are advised to call 999.

Detectives said information from the public could still assist the investigation and help provide justice for Harry and Megan Tooze’s family.

Background of the Development

Harry and Megan Tooze were killed at their farmhouse near Llanharry in July 1993. Their deaths became one of South Wales’s long-running unsolved murder cases after the 1995 conviction in connection with the killings was quashed on appeal the following year.

South Wales Police reopened forensic work on the case in 2023, using modern scientific techniques to re-examine retained evidence. The review led to the arrest of an 86-year-old man in December 2025, which police then described as a significant development.

At that time, Detective Superintendent Mark Lewis, then senior investigating officer, said: “While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our enquiries are very much ongoing.”

The latest announcement means that man, now 87, will face no further action, although the wider forensic review remains active.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect the Tooze Family and Local Community

For Harry and Megan Tooze’s family, the announcement may bring renewed uncertainty because the person arrested in 2025 will face no further action, while the case remains unsolved. Police have said the family continues to receive support and regular updates, which suggests investigators are maintaining contact as the forensic review proceeds.

For the Llanharry community and wider South Wales public, the update may encourage people who held information in 1993, or who have since learned something relevant, to contact police. Det Supt O’Shea’s appeal indicates that investigators believe public information could still contribute to establishing what happened.

For anyone following the case, the development suggests that the forensic review has not produced a chargeable case against the arrested man at this stage, but police have not closed the investigation. The continuing review of retained exhibits means further updates remain possible if modern forensic testing identifies new evidence.