South Wales Police on the hunt for cold case killer of Cardiff taxi driver Jack Armstrong
Modern scientific DNA techniques could help police finally identify the killer of a Cardiff taxi driver more than 40 years ago.
The body of Jack Armstrong was found in October 1979 after he picked up a fare in Cardiff.
It was the beginning of what was at the time, one of South Wales Police’s biggest investigations.
On the afternoon of Friday, 5 October 1979, Mr Armstrong answered a call to pick up a fare from the Fairwater area of the city. Shortly after 1pm, was the last time anyone heard from him.
Despite an intense investigation, police's efforts were unsuccessful in catching the killer, and the case has remained a mystery for the last 40 years.
But, a new team of detectives and forensic experts are re-examining the evidence with the help of new DNA techniques. Their painstaking work will be shown in an exclusive behind-the-scenes documentary on S4C called Llofruddiaeth Jack Armstrong (The Murder of Jack Armstrong).
What do police know?
On Friday 5 October, a phone call was made to Castle Cabs asking for a taxi. The man gave his name as Mr Williams and asked for a taxi from Fairwater to Cowbridge.
Later that evening, police were called to the Treoes area, a small village outside Bridgend, nearly 20 miles from Cardiff. A resident called to say that a car had been left on a secluded road. The car was Jack Armstrong’s taxi.
Blood was found in the taxi and there was no sign of Jack.
Shortly before the car was reported to the police, eye witnesses saw a man cleaning the inside of the car. This man was described as around 20 years old.
After days of intensive searching, on 8 October, Jack’s body was found by members of the public on common land near Cowbridge, just over five miles from the location of the taxi.
Mr Armstrong had sustained catastrophic head injuries.
Despite extensive enquiries at the time, which saw hundreds of statements taken and exhibits examined, Mr Armstrong’s killer has never been found.
"So, if you do the maths, there’s a good chance that this man is still alive", Detective Huw Griffiths from South Wales Police’s Major Crime Review Unit said.
"We know that this man was very dangerous in 1979 – what else has this man done in the last 40 years?”
What are the police focusing on?
The South Wales Police Major Crime Review Unit have already succeeded in solving historical cases by using modern forensic techniques and old evidence.
Huw said, “DNA techniques have developed so much over the last 40 years. So there’s a really good chance that that we can find out exactly who murdered Jack Armstrong.”
Evidence from the case, including Jack’s clothes have been carefully stored by the police for more than 40 years and it is possible that the murderer left traces of their DNA when they attacked Jack – and that is the hope of the specialists working on the case.
What do Jack's family say?
Jack’s daughter Jean Heath welcomed the new work on the case of her father’s murder - and recalls hearing the shocking news in 1979.
“I just went into shock really. I had to have an injection, a sedative because I was just traumatised. If they can find out exactly what happened, my father can be put to rest properly,” said Jean.
Watch Llofruddiaeth Jack Armstrong on 25 October 9pm on , S4C. English subtitles are available. Or watch on demand on S4C Clic and iPlayer.