Man jailed for life for murdering Melissa

A 19-year-old man has been jailed for life with a minimum sentence of 19 years after being found guilty of the murder of an 18-year-old woman at the assisted living accommodation they were living at in Bristol.

Melissa Mathieson died in hospital after she was attacked and strangled by Jason Conroy on 12 October 2014.

Melissa's family have welcomed the news that a review is taking place into her death and the situation surrounding it. They have issued a powerful statement, which we are publishing in full.

"Melissa’s death has left such a huge, huge hole in our lives.

"She always brought a bit of a challenge in all our lives, and things were quiet without her when she stayed at different places during her last 10 months.

"We keep thinking we are going to see her bound through the doors. But now that she is not here at all – it’s the emptiness that is overwhelming.

"Melissa did not have a nasty bone in her body; she was a gentle, kind and lovely girl.

"We know better than most people the difficulties that autism can present so our feelings about Jason Conroy are not based on ignorance of his condition.

"What he has done is awful; we cannot comprehend it. He has deprived a brother of his sister.

"He has deprived us parents of the privilege of watching our daughter to continue to blossom, thrive, grow up and have children of her own - because she would have got through her difficulties and gone on to have the future life that she wanted within the community.

"It has been incredibly difficult to sit through the trial and listen to the evidence, especially the history of Jason Conroy’s previous sexually deviant and aggressive behaviour. Melissa believed wholeheartedly that the Care System was the safest place to be to help her with her difficulties.

"We feel that there are still many questions that need to be answered by many organisations, including Social Services and the NHS, about how Melissa and Jason Conroy came to be in a situation which ultimately led to Melissa’s death.

"We welcome the ongoing Safeguarding Adults Review and do not feel it would be appropriate to comment further whilst that process is still ongoing."