The family of a mum murdered in Greece 14 years ago believe her diaries hold the clue to who killed her. Jean Hanlon moved from the UK to Crete in 2005 for a new life, and was found dead in the harbour in Heraklion in March, 2009.
Police investigating the 53-year-old's death for the third time say they believe she was murdered, but do not have enough evidence to bring charges or a prosecution.
Friends say Jean met a man the night she died – but he has never been found.
Michael Porter, Jean’s youngest son, told the Daily Record: “Mum died on the evening of March 9, 2009, and her last entry was on the morning of the day she died. Me and David found mum’s diary in her apartment, along with years of others. It was an emotional find as it was giving us an insight into our mum’s life.
Jean's son Michael says: “Her last entry was very simple, just about her normal everyday life. But no mention of internet dating, having metsomeone or planning to meet someone.
“It felt wrong as it was her private space, so it felt like we were intruding or breaching her privacy, but it was all for the right reasons. Mum was very reliable. She knew she was due at Pat’s house the next day as she had agreed to look after her daughter and had been preparing for days to get organised for it.
“So the fact she knew she had this very important commitment makes me feel that the night she went out was a last-minute spur-of-the-moment thing. According to her diary, it wasn’t a prearranged meeting. Mum wrote everything in her diary. She talks about changing the bed, going to the shops, calling her mum, chatting to friends and talks about making soup but she doesn’t refer to having met anyone online.
“Her last entry was very simple, just about her normal everyday life. But no mention of internet dating, having met someone or planning to meet someone. So that fact makes me think her going out that evening was a spur-of-the-moment decision or that she had bumped into someone she knew.”
He added: “Mum travelled to Heraklion, which is a 23-minute journey in a taxi or a car and Mum didn’t drive and it was winter so the buses were not frequent.”
A post-mortem revealed she suffered a broken neck, shattered ribs, a punctured lung and facial injuries.
Solicitor Apostolos Xiritakis, based in Crete, said: “Despite the fact Jean Hanlon kept a very detailed diary, it doesn’t give us any information about her last day and the person she was to meet. So this is something that makes us believe that last meeting with the man she had was not planned but rather a quick decision.”
