Janice Weston came into affluence from the day she was born. She attended Manchester University. From there, she went to work as a lawyer with London, England’s acclaimed Herbert Oppenheimer, Nathan & Vandyke firm. There she met both her lovers: her future husband, Tony Weston, a property developer, a year her senior, and Heinz Isner, 40 years her senior, Chairman of the Mettoy Company that manufactured children’s Corgi toy cars. Janice was Mettoy’s legal advisor. (It must be noted when Janice first met Tony Weston, he was married with two children.)
When she left — which seemed to be in a hurry — she didn’t take her purse, but did take her wallet containing £37 leaving a half eaten on the table. The weather was not pleasant that night and, again, it is not known why she went out or where she was going. Her body was discovered Sunday, September 11th at 9am by a cyclist. She had been thrown into a ditch along the A1. The body was badly beaten, especially on the back of the head. It was later determined she had been killed by a car jack found in a nearby field. When the workaholic Janice failed to appear at work on Monday, colleagues called her sister who contacted police. It was she who identified the body as Janice Weston. Tony returned from France later that same day. Within 24 hours, a policeman spotted Janice’s car, an Alfa Romeo, parked in Camden Square, London, three miles from her apartment. The interior was smeared with blood, but contained no fingerprints.
An owner of a car-spares shop in Royston, Hertfordshire, called police with the news that he had bought spare car plates from a man 25-35 years of age. The plates belonged to Janice Weston. However, no one has ever found the man. The morning she died, Janice had picked up a spare tyre that had just been repaired. Before leaving for France, Tony had had a puncture. The newly repaired tyre went into the boot of Janice’s car; the old spare was on her rear wheel. When police found the car, the newly repaired tyre was back on the car and the spare was missing. Six witnesses had seen a man changing her tyre the night she died.
The couple have been traced by Giovanni Di Stefano and stated: ‘It was all so long ago but he seemed in good spirits and showed us around the house and then left at about 7pm for Paris on business.’
Isner’s step-granddaughter was also questioned, but she had an alibi that checked out. An inquest was held in April 1984 which resulted in an unlawful killing verdict. The murderer of lawyer Janice Weston has never been identified or apprehended.
It’s now 33 years on and no one has really taken the matter further.
‘If anyone knows anything, remembers the incident, was one of the witnesses that saw a man change her tyre, was the man that changed her tyre, or knows anything no matter how remote, knows Tony Weston or his whereabouts now: please call or email me.’
‘I recall this unsolved case with some interest and wonder if you ever were able to obtain the information you were seeking?’
The next day from a wholly different source the following email was received:
‘Hello This may seem a little odd, but I was very interested to find your piece on Janice. It happens that I was at school with her (when she was Janice Wright; her sister Linda was there too but older – Potters Bar High School in Hertfordshire, UK, c.1956-61.) Diana Barker was our headmistress. I lost touch with Janice when I left Potters Bar; we were certainly not close friends as children, but I do remember her as a very vibrant, leading figure in our class; extremely clever and gifted with music as well as dance. I often wondered what happened – I think she went to St. Michael’s Convent at age 11. I heard nothing after that, but came across the dreadful news in 1983 and was terribly shocked. Since then she has come into my mind at times, and I tried a Google search, coming across your piece today. I would be most interested and grateful to know if there have been any developments at all since 2006, when your piece was posted. It seems odd that the police have never re-opened the case, even though DNA evidence has improved so much in the last 25 years. I have wonder why, and also why there was so little media coverage or follow-up at the time. I would be grateful to hear back if you can.’
It seemed that all of a sudden there was interest in a murder case that to all intent and purposes had been placed on hold. The same day an email was received with what seemed a little too much knowledge of the events of that night.
‘For what it’s worth, I have always thought that the key to the case was the car belonging to Janice Weston, and what it may have contained, with or without her knowledge, as the case may be, particularly the spare wheel.’
‘I am still interested in the unsolved murder of Janice Weston, and I am the person referred to on your website about the case, when I emailed to say I was at school with Janice (nee Wright) in the 50s.Could I also add – and it is highly speculative – but I remember at the time(1983) having a strong feeling that a Green Card had been used or negotiated by someone close to the case, allegedly. It was so strong I phoned the police at the time, but heard nothing afterwards.
I hesitate to send this, but I do have intuitive hunches at times, and perhaps I could pass this on privately. Whether true or not, I can’t see that it would add anything, but just in case it might.
Thank you so much; as commented on the blog, Janice was a particularly neat and organised child – even at that age (we were in the same class at Potters Bar High School 7-12 years). It is unimaginable that she would leave her home with an unfinished meal on the table, and not take a handbag, unless either she was forced out, or an extreme emergency had arisen (or was set up as such to lure her out).
A horrible mystery, I hope and pray we may be able to find out more. If you can get back to me with anything it would be really appreciated’
‘Good morning
Your piece on Janice Weston was a good read this has been an interesting subject to me personally as I was living in the estate at the time. I remembered also someone inside prison saying he knew it had something to do with the sultan of the Amman this gent was murdered before he could talk which intrigued me as on the estate also lived someone who worked for the sultan. As for Tony Weston I saw him around the grounds many times over the next 4 years that I lived their before I moved.’
Will this be the breakthrough that the case requires? Was Janice involved with drug dealers? Were drugs placed in her tyre? Who was the man who bought a set of number plates identical to those on Janice’s car just a few hours after her death and only 20 miles away from where her body lay? Where is Tony Weston and what of his life since 1983? He was cleared of any involvement that is without doubt but with new evidence his recollections will be vital to solve this murder.
Since publishing the above paragraph OPC Global has learnt through a freedom of information request that Tony Weston is now deceased as per below.
OPC Global will make available our dossier to Cambridgeshire Police, and Giovanni Di Stefano will be pleased to speak to you regarding his findings with regard to this still unsolved murder case that shocked the nation in 1983.
Did her husband die in 2007?