South Wales Police have cleared an 87-year-old man who was arrested in late 2025 regarding the 1993 shotgun killings of Harry and Megan Tooze. The couple were murdered at their Ty ar y Waun farm in Llanharry, and despite a renewed forensic push, the case remains open.
The 10-month investigation of an 87-year-old suspect
An 87-year-old man was arrested in December 2025 as part of a renewed effort to solve the 33-year-old murders of Harry and Megan Tooze. According to the report, police informed the man ten months after his arrest that he would face no further action, effectively removing him from the investigation. This decision followed a comprehensive review of evidence conducted by detectives within the South Wales Police.
The release of this suspect highlights the difficulties inherent in cold case investigations where leads may be decades old. While the man is no longer under investigation, South Wales Police confirmed that the broader forensic review, known as Operation Vega, continues to seek the actual perpetrator of the Llanharry farm killings.
The July 26, 1993, murders at Ty ar y Waun farm
The victims, Harry Tooze, 64, and Megan Tooze, 67, were killed on the morning of July 26, 1993, shortly after leaving their home at Ty ar y Waun farm to collect their pensions. neighbors reported hearing two gunshots around 1:30 p.m. that day, though the sounds were ignored at the time because gunfire was considered a normal occurrence on a working farm.
The bodies of Harry and Megan Tooze were discovered the following morning in a cowshed after their daughter , Cheryl Tooze, became concerned when her daily phone call went unanswered. As reported, both victims had been shot in the head from behind at a distance of approximately three feet, and their bodies had been concealed under carpet and hay bales.
Jonathan Jones and the unsafe conviction of 1995
The history of the Tooze case is marked by a significant judicial failure involving Jonathan Jones , the boyfriend of Cheryl Tooze.. Jones was charged and subsequently jailed for life in 1995 for the double murder. However, his conviction was ruled unsafe just one year later, leading to his release from prison in 1996.
Following his release , Jonathan Jones and Cheryl Tooze married and started a family, while continuing to call for the case to be reopened.. This pattern of early, incorrect attribution is not uncommon in high-pressure cold cases, where the desire for a resolution can sometimes overshadow the rigor of the evidence, as seen in the initial pursuit of Jones.
Operation Vega and the expertise of Professor Angela Gallop
The current investigation, Operation Vega, was launched on the 30th anniversary of the murders to apply modern forensic techniques to old evidence. The Major Crime Investigation Team at South Wales Police is leading the effort, supported by Professor Angela Gallop, a renowned forensic scientist known for her work on the Stephen Lawrence and Lynette White cases.
Professor Angela Gallop is overseeing a forensic analysis of all exhibits recovered from the original 1993 murder scene. By utilizing contemporary DNA and ballistic technology that did not exist in the 1990s, Operation Vega aims to identify biological markers or weapon signatures that were previously undetectable.
The £25,000 reward and the search for new witnesses
Despite the forensic push, South Wales Police are still relying on human intelligence to close the case. Cheryl Tooze previously offered a £25,000 reward for information that could lead to a conviction, signaling the family's enduring desperation for justice.
Detective Superintendent Mark O'Shea has appealed to the public, stating that it is "never too late to come forward." A critical remaining question is why the 87-year-old man was arrested in the first place, as the police have not disclosed the specific evidence that led to his December 2025 detention before his eventual clearance. furthermore, it remains unclear if any new viable suspects have emerged from the forensic review beyond the man who was recently released.
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