Harry and Megan Tooze: Man arrested 30 years after murder of couple

An 86-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the murders of a couple at their farmhouse more than 30 years ago.

Harry and Megan Tooze were both found dead with gunshot wounds at their Ty Ar y Waun farmhouse in Llanharry, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on 26 July 1993.

South Wales Police undertook a forensic review of the case in 2023 and detectives have now made an arrest for the unsolved murders of 64-year-old Harry and 67-year-old Megan.

The man was arrested earlier and is currently in police custody, the force said.

Senior investigating officer Det Supt Mark Lewis said: “While this arrest is clearly a significant development in the investigation, our enquiries are very much ongoing.

“This case has affected many people over the years and our aim is to find the answers to the unanswered questions which remain about their deaths over 30 years on.

“Even with this passage of time I appeal to anyone who has any information about the murders to come forward and speak to police.”

Harry and Megan Tooze had left their farm on the morning of Monday 26 July 1993 to collect their pensions in Llanharry and were seen arriving back at 11:00 GMT, police said.

At around 13:30, two gun shots were heard by neighbours but this was not considered unusual on a farm, the force added.

The couple’s daughter Cheryl raised the alarm when her phone calls went unanswered. Officers went to the farm and found the couple’s bodies in the cow shed.

They had both been shot in the head with a shotgun and covered in carpet.

Their daughter’s boyfriend Jonathan Jones was found guilty of their murders and sentenced to life in prison in 1995, but was later freed on appeal.

At the time, Mr Jones, then 35, was a self-employed recruitment consultant.

Mr Jones, 35, who was a self-employed recruitment consultant at the time, had told police he had taken the day off work on the day the Toozes were killed.

He said he had gone to Orpington to look for office space to rent, but police could not find anybody who had seen him that day.

His partial thumbprint was also on a cup and saucer that had been found in the couple’s living room.

He was arrested that December, five months after the murders.

Cheryl stood by him, moving in with his family in Caerphilly after his arrest.

A year after his conviction he was released on appeal. Three appeal court judges took five minutes to reach their decision.

The original trial judge was criticised and it emerged police had failed to seal the crime scene properly.