A NEW three-part documentary documents a murder that took place in Cardiff in the 1980s.

A Killing in Tiger Bay, which started on September 9, 2021, tells the story of Lynette White.

Who was Lynette White?

Lynette White was murdered on February 14, 1988, in her docklands flat in Cardiff.

Before the fatal incident, the 20-year-old had been working as a prostitute in the city centre.

Five days before her murder, White went missing and made no contact with any of her friends or known associates.

The reason for her disappearance during this period has never been ascertained.

She was due to be called as a witness for the prosecution in two forthcoming trials but was reportedly "laying low".

On the evening of February 14, police forced entry into a flat on James Street as they searched for the missing witness and found White's body inside – having been stabbed more than 50 times.

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After the murder, South Wales Police issued a photofit image of a bloodstained, white male seen near the scene of the crime but were unable to trace him.

In November that year, cops charged five black and mixed race men with White's murder despite having no scientific evidence linked to them being at the crime scene.

In November 1990, after the longest murder trial in British history, three of them were found guilty and were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Who killed Lynette White?

The real murderer was Jeffrey Gafoor.

In September 2000, an independent review into unsolved murders in south Wales paved the way for a fresh inquiry.

As part of the new inquiry, fresh DNA evidence was discovered on the skirting board at the scene of the murder, and was sent to Forensic Alliance.

After scientists looked into one of the rare DNA components, they narrowed down a list of people who had that component – with one result particularly sticking out.

That partial match was with a youth who was not born when the 1988 killing took place, but who had had dealings with the police.

But testing of the 14-year-old's family found a close relative whose DNA matched that of Cellophane Man's and he was instantly suspected as Lynette's murderer.

That relative's name was Gafoor.

In 2003, Gafoor was arrested and sentenced to life for the 1988 murder.

He was ordered to serve a minimum of 13 years.

Will Jeffrey Gafoor ever be released from prison?

The notorious murderer has not been deemed suitable for release, according to the Parole Board.

The coronavirus pandemic prevented Gafoor from making "as much progress as hoped", since he was transferred to an open prison in September 2020.

A summary of a hearing from May 21, 2021, stated that he has been unable to undertake any temporary releases from prison because of Covid restrictions.

The review concluded Gafoor was not ready to manage the community at this time.

Any release plan for him would likely involve him living in supported accommodation, with strict limits placed on his movements, contacts and activities.

• Episode two of A Killing in Tiger Bay airs on BBC Two on September 16 at 9pm, while the third episode will air the following week. The whole series is available to stream now on BBC iPlayer.

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