A leading solicitor has found new evidence that could help overturn the conviction of the man found guilty in the "Beauty in the Bath" murder case.
Company Director John Taft was convicted of murdering Cynthia Bolshaw in 1999, 16 years after she was found dead in the bath at her home.
She had been strangled and the murder investigation sparked a inquiry that would circle the world.
Taft was given a life sentence at Liverpool Crown Court in November, 1999, after advances in DNA evidence encouraged detectives to reinvestigate the case.
But he has always maintained his innocence - even though it emerged at his trial that he had sex with Mrs Bolshaw at her home on the night she was killed.
In the last few days, however, the case has taken a sensational new turn after Taft's solicitor David Kirwan discovered that the forensic material from the trial has not been destroyed or lost as had previously been thought.
He believes that some of this evidence, which was not made available at Taft’s trial, could form a vital part of a new appeal.
Mr Kirwan said: "Fundamental mistakes were made both before and during the trial which meant that a lot of vital evidence was simply not presented to the jury.
"Having reviewed the case, it is clear that the police, lawyers and forensic science teams were responsible for a catalogue of blunders which may have led to the conviction of an innocent man.
"We believe we will be able to not only show that John Taft could not have been the murderer but also point the finger of suspicion at another visitor to Cynthia Bolshaw’s house on the night of her murder."
Mr Kirwan is continuing to review the case and interview a number of people involved in the original investigation and trial.
Within a matter of months, he hopes to be able to seek leave to appeal. Should the Appeal be granted, Taft will be aiming to have his conviction struck out or a new trial ordered.
Mr Kirwan said: "Within hours of starting to work on this case, I became extremely concerned that this is one of the most serious miscarriages of justice I have come across in more than 40 years as a criminal solicitor.
Taft’s campaign for justice is supported by his second wife Susan, to whom he had only been married 19 days, when police arrived at their house in April 1999 to question him over the death of Cynthia Bolshaw.
Throughout his time in jail, Taft has always maintained his innocence.
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