Conflict International Limited - Private Investigation Agency

Private detectives to investigate Crete death

15 February 2010, 10:51 am

A desperate son is set to hire a team of private detectives to solve the mystery of his Dumfries mum’s death on a Greek island.

Michael Porter is raising funds to employ investigators in a bid to find out what happened to mum, Jean Hanlon. Her body was found in the sea at the port of Heraklion in Crete on March 12 last year.

Michael, aged 25, believes she was murdered. But he has been left frustrated by what he claims is the lack of a proper investigation by the Greek authorities.

He said: “There’s a lot of things that I haven’t got the answer to and I don’t know if they have.”

Jean lived in Dumfries until 2005 when she decided to embark on a new life abroad after gaining work with a travel company.

She came back to Scotland regularly but spent most of her time in Crete. She was last seen alive in a café bar at Heraklion on March 9 last year.

That saw a police probe launched in Greece and Michael and his two brothers, David and Robert, went over to try and find her. They returned to the UK broken-hearted following the discovery of her body.

Michael, who now lives in Mansfield, got hold of a police forensic report this week which showed his mum’s body had been dumped in the water with lesions to her head and neck.

In the run-up to the anniversary of her death, he said: “This confirms our worst fears and suspicions that our mother was murdered.

“The report has been a long time in coming but police must now launch a full investigation to find the killer.”

Michael has been using his skills as an actor to raise funds to pay for lawyers and the private investigation by holding fundraising concerts and shows in Mansfield.

He has hired Kate and Gerry McCann’s spokesman Clarence Mitchell to raise the profile of their case and hopes to soon have the funds for the team of private investigators.

Michael said: “From day one you’re trying to find out. Going out there, the way we were treated was disgusting. “We were so angry and gob-smacked; you didn’t even think this is about my mum. I felt like I was a private investigator, a lawyer. Nobody tells us anything.”

Michael revealed that Greek police had questioned two suspects but no charges had been brought. He added: “They basically just wanted us to take the body away.”

According to Michael his mum was very well known and he has gathered hundreds of supporters online via a Facebook page in the fight to find out what happened to Jean.

He said: “She had two circles of friends – she had all the Greeks and then the ex-pats and a lot of friends from Scotland.”

Dumfries and Galloway Police said they had been helping the Greek authorities with their inquiries last year but have had no further involvement since then.

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