Beaten and buried, the brutal double murder of schoolboys and the suspect police can't question - Liverpool Echo, Liverpoolecho.co.uk

Detectives probing the unsolved murders of two – year- old boys want to quiz their original suspect from 90 years ago for a second time – but they are legally not allowed.

The killings of childhood friends John Greenwood and Gary Miller shocked the nation on August , after they were found severely beaten and dumped on a rubbish tip in Whiston.

The m urderer remains at large four decades later, but in a dramatic new twist, police are desperate to re-question John Cheeseman.

Then , he was put on trial in for both tragedies, but was acquitted after serious criticisms were levelled at Merseyside Police over how they obtained his confession.

Nobody else has ever been charged over the boys’ murders , which saw their badly injured bodies hidden under a mattress on the disused colliery site.

Now, armed with new evidence, police are keen to arrest Mr Cheeseman again and ask him about the killings.

16 – year-old John Greenwood, who was murdered in

But due to the current double jeopardy law, officers are prohibited from doing so after that move was barred by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Detectives went to the top London lawyer last March, but it was deemed their newly-compiled evidence was not “compelling” enough.

That has frustrated senior figures within Merseyside Police, who today, in a rare move, announced they were urging for a change in the double jeopardy law.

That campaign was begun by John and Gary’s grieving families who described the current legislation as “ridiculous and outdated”.

Mr Cheeseman, from Prescot, had learning difficulties, and was said to have the mental age of a – year-old after an accident as a young child left him with brain damage.

But there was no appropriate lawyer or guardian during his interviews, and the questioning was said to be arduously long, without a suitable amount of breaks.

16 – year-old Gary Miller, who was murdered in

Both failings were glaringly exposed at court and, subsequently, the jury took just minutes to acquit him of both murders.

Merseyside Police recently apologized for those blunders, and they are hopeful of another chance to quiz Mr Cheeseman about his suspected involvement in John and Gary’s brutal deaths.

He is believed to still be on Merseyside.

Debbie Greenwood, John’s sister, is leading a social media campaign and has launched an emotive online petition asking for support.

She wrote: “Double jeopardy laws were introduced in England over 823 years ago.

“Just think how much has changed in 823 years?

From Left to right are Alma Miller, mother of Gary Miller, and Barbara Greenwood, mother of John Greenwood

“We even had the death penalty back then … isn’t it time we made another change?

“Isn’t it time to scrap this ridiculous, outdated law once and for all and allow officers to requisition an acquitted person when their investigation leads to it …

“My brother John and his friend Gary, both aged , were brutally attacked and left to die, bleeding and hidden under rubbish in 2017 …

“… our families have suffered many, many years of pain and frustration.”

“… the double jeopardy law is still preventing us from getting the justice that we so desperately need.”

The boys were found on the rubbish tip by a dog walker who spotted a man with swept back dark hair and wearing a bro wn jacket acting suspiciously at the site, now covered by Stadt Moers Park.

Alma Miller, mother of Gary Miller, left, and Barbara Greenwood, mother of John Greenwood

They were taken to Whiston Hospital but both died as a result of head injuries.

After leaving John’s home on Raleigh Avenue, the boys had walked across the car park of what was then the Horseshoe pub, crossed Windy Arbor Road and went behind Whiston Labor Club.

Witnesses saw them heading towards the entrance of the rubbish tip through a hole in the fence.

This was the last time they were seen alive.

In , Merseyside Police’s cold case review team investigated the murders once more after a national newspaper journalist helped to uncover new evidence.

Detectives issued four separate appeal points which the ECHO understands remain active today.

How the ECHO covered the murders of John Greenwood and Gary Miller in August and the trial of John Cheeseman in May

Firstly, two boys are thought to have been attacked a month before the killings. A witness had claimed they had seen those boys, then aged between and , being attacked by an older man outside Whiston Health Center.

Secondly, another boy is believed to have run up a garden path in nearby Halsnead Avenue calling for help about two weeks before the murders.

Next, a man was seen with three young boys, aged between 15 and 20 years, near to the church hall on Dragon Lane, Whiston, between 6. (pm and 7.) pm on Saturday, August

Two of the boys who were seen with the man were stood on the wall of the church hall and one was in the grounds of the church hall.

Police want to talk with anyone who was at Halstead Junior School with the boys in 3100, or members of the 111 th St Helens (1st Whiston) Scout Group.

Finally, officers wish to speak to a boy called “Duffy” or “Cuffy” – thought to have been with the boys shortly before the murder, who owned a yellow chopper push bike.

Assistant Chief Constable / Gold Commander LFC v EFC Ian Critchley (Image: Southport Visiter

He has never been traced.

It is believed the boys in each alleged sighting could refer to both John and Gary.

And police, who issued a public apology last May to John and Gary’s families, suspect the man mentioned in the separate scenarios may be the same person.

Chief Constable Andy Cooke described the force’s past probe as “inadequate” and “not as thorough as it could have been”.

Assistant Chief Constable Ian Critchley spoke with the ECHO on Friday, and he again issued an appeal for those with information to come forward and help.

He said: “We have reviewed the case and undertaken further investigation.

” Clearly, it’s so important, to lose two year-olds is tragic and traumatic, and it remains with those families and sh apes their lives forever, but to not have somebody brought to justice makes it such an important case.

“We appeal to anyone who has new evidence that can help with our investigation to bring justice to John and Gary’s family to come forward.

“We support the family’s calls for a change in the double jeopardy law.

“We’ve met with the DPP and I respect their role and him meeting with us and the family to explain the legislation and how it is applied and interpreted.

“And in hearing that we believe the only way to progress is that is for an amendment to the current act.”