00:00South Wales Police are hoping 2026 will bring answers and closure to a case that's now been
00:08unsolved for over 30 years. 21-year-old Diane Jones, her two-year-old daughter Shauna Hibbard
00:15and 13-month-old Sarah Jane Hibbard died in a deliberate house fire at their home on the
00:20Gurnot estate on 11 October 1995. A fresh forensic review is underway,
00:27with detectives saying advances in forensic technology could finally help identify who
00:33was responsible for the deaths in Merthyr Tydville. An accelerant was poured through the letterbox of
00:39the family's three-bedroom end of Terrace House, causing a fire to rapidly engulf the property.
00:45When emergency services entered the building, Diane and her daughters were found together in
00:50an upstairs bedroom. All three had died as a result of the blaze. Two women were found guilty of the
00:56arson in 1997, but later had their convictions quashed. The Major Crime Review Unit of South
01:03Wales Police is now re-examining the case, hoping that modern forensic techniques, which were
01:08unavailable at the time, will provide the breakthrough that investigators have been searching for.
01:13Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies said that the murders sent shockwaves through the
01:18Gurnot community and have cast a shadow ever since. He said Diane's family has lived without answers for
01:24decades, suffering immeasurably, and that officers reviewing the case remain hopeful that new evidence
01:30can still be uncovered. DCI Davies also appealed directly to the public, saying that he is confident
01:36that someone still holds vital information. He said that while three decades have passed, people's
01:42circumstances and allegiances may have changed, and stressed that it is never too late to come
01:47forward. He added that whoever was responsible for the deaths of Diane, Shauna and Sarah-Jane must
01:53be identified and brought before the courts. The victim's family is fully supporting the renewed
01:59review and has echoed police appeals for information. In a statement released through South Wales Police,
02:05Diane's sister Mary described the lasting devastation caused by the fire.
02:10She said the 11th of October 1995 shattered her life, and that 30 years on the family is still
02:17living the nightmare as if it happened yesterday. Mary spoke of losing not only her sister and nieces,
02:23but also both parents in the years that followed.
02:27Her father John took his own life in 2003, unable to cope with the loss. Her mother Myra continued to
02:33fight for justice, but died suddenly from cancer at the age of 62, never seeing those responsible held
02:39to account. Mary said she hopes someone out there holds the key to what happened and urged them to
02:45do the right thing and come forward so her sister can finally rest with her children.
02:50She added that the family will never give up fighting for justice.
02:54Anyone with information is being urged to contact South Wales Police.
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