'My sister's killer must confess or stay in jail'

The brother of a murdered schoolgirl has told the BBC her killer should not be released until he reveals where her body is.

Danielle Jones, 15, vanished while on her way to catch a bus in East Tilbury, Essex, on 18 June 2001.

Her uncle, Stuart Campbell, was jailed for life in December 2002 for her kidnap and murder and has since had two bids for freedom refused.

"It's a numbing feeling knowing someone knows where she is and he won't tell us," said Danielle's brother, Mitchell.

"Hopefully her whereabouts are revealed one day or she can be found. It's quite hard to put into words how it feels."

Asked if Campbell, now 67, should be released, Jones said: "Absolutely not, no."

The killer was given a 20-year minimum term in prison, which expired in December 2022.

His latest attempt to be released was rejected in December 2025 due to an "unwillingness to disclose the location" of Danielle's body, the BBC can reveal.

The Parole Board also stated he had an "inappropriate level of interest in children and young women" and had a risk of sexual violence.

A spokesman said: "Protecting the public is our number one priority."

Despite extensive searches for Danielle's body, including a renewed hunt in 2017, she has never been found.

Jones, 35, said: "I travel a lot for work and I often think, 'How many times have I driven past her?'

"That's quite a hard thing to think about when you're in your own thoughts."

Now a father-of-three, Jones was 10 when Danielle vanished.

He was one of the last people to see his sister alive, having watched her leave for school shortly after 08:00 BST.

"On that particular morning she went one way, then turned around and went the other - which she had never done before," he said.

"Something changed which then led to what went on to happen."

The brother, who lives in Corringham, Essex, told BBC Essex presenter Ben Fryer he was going to run the London Marathon in Danielle's memory.

He explained each mile would represent a year since her disappearance, while the final mile would be a moment for reflection.

Jones, who will be running for charity Missing People, said he wanted "to keep her spirit alive".

"She was caring, she was kind. She loved children and wanted to be a child carer when she was older," he added.

"She was so friendly, so kind, so polite."

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