Skydive death 'a wicked murder'

Stephen Hilder was an experienced skydiver

Detectives investigating the murder of skydiver Stephen Hilder say they are confident of solving it, after working with officers from across the UK.

Humberside Police reviewed the case with senior investigators at a conference in Scunthorpe on Wednesday, and said it was "a very productive exercise".

Mr Hilder, 20, fell to his death over Hibaldstow airfield, in July last year, after his parachutes were sabotaged.

A police spokesman said ideas generated by the meeting would now be considered, but that police still believed the army cadet was murdered by someone he knew.

The officer leading the hunt for the killer said all possibilities had been considered, including suicide.

Detective Superintendent Colin Andrews of Humberside Police said: "There's no evidence that Stephen committed suicide and the evidence points strongly to the fact that he was murdered by someone he knew.

"This was a wicked murder, unprecedented in British criminal history"

Police investigated where the parachute was stored

Mr Andrews said although it "was possible" the killing was perpetrated by a "random lunatic" officers felt it was more likely Mr Hilder, who was studying at the defence academy at Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, knew his killer.

Wednesday's meeting had been called to bring together top experts in criminal investigation because there "had never been a murder like this before".

He added: "There are still people out there who, for whatever reason, have not told us snippets of information that may be important to the inquiry and we need to keep digging".

Humberside Police say they will now review all the suggestions made at the conference and remain confident they will solve the case.

Mr Hilder's main and reserve parachutes were expertly cut and the moment he leapt from the plane over Hibaldstow Airfield in Lincolnshire his death was inevitable.

At Wednesday's conference, serving and retired detectives and criminal and behavioural psychologists gathered to see if there is any stone which has been left unturned.

Around 20 officers continue to work full-time on the inquiry and new information is continually being turned up.