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So if George didn't kill Jill Dando, who did?
Paul Cheston1 Aug 2008
Scotland Yard's most senior murder detective said police were "disappointed" by today's verdict - but did not order a new inquiry.
Commander Simon Foy, the head of Scotland Yard's Homicide Command, instead praised the investigation which led to Barry George's prosecution.
The Crown Prosecution Service also defended its decision to twice put George on trial - leaving the question tonight: who really did kill Jill Dando?
Here, we examine the other potential suspects.
"Sweating man"
At first a promising lead but one which slowly fizzled out to nothing. Seven witnesses claimed to have seen a suspicious looking man with a mobile phone at the time of the murder.
Other sightings claimed such a man had clambered onto the Thames foreshore at Fulham, with the obvious inference that he was trying to get rid of the murder weapon.
Then there was information that a man was seen sweating heavily, waiting for a bus. However, this hardly sounded like a murderer making his getaway.
Arkan
Michael Mansfield QC told the first trial jury that the Serbian warlord had ordered the hit.
He told of anonymous and unspecific threatening calls to the BBC after Nato bombers had blitzed the capital Belgrade and Miss Dando had made a TV appeal for refugees from Kosovo.
Prosecutor Orlando Pownall QC rubbished the idea by conjuring a picture of the furious warlord standing amid the rubble of his capital city, shaking his fist and swearing revenge on the pretty, blonde Holiday programme presenter in Britain.
Criminal mastermind
The idea that some shadowy Mr Big ordered the hit when he was nailed by Crimewatch UK is unlikely. Criminals rarely take revenge on detectives who genuinely put them away let alone the presenter of a TV programme.
Disgruntled ex-boyfriend?
Bob Wheaton: The BBC executive had a seven-year relationship with Miss Dando. They split up in 1996 due to their respective work loads but remained on perfectly amicable terms.
Simon Basil: Through no fault of his own, some considered him a genuine possible suspect, for a short time. The 6ft 7in game keeper from South Africa was obviously experienced with guns.
The couple had had an eight-month affair after meeting when Miss Dando was filming a Holiday programme. Basil even moved to Britain to be closer to his girlfriend but the fling ended. Was he bitter? Could he have been a suspect? Absolutely not, say police.
Remote romantic links?
Like most attractive women Jill Dando was suggested in the tabloid press to have had minor dalliances with many an eligible man, including Jeremy Paxman and Princess Diana author Andrew Morton. All were checked and nothing was found.
Alan Farthing
Ludicrous as it may seem, even the grieving consultant who Miss Dando had been engaged to marry had to be officially eliminated as a suspect.
Miss Dando had no enemies, no hate mail and, as far as she was aware, no stalker.
Almost uniquely in the bitchy world of TV she was as loved and admired by those she worked with as she was by viewers.
The smiling, down-to-earth girl viewers saw was just the same person when cameras were turned off.
Colleagues say she was warm and generous, both interesting and interested in the minutiae of their problems and never considered herself too grand. Fame meant nothing to her.
She was just 37 when she died. Born in Weston-super-Mare she worked on a local newspaper and radio before coming to London in 1988 to co-present the BBC Breakfast News. She was quickly promoted and fronted the Holiday programme and Crimewatch UK with close friend Nick Ross.
In November 1997 another friend Jennifer Higham introduced her to Mr Farthing, who was separated from his wife and worked at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington.
They fell in love and after Mr Farthing's divorce in November 1998, they announced their engagement in January the next year, setting the date for 25 September.
They planned to sell their homes and make an offer for a house in Warwick Avenue.
Miss Dando was spending most of her time with her fiancé in Chiswick, returning to her Fulham home to pick up mail.
On 26 April 1999 she drove from Chiswick to Fulham, stopping off for some shopping. She planned to be at home for less than half an hour.
At about 11.30 she pulled up outside 29 Gowan Avenue, opened the gate, took the two steps to the front door and as she was about to unlock it she was shot at point blank range behind the top of her left ear.
Attempts were made to save her where she lay before she was taken to Charing Cross hospital. She was formally declared dead at 13.05.
How the murder trial unfolded
26 April 1999 Jill Dando is shot dead on the doorstep of her home in Gowan Avenue, Fulham.
30 April 1999 Police issue an e-fit of the prime suspect.
25 May 2000 Barry George is arrested after three weeks of surveillance.
29 May 2000 George is charged with murder.
2 July 2001 An Old Bailey jury convicts George of murder by a 10/1 majority.
29 July 2002 Appeal Court rejects George's first legal challenge and refuses to rule conviction unsafe.
16 December Permission to appeal to the Law Lords is refused.
25 March 2006 Criminal Case Review Commission examine new evidence submitted by George's lawyers.
September 2006 Firearms experts express doubts over key findings.
20 June 2007 CCRC refers the case back to the Appeal Court.
12 October 2007 George suddenly changes his legal counsel for the second time and William Clegg QC takes over.
5 November 2007 Second appeal hearing opens.
15 November 2007 Appeal Court overturns murder conviction and a retrial is ordered.
9 June 2008 Second trial opens at the Old Bailey.
