Cold case review snares killer 13 years on

A double rapist who sexually assaulted and strangled his neighbour has been convicted of her murder 13 years on.

James Citro, 54, strangled 44-year-old Nijole Siskeviciene with a ligature and dumped her body near garages at the back of their homes in Lancelot Road, Wembley, on October 1998.

He then threw a red herring to the police by writing two letters purporting to be from witnesses claiming to have seen two black men carrying a woman's body near the scene.

A week before she died, Ms Siskeviciene had moved into a bedsit in Lancelot Road just doors down from Citro.

The mother-of-two, who had come to the UK from Lithuania the year before, was an unemployed chambermaid who was looking for a job.

The Old Bailey heard Citro, who is originally from Tipperary in Ireland and changed his name from Kennedy, had been questioned by detectives shortly after the murder but had lied about his whereabouts.

he had been convicted of raping two women in his home town in 1978.

Eight days after the murder, police received two anonymous letters claiming to have witnessed suspicious activity from two black men near the scene.

Last year, a cold case review into the killing obtained partial DNA from Ms Siskeviciene's bra which would allow detectives to eliminate any suspects.

Citro, who was married at the time of the murder, was snared when he was arrested for drinking driving near his Somerset home and his DNA showed up as a match.

Today (Monday), jurors found him guilty of murder and he will be sentenced next month.

Detective Superintendent Keith Niven, investigating officer, said:

"Citro has now been convicted of murder and is no longer at liberty to commit any further offences.

"Although this brings little comfort for their loss, Nijole's sons are reassured that justice has been secured for their mother, and that Citro will not be able to subject any other victims and their families to the pain and suffering they have endured."

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