Ex-detective Ian Johnston was called to the scene after killer Tracie Andrews was found covered in blood next to the body of her fiancé Lee Harvey – the cop now shares how her story quickly unravelled
A retired detective has revealed how he unmasked road rage killer Tracie Andrews’ deception.
Former Detective Ian Johnston was called to the scene moments after Andrews, then 29, was discovered drenched in blood beside her fiancé Lee Harvey’s body on a dark country road in December 1996. Lee had suffered more than 30 stab wounds in an attack she said was launched by “a fat man with staring eyes” who had chased the vehicle.
After the incident Andrews later went on television with facial bruising and grasping the hand of Lee’s mother, Maureen, while making a heartfelt plea for assistance to catch the murderer. However the mystery “fat man” killer never existed as Mr Johnston uncovered that Andrews had stabbed her fiancé using a Swiss Army-style penknife after a row.
Speaking ahead of the launch of Channel 5’s new drama Suspect: The Road Rage Killer, Johnston – a former Detective Superintendent with West Mercia Police – said he had doubts about Andrews from the start.
The ex-Detective stated: “Whatever she was, she was presenting as a witness. You can’t not consider that she could be a suspect so you have to look at both eventualities. The first thing I asked myself was is the story feasible, could this have happened? And I had to say it could have happened, it doesn’t matter what you think personally,” reports the Mirror.
“Where is the evidence to say it didn’t happen? There wasn’t any at that time and it would take some work to check. You have to go into an investigation with a mind open to everything. You give everything the chance of a good hearing and then you can say that can’t be so because of this, not that can’t be so because we didn’t want it to be.”
Mr Johnston revealed his doubts grew the morning following the killing when Andrews held her press conference. He added: “I was prepared for her to speak and I thought people would want to hear directly from her but I was not prepared for some of the things she said.”
Andrews had previously informed officers on the night of the murder the pair had visited the Marlbrook pub in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, for drinks. She said there had been no “awkwardness” or tense atmosphere between them.
During their two-mile journey home, she claimed an incident occurred with another vehicle that had started pursuing Lee’s Ford Escort XR3i turbo. She claimed it was on Coopers Hill, a secluded country lane leading to her residence, where both cars eventually came to a halt.
Andrews stated the first driver exited the vehicle and confronted Lee, followed by the passenger who assaulted him near the front of the Escort. However, her account to the media was different. Mr Johnson stated: “She said she was appealing for the driver to come forward because he didn’t do anything.”
He added: “It was totally unscripted and it wasn’t true because she had said the driver was equally involved as the man who struck Lee with the knife.”
Further suspicions grew when the pathologist’s report disclosed that Lee had sustained 42 separate injuries, including stab wounds to his back, head and neck. His jugular vein and carotid artery were severed, leading to his rapid collapse due to catastrophic blood loss.
Mr Johnston stated: “We realised that the fight part of her story was a little bit soft. This guy would have to have been really going at him because of the injuries to Lee, his throat was almost taken out.
“A forensic scientist had been down to the scene and the other thing to emerge was the bloodstaining was in the wrong place. She had claimed the attack had happened by the driver’s door but the initial blood wasn’t there, it was towards the rear of the car as was Lee. So the blood was in the wrong place and he was in the wrong place.”
The pattern of blood on her clothing also indicated she had been near Lee during the attack, when she had claimed to have been seated in the car during the attack.
However the decisive piece of evidence for Mr Johnston was provided by a car enthusiast who had spotted Lee’s unique vehicle shortly before the murder.
Chartered accountant Simon Baker gave a detailed account of the Escort and was confident it wasn’t being trailed. Mr Johnston stated: “He was so sure of the car. That then swung it around, we couldn’t talk to her as a witness, she was now a suspect.”
This revelation came four days post-murder and merely 24 hours after Andrews had overdosed on pills. She survived the overdose.
The former officer stated: “I believe she intended to take her life. Whether it was out of remorse or because she couldn’t face life without Lee, I am unable to say.”
It also surfaced Andrews had a violent past and had previously assaulted Lee.
Mr Johnston added: “I always put it as two young people who couldn’t live with each other but couldn’t live without each other. It was that sort of relationship, I think there were genuinely very strong feelings between them but they were both emotional people.
“He was a good looking lad and I don’t know whether she trusted him. I often wondered afterwards why did she have such a total loss of control. She stabbed and stabbed. Something had gone.”
Mr Johnston believes Andrews had planned to assault Lee before she even got in the car, and may have been plotting the murder for weeks. The prosecution utilised forensic evidence to demonstrate she had wielded a fake Swiss Army knife, concealed it in her stiletto boot, and then discarded it.
Strands of her hair were discovered in Lee’s hands, and a knife-shaped blood smear matching his DNA profile was found in Andrews’ boot. A nine-year-old girl, who overheard shouting outside her window near the crime scene, testified at the trial there were only two voices, one of which was soft, like a woman’s.
After being convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment at Birmingham Crown Court, Andrews eventually admitted to killing Lee, but maintained she had acted in self-defence.
She dyed her blonde hair black after being released from prison after serving 14 years. And under the alias Jenna Stephens, married bouncer and father-of-two Phil Goldsworthy in 2017. Mr Johnston is sceptical that anything the murderer says now would provide any comfort to Lee’s parents, Ray and Maureen.
He stated: “I think she’s totally moved on and I don’t think they would believe anything anyway. They are people I have the utmost respect for.
“If you had to sit in a courtroom as a parent and listen to the details of what happened it would sadden your heart forever and they did it with such dignity. But I don’t think Maureen would believe anything that Tracey said ever again.”