# 244: Sasha Marsden

An episode of [Morbidology](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1463979546), 19 Feb 2024, 46 min.

Audio: https://prefix.up.audio/s/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/s.gum.fm/s-610c47a4222ada0024acb2d8/pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/2IMk17EdnEqyRhJTIpIU/claritaspod.com/measure/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/58671327/morbidology_244_sasha_marsden.mp3

On the night of 31 January, 2013, the smoke alarm started blaring from the Grafton House Hotel in Blackpool. As residents went outside, they could see flames flickering from the alleyway located behind the hotel. What appeared to be a mannequin was ablaze, but as the fire rescinded, it became apparent that it wasn’t a mannequin at all. SPONSORS - ZocDoc: Zocdoc is the only free app that lets you find and book doctors who are patient reviewed, take your insurance & are available when you need them. To find a & book a top rated doctor today. Visit: https://zocdoc.com/morbidology Winona: Winona is a network of OBGYN health professonals dedicated to women navigating menopause or perimenopause. Their bioidential HRT employs plant-based hormones. Get 25% off your first order with the code MORBIDOLOGY at: https://bywinona.com/ Aura: Aura scans the internet for your email addresses, passwords, social security numbers, and other sensitive information, and they can request it to be removed. Get a 14 day free trial plus a check of your data: https://aura.com/morbidology SHOW NOTES - https://morbidology.com/morbidology-the-podcast-244-sasha-marsden PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/morbidology Audio Credit: Epidemic Sound Evening of Chaos - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Empty Reflections - ErikMMusic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgq4SPKHlyI A Mothers Sacrifice - OurMusicBox - https://ourmusicbox.com/ Dark Tranquility - Anno Domini Beats - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6mBav72Ak Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/morbidology--3527306/support.

## Transcript

[0:00] Forensic genealogy the process of identifying unknown offenders through their DNA by finding genetic relatives
[0:07] and building out family trees. It's taken the crime solving world by storm.
[0:12] How does it work and what are these cases all about? Find out on
[0:15] season four of dna ID, the only podcast that exclusively covers the revolutionary technique
[0:22] that is forensic genealogy. This season you'll hear more than twenty solved cases like
[0:26] Pamela Kahonnis, Rachel Johnson, and Kristen Martin. And of course we'll continue
[0:32] with our coverage of dough identifications that we began in season three. Don't miss
[0:36] the season four premiere of dna ID on Monday, January twenty ninth. Wherever
[0:42] you get your podcasts, well, we love Deft, Faults and All.
[1:19] She was a wul Arthur and Albeva Nestled along the picturesque coastline of Lancashire,
[1:30] England, stands Blackpool. This town has a unique charm that draws in visitors
[1:37] with its golden, sandy beaches and iconic landmarks. The imposing Blackpool Tower stands
[1:44] tall above all of the other buildings, offering panoramic views of the bustling town
[1:49] and the vast expanse of the Irish Sea. Surrounding Blackpool Tower are three historic
[1:56] piers, North Pier, Central Pier and South. Each of these piers are
[2:01] teeming with amusements, ranging from traditional arcade games to roller coasters and shows.
[2:08] Over the past couple of decades, however, Blackpool has seen a decline in
[2:13] its once bustling tourism industry. The decline is attributed to various factors, including
[2:20] shifting holiday preferences as more people opt for foreign travel, along with the rise
[2:25] of budget airlines offering cheap packages. As a result, many businesses that rely
[2:31] on tourism, such as hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues, struggle to staff
[2:38] float. Unemployment rates in the seaside town are higher than the national average,
[2:45] with limited job opportunities outside of the tourism sector. According to Statistics, Blackfol
[2:52] has faced various social issues, including high levels of deprivation and health inequalities.
[3:00] On the night of the thirty first of January two thousand and thirteen, Blackpool
[3:04] was quiet. The festive period had just finished and all of the Christmas lights
[3:09] and decorations had been put away for the next year. However, the tranquility
[3:15] of the night was shattered at around nine fifteen p m. When plumes of
[3:19] smoke billowed into the night sky from the rear of the Grafton House Hotel.
[3:24] The accrid scent of burning filled the air, eventually setting off the shrill wheel
[3:30] of the hotel's smoke alarm that reverberated through the streets. Carl Evans, who
[3:37] was the owner of the nearby Kimber House Hotel, initially dismissed the alarm as
[3:42] a routine of currents, something which is common in establishments with kitchens. However,
[3:49] his calm demeanor quickly changed when frantic cries could be heard piercing through the
[3:53] lloyd blare of the smoke alarm. Carl raised outside and softly flickering in the
[4:00] alley way behind the graft And House Hotel. A local dog walker had stumbled
[4:06] upon the inferno and raised the alarm, calling out for help. Her cries
[4:13] ignited a flurry of activity as bystanders rushed over to the flames, carland to
[4:19] others, armed themselves with buckets of water, and confronted the fire. Amidst
[4:25] the chaos, a grim realization dawned on Carl as the flames receded. At
[4:32] first, he thought that a mannikin was being consumed by the flames, but
[4:38] soon realized that it was the body of a young woman. Most of her
[4:42] clothing had been burnt away from her pale white skin, and there was a
[4:46] large pull of blood surrounding her. Carl later recollected of the scene, the
[4:54] girl was curled up in the fetal position. She was very small, and
[4:58] it looked like she had no legs eggs. Sasha Morrisden was born on the
[5:08] seventh of May nineteen ninety six to parents Gary and Jane. When Sasha was
[5:14] eight years old, in two thousand and four, the Marsden family moved from
[5:17] Bolton to the village of Staining, close to the seaside resort of Blackpool.
[5:25] As the youngest out of five children, Sasha had confidence from a young age.
[5:30] Her brother Thomas said of her, Sasha was an adorable little sister and
[5:35] was never afraid to put her opinions across, no matter what the situation was.
[5:43] According to her mother, Sasha was the cheeky member of the family.
[5:46] She was a spirited soul who held her own among her older siblings. As
[5:53] Sasha developed into her teenage years, her desire for independence grew a common trail
[6:00] among adolescents on the cusp of adulthood. Like many teenagers, she sought more
[6:05] time with friends and felt the occasional embarrassment of being seen with her parents.
[6:12] However, Gary and Jane understood this phase of Sasha's development. They supported her
[6:17] desires for freedom readily, she offerring her the outings with her friends, whether
[6:23] it be trips to the cinema or shopping excursions. Beneath her independent vasad,
[6:30] Sasha was said to have a heart of gold. She was known for her
[6:33] unwavering loyalty to both her friends and her family. As her friend Angel French
[6:40] recalled, she was always there for you and making you laugh when you didn't
[6:44] want to. Her mother Jane said of her, well, well, love
[6:47] de Faults and all. She was our Arthur and our Beva. She's got
[6:51] to help anybody out with anything, she would, and that was Sasha.
[6:57] By the age of fourteen, Sasha had developed preference for the vibrant atmosphere of
[7:01] Blackfool over the quaint confines of her home village, Staining After school, she
[7:08] and her friends would frequent the town enjoying the amusements and idling away time on
[7:14] the pier. One fateful day in July of twenty ten, however, Jane
[7:19] received a distressing call from police while at home. They informed her that her
[7:25] daughter was at the police station. Sasha and one of her friends had encountered
[7:30] a twenty two year old man in a local park who offered them some vodka.
[7:36] Since Sasha had never drunk alcohol before, she quickly passed out and the
[7:41] man raped her. Sasha's friend later said that he couldn't intervene because the older
[7:46] man was much larger than him and he didn't know what to do. Fortunately,
[7:53] two bystanders intervened, coming to Sasha's aid and calling the police. The
[7:59] twenty two year old man was arrested, and he was ultimately convicted for his
[8:03] attack on Sasha and received a sentence of five years and four months behind bars.
[8:09] The terrifying incident left an enduring impact on Sasha. The transition from a
[8:16] trusting young girl to a deeply embittered teenager was swift for Sasha. Struggling to
[8:22] reconcile with the trauma she endured, she became a target for bullies at school.
[8:30] To cope with her overwhelming emotions, Sasha began skipping classes, turning to
[8:35] heavy drinking, and engaging in self harm. To escape her turmoil, she
[8:41] started running away from home. In twenty twelve, Sasha's disappearance sparked a nationwide
[8:48] search after she vanished from home. A week later, she was discovered some
[8:54] three hundred miles away in Suffolk, having left with a boy named Danny,
[8:58] who was too her senior. However, by the subsequent year, Sasha's life
[9:05] had finally begun to stabilize. She enrolled in Filed College to pursue childcare studies.
[9:13] At college, Sasha was recognized for her kind nature and her concern for
[9:18] her peers. She was diligent in her studies and was eagerly anticipating a forthcoming
[9:24] work placement in progression to level two in her college course. Sasha had aspirations
[9:31] of a career in childcare, and she sought financial independence from her parents.
[9:39] Then, in January of two thousand and thirteen, a friend of a friend
[9:43] informed Sasha that she could apply for a part time cleaning job at a hotel
[9:48] in Blackfell. The opportunity was perfect for Sasha, as the part time ours
[9:54] accommodated her college schedule. On the twenty eighth of January, Sasha's father,
[10:01] Gary, dropped her in the heart of Blackville. She wasn't sure of the
[10:05] hotel's exact location, so it arranged to meet the manager on the high Street
[10:11] for guidance. Round half an hour later, Sasha called her father and requested
[10:16] he pick her up from where he had dropped her off. Bursting with excitement,
[10:22] Sasha informed her father that her trial run at the hotel had been successful.
[10:28] She had efficiently made up a couple of beds, earning ten pounds from
[10:31] the manager. Gary and Jane were later for their daughter, especially considering the
[10:37] challenges she had faced in recent years. It seemed that Sasha had overcome her
[10:43] past trouble, transitioning into an independent young woman poised to pursue her ambitions.
[10:52] Sasha's very first shift at the hotel was scheduled for the thirty first of January.
[10:58] That morning, she attended college as usual. After her classes, Gary
[11:03] picked her up and dropped her off at the same spot as before. I
[11:07] agreed that he would return to pick her up once her shift ended, though
[11:11] the exact time remained uncertain to Sasha. Promising to notify her father. Upon
[11:18] finishing her shift, Sasha bid him farewell and embarked on Blackpool's main street.
[11:24] As Gary watched her disappear from view, He drove back home, trusting in
[11:31] Sasha's new found independence. As the r slipped by, Gary anxiously awaited a
[11:46] text from Sasha signaling that it was time to pick her up. As dinner
[11:52] approached, he reached out to inquire about her expected finish time, but received
[11:56] no reply. The family assumed that Sasha was engrossed in her duties, but
[12:03] they anticipated her return by eight thirty p m. At the latest. They
[12:09] were aware that she had plans to attend a party with her boyfriend that night,
[12:13] but Gary and Jane grew increasingly easy as the clock ticked past eight thirty
[12:20] without word from Sasha. Concerned for their daughter's well being, Gary and Jane
[12:26] contemplated driving into Blackpool to search for her, but they weren't sure which hotel
[12:31] she was working at. They contacted Sasha's boyfriend, Danny, who mentioned that
[12:37] the hotel manager was a man named David. They scarred through Sasha's Facebook friends
[12:45] and identified a man named David Minto, whose job at the Grafton House Hotel
[12:52] seemed plausible. Gary and Jane embarked towards the Grafton House Hotel, located near
[12:58] Black Promenade. When they arrived, David Minto confirmed that Sasha was working there,
[13:07] but he said that she had left ours earlier, claiming that she intended
[13:11] to meet her father in town. Gary and Jane were concerned about the possibility
[13:16] of an accident, so reached out to local hospitals, yet Sasha wasn't there.
[13:24] With all of their options exhausted, Gary and Jane called police to report
[13:28] their youngest daughter as missing. Following the discovery of a charred body in the
[13:37] alleyway, police swiftly descended upon this scene. The extent of the burns rendered
[13:45] visual identification impossible, setting up a perimeter, The police called in Grimescene investigators,
[13:52] who meticulously documented the scene with caution. The body was removed and transported
[14:00] to the Medical Examiner's office for further examination and identification. Doctor Allison of Moore,
[14:07] the pathologist, determined that the young woman had suffered multiple stab wounds to
[14:13] her head and neck, totaling at least fifty eight defensive wounds. Indicated that
[14:20] she had desperately fought for her life. There was also evidence that she had
[14:26] been raped and sodomized. The brutality of the attack on the young woman was
[14:31] evident, with the knife even penetrating her skull. Many people are often surprised
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[17:19] so be sure to check the site for details. As the investigation unfolded,
[17:29] Sasha's parents, Gary and Jane had already reported her missing. Detectives arrived
[17:36] at their doorsteps shortly after eleven pm that night, prompting Gary and Jane to
[17:40] anticipate a routine missing person's report. However, their suspicions were heightened as they
[17:47] were told that a body had been found behind the hotel where Sasha had worked,
[17:52] and that it might be Sasha. The last known sighting of Sasha was
[17:56] at the hotel, prompting detectives to ask about what she was wearing that day.
[18:03] The detectives then informed Gary and Jane that the clothing sounded similar to the
[18:07] charred clothing found on the woman's body. They provided detectives with Sasha's toothbrush so
[18:15] that DNA could be extracted over at the lab. It came back as a
[18:22] match the burnt body with sixteen year old Sasha Morston. Detective Superintendent Andy Murphy
[18:30] acknowledged the complexity of the investigation, telling the public this is an incredibly difficult
[18:37] and complex inquiry and we are working to try and build up a picture of
[18:41] what happened. In a heartfelt tribute, Sasha's parents, Gary and Jane expressed
[18:48] their profound grief, stating no words can express how we feel our beautiful daughter
[18:55] has been taken from us. She was a loving daughter, sister, granddaughter,
[19:00] great granddaughter, niece, cousin and girlfriend. She was very much loved
[19:06] and her loss has left a huge gap that can never be filled. A
[19:11] murder investigation was promptly initiated following the discovery, with Gary and Jane informing detectives
[19:17] that Sasha had started her first shift as a cleaner at the hotel that afternoon.
[19:23] They identified twenty two year old David Minto as her supposed manager, who
[19:29] informed them that Sasha had left the hotel ours before. However, Sasha's body
[19:34] was discovered directly behind the hotel, prompting suspicions among detectives. It was then
[19:42] discovered that David Minto wasn't the manager, but a handyman who lived in the
[19:48] hotel, which was owned by his girlfriend, Rachel Butterworth and her mother.
[19:53] According to Rachel's mother, Minto was lazy and obsessed with computer games, often
[20:00] secluding himself in the basement bedroom. She commented, David was very lazy.
[20:07] Whenever there was any hard work to be done, he would disappear and leave
[20:11] us tourt. On the day of Sasha's visit, Minto was the only person
[20:18] at the hotel. Rachel returned at around nine p m. And she noticed
[20:23] that Minto was acting unusual. Instead of being in his usual spot playing video
[20:29] games in the basement, she found him in the bar area. He claimed
[20:34] he had a nosebleed, which resulted in stains on the carpet in his white
[20:38] hoody, and he told Rachel he had cleaned it with bleach. Rachel also
[20:44] observed freshly cleaned wet tables in the bar area, further arising suspicion. Aside
[20:52] from Rachel's duties at the hotel, she held a part time job on Mondays
[20:56] and Thursdays, coincidentally the days that saw Sasha was invited to the hotel by
[21:02] Minto. When Rachel was informed by detectives that Sasha had been hired as a
[21:07] cleaner by Minto, she expressed surprise. The hotel was undergoing renovations and it
[21:15] had been closed for the winter and therefore devoid of any guests. With mounting
[21:22] circumstantial evidence implicating Minto, he was arrested and charged with Sasha's murder. He
[21:30] was held in Costady to appear before Blackpool Magistrates Court on Monday morning. Detectives
[21:37] continued in their investigation and then covered that Minto had met Sasha in Blackpool for
[21:42] the first time. Towards the end of two Thy twelve, at Coral Island
[21:48] Amusement, Sasha crossed paths with Kimberly Fazakerle, who was meeting David Minto.
[21:56] Kimberly introduced Sasha to Minto and the trios and some time together before meeting Mindo's
[22:02] girlfriend Rachel. Then, on the twenty seventh of January, Minto added Sasha
[22:07] on Facebook using the moniker David Demon Minto. He told her that a cleaning
[22:15] job had just come up at the hotel where he worked. Following the discovery
[22:19] of Sasha's body, Mindo was one of the locals who ventured out into the
[22:25] alleyway. He said to his girlfriend Rachel that there was a burning mannequin behind
[22:30] the hotel. However, upon closer inspection, they realized that it was a
[22:37] human body. Mindo then said to Rachel that his DNA might be on the
[22:41] body because he had prodded it initially mistaking it for a Mannikin. After Mindow's
[22:52] arrest, forensic experts meticulously searched the Grafton House hotel and its surroundings. Sasha's
[23:00] blood was discovered on Minto's clothing scattered throughout the hotel, and on a kitchen
[23:06] knife in the bathroom. Attempts to flush Sasha's jewelry and earrings down the toilet
[23:11] were evident, and her DNA was discovered in the bathtub. In the alleyway
[23:17] where Sasha's body was discovered, her blood stained that he'd ast top, pink
[23:22] and white boots, pink purse, and mobile phone were recovered from a waste
[23:26] bin. Despite the mounting evidence against Minto, he maintained his innocence. He
[23:34] told detectives that he knew Sasha and that she had visited the hotel on the
[23:38] thirty first of January for a cleaning job. Minto claimed that he showed her
[23:45] the ropes before excusing himself to the bathroom. He alleged that upon his return,
[23:52] Sasha initiated a sexual encounter. In his words, she pointed on him.
[24:00] Later, as he disposed of rubbish outside, he reportedly heard Sasha yelling
[24:03] from inside. Minto told detectives he rushed to her aid and found her suffering
[24:11] from a severe nosebleed. He claimed to have provided gloves to stem the bleeding,
[24:17] and Sasha allegedly mentioned being picked up by her father at Windsor's. Minto
[24:22] said that he accompanied Sasha to the shop, but said that her father wasn't
[24:26] there. He said he offered to wait with her, but Sasha allegedly insisted
[24:32] that she was fine and encouraged Minto to return to the hotel, which he
[24:37] did. The last time he saw her was when her body appeared behind the
[24:41] hotel on fire. Minto's arress didn't shock everybody who knew him, including Kimberly,
[24:49] who had introduced Minto to Sasha. Kimberly and Minto had been acquainted since
[24:55] their college days in two thousand and six, maintaining communication through text messages,
[25:00] calls, and Facebook. Despite knowing that she had a boyfriend, Minto persistently
[25:06] urged Kimberly to visit him at the hotel. Often suggesting Thursday afternoons when his
[25:11] girlfriend Rachel was at work. On the twenty seventh of January two thousand and
[25:18] fourteen, just four days before Sash's murder, Kimberly decided to visit Minto at
[25:23] the hotel. Initially, the visit appeared ordinary, as Minto gave her a
[25:29] tour of the hotel, showcasing various areas including the bedrooms, bar, and
[25:36] the room he shared with Rachel. However, things took a disturbing turn when
[25:41] they entered the bedroom and Mindo behaved inappropriately towards Kimberly. He began trying to
[25:48] sexually touch her, and when she demanded that he stop, he didn't stop
[25:52] until she managed to break free. Kimberly chose not to disclose this incident to
[25:59] anybody, leaving Sasha unaware when she later visited the hotel. Following Kimberly's departure
[26:06] from the hotel that afternoon, Minto reached out to Sasha vy a Facebook,
[26:11] offering her the job at the hotel. On the twenty seventh of February,
[26:17] hundreds of people packed into Saint Chad's Church in Polton to say one final good
[26:22] bye to Sasha. Most of the people in attendance wore pink or purple,
[26:27] Sasha's favorite colors. Asasha's coffin was carried into the church, Swedish house mafias,
[26:34] Don't you Worry Child emanated from the speaker's In a poignant letter that was
[26:41] read alloyed by Reverend Martin Keyley, Sasha's best friend Angel said, Sasha Marsden
[26:48] was more than a friend to me. She was a sister and a protector.
[26:52] She was always there for me and never gave up. Poems were also
[26:57] read alloyed by Sasha's Anne, with one aunt, Gail, referring to her
[27:02] as the brightest star. The grief on her face was palpable, as she
[27:07] said, some things can't be mended, a link in the chain of a
[27:12] large, loving family that will never be the same. After the funeral,
[27:18] David Minto pleaded not guilty to Sasha's murder and was ordered to stand trial.
[27:26] The murder trial began on the fifteenth of July two thousand and thirteen, and
[27:30] prosecutor Peter Wright laid out their case against David Minto. He said that Minto
[27:37] had lured Sasha to the Grafton House hotel on Kirby Road, under the pretext
[27:41] that she would be working there as a cleaner. The prosecutor said that Minto
[27:47] was not in the position to hire anybody at the hotel and had kept his
[27:51] meeting with Sasha a secret from his girlfriend. On Sasha was at the hotel,
[27:56] Minto turned on her. The prosecutor believed that she had rebuffed his advances,
[28:03] much like Kimberly a couple of days beforehand, and that he then attacked
[28:07] her from behind with a kitchen knife as she attempted to leave. Prosecutor Wright
[28:14] stated there were a large number of wounds to her fingers, hands, and
[28:18] forearms, which were entirely consistent with what are known as defensive wounds. In
[28:25] other words, Sasha had struggled ferociously with her assailant in a vain effort to
[28:29] save her own life. Sasha had then been raped and sodomized as she lay
[28:36] dying or was already dead. The prosecutor said that Minto then wrapped Sasha's body
[28:41] in a bimbag carpet and underlay, and moved her to the alleyway at the
[28:45] back of the hotel, where he set her alight. After Sasha's body was
[28:51] discovered. Minto quickly began trying to cover his tracks by telling his girlfriend that
[28:56] his DNA would be found on the body because he had poked it thinking that
[29:00] it was a mannequin. The prosecutor said to the jury that Sash's blood was
[29:06] discovered on Minto's clothing throughout the hotel and on a kitchen knife in the alleyway
[29:12] where she was found. Her bloodstained Daddy dasktop, pink and white boots,
[29:17] pink purse, and mobile phone were discovered in a waste bin. Testimony got
[29:22] underway promptly, with various witnesses testifying about the fire behind the hotel. John
[29:29] Randall had been visiting his girlfriend at the Brooklyn Hotel, not too far away
[29:33] from the Grafton House Hotel when he saw the fire. He was among the
[29:37] onlookers who put out the flames with buckets of water. Around the same time,
[29:44] he observed Mindow standing at the back door of the Grafton House Hotel on
[29:48] his mobile phone. He seemed unnaturally calm, and Sean was taken back when
[29:53] he told Minto that domoniquin had been found on fire, and Mindow responded,
[29:59] since when and does a mannequin bleed? After it was discovered that it wasn't
[30:03] a mannequin but instead Sasha's body, Minto invited the group into the hotel.
[30:11] He testified that Minto appeared to be fine and that he was acting like nothing
[30:15] had happened when they had all just witnessed something extremely traumatizing. Kimberly Fazakerley also
[30:23] testified, telling the jury about the disturbing indirections she had with Minto in the
[30:29] days before Sasha was killed. Mindo's girlfriend, Rachel, also told the jury
[30:33] about coming back to the hotel and finding him cleaning up. Do you enjoy
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[31:51] ocdoc dot com slash morbidology zokdoc dot com slash morbidology. The jury then heard
[32:01] about all of the forensic evidence found at the hotel, including Sasha's DNA and
[32:07] her jewelry, which had been half flushed down the drain. David Minto was
[32:13] called to testify on his own behalf, and on the witness stand he made
[32:17] a stunning admission. He had already claimed two detectives that he had consensual sex
[32:23] with Sasha, but when he took to the witness stand, he claimed that
[32:28] he had found her body in the hallway of the hotel. His version of
[32:34] events was similar to the earlier one where he had allegedly walked Sasha to where
[32:37] her father was picking her up and then left her there. However, this
[32:43] time he said that when he returned to the hotel, he found that the
[32:46] back door was left open. He testified that he had started cleaning up the
[32:52] blood from Sasha's nosebleed when he saw a body faced down in the hallway.
[32:59] He said that this was more or less at the point where Sasha's nose had
[33:01] been bleeding earlier. In a calm tone, he told the jury she was
[33:07] covered in blood. She was cut to the neck, cut to the arms,
[33:13] her hair looked red. Mindo said that he checked Sasha for a pulse
[33:17] but couldn't find one, and said that the only thing that came into his
[33:22] head at that moment was getting rid of the blood. He testified, I
[33:28] have a thing about blood. I don't like it. Not a phobia,
[33:31] but a queasiness about blood. He admitted dropping Sasha's body in a roll of
[33:37] carpet and douvet before moving her outside to the alleyway in a wheelie bin.
[33:44] He maintained that he didn't set fire to Sasha's body, but said that when
[33:47] he was having a smoke at the back door, he saw smoke emanating from
[33:52] the alleyway. Apparently somebody told him that some youths had set fire to a
[33:58] mannequin in the alleyway, but said that when he went to investigate with some
[34:01] other locals, he realized that it was Sasha's body. Minto's de Fan's attorney,
[34:08] Stirked Denny, asked him whether he had any contact with Sasha other than
[34:13] consensual, and whether he had harmed or killed her. He responded no and
[34:20] stressed that he didn't know how she ended up stabbed to death in the hotel
[34:23] where he was the only person working or staying. He said that he was
[34:29] too afraid to call the police because they would immediately assume that he was the
[34:32] one who was responsible. Mintal was then questioned about the incident with Kimberly,
[34:37] as his persistent Facebook messages to her were read aloud. He told the court
[34:45] she was a friend whom I chilled out and hung around with, and I
[34:47] had to fit that around Rachel. I don't have many friends. After Kimberly
[34:53] left following the sexual assault, Minto reached out to Sasha on Facebook. The
[35:00] prosecutor said to him, I suggest you trolled available Facebook entries in order to
[35:07] find a suitable victim for your sexual attention. He thought you would be able
[35:12] to have your way with each of them. When Rachel, your girlfriend and
[35:15] partner, was owed in the premises were empty. He referred to Minto as
[35:21] an opportunist and a sexual predator. Following Minto's testimony, the child road to
[35:27] a close clothing arguments were presented, with prosecutor right reiterating all of the evidence
[35:34] against Minto. He touched on his changing version of events and reminded the jury
[35:39] that Sash's DNA was found in the hotel and on the kitchen knife. In
[35:45] contrast, defense attorney Stuart Danny said to the jury, is it possible that
[35:51] having left the Grafton House Hotel, Sasha Marston returned and was there attacked by
[35:57] one or more assailants at whose hands she met her death and at whose hands
[36:01] she suffered sexual indignity. He suggested that the testimony from Kimberly was unreliable and
[36:08] said that after the incident she had continued to message him on Facebook, although
[36:14] she claimed she hadn't. The defense attorney stated the defendant discharged with murder.
[36:22] The Crown's case is that faced with a rebuttal of his sexual advances, he
[36:27] turned to fearful violence. He then said that if Kimberly's testimony was true,
[36:34] when minto sexual advances to her were rebuffed, he simply let her leave the
[36:37] hotel and return home. He posed the question, how on earth does that
[36:45] show evidence of a man who committed or is capable of committing murder. The
[36:52] defense attorney further said that just the day after Sasha was killed, details of
[36:57] her murder had appeared on Facebook. Somebody had posted that she had been stabbed,
[37:01] raped and murdered. At the time, both Minto and his girlfriend Rachel
[37:07] were in police headquarters being interviewed. He suggested that nobody else would have known
[37:14] the details of Sasha's murder unless they were involved in the murder. He said
[37:20] to the jury, there is an uncomfortable knowledge that somebody was sufficiently certain enough
[37:25] to make a posting on Facebook. It is the prosecution's case that there was
[37:30] nobody to put it out there except the defendant, and he was in custody.
[37:37] The jury deliberated for just three hours before returning with a verdict. They
[37:43] found David Minto guilty of the murder of Sasha Morston. The sentencing phase followed
[37:50] with Judge Anthony Russell telling Minto, at your hotel, you murdered her in
[37:54] the most brutal fashion. It was a ferocious and sustained attack. You have,
[38:00] throughout the investigation not only lied but sought to cover your tracks and then
[38:06] tailor your account. You have shown a degree of low cunning, but it
[38:10] was easily seen through. He then read aloud some victim impact statements, including
[38:16] one from Sasha's parents, in which they said each wound you inflicted upon Sasha
[38:22] has stabbed at the heart of each and every one of her family. They
[38:28] both said that the manner in which Sasha was killed would haunt them for the
[38:31] rest of their lives. The judge also touched on Minto's lack of remorse,
[38:37] telling him that there was not a shred of common humanity in you. He
[38:42] referred to Minto as a very dangerous and evil man. He then sends Ince
[38:47] David Minto to life in prison with a minimum sentence of thirty five years outside
[38:53] of courts. Active Superintendent Dandy Murray had some comments. I found him as
[38:59] a really cold hearted, callous, evil individual who quite obviously just thinks of
[39:09] himself before anybody else, and I will go so far to say that his
[39:15] Facebook title of David demon Mintel sort of reflects truly his own character. In
[39:21] the aftermath of the conviction, Sasha's family was resolute in their determination for her
[39:25] murder to catalyze change. Gemma Atchison, Sash's sister, took proactive steps attending
[39:34] the Prime Minister's question time at Westminster in August. Her aim was to address
[39:40] what she had seemed as increasingly widespread sexist and violent attitudes towards women. Gemma
[39:47] highlighted how various forms of media contributed to the objectification of women, leading to
[39:53] a lack of respect for men. She clarified, in the media, I
[40:00] want to make it clear that this is not about hating men. It simply
[40:04] that ninety six percent of objectification in the media involves women and that is wrong.
[40:09] The family also initiated fundraising efforts for the Lancashire Safe Center, a facility
[40:15] offering forensic medical examinations and support to individuals who report rape or sexual assault.
[40:23] Their campaign garnered over two thousand pounds, which was utilized to purchase personal RABE
[40:29] alarms, and in January of two thousand and fourteen. David Minto appealed his
[40:34] minimum sentence, but the appeal was denied. The following month, Gemma launched
[40:39] a petition advocating for improved sex education in schools. This initiative arose shortly after
[40:47] the House of Lords rejected a proposal for a mandatory personal, social and health
[40:52] education program in state funded schools. Gema commented in the media, we want
[41:00] to make sex education broader. At the moment, it feels like, for
[41:05] whatever reason, they do the bare minimum. It is crucial people are thinking
[41:08] about things from as young an age as possible. Jemma then set up Yes
[41:15] Matters, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about various issues, particularly violence against
[41:22] women. However, she soon became the target of numerous rape and death threats
[41:28] on social media platforms. In response, Gemma remarked, what they are doing
[41:34] is proving the point we're trying to make. Over the ensuing years, Jemma
[41:38] led several protests advocating for an end to violence against women and for improved sex
[41:44] education in school. On the tenth anniversary of Sasha's murder, her family campaigned
[41:51] for Window to receive a life sentence, arguing that according to sentencing guidelines,
[41:57] he should have been given a whole life order. They also called for legislative
[42:01] changes allowing families to appeal sentences for an extended period. Under current laws,
[42:07] families only have twenty eight days to appeal, a time for him deemed inadequate
[42:13] by Sasha's family. They argued that the narrow window feels to account for the
[42:17] grief and trauma endured during the trial. In an online video Sash's sis,
[42:24] their voice there frustrations. When Sasha was sixteen years old, she was murdered
[42:29] by David Minto. David Mintell led to the hotel by promiser and a job.
[42:35] Once she got there, he attacked her from behind, stabbing her fifty
[42:37] seven times just to the back of the head and over one hundred times to
[42:40] her head, face and neck while she lay diye in. David Mintel then
[42:44] raped her. David Minto was sentenced to thirty five years in prison, but
[42:50] we've since found out that he actually met the criteria for a whole life order.
[42:53] But when our family have tried to appeal this sentence, we've been told
[42:57] that we should have applied within twenty eight days sentencing, otherwise we no longer
[43:01] have the right to appeal. We're campaigning to remove that twenty eight daytime limit
[43:06] in cases of murder so that families like ours can have adequate time to appeal
[43:12] the lenient sentences of these offenders. We only have three days left to get
[43:17] signatures for this petition. The deadline is this Wednesday. Please help us by
[43:22] signing the petition and sharing it. Let's get justice for Sasha and justice for
[43:28] other murder victims and their families. Despite their efforts, the government rejected the
[43:32] plea potentially alloying Mindow to be released from prison before turning sixty years old.
[43:40] After recently navigating through a tumultuous period following a sexual assault, Sasha Morrisden was
[43:46] finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel. With a supportive boyfriend and
[43:52] family by her side. Flourishing in her college studies and nurturing aspirations to pursue
[43:58] a career in childcare, Sasha's future seemed promising. However, Sasha's trajectory took
[44:05] a tragic turn after she was lured to the Grafton House hotel with the promise
[44:10] of work. Once alone with David Minto, he turned on her, cutting
[44:16] her life short in the most horrific way imaginable. Well, Bestie's that is
[44:38] it for this episode of Morbidology. As always, thank you so much for
[44:43] listening, and I'd like to say a massive thank you to my new supporters
[44:46] up on Patreon, Linda, Melanie, Lynn and Elizabeth. I'm just about
[44:52] to record the next bonus episode of Morbidology plus that are exclusive to Patreon.
[44:59] You can join more or biology on Patreon for as little as one dollar a
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[45:25] us out at morebidology dot com for more information about this episode and to read
[45:30] some true crime articles. Until next time, take care of yourselves, stay
[45:36] safe, and have an amazing week,

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