Private detective Daniel Morgan was found dead in a South London pub car park in March 1987 with an axe in his head.
The case became one of the country’s most notorious unsolved murders after a number of detectives were arrested over the killing.
After eight years of work, an independent panel was due to publish its findings on Monday into the murder and associated police corruption.
But Home Secretary Priti Patel delayed its publication saying she wanted to see the report first in case there were “national security” issues.
After MPs heard on Monday of concerns of a “cover-up” and that Mr Morgan’s family say the delay has “only added to our pain”, the Mirror examines the case.
Who was Daniel Morgan?
The 37-year-old father-of-two, originally from Llanfrechfa, South Wales, ran South London private detective agency Southern Investigations with partner Jonathan Rees.
On March 10, 1987, the pair went for a drink at the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham, South East London.
Daniel was found dead in the car park at 9.40pm, two packets of crisps lying by his side.
He had been struck repeatedly with the razor-sharp axe, which was left embedded in his head.
Sticking plasters had been put on the axe handle to ensure no fingerprints were left.
Notes Daniel had been writing had been taken from his pocket, but a roll of cash remained.
Daniel’s family say he was on the verge of exposing police corruption.
How did allegations of police corruption arise?
Scotland Yard detective Sid Fillery, who was closely linked to Jonathan Rees and went on to replace Morgan at Southern Investigations, worked on the initial murder probe and took his friend’s first statement.
Three weeks after the killing, Rees, Fillery, and Rees’s wife’s brothers Garry and Glenn Vian, and two other detectives were arrested on suspicion of murder, but freed without charge.
It emerged Rees was at the centre of a corrupt network of detectives, criminals and journalists.
What happened to the suspects?
In 2017, four men targeted by the Met sued the force on appeal alleging malicious prosecution.
Glenn Vian and Jonathan Rees got £155,000 in compensation.
Rees, the Vian brothers and a fourth man had been charged with the murder in 2008, but acquitted.
Their civil action heard a key “plank” of the prosecution case hinged on the evidence of a “known criminal” called Gary Eaton.
During the investigation, Eaton had “unauthorised” meetings with Met Detective Chief Superintendent David Cook.
Ruling in favour of the suspects, Lady Justice King said in 2017: “To say that Det Ch Supt Cook, a prosecutor guilty of perverting the course of justice by creating false evidence against the appellants was, on account of his belief in their guilt, not acting maliciously, is like saying that Robin Hood was not guilty of theft.”
Mr Cook was never charged in relation to the allegations following a decision by the CPS.
It later emerged that News of the World reporters had tasked a private investigator to compile an illicit personal dossier on Mr Cook.
The News of the World had been one of Jonathan Rees’s clients.
Mr Cook said in 2014: “They were trying to undermine the investigation into the murder of Daniel Morgan, it’s as simple as that.”
Garry Vian was jailed for 14 years in 2005 for drug smuggling.
Glenn Vian, the suspected axeman, died last year.
Rees was jailed for seven years in 2000 for plotting to plant cocaine on an innocent mum to discredit her for a client involved in a child custody battle.
His accomplice, Det Con Austin Warnes, got five years. In 2003, Fillery admitted possession of indecent images of children and got a community rehabilitation order.
What other possible motives were there?
In 2020, Channel 4 broadcast the drama-documentary Murder In The Car Park in which former Met PC Dean Vian, nephew of Garry and Glenn, said: “My mum told me that Glenn had killed him and he was paid by Jonathan Rees to do that.”
He said relations between Rees and Daniel had become strained because they were both seeing the same woman, Margaret Harrison.
On the day of the murder she had lunch with Rees and then a drink with Daniel.
"Dean Vian said: “Jonathan Rees and Daniel Morgan had a falling out because they were seeing the same woman.”
Rees, the Vians and Fillery have all previously denied any involvement in the murder.
Rees’s solicitor previously said: “Mr Rees has always denied any involvement in this murder.”
Why has the report not been released?
As Home Secretary, Theresa May set up an independent panel in 2013 to look at the handling of the case.
After Ms Patel’s delay, Baroness O’Loan, chair of the Daniel Morgan Independent Panel, asked the Home Office on Tuesday to guarantee publication of the 1,200 pages by June 16.
Daniel’s brother, Alastair, blasted Ms Patel, saying he hopes the panel will “fend off this unwarranted intervention from the Home Secretary”.
He and his sister Jane McCarthy, have been fighting for answers since their brother died.
Their mother, Isobel Hulsman died in 2017, aged 89, without seeing justice for her son.
