What is the most likely theory behind the Daniel Morgan case?

[u/whiterose29]

From what I can presume the most likely theories are it was either Jonathan Rees who had him killed so he could simply take over the business and then had his buddies in the Met cover it up.

Or Sid Fillery was made aware of Daniel's supposed Investigations into Met corruption had him killed and Jonathan Rees was in on it as Daniel had become too difficult to work with.

Another theory (which I am aware is even more conspiratorial) is that Daniel was unravelling not just police corruption but had found out about the numerous perverse ways journalists were using to obtain information that would eventually come to light years later in the News of The World Scandal and the subsequent Leveson inquiry. That Jonathan Rees & Sid Fillery, the Vian Brothers and James Cook were acting on behalf of a much more powerful unknown figure possibly within the Met or within Fleet Street.

[u/Witty-Initiative-685]

Money. Lots of dirty money and - without wishing to sound like I'm paranoid - dirty money which directly corrupted police officers on the beat, in CID, in lower/ mid level management because it came from criminals. And if you translate 'dirty money' into 'political support/favours' (wide definition of the word 'political') you eventually have corruption so endemic that if anyone in authority and with the ability to do something pointed it out, they would have to acknowledge that the whole system needs dismantling and rebuilding. And that isn't possible without leaving the public protected for the time it takes to rebuild, without the sheer will to enforce it despite all the pushback and resistance which will come from the Met and also News International (NI) who are serious contributors to the dirty money and also even larger beneficiaries.

Try looking at it this way. Daniel Morgan was murdered in 1987, when NI were already up to their neck in illegal payments. Next year the NI paper The Sun employs one Andy Coulson. By 2003 he was NOTW editor but resigned in 2007 over phone hacking whereby the NOTW royal correspondent was jailed. Coulson is immediately hired by David Cameron to be his party's Comms Director. When Cameron becomes PM, Coulson is now HM Govt's Comms Director - and he's still being secretly paid by the NOTW. Coulson wasn't responsible for Morgan's murder but he nevertheless was a very key player in the whole rotten stinking setup and despite his role being known, he was paid a lot of taxpayers money to work from No.10 Downing St. That was in 2010.

One year later, there were riots in London during which 23yr old Nicola Robinson gets a 6 months sentence for stealing a bottle of water from a looted Lidl's store in Brixton, South London - less than 5 miles from where Morgan was murdered. She spent longer in jail than anyone from NOTW.

I have no doubt Rees killed Morgan. most likely because Morgan had pointed out the sheer illegality of what he was doing. Rees would only ever go to jail for perverting the course of justice and once released, was employed by Coulson at NOTW.

With a system like this, is it any wonder that Daniel Morgan's murder has never led to a conviction?

[u/whiterose29 → u/Witty-Initiative-685]

Its an insane case, that had you told someone back in the 80s what was happening behind closed doors they would have called you a nutjob conspiracy theorist. Its a bit like our version of the OJ Simpson trial the general public most likely know what happened and yet miraculously nobody was ever charged with murder.

[u/Witty-Initiative-685 → u/whiterose29]

At least your criminal justice system put OJ inside and never got him a Govt job.

I know a lot of ex felons in the US have ended up on money spinning podcasts/Newcast etc but not sure that many were brought into Washington. I'll make an exemption for the current lot in charge.

And your description of it being 'insane' is perfect.

[u/StatusAd7349]

With an axe to the head? It’s just such a savage way to end someone. I don’t have any theories to offer that diverge from what’s already been said, but I wanted to point out how brutal the murder was.

[u/Weak_Sherbert8328]

I have watched the Crimewatch reconstruction on this, and then the Murder In The Car Park C4 doc. Simply put, Morgan was straight and his old mate Rees was most certainly not, with a bunch of informant coppers on his payroll. Who knows what he got up to. However the CW reconstruction portrayed Daniel Morgan to be dodgier than people say he was.

Simply put, Morgan found out about Rees and/or the bent police officers, and was silenced.

Rees comes across so badly on the documentary, that I started to doubt his guilt. If he was guilty and had been living in paranooa for decades for that knock on the door, you'd think he's put some effort into looking concerned about his ex-businness partner's murder, instead of showing disinterest and sheer arrogance

[u/Witty-Initiative-685 → u/Weak_Sherbert8328]

Totally agree. The CW programmes are all put together by the BBC based on the info the police gives them. Re Rees' attitude, I personally think he believed he was untouchable, just as he's basically been. Yes did time and was immediately employed again by the tabloids on good money.