Ffynnon Samson // Guardian Saturday magazine

The reopening of the Ffynnon Samson murder case photographed for the Guardian Saturday magazine. In December 1976, siblings Griff and Patti Thomas – both in their 70s – were found dead at their farmhouse, Ffynnon Samson, in Pembrokeshire. After a short and somewhat rushed investigation by Dfyed police, the incident was filed as a murder-suicide – with fould play or the involvement of a third party ruled out.

The event rocked the small and close – knit community. Mnay who knew the brother and sister didn’t believe the ruling. Griff, who was riddled with arthritis, had supposedly beat his sister to death with a heavy oak chair before setting fire to himself. Local people spoke of the siblings’ devotion to eachother, as well as, their quiet and gentle natures – to them the verdict just didn’t make sense.

Retired journalist, Hefin Wyn and paralegal, hayley Wood are spearheading a campaign to reopen the inquest and clear Griff’s name. Having studied the evidence and reports, they believe that the investigation was not thorough enough and ignored several compelling leads.

I visited the area in early January 2023, and photographed friends and relatives who knew Patti and Griff. The full article can be found here https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/28/the-killer-could-still-be-among-us-two-elderly-siblings-and-a-brutal-that-mystifies-locals-nearly-50-years-on