With beautiful blue seas and tiny fishing boats bobbing about, the Greek resort of Heraklion in Crete is a picture-perfect paradise.
But for Michael Porter, the island holds a dark secret – one he’s determined to uncover.
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Michael Porter’s mother Jean Hanlon, 53, found dead four days after disappearanceCredit: PA: Press Association
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Michael has been seeking justice for his mother’s death for 15 years Credit: Stewart Williams
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Jean went on her first foreign holiday to Crete in the 1990s, and in 2005 decided to move to Kato Gouves on the islandCredit: Collection
His mother Jean Hanlon, 53, was found dead four days after she disappeared – and now, after police officially reopened the case, the family believe they know who the killer is.
In 2009, the body of a mother of three washed up in the harbor covered with injuries, decomposed almost beyond recognition.
Despite ominous evidence suggesting she was murdered – including diary entries and a final text reading “HELP” – her death was initially ruled an accidental drowning.
Michael and his brothers Robert (49) and David (45) have been seeking justice for 15 years.
Now a private investigator has finally given them hope.
Michael, a 39-year-old West End ticket assistant, from Bromley, Kent, said: “He went back to square one and found new evidence which allowed us to get the police to reopen the case.
“Finally we feel like we’ve gotten to something, but it’s frustrating because it could have been resolved a long time ago if it had been fully investigated.”
Growing up in Dumfries, Scotland, Michael has fond memories of his single mother, who worked three jobs to provide for her family.
He says: “We were super close. She was the life and soul of the party.”
In the nineties, Jean went on her first foreign holiday to Crete, and in 2005 she decided to move to Kato Gouves on the island.
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Michael says: “She loved it. She made a circle of friends and was so happy.
“I went out to visit her and we spent the whole time dancing, sunbathing and singing.
“My mom’s karaoke song was Whitney Houston, but the singing was terrible!
“She wanted to show me off to everyone, which was very embarrassing for me, but I know she was very proud.”
Jean usually returned home every winter, but in 2008 she decided to stay.
In March 2009, Michael spoke to her for the last time, three days before she disappeared.
He says: “She was happy. There was nothing suspicious.”
Then, on March 9, Jean went shopping before meeting a friend.
Michael says: “We found out later that she mentioned she thought she was being followed by a green car.
“Now we know that mom then went to the sea and had a job interview at a bar.
‘I really wanted to hold her’
“The owner said she was in a good mood but left before drinking the wine.
“After that we don’t really know what happened, but we believe she went home and then ended up in the capital, Heraklion, which is about a 25-minute drive away.
“We recently found out that she called two people that night, telling them she was with someone – a man we believe we now know the identity of – who didn’t speak very good English and was a bit annoying.
“Then the last message she sent to a friend just said ‘help’.”
The friend told police he called her and she insisted everything was fine.
She called again later, but he had already gone to bed and did not answer.
She was reported missing the next day, after she failed to show up to babysit a friend’s daughter.
Michael says: “My brother called and told me mum was missing.
“At first I thought it might be drama out of nothing, but I started to fear the worst.”
On March 13, Michael and his brothers were about to board a plane when they received a call from the police that a body had been recovered from the water in the port of Heraklion.
Michael says, “We flew away hoping it wasn’t our mom.”
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The port of Heraklion, where the local police found Jean’s body Credit: Getty
Later that day, their hopes were dashed and they were asked to identify Jean’s body.
Michael recalls: “Nobody prepared us for how painful it was going to be.
“The image and the smell will never leave me. The only good thing, as terrible as that sounded, was that she was unrecognizable.
“It wasn’t until we saw her clothes that we knew it was her.
“I really wanted to hold her.”
Unable to grieve, Michael set out to find answers, saying:
“Everything was so surreal.
“I didn’t even allow myself to cry — we were just in shock.
“I went into research mode.
“I took photos of my mom’s clothes that they put up and I already had so many questions — ‘What’s the mark? Why are the jeans ripped?’
“That was my way of dealing with it.”
The first autopsy results concluded that she had drowned, and the case was quickly closed.
We knew she was looking for love and documented the dates she went on in her diary
Michael Porter
Michael says: “We always thought it was suspicious and didn’t believe she drowned.”
Jean’s funeral was held in Dumfries in June 2009.
Michael says: “We played Hold Me Close because she was a big fan of David Essex.
“Her tombstone also says, ‘Hold me close, don’t let me go.'”
A year later, after an exhaustive campaign including fundraising and speaking to the media to gain publicity, Jean’s death was finally treated as a crime following a second coroner’s report.
An updated report from the initial autopsy revealed that she suffered severe injuries that were likely self-inflicted before her body entered the water, including a broken neck, broken ribs, a punctured lung and facial injuries.
Michael says: “We were so frustrated that the police did not investigate as thoroughly as we had hoped and there were so many unanswered questions and inconsistencies.
“She was allegedly meeting a man she didn’t know, but there was no indication that she was planning to meet a stranger.
“She didn’t drive, so how did she get from the village to the capital so quickly?”
Three people were on the police radar at different times – but no one was ever charged – and the mystery man Jean was with was never identified.
Michael says: “We knew she was looking for love and she documented the dates she went on in her diary.
“But she never met random men, so we think the person she was with is already known to her.
“She also wrote that one relationship with a Greek had become strained so it wouldn’t last, but it didn’t seem like they dated for long.”
‘Incriminating Evidence’
Over the years, the case was previously reopened three times.
In 2012, two men were questioned but released without charge.
Now, after 15 years of tireless campaigning, Greek police last month reopened the case for the fourth – and hopefully last – time.
Michael believes the investigator’s explosive new report finally identifies a key suspect.
He says: “They found so much incriminating evidence that it would be scandalous not to prosecute this person.
“It’s incredible that they slipped through the net for so long.
“There are witnesses. Finally, everything makes sense now.
“She spoke to other people before she died who were never interviewed.
“I hope this time we will finally get mom justice. A little more and we have arrived.
“We just need the police to question the new suspect, because he apparently thought he was getting away with it all these years.”
Seeking justice is not cheap.
Michael estimates the family have spent more than £20,000 on the investigation and legal fees, which Michael says: “Nobody should have to do to get answers.”
He adds: “Nothing will ever bring her back, but getting justice would mean mum can finally rest in peace and we can start to grieve properly.
“I won’t stop until that happens.”
- Next month, Michael is skydiving to raise funds to continue his fight for justice. To donate, see bit.ly/justiceforjean.
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Jean was a huge fan of David Essex and Hold Me Close was played at her funeral. Credit: Getty
TIME PLAN OF THE CASE
- March 9, 2009: Jean Hanlon last seen alive.
- March 13: Jean’s body recovered from the sea near Heraklion. Her death was ruled a drowning and the case was closed that year.
- 2011: The case was reopened after a second coroner’s report was released and Jean’s death was ruled “foul play”.
- 2012: Homicide detectives question the two men, but both are released without charge and the court rules that there will be no prosecution.
- 2019: Jean’s case was reopened after a television documentary, but failed to secure progress.
- 2020: The family issues a new appeal on the Greek equivalent of Crimewatch.
- 2021: A third investigation is opened but closed due to lack of evidence, being investigated by the Greek organized crime police department.
- 2024: A private investigator produces a new 29-page report naming the person responsible for Jean’s death, and police reopen the case for the fourth time.
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