The disappearance of a 41-year-old mother of four in March 2002 remains a deeply unsettling case, casting a long shadow over her family and the community. Linda, originally from Llanybydder in Wales, vanished after parking her car on Alvescot Road, en route to her workplace at Swindon College. Her disappearance occurred amidst contentious divorce proceedings, just a week after she had visited a bank armed with a court order to freeze her husband’s financial accounts.
Her husband, a former insurance investment manager named Razzell, initially made public appeals for her safe return. However, suspicion soon fell upon him, leading to his arrest and subsequent conviction for her murder. A crucial piece of evidence in the case was the discovery of traces of blood in the boot of a car Razzell had been using. Despite the conviction, Linda’s body has never been found, leaving her family without closure.
Recently, the Parole Board sparked controversy by approving Razzell’s release on licence in April. Their statement indicated that the panel was satisfied that his continued imprisonment was no longer deemed necessary for public protection. This decision, however, was met with immediate challenge. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) intervened, referring the Parole Board’s decision to the High Court. Such a referral is a significant step, undertaken when the MoJ believes that a prisoner’s release could undermine public confidence in the integrity of the parole system.
A two-day hearing at the High Court saw barristers representing the MoJ argue forcefully that the Parole Board had failed to adequately assess Razzell’s risk to the public. They presented a compelling case for the reversal of the release decision. The emotional impact on Linda’s family was palpable, as her relatives also passionately urged the court to block his release. Her cousin, Julie Westmore, voiced profound concerns, stating that she would not “feel safe” if Razzell were free. Furthermore, Westmore expressed a deep fear that the release would extinguish any remaining hope of ever locating Linda’s remains, preventing the family from finally laying her to rest and finding some semblance of peace.
