The case has refocused the spotlight on the already tainted News of The World, part of Rupert Murdoch's global media empire at News Corp. It also comes as Murdoch is trying to engineer the politically sensitive, multibillion-pound takeover of broadcaster BSkyB in Britain.
[13-year-old Milly] Dowler's abduction in 2002 while walking home from school in Surrey, south of London, transfixed Britain until her decomposing body was found six months later in the woods by mushroom pickers.
But while police were pursuing all leads and Milly's parents were making dramatic appeals for any tidbit of information that could be useful, a private investigator working for the News of the World tabloid allegedly hacked into her cell phone, listened to her messages, and even deleted some to make room for possible new ones.
Mark Lewis, a lawyer representing Dowler's parents, said Tuesday the suspected hacking may have hampered the police investigation and he plans to sue the tabloid for its interference.
It was never determined how long Dowler was alive after being abducted but the tabloid's actions reportedly came right after her disappearance. Police realized some messages had been deleted, giving them and Milly's parents false hope that she was still alive.
"It is distress heaped upon tragedy to learn that the News of the World had no humanity at such a terrible time," Lewis said. "The fact that they were prepared to act in such a heinous way that could have jeopardized the police investigation and give them false hope is despicable." [more]
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