Delia D'Ambra

But it was the judge who ultimately held the power to convict the accused.

This is different than how the judicial system in the U.S.

works, but that doesn't mean one way is wrong or right.

It's just different.

When it came down to it, the judge deciding the two game wardens' fates said he was just not convinced by Scotland Yard's findings or the circumstantial case that the prosecution had presented.

He thought that in addition to the defendants, the clerk for Sand River Camp and the police constable who was on duty there in September 1988 should have been investigated more, as well as Simon Ole McCalla, the chief game warden who'd found Julie's remains.

The Wards were understandably disappointed with the verdict and traveled back home to the UK with heavy hearts.

John told the Times, quote, there was just reworking of the old lies.

All I ever wanted to do was find out what happened, end quote.

For a while, that seemed to be the end of the story.

John somewhat backed off continuing to push for answers and the rest of Julie's family just sort of accepted that they may never know who killed her or what really happened.

But then 10 months later, that all changed because Kenya's police department apparently cleaned house and a new team of investigators had decided to relaunch the investigation into Julie's murder.

An investigation that led them straight back to a very familiar name.

In July 1998, Kenyan police arrested and charged Simon Olimakola with Julie's murder.

By that point, it had been almost 10 years since the crime happened, and Simon was working as the assistant director of the Kenya Wildlife Service.

He was no longer the chief game warden of the reserve.

Kenya's sitting attorney general at the time told the press that sufficient circumstantial evidence had come to light over the course of an 18-month-long investigation that allowed them to move forward with arresting Simon.

Lucy Hannon reported for The Guardian that one tool investigators were exploring in their case against Simon was DNA.

Kenyan authorities had agreed to send some of the hair evidence in the case to England for further forensic testing.

If you remember from earlier, a few blonde hairs had been found in the Ranger outpost that Scott Linyard suspected Julie had been held at.