The investigation into the death, "unique in British crime history",[1] revealed expert-level tampering with both canopies, but failed to determine whether the incident was murder or suicide.
A keen parachutist, he died around 2:45 pm on Friday, 4 July 2003, at Hibaldstow Airfield, when both his main and reserve parachutes failed to operate correctly.
He had been participating in a week-long British Collegiate Parachute Association championship skydiving competition with his "Black Rain" teammates and fellow officer cadets, Adrian Blair and David Mason (both aged 19), who had all made over 200 jumps each.
[1] The reports of sabotage also had noticeable effects on the subsequent behaviour of parachutists at championship events in the UK, and resulted in an increase in the sales of secure bags and lockers for the storage of equipment.
[2][10] The inquest was also informed that at the time of his death, Hilder had money problems and was around £17,000 in debt (due to overspending related to skydiving), was close to the end of a casual relationship, and had wrongly assumed that he was failing his first-year academy exams.
[1] On 25 March 2005, North Lincolnshire coroner Stewart Atkinson refused to accept that the death was a suicide after a forensic scientist testified that the lack of DNA could be attributable to a saboteur wearing gloves and that crucially, the presence of fibres from the severed risers on Hilder's body was of no evidential value, as transfer could have taken place in freefall or when the risers were subsequently removed in the field where Hilder landed.
[2][16] The incident was covered by the BBC's Crimewatch in an episode aired on 24 July 2003,[17] and by ITV Studios in a 2011 documentary titled Real Crime: Sky Diver Murder or Suicide?