She was then bound with rope, using complex knots, weighed down with rocks and lead pipes and thrown overboard from a boat on Coniston Water.
Some claimed that much of the evidence against him could be discounted and there were vigils and petitions in attempts to free Park from prison and clear his name.
[6] Gordon claimed he returned home to find Carol had left the house, leaving behind her wedding ring, and that there was no sign of a struggle.
[8] This missing persons report was subsequently lost, and it was implied by some that it was because both Gordon and a senior police commander (who, by the time the article was published, had died) involved in the case were freemasons.
[8] On 13 August 1997, amateur divers discovered Carol Park's body, clad only in a nightdress, 75 feet down at the bottom of Coniston Water.
[12] The body had been wrapped in a pinafore dress, a canvas rucksack and plastic bags, tied with several knots, and weighed down with lead piping.
After a conference with leading counsel and the police, a decision was taken, in agreement with all parties, that there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction.Reportedly he told another inmate that "she deserved it" as he had discovered his wife being unfaithful.
[16] After the charges were dropped, Gordon said that he wished to "try to put all this, including the events of 21 years ago, behind me and try to return to my everyday life".
The police then revisited the site where the body was discovered, and found a piece of Westmorland green slate, a stone that matched the rocks that made up the wall of the family's bungalow.
Primarily, the case for the prosecution rested on circumstantial evidence, with the jury being asked to consider knots, rocks used to weight down the body and the ice axe, all linking Gordon Park to the crime.
Tapp's statements consistently discounted the use of the ice axe itself, although suggested that a similar heavy weapon with both blunt and sharp sides could have been used.
[21] During the trial, the prosecution speculated that Gordon had "drugged his wife, possibly on or around the 17 July, tied her up and stored her body in a chest freezer before dumping it in Coniston Water".
In a public statement, they said:[22] The appeal is based upon fresh evidence that was not available at the original trial, it is hoped the conviction will be quashed and a retrial ordered...
[26] QC Simon Bourne, representing Park, had wanted to call an expert witness to challenge geological evidence used at the trial.
[26] The new evidence presented by geologist Andrew Moncrief concerned the rock found with the body, said to have been from the wall outside the Parks' house.
[29] On 26 November 2014, it was confirmed that the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) was examining the verdict and new DNA evidence had come to light.
[35] The Court of Appeal noted that the defence had abandoned the argument that the DNA evidence was relevant and concluded that the Crown had not in fact at trial argued the mountain axe recovered from the defendant's home was the murder weapon.
[15] Notable individuals offering support included Tony Benn, who said that there was considerable doubt about Gordon's conviction, and that he would do all he could to help campaign for his freedom.
[41] It was due to these vigils, claimed Evangelical Pastor George Harrison, that he was barred from visiting Park once he was transferred to Garth prison, in Lancashire.
Jeremy Park wrote to the North-West Evening Mail to confirm that he wanted nothing to do with the reward, and that Harrison had no right to include his name, contact details or email address, or mention the freegordon website, in the adverts.
Vanessa Fisher, Park's adoptive daughter, appeared as a witness for the prosecution at the trial, telling of how her father would hit the children with "a stick or cane" and how he would not discuss his wife's disappearance.
[44] In a statement shortly after Park's guilty verdict, he said he had "no doubt" that justice had been done, and added that "Carol was a lovely, bubbly girl who was very clever and intelligent.
"[3] However, on top of the difficulties outlined by the police, the freegordon website detailed a number of what Park's supporters claim are holes in the evidence used to convict him.
[49] The article in the Sunday Herald also claims that the policeman said to be responsible for finding the rock fainted when it was produced in court, offering no explanation, but still denying that he ever found it.
[50] This book features the stories of seven high-profile convicted murderers, including Park, Luke Mitchell and Sion Jenkins.
[51] The book claims that the expert testimonies in the Lady in the Lake trial were flawed, that certain evidence was withheld, and that the sensationalist reporting of the press at the time influenced the court by persuading them that Park was the only person who could have killed his wife.
[52] Park worked as a village primary school teacher,[21] but was retired by the time he was prosecuted for the murder of his first wife, Carol.
[27] Park's interests included sailing and climbing, which was relevant to the case due to the knots used to tie his wife's body.
[54] While in prison, Park spent time practising tai chi, taking a maths degree and keeping fit.
[49] In an exclusive written interview with The Westmorland Gazette nine months into his sentence, Park talked of how he had struggled with prison, saying: "They [other inmates] may smoke incessantly, play loud music, the TV or video games, rifle your drawers, steal, lie etc.