HAS evil Danilo Restivo claimed the lives of more than two innocent women?

And was he responsible for the murder of South Korean student Jong-Ok Shin four months before he killed Heather Barnett?

Speculation has been rife on the internet connecting Restivo to the disappearance and murders of a further six women around Europe.

The first came in May this year from legal representatives acting for Omar Benguit, who is serving a life sentence for the murder of Jong-Ok Shin, known as Oki. She was stabbed three times in the back as she walked along Malmesbury Park Road in Charminster on July 12, 2002 - just three roads away from where Heather and Restivo lived. Benguit insists he is innocent.

Another, albeit tenuous, connection is the date Oki was killed – July 12. Both Heather Barnett and Elisa Claps were killed on the 12th of the month.

Yesterday, a legal representative for Benguit arrived at Winchester Crown Court. He says a 26-page document will now be filed to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to appeal against Benguit’s conviction.

The team, led by barrister Rag Chand, claim a clump of hair was found in the same road Oki was killed in and kept as an exhibit in the Oki trial.

But DCI Kevin Connolly, of Dorset Police and the senior detective in the Oki murder investigation, said: “Dorset Police can confirm that during the initial investigation into Jong-Ok Shin’s murder approximately 2,000 items were recovered, including many from the surrounding area – typical with the findings of any major crime investigation. This included an extremely small quantity of animal hair combined with uncut human hair which was located a distance away from the victim on Malmesbury Park Road. They were not found next to the victim or on the victim.

“They were not attributed to the victim or the incident in any way and, following examination, were excluded from the investigation – this position has not changed.

“Omar Benguit was convicted of Jong-Ok Shin’s murder in 2005. He appealed against conviction – his appeal was dismissed.”

Restivo was also connected in 2008 with the death of Yvonne O’Brien whose mutilated body was found in her apartment in Majorca in August 1999.

Detectives investigating Heather’s murder made contact with Spanish police via Interpol relating to new evidence from detectives in both countries.

But DI Jez Noyce said while enquiries were made, there is nothing to link Restivo with that crime.

Restivo has also been connected via the internet to the disappearance of three young women who disappeared or were found dead in Perpignan, France, between 1995 and 2000.

The Italian has also been linked to the murder of 27-year-old Ansermin Erika, on April 20, 2003, in Aosta. It has been claimed police found a picture of her on a computer at Restivo’s home.

When asked by the Echo, whether he thought Restivo was responsible for killing other girls or women, Det Supt Mark Cooper said: “We are not connecting Restivo with any other crime at this moment.”