BBC-TV Personality Slain in London

A BBC anchorwoman and host of a crime-fighting program was fatally shot on the steps of her London home, in a slaying that horrified Britons and prompted stunned reactions from the queen, the prime minister and millions of viewers. Jill Dando, 37, one of the most recognizable faces of the British Broadcasting Corp., died at a local hospital after she was found slumped against the front door outside her home in Fulham in southwest London. Police said a post-mortem showed she had died from a single gunshot wound to the head. Detectives launched a manhunt after a well-dressed man in his late 30s or early 40s carrying a mobile telephone was seen leaving the scene. Police also were probing the possibility that a professional hit man carried out the slaying. Dando hosted “Crimewatch UK” for the past four years, co-anchored the nightly news and presented a popular travel show.