Police bungle Melbourne mum's murder probe

WHAT IS THE CASE?

* Mum-of-two Maria James, 38, was murdered in her Thornbury bookshop on June 17, 1980

* She was stabbed 68 times and for the past 37 years police thought they had a DNA profile of her killer

WHAT HAS HAPPENED?

* On July 13 Victoria Police admitted to bungling the case, confirming a bloodied pillowcase used to eliminate suspects was actually related to another crime scene

* The anomaly was found when the case was reopened and exhibits were being re-examined

* The pillowcase relates to another unsolved murder that pre-dates the James case

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

* Police blame a human error storage mix-up that could have happened three decades ago

WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

* Police have no DNA profile of Ms James' murder suspect and will re-examine evidence to try to find one

* Suspects previously ruled out based on the pillowcase evidence will be reinvestigated

WHO ARE THE SUSPECTS?

* Pedophile priest Anthony Bongiorno was ruled out as a suspect based on the pillowcase

* Ms James' family have considered Bongiorno a suspect because he abused her youngest son Adam as a child

* Police say there are multiple suspects, but will not detail how many or who they are

WHAT DO HER FAMILY SAY?

* Eldest son Mark James says he is angry, indignant and disappointed over the bungle

* But he is also relieved and hopes a new investigation will capture the killer

* The family wants a new coronial investigation opened.

SOURCE: Victoria Police and Mark James ABC interview