Blotchy

[Fleetwood Mac]

Hmm, if sleeping, Blotchy had left and she could have returned to the street at anytime later.

Except Cox is awake after 3 and does hear some comings and goings around 5.45 but not before.

So, Jack, real or presumed, would have had to have been in there and left prior to 3 (assuming Cox is a reliable witness); which in turn would make Kelly's alcohol induced sleep more of a short nap.

Unless she is killed after Cox goes to the pub 6ish.

[Abby Normal]

.
,

Not necessarily. She could have gone to sleep, and then have been attacked by an intruder in her bed.

Well, it would if she was awoken by a man who had broken into her room and who was holding a knife.

"For what it's worth, this is my take on the Blotchy story :

-Mary was out trying (or succeeding) to solicit during the evening.
-She finished in a pub, either spending the proceeds, or trying to bum drinks.
-either way she was in high spirits when she met Blotchy in the pub -a man that she knew.
-One of them suggested to get a pail of beer and go back to her place and 'party' à deux.
-They pass Mrs Cox as they are going into Mary's.
-Mary lights the fire.
-They consume the beer and Mary sings, but they are both too drunk for sex and tired and so call it a night around 1am (Blotchy has to get home to the family).
-Blotchy leaves (possibly leaving the door on the latch). Mary goes to bed, folding her clothes. The fire dies right down, but the embers are hot and glowing.
-Mrs Prater comes home. Mary's room is dark.
-The Ripper, who knows Mary and knows that Joe no longer lives there, has been secretly stalking her and biding his time. He sees Botchy leave and waits long enough for the room to have been quiet and dark for awhile and for there to be no witnesses around (he may be Hutchinson, or not).
-the Ripper either puts his hand through the window, has the missing key, or
Blotchy has left the door open.
-He gets into the room but Mary awakes as he approaches the bed and shouts and tries to defend herself (cuts to arm), she tries to hide under the
bedclothes (cuts through sheet ?) and moves up to the partition trying to get away (cut to right side by right handed man on top of her).
-The Ripper feeds up the fire and does his business and leaves silently.
-Mrs Cox's description of Blotchy isn't good enough to identify him (she got it a bit wrong). Blotchy doesn't come forward because he has a wife and family.[/QUOTE]"

Hi Ruby
Good post-Very well thought out.
I have a few comments/additional thoughts.
If Blotchy was not her killer than I think it most likely that he probably left sometime between 3:00 to 4:00 which would explain hutch's vigil.
Hutch then is the most likely suspect and when he either sees blotchy leave or returns and find him gone from Mary's room, he enters her room and kills her.
To align with the heard cries of murder around 4 I could envision a scenario in which hutch waits for 45 minutes and leaves around 3 just like said, but then returns at 4 at which point he finds blotchy gone and Mary alone.

[Abby Normal]

But back to Blotchy.

In light of Rubys excellent post on possible Sequence of events I offer mine:

Mary meets blotchy in the pub. They are probably already aquaintanences. They drink together.
Mary is extremely entoxicated.
They agree to head back to Mary's place perhaps stopping off for some fish and chips.
They arrive around 11:45, seen by cox.
They enjoy the ale, the singing, the fire
Around 1:00 the singing stops, Mary gets undressed folds clothes in preparation of sex/fooling around perhaps passes out.
Any time between 1:00 and 4:00 Blotchy murders her.
At some point during this time he stokes up the fire, burns the clothes perhaps for more light to see/enjoy his work.
He leaves any time up until the early morning probably 5:30ish when witness claimed to hear a mans footsteps.

I know some will question-Why the delay?
If there was a delay part of it might be he heard all the comings and goings of
the people in the court and bided his time until it quieted down.
the various people in the court including hutch and waited until

[Damaso Marte]

I'd be more inclined to toss out the shouts of "oh murder!" than to suppose that the killer waited 3 hours to kill.

[Abby Normal]

I'd be more inclined to toss out the shouts of "oh murder!" than to suppose that the killer waited 3 hours to kill.

Hi Damaso
The more I think about it you may be right. I saw a true crime show on TV last night about the gun shot murder of a college girl and a witness claimed she heard 2 shots at 3:00 in the morning. Subsequently 2 security gaurds at the school also said they heard them. So the police and the coroner established a time of death at that time. Turns out she was murdered by her friend the previous morning around 8:00 am.

However, I have also been rather intrigued by the whole Diddles thing and how that may also indicate the TOD around 4. I had a cat and I know they can go nuts at the smell of blood/fresh meat. Perhaps diddles smelled Marys blood?

[lynn cates]

"Murder!"

Hello Damaso.

"I'd be more inclined to toss out the shouts of "oh murder!" than to suppose that the killer waited 3 hours to kill."

And, according to some of the witnesses, you'd have a good reason so to do.

Cheers.
LC

[Abby Normal]

Hello Damaso.

"I'd be more inclined to toss out the shouts of "oh murder!" than to suppose that the killer waited 3 hours to kill."

And, according to some of the witnesses, you'd have a good reason so to do.

Cheers.
LC

what do you mean?