Why Didn't the Police Have Schwartz and/or Lawende Take a Look at Hutchinson?

[Simon Wood]

A locked room mystery was being sold.

If McCarthy did have a spare key he wouldn't have needed to break down the door, and that would have ruined the denouement of said scenario.

[Wickerman]

Breaking the door down isn't quite correct though. McCarthy opened his door to avoid the police breaking it down.



A pick-axe has a flat end opposite to the spike end, it is the flat side you would use to jimmy open the door to keep the damage to a minimum.

[DJA]

A locked room mystery was being sold.

If McCarthy did have a spare key he wouldn't have needed to break down the door, and that would have ruined the denouement of said scenario.

Abberline at the inquest - "An impression has gone abroad that the murderer took away the key of the room. Barnett informs me that it has been missing some time, and since it has been lost they have put their hand through the broken window, and moved back the catch. It is quite easy."

The owner had taken back the bloodhounds several days earlier.

[DJA]

Breaking the door down isn't quite correct though. McCarthy opened his door to avoid the police breaking it down.

A pick-axe has a flat end opposite to the spike end, it is the flat side you would use to jimmy open the door to keep the damage to a minimum.

Those locks usually had about five different key patterns to choose from.

Nobody needed to take a pick to the door.

Even if they were stupid enough not to put their arm through the window.

[Simon Wood]

On Monday 12th November, the early edition of the Evening Standard—on sale before the start of the inquest, and the fifth edition of the Star, on sale before Inspector Abberline gave his evidence at the inquest—reported a development—

Inspector Abberline—“The key of the woman’s door has been found, so her murderer did not carry it away with him, as was at first supposed.”

[Sam Flynn]

Bowyer knew the window was broken.

Phillips knew the window was broken.

Apparently it had been broken for weeks.

McCarthy didn't know?

I doubt that repairing a window pane in a slum apartment would have been particularly high on his list of priorities.

[Sam Flynn]

Breaking the door down isn't quite correct though. McCarthy opened his door to avoid the police breaking it down.

Quite so. The idea that he smashed it down like Jack Nicholson in "The Shining" is misplaced.

[Wickerman]

Even if they were stupid enough not to put their arm through the window.

Why do you assume that McCarthy knew the lock could be reached through one of the broken panes?
It's jumping to conclusions that is the basis of too many theories in this case.

[Darryl Kenyon]

On Monday 12th November, the early edition of the Evening Standard—on sale before the start of the inquest, and the fifth edition of the Star, on sale before Inspector Abberline gave his evidence at the inquest—reported a development—

Inspector Abberline—“The key of the woman’s door has been found, so her murderer did not carry it away with him, as was at first supposed.”

If we look at Mary Cox's testimony [Coroner] The chin was shaven ? - Yes. A lamp faced the door.
[Coroner] Did you see them go into her room ? - Yes; I said "Good night, Mary," and she turned round and banged the door.
So with the lamp facing the door. I am assuming that Mary Cox would have seen Mary go round the side to open the door through the broken pane. Of course, she may not have mentioned it, but I am just wondering if the key was found a day or two earlier? The killer then locked the door from the outside and maybe threw the key in the room through the smashed window.

[Sam Flynn]

I am just wondering if the key was found a day or two earlier? The killer then locked the door from the outside and maybe threw the key in the room through the smashed window.

Why would he bother doing that, when he could have dropped it anywhere or kept it as a trophy? Besides, if he had thrown it into the room, the key would have been fairly easy to spot on that sparsely-furnished floor.

[Batman]

If MJK didn't have a key to get back in, then any clients she brought back would have witnessed the trick, especially on the night of her murder.

So why didn't Cox say she saw the trick?

[Darryl Kenyon]

If MJK didn't have a key to get back in, then any clients she brought back would have witnessed the trick, especially on the night of her murder.

So why didn't Cox say she saw the trick?

That's what I was thinking, Batman. It does seem a reasonable enough question to be asked at the inquest considering the trouble they had getting in the room.

[Darryl Kenyon]

Why would he bother doing that, when he could have dropped it anywhere or kept it as a trophy? Besides, if he had thrown it into the room, the key would have been fairly easy to spot on that sparsely-furnished floor.

I take your point Sam, but if the Evening standard report is correct they must have found the key somewhere, and the most likely answer is in Mary's room.

[Sam Flynn]

I take your point Sam, but if the Evening standard report is correct they must have found the key somewhere, and the most likely answer is in Mary's room.

I wasn't questioning that, only the idea that the killer had thrown the key back into the room when he left.

[Simon Wood]

Strange that the key should be found after the door had been broken open.

Personally, I do not believe the key was ever lost, nor that the door was ever locked.

Put this together with the bloodhounds who were out of town at the time, and a whole new Millers Court scenario opens itself up for examination.