Packer Again

[Doctored Whatsit]

He did though, see one couple standing around, but he didn't see anyone acting suspicious. I doubt he would think of a regular couple as suspicious. The police are obviously looking for a single male suspect - so he didn't see a single male standing around acting suspicious.

Not really true, I would suggest that the police were looking for a man "chatting up" a woman, and that is what Packer's man was doing. Packer did say that the couple's behaviour was odd because they were standing around in the rain, and he claims to have watched them for some time. He was obviously very aware of them. So we have a man buying grapes for a woman, and then both of them hanging around the murder scene in the rain for some time, shortly before the murder. I think that was certainly worth mentioning to the police .

[DJA]

Seems like they were waiting for someone!

[Wickerman]

Not really true, I would suggest that the police were looking for a man "chatting up" a woman, and that is what Packer's man was doing. ...

At this point in the investigation, based on precedent, the previous victims (Tabram & Nichols), had not been seen entertained, or being escorted by a man, minutes before their body was found, Chapman is a maybe (Mrs Long's sighting).
Otherwise, the police had no cause to believe the killer "chatted up" his victim, it was just as likely this killer came out of the shadows to strike them down, a man alone looking for his next victim.
I seem to recall this is how the press portrayed the monster, out looking for prey.

At 9:00 am on Sunday morning, I don't think we can assume the police were looking for a couple, more likely a solitary suspect.
The "couple" perspective only developed in the public eye (Packer's view) from the 4th Oct. the following Thursday.

[Doctored Whatsit]

At this point in the investigation, based on precedent, the previous victims (Tabram & Nichols), had not been seen entertained, or being escorted by a man, minutes before their body was found, Chapman is a maybe (Mrs Long's sighting).
Otherwise, the police had no cause to believe the killer "chatted up" his victim, it was just as likely this killer came out of the shadows to strike them down, a man alone looking for his next victim.
I seem to recall this is how the press portrayed the monster, out looking for prey.

At 9:00 am on Sunday morning, I don't think we can assume the police were looking for a couple, more likely a solitary suspect.
The "couple" perspective only developed in the public eye (Packer's view) from the 4th Oct. the following Thursday.

Sorry to disagree, but two witnesses who identified Stride, Wm Marshall and PC Smith, both said she was with a man, therefore the police would reasonably be looking for a couple.

[Wickerman]

Sorry to disagree, but two witnesses who identified Stride, Wm Marshall and PC Smith, both said she was with a man, therefore the police would reasonably be looking for a couple.

At 9:00 am Sunday morning?
I'm aware of all the witness statements, which is why I made a point of getting the time in there. The only statement the police may have had by 9:00 am was the statement by their own PC (Smith), c/w club members, but Sgt. White may not have even been aware his statement so early in the investigation.

[Doctored Whatsit]

At 9:00 am Sunday morning?
I'm aware of all the witness statements, which is why I made a point of getting the time in there. The only statement the police may have had by 9:00 am was the statement by their own PC (Smith), c/w club members, but Sgt. White may not have even been aware his statement so early in the investigation.

I understand the point you are making, but I don't think the police had closed minds. It is possible that White didn't know what PC Smith saw, but Chapman almost certainly took a client to that backyard, which is far more likely than he just found her there. Men "chatting up " prostitutes, or prostitutes "chatting up" men is what happens. The police would be well aware of that, the East End bobbies on the beat would see it every night.

To get back to the point I was making in #46, Packer was directly asked if he "saw ... anyone standing about the street about the time he was closing his shop", and he replied "No, I saw no one standing about...", nor apparently did anyone else in the household. But then he told A C Bruce that he watched the couple for about 30 minutes till he shut up his shop, even commenting that their behaviour was odd, because they were standing about in the rain. This is clearly significant, and a massive contradiction of his earlier story.

[DJA]