Move to Murder: Who Killed Julia Wallace?

[Abby Normal]

Apparently, I read it somewhere , and
Rod if I get the gist has her making that statement in court, If she did I just think she may have wanted the jury to perceive what a wonderfully compassionate woman this is. My point is , If her hand was warm ,then she couldn’t have been dead for two hours as Macfall reported.This in turn blows the idea that Wallace killed his wife before he left for Menlove gardens, Since I believe Wallace to be guilty, he must have done it about 8 15 / 20 ish.

ok thanks for clarifying. Yes I agree- I too would find it hard to believe her hand would still be warm if shes been dead for two hours-especially in a cold part of the house.

Does anyone know if its on the official record that Mrs. Johnston states her hand was warm?
did any of the police or doctors say anything similar?

[RodCrosby]

The ambient temperature in Liverpool that evening was about 5.6C. [42F]
Mrs. Johnston held Julia's hand, and when asked by her husband if Julia was cold, answered "No".

Some information on rigor mortis...
If the body feels warm and flaccid - Dead less than 3 hours

https://juniperpublishers.com/jfsci/pdf/JFSCI.MS.ID.555771.pdf

Cold tends to slow rigor, heat to speed it up.

[harry]

Abby,
What about the fire?Julia lights the fire,what would that signify?

[moste]

with party walls...

No party wall cavity in 1931, quite so. So what we must do is substitute party wall with exterior wall ,back or front . This makes for a little more effort, as it would be necessary to slide on your belly to the top plate where roof meets top of wall , loosen and temporarily remove top brick ( prepared in readiness) you now have access to cavity

[Abby Normal]

The ambient temperature in Liverpool that evening was about 5.6C. [42F]
Mrs. Johnston held Julia's hand, and when asked by her husband if Julia was cold, answered "No".

Some information on rigor mortis...
If the body feels warm and flaccid - Dead less than 3 hours

https://juniperpublishers.com/jfsci/pdf/JFSCI.MS.ID.555771.pdf

Cold tends to slow rigor, heat to speed it up.

Thanks rod
I think her hand would have felt cold had she been murdered two hours or more earlier.

[moste]

What difference does ambient outside temperature make if she’s indoors with a fire on?

[RodCrosby]

So Mrs. Johnston held Julia's hand shortly after 8.45pm.

What conclusion do you draw?

[Abby Normal]

Abby,
What about the fire?Julia lights the fire,what would that signify?

To me it fits the scenario of letting someone in, bringing them to the parlor, the cold part of the house, and lighting the fire because its cold.

Her throwing on his mac also fits with this scenario. As does the burnt bottom of the mac and her skirt, as this IMHO is when she was attacked...right after starting the fire.

[etenguy]

Thinking about Wallace and trying to open the door before he met the Johnston's, I was struck by Mrs Johnston's evidence, below:

A little later there was a knock at the door, I under-
stand ? — Yes.

Did you try to open the door ? — Yes.

Were you able to ?— No ; it is a different lock to mine,
and I think I was agitated, and I drew back and let Mr.
Wallace open it.

And the police constable came in ? — ^Yes.

I wonder if this helps us accept that the door was not so easy to open and Wallace may well have had some initial problems trying to open the door.

[RodCrosby]

The fire was OFF.

[RodCrosby]

Thinking about Wallace and trying to open the door before he met the Johnston's, I was struck by Mrs Johnston's evidence, below:

A little later there was a knock at the door, I under-
stand ? — Yes.

Did you try to open the door ? — Yes.

Were you able to ?— No ; it is a different lock to mine,
and I think I was agitated, and I drew back and let Mr.
Wallace open it.

And the police constable came in ? — ^Yes.

I wonder if this helps us accept that the door was not so easy to open and Wallace may well have had some initial problems trying to open the door.

I think we've all had problems with locks in times of stress...

[Abby Normal]

What difference does ambient outside temperature make if she’s indoors with a fire on?

Because its cold in the part of the house where she dosnt have a fire on, in a room where it was only on for a breif amount of time, before it was quickly turned back off?

[moste]

The fire was OFF.

Yes I think Wallace turned it off didn’t he?

[Abby Normal]

Thinking about Wallace and trying to open the door before he met the Johnston's, I was struck by Mrs Johnston's evidence, below:

A little later there was a knock at the door, I under-
stand ? — Yes.

Did you try to open the door ? — Yes.

Were you able to ?— No ; it is a different lock to mine,
and I think I was agitated, and I drew back and let Mr.
Wallace open it.

And the police constable came in ? — ^Yes.

I wonder if this helps us accept that the door was not so easy to open and Wallace may well have had some initial problems trying to open the door.

I really dont have a problem with wallace having difficulty opening the doors, i do have a problem that as soon as the johnstons show up..bam no problem and hes in.

[Abby Normal]

Yes I think Wallace turned it off didn’t he?

No, It was off when he arrived back