Hammersmith Nude Murders (Stripper)

[Cap'n Jack]

Fascinating is that in October of 1963 there is an urgent exchange of telegraphic messages between New York, Washington and London FBI offices with the Dallas, Texas FBI office, concerning the Stephen Ward and Profumo scandal, where contact with an unidentified women in Dallas is being sought to either confirm or deny rumours that an associate of Ward is enjoying exile in a communist state, as well as several of Ward's 'models'.
Telephone communication is finally established by the FBI on the 6th and 7th of October 1963 with the unnamed woman concerned, where she basically tells them to stick their investigation where the sun don't shine anymore.
I think this woman was Mrs Lee Harvey Oswald.
A month later the sun stopped shining.

[sdreid]

Yes, Gale Benson was the daughter of Leonard Plugge. There was some suspicion that she was actually a spy.

When does Ian Brady enter the picture?

[Natalie Severn]

Well AP this is such a conspiracy.....I dont know,I dont know.....
wasnt Lennon a bit naive politically?I quite liked his songs Imagine and Working Class Hero,but really Yoko was his muse and inspiration.Not a bad chap but not a great intellectual.Hardly a conspirator .......?
I read a little of Michael De Freitas who called himself Michael X- very nasty.-worked for Rachman before he became a murderer.Someone best forgotten.

[sdreid]

Two movies just came out about Lennon's murder. I'm not sure why just now - haven't seen either.

[sdreid]

Both released on DVD in 2008, The Killing of John Lennon and Chapter 27

[Jeff Leahy]

Hi Cap'in jack

Just a quick post because something clicked in the back of my head..

A young nurse called Flori Porter was brutally murdered in a jack the Ripper style murder towards the end of the second world war.

Her murderer was never discovered but she was last seen in the company of two black GI's.

Not that I'm suggesting a link. I cant remember the exact details of the case and probably far two early for a connection. I'm sure it was in the Midlands somewhere.

Anyway as we are suggesting possible other attacks I thought it a long shot.

Pirate

[Cap'n Jack]

Quite right, Natalie, I've muddled the puddle a bit, so I'll stick to the central issue which is providing links between the girls that worked for Stephen Ward at the time of the Profumo scandal, and the girls who became the victims of the Hammersmith Nude Murders.
Now, Michael X worked for Peter Rachman as an enforcer and bouncer at clubs owned by Rachman, the girls who worked these clubs - specialising in attracting black USAF men - were provided by Stephen Ward, including Christine Keeler and Mandy Rice Davies... Mandy actually becoming the 'girlfriend' of Peter Rachman; and Christine actually giving birth to the child of a black USAF man.
Rachman also provided the 'safe' houses for the sex parties organised by Ward.
Michael X was protected by two violent men with criminal records, they being the half-Portugese/black gangster Stanley Abbott - aka de Pita - and Steve Yeates, a black Trinidadian who had fled that country after being involved in the brutal gang rape of a very young girl-guide.
What is interesting about Steve Yeates is his career in the RAF, which would have brought him into contact with USAF staff, and he was obviously the main 'man' in luring his fellow blacks to Rachman's, Ward's and Michael X's clubs.
Yeates was thrown out of the RAF in disgrace, but I have not been able to track down the actual events that led to this.
What is equally interesting about Yeates is that he suddenly upped and left London, and Michael X, in an awful hurry after the Hammersmith Nude Murders, to return to Trinidad where he kept a very low profile indeed.
'He said he would never go back to London. He never spoke much about his life in London. When he came back from London he was a loner. He walked. Every night.'
So reported a girl who knew him in Trinidad at the time.
But as soon as Michael X joined him in Trinidad the pair of them started killing people, as if they had missed their previous occupation.
Yeates killed a white girl, the daughter of a British member of Parliament, stabbed her nine times with a chisel, and then Michael X killed Yeates, to keep him quiet you must understand, and then Michael X killed a young black man accused of rape on a young girl, by slitting his throat with a bayonet.
It was all about keeping people quiet, so they never betrayed your secrets; and I would suggest that after the death of Ward; Yeates and Michael X set out to ensure that not one single girl linked to Ward, Rachman and themselves ever opened their mouths again, explaining the gangland type of signature to all of the victims.
Keeler and MRD, protected by the press, escaped, but they never really did open their mouths ever again.
My reading of the relationship between Michael X and Steve Yeates is that it was based on a co-joined catalyst of extreme violence to be used against people who did not follow the rules.

[Jeff Leahy]

Still doesnt explain why O'Hara was a victim or why the bodies were stored in an Electrical Substation on Heron industrial Estate?

[Cap'n Jack]

Well, little pirate, I don't believe the gateway to the sub station had a members only door, and it would have been accesible to almost anyone; and trading estates were open plan in the 1960's.
I'm not convinced that the temperatures generated by a sub station could have had the heat impact noticeable on some of the victims; and as we know every other lock up in London in the 1960's was being used to store bodies or respray stolen cars.
But what I do know is that the removal of teeth and stuffing of underwear in the throat were the stylised mode of punishment for folks who had grassed on their criminal masters. You will note that the majority of victims had been using some kind of blagging or blackmailing device against individual clients shortly before their deaths; a device that would not have sat well with their controlling pimps and masters who were there to ensure their collective clients that their personal security and reputation would not be breached.
The empire that Ward, Rachman and Michael X built was the biggest brothel in the world, and the girls died young.

[Jeff Leahy]

Well, little pirate, I don't believe the gateway to the sub station had a members only door, and it would have been accesible to almost anyone; and trading estates were open plan in the 1960's.
I'm not convinced that the temperatures generated by a sub station could have had the heat impact noticeable on some of the victims; and as we know every other lock up in London in the 1960's was being used to store bodies or respray stolen cars.
But what I do know is that the removal of teeth and stuffing of underwear in the throat were the stylised mode of punishment for folks who had grassed on their criminal masters. You will note that the majority of victims had been using some kind of blagging or blackmailing device against individual clients shortly before their deaths; a device that would not have sat well with their controlling pimps and masters who were there to ensure their collective clients that their personal security and reputation would not be breached.
The empire that Ward, Rachman and Michael X built was the biggest brothel in the world, and the girls died young.

I'm still listening Cap'in,

what worries me is that I dont know how good the forensics were in 1963-65
I've no idea..However a I understand they had pin pionted the exact spay paint and location..ie the electric substation at Heron industrial estate..

Re: preserve of the bodies..I understand that the substation was well venterlated and bodies store near warm high powered electric cables? which caused he bodies to be particially mummified..well well preserved considering how long they had been...gone/disappeared?

As Seabrook is the only person to see the exact records on this, I think it fair to ask the question do you believe our known persceptions give the storage of bodies 'Heron Esate ' is correct?

Pirate

[Cap'n Jack]

One has to take into account 'Lucky' Gordon's role in all this, for here we have a man, a black man and a gangster who moved in the same vicious circles as Michael X and Steve Yeates, a man who actually attacked Keeler, had numerous convictions for violent attacks on women, including the attempted murder of a young girl in Denmark where he stabbed her in the stomach.
Whatever happened to good ol 'Lucky' Gordon?
He got unlucky is what.
From The Times February 3rd 1973:

[Cap'n Jack]

I've been doing a bit of background reading into the Hammersmith Nude Murders, and one thing I immediately noticed was the addresses noted by the police of the time as the last traceable sighting of individual victims, these being:
A Jazz Club at 207 Westbourne Park Road.
Wragg's Cafe, All Saint's Road.
Pete's Cafe, Blenheim Crescent.
Kensington Park Hotel Pub, Ladbroke Grove.
S&M Club, 202 Kensington Park Road.

I've only had the time to investigate the first 3 addresses, and by heaven they do open a can of worms.

Michael de Freitas - aka Michael X - was based in and organised his underworld dealings from the Calypso Club in Westbourne Park Road, at the time of the Hammersmith Nude Murders. The Rio cafe at 127 Westbourne Park Road was another gathering place for the black criminal element, and was mentioned in connection with the Profumo affair.
Pete's Cafe and Totobag's on Blenheim Crescent were a haven for black criminals like Lucky Gordon and Michael X from the Caribbean.
All Saint's Road was the heart of the black community, and featured strongly in Michael X's black power movement. At nearby Powis Square Michael X had a basement Rachman flat in which he operated a jazz club.

Going on the last reported whereabouts of these victims I would be looking at a black Caribbean man as the killer.

[vincent]

Having read the posts of the last few days it would appear that there is a belief that these killings were part of a cover up to 'silence people who knew too much'
Surely, if that were the case, the killings would have taken place over a much shorter time frame, weeks or months instead of years?
Whilst several of the victims had links with scandals at the time I would suggest that many other prostitutes also were involved, why were they not murdered too?
The time frame of 3 years ( maybe longer if you include all eight victims ) is much more indicative of a serial killer who kills and then manages to suppress his urge for a while before giving in to temptation again.

[Jeff Leahy]

Mary Flemming

Having read the posts of the last few days it would appear that there is a belief that these killings were part of a cover up to 'silence people who knew too much'
Surely, if that were the case, the killings would have taken place over a much shorter time frame, weeks or months instead of years?
Whilst several of the victims had links with scandals at the time I would suggest that many other prostitutes also were involved, why were they not murdered too?
The time frame of 3 years ( maybe longer if you include all eight victims ) is much more indicative of a serial killer who kills and then manages to suppress his urge for a while before giving in to temptation again.

Hi Vincent

Welcome back. What Stan and I have been trying to do is create a definitive list of Jack the Stripper suspects. This is not quite as simple as it may first seem. So clearly if you wish to contribute in any direction feel free to do so.

Of course you are about correct about the time frame if we include Elizabeth Figg 1959 to Bridget O'Hara 1965. How ever the victim list is by know means certain. Figg's murder has distinct differences. Rees body was badly decomposed. Which could leave the core victims Tailford, Lockwood, Barthelememy, Fleming and Brown in a very short space 1964.

Fore what its worth my personal thoughts are still lone serial killer.

However Cap'in jack has raised some interesting connections.

Hi Cap'in

In Hannah Tailfords Coroners report are a number of witness statements. From memory, there is a statement from a young Black lad Carl, that may have been part of some sort of act/film hunk. This young lad lived at Tailfords address on and off...

I do remember that a number of clubs she frequents in Soho are mention in detail including the ‘Flaminco’. I’m certain some of these clubs were linked to the Krays.

Also you may wish to check out a book by Shirley Green, a biography on Rachman, she paints a favorable picture. Unlike Joe Cannon who wrote a book called ‘Tough Guys don’t Cry’

There is some stuff in Jack of Jumps:

But the Basement Club surpassed all expectations, opening 1962 and running until late 1964, when the bu8ilding was sold. The club did so well that Joe considered opening another to mop up the overspill and visited estate agents in Ladbrook Grove, looking for suitable premises. He found nothing, but talked to an Employee, a middle aged northerner named Kenneth Archibald, who appeared to understand the nature of his quest. In early 1964 the two men met again….

Archibald suggested that his flat in the basement of the Tennis Club pavilion would make an ideal ‘drinker’. Oe Cannon went along to view himself…He couldn’t wait to get the place opened.

This bar was frequented by many prostitutes including Irene lockwood. Archibald would later confess to her murder.

Oh yes and I found this on Mary Flemming (Please excuse language)

Michael Turner: One evening in March he went round to visit Veronica (Mary Flemmings little girl) in Powis Gardens, now almost a year old. Only to discover that her mother had left her alone in the flat. Where was Mary

‘I went to a Ni**er club in Westbourne Park Road and found her drunk and dancing with coloured men. I was furious and went and dragged her out side and a colour bloke followed, a fight started between the three of us, police were called and I knock a coppers helmet off.’

According to Gloria Swanson (prostitute) She was well abused-like a prune, she went with Black men because only black men would have her.

Swanson , Fleming , greenwood and Malik, arrested for brothel keeping: 202 Kensington Park Road.

So its possible Cap’in that Mary Flemming fits your theory…

That’s FIVE

Pirate
.

[sdreid]

Hi all,

Yes, to me, it seems like an overly complicated, inefficient and risky way to silence a bunch of prostitutes. Why not just make them disappear? Also, given the time frame, wouldn't the later victims have caught on to what was happening and gone to police before their number came up? Just some thoughts; not trying to be argumentative. I don't have a favorite theory.

Jeff, do you know if the "guy who moved to Australia" is still alive?

Vincent, is your suspect still living?