Who put Bella in the Witch Elm?

[Herlock Sholmes]

That's what's known as a "yet".

My Achilles heels are music and film ..... which sorta makes me balanced,if you get my drift

OK,I've got two left feet

I used to spend a fair bit on music but nowhere near as much over the last few years. I’d have been living in a cardboard box somewhere if I hadn’t put the brakes on. I haven’t been to a concert for a couple of years.

I did have a period period of DVD buying but I was trying to get every TV and movie appearance of Sherlock Holmes. I’ve got most but there are a ew that I can’t get. Believe it or not I’ve been foiled by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber on some but that’s life.

[DJA]

True but I’m not at the stage where I’d pay £100 for the McCormick book. If that day comes it’s time to get help.

That's what's known as a "yet".

My Achilles heels are music and film ..... which sorta makes me balanced,if you get my drift

OK,I've got two left feet

[Herlock Sholmes]

I'm just watching one now, which claims that the original grafitti writer was identified by police. He was apparently a crank who knew nothing, so Bella wasn't even the victim's name.
No sources though.

This sounds like the story from Victor Crumpton who said that a PC B. Hollobin had caught a man writing a message . No record can be found about this though.

To cut a longish story short the guy is a looney. Reckoned he’d been in an asylum where 2 nurses had ‘disappeared.’

[Herlock Sholmes]

There's prolly a 12 step program for that

True but I’m not at the stage where I’d pay £100 for the McCormick book. If that day comes it’s time to get help.

[Joshua Rogan]

Has anyone seen any of the YouTube videos on the case? I haven’t yet.

I'm just watching one now, which claims that the original grafitti writer was identified by police. He was apparently a crank who knew nothing, so Bella wasn't even the victim's name.
No sources though.

[DJA]

The murder of Charles Walton has been ‘connected’ to the Bella case by some due to the witchcraft angle. I’ve just ordered a book that looks interesting but it’s only about the Walton case. It’s called The Case That Foiled Fabian.

Theres one called Under The Shadow Of Meon Hill which connects the two cases which I might look at buying.

Dont know if I’ll bother with the Sparke book. It sounds poor.

Im still waiting for the Joyce Coley one to show up which I don’t have too many high hopes for.

There's prolly a 12 step program for that

[DJA]

Don't waste your time.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Has anyone seen any of the YouTube videos on the case? I haven’t yet.

[Herlock Sholmes]

The murder of Charles Walton has been ‘connected’ to the Bella case by some due to the witchcraft angle. I’ve just ordered a book that looks interesting but it’s only about the Walton case. It’s called The Case That Foiled Fabian.

Theres one called Under The Shadow Of Meon Hill which connects the two cases which I might look at buying.

Dont know if I’ll bother with the Sparke book. It sounds poor.

Im still waiting for the Joyce Coley one to show up which I don’t have too many high hopes for.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Bottle might have been thrown there by a passerby.

Starting to suspect she was murdered in the vicinity,possibly Hasbury, stored for some time and then planted in the tree.

Killers had knowledge of the old hollow pollarded tree or trees.A grave would have been noticed.

Locals. Probably rapists.

Incidentally, Dudley Market was only 10 to 15 Km away,depending on route taken.

"Evidence" is a mess. Seems any clothing labels had been removed,yet the English made shoes remained.

Certainly possible that’s where the bottle came from if it existed in the first place. No mention of what type of bottle it was or whether it was fingerprinted or not but that ties in with your comment about the evidence. Shoddy stuff.

Agree that it was likely a local killer but I keep wondering if Bella was from elsewhere (possibly a gypsy?) With her distinctive teeth and being so small and yet no one identifies her. If the killing was among the gypsies it might explain why they didn’t want outside involvement.

The case certainly attracted its fair share oddballs - Zita Boyden for one.

[Al Bundy's Eyes]

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/revealed-after-75-years-face-14329271

[DJA]

Bottle might have been thrown there by a passerby.

Starting to suspect she was murdered in the vicinity,possibly Hasbury, stored for some time and then planted in the tree.

Killers had knowledge of the old hollow pollarded tree or trees.A grave would have been noticed.

Locals. Probably rapists.

Incidentally, Dudley Market was only 10 to 15 Km away,depending on route taken.

"Evidence" is a mess. Seems any clothing labels had been removed,yet the English made shoes remained.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Maybe I’ve missed something (wouldn’t be the first time) but what happened to the green bottle that Bob Farmer said that he saw along with the skull? He also said that he saw a pair of shoes but there was only a single shoe (the second being found some yards away) Just an error of course.

When he gave an interview in 1978 he amended this to only one shoe but again he mentions the green bottle. Did this bottle exist as I can recall no mention of it being checked in any way?

Have I unintentionally skipped over an explanation for this missing bottle? Of course Farmer might simply have been mistaken but the author doesn’t mention this?

[Abby Normal]

reading up on this case and learning more of the details-during WW 2, gypsies, spies, the graffiti, prostitutes, the four kids, witchcraft, the old estate and I have to say this would be a great premise for a scary period piece movie (my favorite genre). and the weird story of the suspect who died in a lunatic asylum!?! Im surprised no one has made this into a movie. it be pretty good methinks

[Observer]

The area is steeped in the old traditions. In 1875, just 10 miles from Lower Quinton, in the village of Long Compton, Anne Tennant was murdered by James Hayward a farm laborer. Hayward believed Ann Tennant had bewitched him.