Another Piece of Evidence Linking John McInnes to the Bible John Murders

[Dickere]

I quite like the odd bit of philosophical waffle, so I'll probably enjoy it either way!

As the actress said to the philosopher...

[Ms Diddles]

Thanks for this Ms D.

The author seems to be Edinburgh based, so he should have no problem interviewing witnesses, ex police officers etc.

Hopefully it's the book that this case has been crying out for.

Hi Barn!

I'm halfway through We All Go Into the Dark by Francisco Garcia.

It's an interesting and thought provoking read.

As expected it is perhaps not the in depth analysis of the case that people have been hoping for, but it's well worth a read all the same.

As per the blurb, the focus is mainly on the cultural phenomenon that grew up around the murders during 1960's Glasgow (and later) and it examines the socio-economic climate of the era.

It's well written and it evokes the grimness, poverty and violence of those days really well.

For anyone familiar with the city of Glasgow, I'd definitely recommend giving this book a go.

I'm sure non-Weegies would quite enjoy it too, but in defence of the city, I'd like to say that today, it is very different to the Glasgow of the 1960's as depicted here!

[barnflatwyngarde]

Hi Barn!

I'm halfway through We All Go Into the Dark by Francisco Garcia.

It's an interesting and thought provoking read.

As expected it is perhaps not the in depth analysis of the case that people have been hoping for, but it's well worth a read all the same.

As per the blurb, the focus is mainly on the cultural phenomenon that grew up around the murders during 1960's Glasgow (and later) and it examines the socio-economic climate of the era.

It's well written and it evokes the grimness, poverty and violence of those days really well.

For anyone familiar with the city of Glasgow, I'd definitely recommend giving this book a go.

I'm sure non-Weegies would quite enjoy it too, but in defence of the city, I'd like to say that today, it is very different to the Glasgow of the 1960's as depicted here!

Thanks for this Ms D.
I have ordered it from my local library.

Looking forward to reading it!

[Ms Diddles]

Thanks for this Ms D.
I have ordered it from my local library.

Looking forward to reading it!

Nice one Barn!

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts when you've read it.

[barnflatwyngarde]

Nice one Barn!

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts when you've read it.

Hi Ms D!

I have just finished the book "We All Go Into the Dark: The Hunt for Bible John" by Francisco Garcia.

You are correct when you say that it is not an "in depth analysis" of this fascinating and frustrating case.
Rather it is a story of the author's research into the case, and the people he interviewed along the way.

It appears that he strongly favours John McInnes as the murderer, but doesn't actually come out and say it.

It is a frustrating book in many ways. He tells us about the extensive research he carried out in newspaper libraries, and the Mitchell Library in Glasgow, where I used to work.

I have read a lot of the material held in the Mitchell, and the author doesn't really share much of it with us.

He mentions some intriguing aspects of the case and then just leaves them hanging there, with no attempt to interpret or analyse them.
Specifically he tells us about the well dressed man with reddish hair who was seen dishevelled and with scratches on his face getting off a bus on Sauchiehall Street.

McInnes had an aunt who lived near where the man alighted.

A particularly intriguing fact in the book, is where the Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy who oversaw the DNA extraction from McInnes's corpse, discusses in some detail, the exhumation.

On page 191 she makes the following comment:

"We had to call in the dentist who was going to look at McInnes because Bible John had allegedly left a bite mark on one of the women."

McInnes apparently wore dentures, so is Dr Cassidy telling us that McInnes's corpse had his natural teeth, and the dentures story is wrong?
Or is she saying that they made sure that a dentist was present at the examination of the body because until they opened the coffin the simply did not know whether McInnes had his own teeth or not?
I lean towards the second option.

Someone who had done as much research as the author claims to have done, should have been aware of this important aspect of the case!

The definitive book on the Bible John murders is still waiting to be written.

[Ms Diddles]

Hi Barn,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Sorry you didn't really rate the book.

For my part I enjoyed it, but I think you are far more familiar with the intricacies of the case than I am, so perhaps the lack of detail regarding the crimes and the focus on the author's experiences and the cultural context of the story failed to impress!

I agree that this is categorically not the definitive book on the case that we've been waiting for, but I kinda liked it nonetheless.

It did pique my interest in relation to other local crime stories and I subsequently read a book about Peter Manuel followed by Denise Mina's fictionalised account of his crimes, The Long Drop.

A little phase of Glasgow Noir, if you will!

[barnflatwyngarde]

Hi Barn,

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

Sorry you didn't really rate the book.

For my part I enjoyed it, but I think you are far more familiar with the intricacies of the case than I am, so perhaps the lack of detail regarding the crimes and the focus on the author's experiences and the cultural context of the story failed to impress!

I agree that this is categorically not the definitive book on the case that we've been waiting for, but I kinda liked it nonetheless.

It did pique my interest in relation to other local crime stories and I subsequently read a book about Peter Manuel followed by Denise Mina's fictionalised account of his crimes, The Long Drop.

A little phase of Glasgow Noir, if you will!

Cheers Ms D.
I Hope my comments didn't come across as a hatchet job, it's just so frustrating that authors dip their toes in the water of this fascinating case and never dive fully in.

The Manuel case is a journey into the mind of a total maniac. His absolute lack of remorse, his feigning madness in the condemned cell, it all points to a complete narcissistic evil.

I set up the revamped prison library in Barlinnie, and saw where the executed prisoners were buried. The staff showing me round didn't volunteer the info, but I had swotted up on it and identified it when being given a tour. Barlinnie is a truly grim place. A sentence in there is no easy ride.

[Ms Diddles]

Cheers Ms D.
I Hope my comments didn't come across as a hatchet job, it's just so frustrating that authors dip their toes in the water of this fascinating case and never dive fully in.

The Manuel case is a journey into the mind of a total maniac. His absolute lack of remorse, his feigning madness in the condemned cell, it all points to a complete narcissistic evil.

I set up the revamped prison library in Barlinnie, and saw where the executed prisoners were buried. The staff showing me round didn't volunteer the info, but I had swotted up on it and identified it when being given a tour. Barlinnie is a truly grim place. A sentence in there is no easy ride.

No Barn!

Your comments are perfectly valid, so no hatchet job has been committed here!

I liked the book as a very general introduction to the Bible John case and an examination of the cultural phenomena that grew up around it, whereas you would have preferred a more indepth analysis of the facts.

Each to their own.

If I was more familiar with the case, I may well have felt the same.

I probably also awarded it extra points as, after reading so many books about JtR / Whitechapel, I was a bit over-excited to be reading about locations which are so familiar to me!

I drive past the Barrowlands on my way to and from work every day and know Earl St quite well.

Re Peter Manuel, I completely agree.

He was a thoroughly nasty piece of work.

I also think it is telling that he chose to fire his defence team and represent himself at his trial, despite the fact that he was facing the death penalty.

Delusions of grandeur/ infallibility?

[Ms Diddles]

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2023/oct/11/bbc-podcast-causes-police-to-reinvestigate-serial-killer-bible-john?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other

Update.

[Herlock Sholmes]

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-r...droidApp_Other

Update.

Thanks for that Ms D. I’ll keep a lookout for any further developments. If there are any of course.

[Ms Diddles]

Thanks for that Ms D. I’ll keep a lookout for any further developments. If there are any of course.

Yeah, it's a longshot that the reinvestigation will lead to any developments, but you never know.

It's nice that the podcast had an actual impact.