A6 Rebooted

[cobalt]

A minor plank of the prosecution case was that the murderer seemed familiar with some aspects of the route- I recall he was aware of roadworks up ahead at some point- and this could be linked to Hanratty’s known driving history.

Was the dead end in the lay-by used in this way? In the sense that Hanratty had decided to have a ‘kip’ and so selected the dead end of a lay-by where he knew there was no chance of being interrupted.

[moste]

[QUOTE=cobalt;n735502]A minor plank of the prosecution case was that the murderer seemed familiar with some aspects of the route- I recall he was aware of roadworks up ahead at some point- and this could be linked to Hanratty’s known driving history.

Was the dead end in the lay-by used in this way? In the sense that Hanratty had decided to have a ‘kip’ and so selected the dead end of a lay-by where he knew there was no chance of being interrupted.
[/QUOTE

you mean maybe he knew the dead end was there?

[moste]

Thanks Alfie. Now that that's sorted (and I wasn't aware of what she said about the lay-by) maybe Moste can throw a little more light on his Conspiracy Theory, as he sees it.

G

Yes thanks Alfie for that , As for the Conspiracy Theory Graham, well my friend, it’s a work in progress so to speak, so please bear with me. When it’s finally turned out in the wash, and all has been divulged, we may all be dead. LOL

[NickB]

Jim had ordered them to go down two side roads before reaching Deadman's Hill with a view to stopping, but each time had decided to move on to find a better place. So you would have to believe that a Mr Big somehow arranged for the census takers to move away from a place that was clearly not a pre-arranged destination.

[moste]

With all the anomaly’s, which in my opinion far out weigh similar cases I have read about ,I think the event of the Mathews investigation as embraced by Natalie Seven, finally convinced me that a conspiracy definitely wormed it’s way through the whole thing Worth another read Graham. The A6 article in The Independent 22nd October 201
As posted by Natalie 2015.

It certainly does appear from this report in the Independent that despite the 2002 appeal judgment , Det,Supt Roger Matthews' wanted a new inquiry on the basis of his findings and that the evidence regarding Alphon to have been examined .

Article begins : "Detectives whose investigation cleared James Hanratty of the A6 murder are unhappy that a new inquiry has not been launched to track down the killer, say police sources.
The Scotland Yard team, under Det Supt Roger Matthews, which concluded Hanratty had been unjustly executed also recommended that a review should be made of the evidence against other suspects.
Not only has Michael Howard, the Home Secretary, unloaded the alleged miscarriage of justice on to the new Criminal Cases Review Commission, but the Home office has given no indication whether a new inquiry would be held, despite receiving the Matthews report eight months ago.
The CCRC begins to look at possible miscarriages of justice this week. But detectives in the Matthews inquiry have no idea what will happen to their call for a new investigation. The 18-month re-investigation decided that Hanratty, a petty burglar, could not have murdered the research scientist Michael Gregsten, 36, and raped and shot his 22-year-old mistress, Valerie Storrie, who was paralysed.
After examining the evidence present at the time the team was of the opinion that Hanratty should not have been charged.Instead, Mr Matthews's team and concluded the man who carried out the attack on 22 August l961 at Deadman's Hill, Bedfordshire, was probably hired to break up the illicit liaison.
His report is believed to recommend that a new inquiry should in particular examine evidence regarding Peter Alphon, a salesman who was the original suspect.
But the officers turned their attention from Alphon to Hanratty after a tip-off from William Nudds, an informer and habitual liar. The prosecution of Hanratty, who was 25, concentrated on the theory that a lone gunman had carried out a random attack after finding the couple in their car in a cornfield.
Hanratty was hanged in April l962. Doubts about the conviction played a big part in MPs voting to abolish capital punishment in l965.
Two years later, Alphon confessed in Paris to the rape and murder, but later retracted, a pattern he was to repeat over the years. A man Alphon claimed had set up the attack to deter Gregsten from seeing Ms Storrie was never interviewed by police. Yesterday a Scotland Yard spokesman said: "We were asked to prepare a report by the Home Office and we have presented them with it. We cannot discuss the content of the report; it is strictly confidential."
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The files have been sent to the Criminal Cases Review Commission ... We cannot comment on the content of the Matthews report."

[Graham]

Jim had an aunt who lived in Bedford, the route to which polace from London would have been via the A6, and he had visited her more than once some time prior to the A6 crime. So there is little doubt that he knew the area and knew how to get there. When he bought his Sunbeam Alpine he took his girlfriend Gladys Deacon to Bedford, apparently to fence some stolen property and for a day out at the same time. He would almost certainly - well, definitely certainly, I'd say - have driven along Deadman's Hill on the way north, and again on the way south. Mere speculation on my part, but perhaps he pulled in there for a snog with Gladys on the way back to London. But of course by then, Mr Big had long since gone - good point there, NickB!

It does seem to me that Hanratty didn't force Gregsten to pull into the lay-by purely by chance - I have the distinct feeling that he'd been there before, and as NickB says he made Gregsten drive down two side-roads before pulling into the lay-by. As if he was looking for the lay-by, at the dead of night.

Graham

[cobalt]

Thanks Graham for your observations. It does seem to me important if the murderer actually knew the lay by was a dead end or not, given that he was reported as wanting a ‘kip.’ I just was wondering whether that point had been made by the prosecution at trial. It is a point that might point to Hanratty- amongst several thousand drivers as well- but point away from Alphon. Your comments about romantic couplings are credible if not conclusive. But be careful not to play Hanratty's aunts both ways: the aunt in Liverpool was regarded by prosecution as a red herring so the Bedford one might be the same.

Taking up Moste’s post, the question has to be asked that even if the murderer did indeed know the lay by, what on earth he was hoping to achieve by having his kip. It was only delaying the inevitable, whether that was discovery or murder. Which is where I suspect Matthews was influenced in his conclusion. Like Moste and myself, Matthews apparently believed there was a gaping hole in the whole A6 Case which could only be filled by a man named William Ewer. Ewer was questioned by police as I understand, but never under caution. We know nothing of his war record or his employment, save the antique business he ran in Swiss Cottage.

[NickB]

I don't think the side roads were just before the layby as I can't see any there. Valerie said that on each occasion she pointed out to Jim that there were houses nearby and he agreed to move on. I presume what Valerie was really concerned about was how isolated it was. When they turned into the layby she was probably regretting she had said anything, as it must have been more isolated there than in either of the roads!

[cobalt]

Cheers NickB,

It seems the lay by was a good place for an execution. But we don’t really know if that was the intention of going there. Valerie Storie didn’t seem to think so, as far as I can judge her statements. An execution would have been easier in the cornfield.

So what on earth was the murderer intending to do? He clearly wanted privacy, but for what purpose? A kip would only be a short term solution- and not many would tie up a couple and feel safe enough to sleep- before what next? There is no sense to the A6 Case as we know it.

[moste]

Cheers NickB,
Y
It seems the lay by was a good place for an execution. But we don’t really know if that was the intention of going there. Valerie Storie didn’t seem to think so, as far as I can judge her statements. An execution would have been easier in the cornfield.

So what on earth was the murderer intending to do? He clearly wanted privacy, but for what purpose? A kip would only be a short term solution- and not many would tie up a couple and feel safe enough to sleep- before what next? There is no sense to the A6 Case as we know it.

The tying up business is ludicrous, and gives me the feeling that the guy wanted to come across as a total pillock l mean , even if you are not familiar With the Morris thousand in question it’s a stupid idea. As Graham will bear me out I think, to tie a persons hand(s) to the passenger door handle would be futile . It’s the same chrome handle which when pulling it back, opens the door, and forward, locks it . But the point is , there is at least a half inch gap from the end of the handle to the Car door panel . Consequently, any tying to this would enable the fettered person to simply slip the rope off the end.
There is much more to this trip across the Chilterns that Was shared .Another question I have had In the past .It seems the killer wanted the results of his handy work to be discovered quickly. Since he was favoured with plenty of time to ‘fink’. Why on earth would he not pull both bodies the 18 , 25 feet into Maulden wood? Storie weighed around 8 stone, Gregsten around 9 1/2 . Hidden in the bush they may not have been discovered for days. As it was, the killer must have realized the bodies would be found quite quickLy , yet he chose for some reason to hold onto the car for much longer than necessary. The Bed/Pan line has regular services ,and a short drive (18 mins) south to ‘Leagrave Stn. and thus parking the car up there, they could have been on the first train from Bedford into the smoke by 7 00am ‘car free’ This is just one option that comes to mind . Almost nothing makes sense.
Nick, I have scoured the route up the A6 and could not find evidence of a pull off for quite a long way, even taking into account that topography changes over time, the farm fields don’t seem to allow for any alteration As far as I can ascertain. Silsoe I believe would have been a village that the A6 passed right through, but at some time past was bypassed , don’t know if that was the case in ‘61,

[Graham]

I have to be honest, Moste, it's quite a long time since I tied anyone up in a Morris Minor....or any other vehicle, for that matter.

Your question re: why Jim didn't hide the bodies is a good one. However, I think anyone who had murdered (as he thought) two people and raped one of them, and had stolen their car, had but one thought in his mind - scarper, and quick. I would suggest panic set in. Seems to me that a better plan would have been for him to head to Bedford, as you suggest, throw the gun into some handy scrubland, dump the car within walking distance of the station, and head back to London. However, was there blood on his clothes? If so, that may have convinced him to keep the car.

In 1961 the old A6 ran through Silsoe village and then crossed over the A507 between Maulden and Clophill. As far as I know, Deadman's Hill began at this crossroads. Looking at my Lucas 1972 Map of the UK, there are no turn-offs to the left between the crossroads and where the lay-by is (I think I've got this right). After passing through Silsoe, twice the gunman told Gregsten to stop. According to Woffo, they first turned into a lane (Woffo doesn't say if this was to the L or the R of the A6, but I think it must have been to the L and Foot agrees) but there was a 'Private' sign there. The second time they went down a lane where there were houses, then returned to the A6. I have a (vague) memory that to the left of the A6 just past the A507 crossroads there were some houses set away from the road.

The question I would ask is: why did the gunman get Gregsten to stop three times on this particular part of their journey? And it seems to me that he did so because he'd been there before, knew of the lay-by, but couldn't remember exactly where it was. There is obviously no way this can now be checked, but I am aware that Jim did visit his aunt in Bedford more than once, and maybe one time by car (stolen, no doubt). Again, this is pure speculation on my part. But he said he wanted a 'kip', and perhaps recalled the layby as a suitably isolated and quite place for some safe shut-eye. And Foot asserts that the gunman kept looking out of the LH window searching for somewhere suitable to park up. (I assume Valerie stated this).

Really, the entire journey from the cornfield to Deadman's Hill appears pointless and ludicrous, but it must have meant something to Jim.

Graham

[Alfie]

Valerie at the trial: "After we had passed Silsoe, he saw a turning to the left. He appeared to be looking out of the car on the left-hand side and he saw this turning. He said to Mike, ‘Turn down there’, and we turned down this little lane. I saw a post with a notice on it which said ‘Private, no parking’. I said to the man, ‘We cannot stop here. This is a private road and we shall only draw attention to ourselves’. So he agreed we should turn round and continue northwards on the A6. A little while after he saw another little turning off to the left and he said, ‘Go down there’. After 50 or 100 yards down this little turning there were some houses. Mike stopped by the houses and I again said, ‘We cannot stop here, someone will see us.’ And so, for the second time he agreed we should turn round and continue going north."

[Graham]

I just re-read my last post....I included the word 'no' (for no good reason other than senility) in my sentence regarding my old Lucas map. There certainly were turnings off to the L after the crossroads. Moste will leap on me for this....

Foot more or less faithfully reproduces that part of Valerie's testimony, Alfie.

Graham

[moste]

I just re-read my last post....I included the word 'no' (for no good reason other than senility) in my sentence regarding my old Lucas map. There certainly were turnings off to the L after the crossroads. Moste will leap on me for this....

Foot more or less faithfully reproduces that part of Valerie's testimony, Alfie.

Graham

Not a bit of it Graham, I felt sure you really meant ‘ that there were turn offs ,off of the old A 6.
I couldn’t find a map of the old A 6 route taking in that village, however looking at the Geography of Silsoe area from high above on Google Earth , I assumed it did . Sounds like that old Lucas map is a keeper.
Re the changing face of Britain. So many bypasses and adjustments to Highways and byways since 1961 . Planning a rally through the Chilterns would have taken the tourists through many beautiful villages ,and of course the time frame required would have been considerably longer.
I know that you know, that tying a persons wrists to the Front passenger door handle and keep them there would be nigh on impossible.
How about on the turn off location, he hadn’t been there before but had been told where the turn off was,and was trying to identify the exact spot . Which if I’m not wrong , when reaching the actual lay-by. he said ‘turn in here,’ but Mike went right past, at which the gunman became quite heated and ordered Mike to turn back! Mmhh, very interesting.It sounds very much to me and taking Alfie’s post into consideration, that there is a lack of spontaneity here and the whole thing smacks of preconception.

[moste]

I can’t accept that at any point the killer was gripped with panic.
He fired twice through Gregstens head , then after arguing with Storie as to whether he’s dead or not ,supposedly rapes her, has her explain to him the intricacies of the Morris’s gear box , He ponders for a moment or two ,offering Storie the suggestion that he had better wack her in the head in order that she is rendered unconscious we assume, then , after accepting the bribe of one pound, to drives off and leave her alone, proceeds to blaze away hot lead until he obviously believes she’s dead. No , panic doesn't come into the equation.
Leagrave is 15 minutes going south by car. Bedford about the same going north. Your right about the blood thing, and keeping the car for that reason. But didn’t he say to Storie , ‘you must pull Mike out ,I mustn’t get blood on myself’.?