Only by comparing D.N.A. profiling cleared Hubert who stated he had long been suspected by some locals of being the murderer and was happy to clear his name.). The 73-year-old stain was discovered during a cold case review in 2003 and is thought to be one of the oldest pieces of evidence in the world. I am awaiting D.N.A tests to be carried out on Harold Jones family members. Her mother Margaret watched from the house as the youngest of. He stated that I was barking up the wrong tree regarding Harold Jones having killed Muriel and finished by saying Happy Hunting before slamming the phone down on me. The path she walked home on curved in and out of the woods; her mother saw her walking home along the path and into the woods, but not come out again. I can be contacted at [emailprotected] or via Facebook messenger. Although he was first registered at Widdows Fulham address at Hestercombe Avenue in 1947 as Harold Jones, the following years and up until 1962 he was registered as Harry Stevens. Hey Babes!I'm back with another True Crime Tuesday case and todays case is about the murder of Muriel Drinkwater also known as the little red riding hood mur. I guess a DNA test of Sheila Martin must have been taken to see if it was the same person. SOUTH Wales Police's Specialist Crime Review Unit has been investigating the murder of 12 year-old Muriel Drinkwater whose body was found in Penllergaer Woods, Swansea in 1946. Taking into consideration all of the above information and the decades that have passed since Muriel was killed, I think that the only way this case will be closed is through a familial DNA match. Police confirmed a cold case review on the stain found on Muriel's coat in 1946 had now been tested by forensics teams. Muriel was seen at 2:30PM, singing as she exited the school bus. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. But he was later released and served in World War II before his military career ended in 1946. Thanks again and take care. It was the first time he had spoken publicly about the tragedy that haunts his family to this day. It was the 75th anniversary this year, and still we are no nearer to finding her killer. Her killer has never been caught and it remains among the most notorious unsolved murders in Welsh history you can read more of them here. In 2007 whilst researching for my 2008 True Crime book Every Mothers Nightmare Abertillery in Mourning, which dealt with the murders of two Abertillery school-girls in 1921, I received a surprise visit from Victor Penaluna, a cousin of the second Abertillery victim Florence Little aged 11. Given that Hoyles was the last person to see Muriel alive, he quickly fell under a thick veil of suspicion. There were whispers that it was her stepfather that did it, although I believe John Drinkwater was her blood father. - Listen to The Unsolved Murder of Muriel Drinkwater by The True Crime Files instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed. It blighted my life. For Hoyles, and no doubt numerous other people in Penllergaer,every dollar spent bringing Muriels killer one step closer to justice has been a dollar well spent. Just before his execution, Harries gave an extraordinary interview to the tabloid press from his jail cell. Swansea 12-year-old Muriel Drinkwater, who was shot after being sexually assaulted in 1946 Now, a team of former detectives and crime experts have re-investigated the case, dubbed the 'Little. true crime. On July 7, 1946, eleven-year-old Sheila Martin was raped and strangled in woods near her home in Dartford. This seems like a dubious connection because there is roughly 230 miles (370 kilometres) between Dartford and Penllergaer,but on the day of Sheilas murder a large race meeting was held at Brands Hatch with over 9,000 attendees, one of whom could have been both Muriel and Shielas killer. "The farm was a painful place for my grandparents to be," said Martin, who still keeps a little battleship toy that Muriel had given him. In mid 2007, I had extensive contact with Detective Constable Paul Rogers of the London Metropolitan Police. Muriels nieces family took the books to the bookshop after Muriels brother-in-law died last year. Only the exhumation of Jones body or D.N.A. Muriels niece Margaret is desperate to get the books back. Video, 00:01:20, WATCH: Key moments from PM's NI Brexit deal speech, EU Chief on NI deal: 'We were honest with each other' Video, 00:00:36, EU Chief on NI deal: 'We were honest with each other', The 'smart suit' that is changing children's lives. Police and soldiers search the area for clues of Muriel's murder, A picture of Muriel's schoolmates with flowers for her grave, Freda Burnell (left) and Florence Little (right) - Jones' first victims, At 35-years-old Jones is released from prison, only to vanish. 12 year old Muriel Drinkwater had only a mile to travel from the South Wales village of Penllergaer to the farm she lived on with her family. Pinterest. Up Next. South Wales Police detectives requested the original case file from Kent Police to determine if there was a connection. A brother, nephew, grandson. Hi Sherlock. Two months too young to face the gallows, he was sent to Usk Prison where he sensationally confessed to the first killing, blaming the voice of a 'demon' in his head. Video, 00:02:56, Tears of relief after man found in Amazon jungle. D.S. "Each case is reviewed periodically. That DNA was initially used to rule from suspicion someone who had been spotted close to the woods on the afternoon Muriel was attacked. But Muriel, who was known locally as 'The Little Nightingale' because of her beautiful singing voice, never made it home. left on the coat was compared to D.N.A. Nevertheless, the FBI was called in to assist with determining the ownership of the murder weapon, but nothing seems to have ever transpired from this lead. You will need a male dna profile from a decendent on harold joness family tree. "Due to advances in forensic technology we have been able to look again at evidence from the murder in 1946 and I am now able to rule him out completely as a suspect in this case. Just put my name in Facebook bar. We could see it [had been] in a police station, but as it closed, where did it go next? Muriel Drinkwater was a young Welsh schoolgirl. I am leaning towards it being a targeted attack, in part because of the positioning of the perpetrator as you mentioned. During the course of the investigation the finger of blame had sometimes been pointed at Muriel's father, John. 'All historic murder cases, often referred to in the media as 'cold cases,' are allocated to the Specialist Crime Review Unit and remain under active consideration and will be subject of re-investigation as and when new information is received or when there are advances in forensic science. On the afternoon of Muriels murder, thirteen-year-old Hoyles purchased eggs from Muriels mother at their family farm. The team are still investigating if this has any relevance to the case and are appealing for anyone with information about it to come forward. What a big moment in this case! Muriels niece is in a dreadful state. Muriel, who lived on Tyle-Du farm at Penllergaer, near Swansea, went missing on Thursday, June 27th, 1946, and her body was found next day in Penllergaer woods. They have a suspect in the murder case and a cousin of the suspect has given D.N.A to prove whether or not the cousin Ron Harries was the killer. 2023 The True Crime Files. 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Sometime later that afternoon, Muriels mother Margaret glanced out of her kitchen window and noticed Muriel approaching their property from approximately 400 yards away. The murder of Muriel Drinkwater ,[2] also known as the Little Red Riding Hood murder, is an unsolved 1946 child murder case from Wales. Neil. It was believed the victim's clothes had been lost. "The results of the forensic examination categorically confirm that Harold Jones was not responsible for the murder of Muriel Drinkwater," says DCI Mark Lewis, head of the unit. Video, 00:00:42Dog found alive after 23 days under rubble, Watch Kate beat William in spin class endurance race. Or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time? [18] The public can no longer access the Drinkwater files by Freedom of Information Act requests or in person at the archives office in Kew. Nevertheless, local legend tells of how, after leaving prison, he'd return to his parents' house in Abertillery from time to time, where the sound of him playing the organ in their front room would haunt the terraced streets. Jones was released from prison in December of 1941, so he was a free man when Muriel was killed. Jones was only 15 when he killed eight-year-old Freda Burnell, who'd been sent by her father to buy bird seed from the store where Jones was working. On 29 August 2021, I sent the following email to Freedom Of Information at South Wales Police. I have a special interest in this case as I too was brought up in Penllergaer. Muriel Drinkwater lived on a farm known at Tyle-Du at Penllergaer and attended Penllergaer Grammar School. In fact, it was recently used to identifyJoseph James DeAngelo, the suspected Golden State Killer who is thought to be responsible for at least a dozen murders and 50 rapes in the 1970s and 1980s in the United States. A US Army Colt .45 service revolver was used to shoot Muriel Drinkwater, 12, in the chest, after her killer had beaten and raped her. "She lost sight of her for a few moments. Thank you so much for this detailed update. Now cutting-edge forensics to rival any TV thriller have identified her killers DNA Daily Mail article, Unsolved: The Little Red Riding Hood murder Sword and Scale article, Muriel Drinkwater murder file is declared secret at request of police The Sunday Times article. Martin well remembers a young girl who was "always full of life" and would always be skipping and singing. Thanks for reading and for taking the time to share your thoughts. Advertisement. Due to advances in forensic technology, we have been able to look again at evidence from the murder in 1946 and I am now able to rule out Harold Jones completely as a suspect in this case.. Colin Dark suggested the possibillity of using D.N.A to identify who took the books into the shop with the hope of identifying the killer. She goes to grammar school. Muriel Drinkwater - Swansea, 1946 On 27th June 1946, Margaret Drinkwater was making tea in the family farm house in Penllegaer near Swansea when she looked out of the window to see her daughter . [3] In 2008, a DNA profile of the suspect was extracted from her clothes, possibly the oldest sample in the world to be successfully extracted in a murder investigation. In 1946, 12-year-old Muriel Drinkwater was murdered in the woods of Swansea, Wales. It truly is baffling and I cant help but wonder what they are trying to hide (and why!). As you know it is not possible to prove whether Harold Jones was Muriels killer by D.N.A testing Jones daughter. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. I then appealed that decision and was shocked to be told that the information I requested had been eaten by vermin or had been damaged owing to a leaking roof. See link to Jones and other murders. I wonder if there was a sketch done when Hoyles confronted a man weeks earlier. Great questions! Interesting insights! It is one of the oldest active cold cases in the United Kingdom. Detectives to revisit unsolved murder. I think it will be at least 3 months before anything definite will be announced. I was made aware the following day that my request would NOT be granted. I have informed South Wales Police regarding this information to save them a fortune on a wild goose chase trying to extract D.N.A. On June 27, 1946, 12-year-old Muriel Drinkwater made her way home from school in Penllergaer, Swansea (UK). "That sounds pompous, but I knew that really he was a simpleton, but I didn't detect any menace in him.". Psychic Diane Lazarus. I really appreciate your local insights. The electoral register having been suspended because of the war means details are hazy about where he ended up - although he did eventually resurface in South London under the name Harry Stevens, leading some to believe he was also Jack The Stripper - the serial killer who battered and strangled a number of women across the capital during the 1960s. Over the years, South Wales Police have fought tooth and nail to prevent me gaining any information under the Freedom of Information Requests Act. The True Crime Files is dedicated to all things #TrueCrime. I am not a DNA scientist so sadly I cannot answer this question for you. A 73-year-old sample semen has conclusively disproved the theory Harold Jones was the killer of 12-year-old schoolgirl Muriel Drinkwater, Get the latest court and crime news from WalesOnline. Just a few weeks short of her 13th birthday, Muriel had been beaten on the crown of her head with an object, raped and then shot twice in the . 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Holly Ann Campiglia was a Jane Doe until she was identified in 1992. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. ', Glamorgan Police and men of the 169th Bomb Disposal Unit make a break for a meal during their search for evidence after her murder on June 27, 1946, Jones, originally of Abertillery, South Wales, is a suspect in the killings of six women in London in the 1960s. The gun was described as aColt 45 American army issue automatic pistol, first issued for World War I but probably also used in World War II, which significantly had the original wooden stocks next to the grip modernised with perspex.. Arrested once again, Jones this time pleaded guilty to the charge of murder at aMonmouthcourt in November 1921. Ms Drinkwater was seen by her mother in the distance. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Thanks again ~ Christine, Your email address will not be published. Muriel Jean Drinkwater Birth unknown Death 1983 Burial. Find records of Muriel Drinkwater . Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. An amazing campaign by Neil Milkins, but unfortunately, no breakthrough for Muriel. Do not sell or share my personal information. She was hoping in her lifetime to find out who killed her aunt. Updated: August 30, 2013 . Hi Neil. "South Wales Police has had considerable success with cold case reviews being one of the first forces in the country to set up a review team in 1999 to conduct cold case reviews. The savage nature of the attack stands out from other rapes. Mark Lewis by email of this fact but my email was ignored. However, the BBC documentary Darklands shown in November 2020 identified Ronald Harries who murdered his aunt and uncle as Muriels killer, and a cousin of Harries was shown in the documentary and was expected to give DNA to prove or disprove the theory.. [9] Detectives from Scotland Yard came to Swansea to assist in the investigation. In 2008, a DNA profile of the suspect . 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Testing Jones daughter Information to save them a fortune on a farm known at Tyle-Du at Penllergaer and attended Grammar. Jail cell moment later, Muriels path wound into a thickly wooded area, her! A sketch done when Hoyles confronted a man weeks earlier hide ( and why! ) who was always... Penllergaer Grammar school in woods near her home in Dartford of Sheila Martin was raped and strangled in near... The 75th anniversary this year, and her mother returned to her chores in the top.. Information at South Wales Police detectives requested the original case file from Kent Police to if! Was initially used to rule from suspicion someone who had been spotted close to the tabloid press from his cell! Swansea, Wales profile of the investigation the finger of blame had sometimes been pointed at Muriel 's in. Files is dedicated to all things # TrueCrime a young girl who was `` always full of ''. Man when Muriel was seen by her mother Margaret watched from the house the... Ii before his military career ended in 1946, 12-year-old Muriel Drinkwater made her home...
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