UK UK - Linda Smith, 12, Earls Colne, Essex, 16 Jan 1961

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Police appeal to killer of 1961 schoolgirl Linda Smith. (BBC News)
The murderer of a schoolgirl who was killed 52 years ago has been urged by police to "do the right thing" and confess the crime.

The body of Linda Smith, 12, was found in a field near Hadleigh on 20 January 1961, four days after she went missing.

Det Ch Insp Andy Smith said the case was being "fully and extensively" reviewed and there was "every reason" to believe the killer was still alive.

"Time is running out for them to do the right thing," he said.

Her death is the oldest of about 13 unsolved murders being regularly reviewed by Suffolk Police.

Linda, who lived in Earls Colne, near Halstead in Essex, was last seen walking to a shop in the village to buy a magazine for her great-grandmother.
---
more at the link, with a heartbreaking picture
 
Good grief. This is just terrible.
 
Those are nice photos of her.

They must think the killer was pretty young when he/she did it. I wonder what clues they have in this case. It sounds like zero, but they mention witnesses so they must have something.

also, the money for the magazine was in her pocket. so, they have an idea of when it happened based on when she left and when the shop closed. she hadn't made it to the store, but if she had been still in control of her own movements by the time it closed... she would have gone to get the magazine.
 
http://www.truecrimelibrary.com/crime_series_show.php?series_number=11&id=767

Linda, the daughter of a foundry worker, disappeared four days earlier while on her way to pay a newspaper bill. Her abductor drove 18 miles across the county border into Suffolk to dump her body. His car was seen by a 17-year-old schoolgirl who remembered a “darkish” car reversing down Potts Lane. Some hours later Mrs. Edna Humphrey, lying awake, heard the car start up again and drive past her home to the edge of the field.

http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/p...h_was_known_as_little_miss_friendly_1_2352380

There were four confirmed sightings by those who knew Linda between then and around 5.10pm. She never went into the newsagent’s, despite being seen looking in the shop’s window by her friend Margaret Mattin, aged 12.

Solicitor to ask for arrest warrant
http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...bxk1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=TKYLAAAAIBAJ&pg=5846,939922
 
http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/p...h_was_known_as_little_miss_friendly_1_2352380

''A subsequent inquest heard a red substance, believed to be paint, and traces of flour were found on Linda. These were matched to the clothing of a man spoken to during the inquiry. His car also contained the traces of the red substance. However, he was never arrested and police only ever described him as a potential witness''

I wonder if the Police still have the two samples of paint to compare forensically.
 
And a picture of Linda

3eom.jpg

Linda Smith, 12

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-23853588
 
Hi,

It is good to learn that there exists interest in this largely forgotten case. In searching for information you may have noticed a book entitled "Little Miss Friendly" of which I am the author. I have studied and researched Linda's sad story for many years, first hearing of it when I was mere lad living locally, as I still do. If you have any questions about the case I will be pleased to help if it is within my bounds.

Very Best Regards

Nimrod
 
http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/p...h_was_known_as_little_miss_friendly_1_2352380

''A subsequent inquest heard a red substance, believed to be paint, and traces of flour were found on Linda. These were matched to the clothing of a man spoken to during the inquiry. His car also contained the traces of the red substance. However, he was never arrested and police only ever described him as a potential witness''

I wonder if the Police still have the two samples of paint to compare forensically.

Nimrod, thanks for joining W/S, anything to report on this ?
 
Hi,

It is good to learn that there exists interest in this largely forgotten case. In searching for information you may have noticed a book entitled "Little Miss Friendly" of which I am the author. I have studied and researched Linda's sad story for many years, first hearing of it when I was mere lad living locally, as I still do. If you have any questions about the case I will be pleased to help if it is within my bounds.

Very Best Regards

Nimrod

OMG, wow. Welcome and I believe I have heard of your book... I was looking for links for Linda and I think it came up as an option. It is the title I recall.

What do you make of the sighting of her right outside the magazine shop?
 
was there a certain day of the week new magazines arrived? one article said Linda said she was going to go help her Great Grandmother sort out her magazines. something about the way it was written makes me wonder if this was a thing Linda usually did for her Great Grandmother. If there was a particular day of the week Linda walked to buy the magazine, maybe someone knew this.

It would be easy to guess when she'd come by... she got out of school a certain time, went home. Then went to her Great Grandmother's... visited a bit, sorted through the magazines, then set off for the shop. The shop closed at a certain time. Linda probably always showed up on her errand at a certain time as well.. give or take a few minutes. was someone waiting for her?
 
Forensics ascertained that the paint was in fact lacquer in two forms. One red, the other red/yellow/red in layer form. They were never able to trace its source. Police still hold all the evidence from the case including this and Linda's clothing.

The village baker was the man police had in focus. Det.Chief Supt Jack Mannings of Scotland Yard had taken control of the investigation. After Linda's clothes had been examined in the lab they found the wheat starch and red flecks. It was the starch which lead Mannings to the bakery as routine. With him was Det.Ins John McCafferty of forensics who took sweepings and samples from the bakery and the bakers clothes and car. It was then that the red flecks were detected again on his coat and in his car.

The starch was found common to others connected to the bakery, naturally. Police took over eighty items from the bakers home but nothing matched the flecks, nor did it from Linda's home. Forensics deemed it probably a transient material.

The main reason for not treating him as a suspect was due to witness accounts placing him away from the scene at the time.

Nimrod
 
Thank you, December. You are correct in saying Linda ran this errand regularly, most days but not everyday at approximately the same time after school. As with all cases, times are crucial but sadly very open to accuracy.

According to her great grandmother and great aunt she left with the ten shilling note to go to the newsagent at about 4.45/50pm. Mrs Heard saw her at just after 4.30pm at the end of a pathway going to the shop. Dick Parmenter, the village cobbler saw her at his shop at 4.45pm (She used to collect old tobacco tins from him) then Margaret Mattin, her schoolfriend saw her looking in the shop window at 5.00pm. Margaret went in to the shop for no more than three minutes and when she came out Linda was not there. A lorry driver and his mate reported seeing Linda further up the road close to her home at 5.10pm.

I don't doubt these sightings for one moment but people's recollection of time, as you can see is a matter of conjecture. It is difficult to cover some things with one post but hopefully further Q&A will make it clearer.

Nimrod
 
Nimrod, thanks for engaging in a Q&A.

Was the bakery in close proximity to the other shops where Linda was last seen, and ,if so, was it unusual for the baker not to be in the vicinity of his shop at that time of day?

Has it been disclosed who (and their relationship to the baker) gave an alibi for the baker?
 
In Earls Colne the case is centred mainly along the High Street. The bakery at one end, the newsagent the other, a distance of around two hundred yards at most.

The baker stated that he left work anything between 3.45 to 4.15pm and on that day he was home by 4.15pm. The journey to his home being about half an hour. His wife confirmed this and his brother who usually came round for dinner on Monday confirmed he was at home when he arrived at about 5.15pm. The other alibi came from the village butcher who worked in the shop next door to the bakery who claimed to have seen the baker driving out of Earls Colne at 4.05pm.

Nimrod
 
Forensics ascertained that the paint was in fact lacquer in two forms. One red, the other red/yellow/red in layer form. They were never able to trace its source. Police still hold all the evidence from the case including this and Linda's clothing.

The village baker was the man police had in focus. Det.Chief Supt Jack Mannings of Scotland Yard had taken control of the investigation. After Linda's clothes had been examined in the lab they found the wheat starch and red flecks. It was the starch which lead Mannings to the bakery as routine. With him was Det.Ins John McCafferty of forensics who took sweepings and samples from the bakery and the bakers clothes and car. It was then that the red flecks were detected again on his coat and in his car.

The starch was found common to others connected to the bakery, naturally. Police took over eighty items from the bakers home but nothing matched the flecks, nor did it from Linda's home. Forensics deemed it probably a transient material.

The main reason for not treating him as a suspect was due to witness accounts placing him away from the scene at the time.

Nimrod

Thanks Nimrod. I wish I could read your book but right now it's funds and there's two other books first on my list that I can't afford either :)

You have most likely covered this but I'll carry on.

I don't do family alibis (call me cynical) and leaving at 4.05 doesn't mean he couldn't turn his car around.

1st. Do you know if there were any printers locally, leaning more to newspaper printers ? Early starts and early finishes, with outbuildings at the rear.

2nd. Photography shops, developing film on site ? Again with outbuildings at the rear.

3rd Pottery manufacturing units....Yep, with more outbuildings at the rear.

A 4th thing that just came to me, I, or somebody might like to check, because I do so much sleuthing between USA and UK that I get confused by the law. I THINK I remember something about leaving coins and property of the individual you have killed and not stealing it has an effect on sentencing. IIRC it's the difference between hanging and a life sentence.
 
In Earls Colne the case is centred mainly along the High Street. The bakery at one end, the newsagent the other, a distance of around two hundred yards at most.

The baker stated that he left work anything between 3.45 to 4.15pm and on that day he was home by 4.15pm. The journey to his home being about half an hour. His wife confirmed this and his brother who usually came round for dinner on Monday confirmed he was at home when he arrived at about 5.15pm. The other alibi came from the village butcher who worked in the shop next door to the bakery who claimed to have seen the baker driving out of Earls Colne at 4.05pm.

Nimrod

Where did the Baker live ? Half hours drive to where ?
 
Thanks Nimrod. I wish I could read your book but right now it's funds and there's two other books first on my list that I can't afford either :)

You have most likely covered this but I'll carry on.

I don't do family alibis (call me cynical) and leaving at 4.05 doesn't mean he couldn't turn his car around.

1st. Do you know if there were any printers locally, leaning more to newspaper printers ? Early starts and early finishes, with outbuildings at the rear.

2nd. Photography shops, developing film on site ? Again with outbuildings at the rear.

3rd Pottery manufacturing units....Yep, with more outbuildings at the rear.

A 4th thing that just came to me, I, or somebody might like to check, because I do so much sleuthing between USA and UK that I get confused by the law. I THINK I remember something about leaving coins and property of the individual you have killed and not stealing it has an effect on sentencing. IIRC it's the difference between hanging and a life sentence.

Sorry to quote my own post but I have found the reference I mentioned above, it was on another thread -

Ann Noblett 1957
UK UK - The "Deep Freeze" murder of Ann Noblett, age 17, Marshalls Heath, 1957 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/nostalgia/crimelibrary/annenoblett/

Last paragraph -

When Ann Noblett’s lifeless body was discovered in Rose Grove Wood, also found were a number of coins from her purse, amounting to thirty shillings (£1.50). Had the killer deliberately placed them there to suggest Ann had lost no property? – a cunning act in times when the death penalty had been abolished, except for murder in certain circumstances, including the furtherance of theft. For, if her killer was caught and could prove he had not stolen anything, he would not hang. Better it would be, for him, if he could prove he had raped and murdered Ann, rather than robbed her, an offence, however unjustly, not carrying the death penalty.
The coins were examined for fingerprints, but seemingly none were found.
 
Hi Robin Hood,

Firstly, you are correct about the death penalty in England being used against murder in the furtherance of theft although it was not manditory. The last executions being carried out in 1964. The death penalty had been in decline for a number of years following the outcry over the execution of Ruth Ellis. Personally, I don't think the killer had any idea of the ten shilling note in Linda's purse

Secondly. The baker lived thirteen miles away in Great Horkesley, near Colchester.

Thirdly. I am not aware of any photographic studios or potteries in Earls Colne at the time. There was, however the Earls Colne Print Works which was situated next door to Dick Parmenter, the cobbler and about fifty yards down the road from the bakery. Linda was known to most shopkeepers along the High Street who's premises she would sometimes visit. Nothing was found to suggest a connection between them and Linda's death.

Your point concerning the alibis was shared strongly by the Smith family solicitor, Dale Parkinson. I should make it clear that he was trying to discredit the butcher's statement rather than pursuing with any real conviction that of the baker's family.

Forgive me if I appear somewhat brief in some answers but at the risk of becoming a bore on a subject for which I feel passionate, I am trying to stay fairly concise.

Nimrod
 

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