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

[wfgodot]

I thought you would be interested to know that next Thursday 14th Nov. would have been Linda's 65th Birthday. It's hard to believe when you look at her face in those photographs, don't you think ?

Nimrod

Quite. When I saw the BBC online main photo of her I was just stopped in my tracks - the end of innocence, that sort of feeling. I can imagine what it must have been like to those in that area at that time. I look at lots of cases on WS and thus see lots of victims - always so sad - but that picture is quite haunting.

 

[Nimrod]

Hi Nimrod!

Aside from the baker, who else did the police investigate in Linda’s murder?

Hi WUWH. With any degree of depth, a travelling salesman whom they later eliminated.

Nimrod

 

[Nimrod]

Quite. When I saw the BBC online main photo of her I was just stopped in my tracks - the end of innocence, that sort of feeling. I can imagine what it must have been like to those in that area at that time. I look at lots of cases on WS and thus see lots of victims - always so sad - but that picture is quite haunting.

I could not agree more. All the photographs you see online are in the book. Mrs Smith kindly lent them to me for their inclusion. The photo with her hair bobbed is the only one of her with that style. She had had it cut short only recently and was the photo police used in their appeal. The photo with her hair long holding a pose was taken the previous summer when she was bridesmaid for family friends. For the purposes of reproduction I had to edit them in photoshop as they were suffering a little due to age.

Nimrod

 

[Nimrod]

The ITN Source website carries some original footage of the case. They are only short clips and there is no sound. To receive copies of the full reports with sound I was quoted a ridicously high fee running into hundreds of pounds so refrained but these clips give you a feel for the period. The man in the beret carrying a staff is Linda's father. You can see also her mother and father being interviewed at their front door. If you go to the link below you should be able to find the others. I believe five in total.

http://www.itnsource.com/en/shotlist/ITN/1961/01/19/FS190161004/?s=linda smith earls colne


Nimrod

 

[Robin Hood]

Thanks Nimrod, unfortunately every time the film rolls my PC crashes. I love old footage so it's quite disappointing.

The mint from the Coop would be a great source of DNA had it been opened and sucked or was it still wrapped ? Also, I wondered if it was to hide any alcohol breath the attacker may have had.

I have had a look at inks and it's quite complicated, some dry out quickly if not stored properly apparently.

So, the baker suggested Linda may have got into his car.. What a strange thing to suggest, unless, well, you know where I'm leading.
The fact garages were at the rear allows any witnesses to have a hard time seeing anything unless they too were in the yard.
I think somebody visited the lavatory before going home, saw an opportunity and tried to attack Linda sexually. She called out and he had to stop her making a noise. He then took her into an area where flecks were present where she probably died. He then moved her to his car.
Were the flecks in the boot or inside the seating area ?

If nothing else has been tested recently are the Police hoping for a confession from one of the family or the person himself ?
I'd say there were no witnesses in the yard at Earls Colne so it only leaves the attacker and persons who provided an alibi.

Edited to add - If it was a stranger or persons unfamiliar to the area they would, IMO, have left her where she died. Only somebody associated with the yard would try to distance themselves from there by moving the body. I don't believe she accepted a lift as she hadn't paid the magazine money. IMO she left the yard already dead.

 

[Robin Hood]

And.. If it was the Butcher why would he give the Baker an alibi ?

 

[December]

what happened to the tobacco tin linda got that day? was it with her? or found somewhere? or just gone?

it seems like this object would provide a opening for her murderer to talk to her. the murderer could see it, ask her about it, then.. after finding she collected them.. claim he had a tin he could give her.

one thing that seems to take place with murders of girls around linda's age is sometimes they step off the main path just a little.. thinking people can still see and hear them because they aren't very far away from where they usually are.. and they can see people. but, in reality, they are isolated and vulnerable in that place. i'm not blaming linda, i am only saying this is how the murderer could have managed to do what he did..

 

[Nimrod]

Thanks Nimrod, unfortunately every time the film rolls my PC crashes. I love old footage so it's quite disappointing.

The mint from the Coop would be a great source of DNA had it been opened and sucked or was it still wrapped ? Also, I wondered if it was to hide any alcohol breath the attacker may have had.

I have had a look at inks and it's quite complicated, some dry out quickly if not stored properly apparently.

So, the baker suggested Linda may have got into his car.. What a strange thing to suggest, unless, well, you know where I'm leading.
The fact garages were at the rear allows any witnesses to have a hard time seeing anything unless they too were in the yard.
I think somebody visited the lavatory before going home, saw an opportunity and tried to attack Linda sexually. She called out and he had to stop her making a noise. He then took her into an area where flecks were present where she probably died. He then moved her to his car.
Were the flecks in the boot or inside the seating area ?

If nothing else has been tested recently are the Police hoping for a confession from one of the family or the person himself ?
I'd say there were no witnesses in the yard at Earls Colne so it only leaves the attacker and persons who provided an alibi.

Edited to add - If it was a stranger or persons unfamiliar to the area they would, IMO, have left her where she died. Only somebody associated with the yard would try to distance themselves from there by moving the body. I don't believe she accepted a lift as she hadn't paid the magazine money. IMO she left the yard already dead.

RH. Sorry about your PC problems. I don't know how the link worked but an alternative is to go to the ITN Source homepage then type "Linda Smith Earls Colne" in the search box.

The mint sweet was the Coop own brand. It was still wrapped. The Coop is a very popular chain store in the UK so the mint was widely available.

The flecks were on a blanket on the rear seat.

In their recent review of the case and subsequent press release the police are hoping for whoever committed the crime to confess. I feel this is hardly likely to happen.

Your opinion of the possible scenario is not an uncommon one.

In the early stages and before Linda was found, Ernest Barkway said that they (police) believed she was probably picked up by a passing motorist.

Nimrod

 

[Nimrod]

And.. If it was the Butcher why would he give the Baker an alibi ?

Why? indeed. The family's solicitor tried to prove that the baker and butcher were very good friends. Ok, they were both employed by the Coop in shops nextdoor to eachother so naturally they were acquainted through work but there was absolutely nothing to suggest their "friendship" went beyond this.

Nimrod

 

[Nimrod]

what happened to the tobacco tin linda got that day? was it with her? or found somewhere? or just gone?

it seems like this object would provide a opening for her murderer to talk to her. the murderer could see it, ask her about it, then.. after finding she collected them.. claim he had a tin he could give her.

one thing that seems to take place with murders of girls around linda's age is sometimes they step off the main path just a little.. thinking people can still see and hear them because they aren't very far away from where they usually are.. and they can see people. but, in reality, they are isolated and vulnerable in that place. i'm not blaming linda, i am only saying this is how the murderer could have managed to do what he did..

Hi December. Dick Parmenter, the cobbler said Linda called at his shop at about 5.45pm to ask if he had any tins for her. He told her that he didn't have any that day and that she should get off home it was cold. He said that he closed his shop and made his way up to the Coop cafe (approx 50yards), she turned on the pavement is if to follow but he went into the cafe without turning back so he didn't know for certain where she went.

This brings me back to something you asked me (your first reply I believe) which was.... what do I make of the sighting of her outside the newsagent? Well, it depends upon how much weight you attach to the timeline of those reported sightings. No doubt whatsoever it was Linda but had she already been down to the cobbler? It has a baring on where she was actually spotted last. I tend to discount the lorry driver sighting at 5.10pm. It may very well have been Linda he saw on the pavement but when she first left home on the errand and his time was mistaken. If it was linda at all.

Nimrod

 

[Robin Hood]

Thanks again Nimrod for answering any questions.

So, the Butcher and baker were both employed by the Co Operative society and weren't independent.

The blanket, IMO, was used to cover Linda.

The direction Linda's body was found in suits a trip towards home.

I'm thinking the Baker probably went home and established his timeline. He left Linda on the back seat, hidden under the blanket until he could move her quickly to where she was found. There's a fair chance his family aren't aware of what he did.


Edited to add -
Linda went missing on Monday 16th and wasn't found until Friday 20th if I'm correct, I'm guessing the Baker had a day off in the week to compensate for working Saturdays. IMO this would be the date he removed Linda, maybe the Tuesday. Can we confirm any of this Nimrod ?

Sorry forgot to ask...Was the Baker a Mr W. ?

 

[Nimrod]

R.H,

I can't speculate about any individual. You are correct about the missing and found dates but no, not a Mr W.

Nimrod

 

[Robin Hood]

R.H,

I can't speculate about any individual. You are correct about the missing and found dates but no, not a Mr W.

Nimrod

Sorry, I think you misunderstood or I wasn't clear, I meant can you confirm if the Baker worked a 6 day week or had a day off in the week ? I don't want you to speculate, I do enough of that for us both lol.

There was a Baker trading from the High street back in 1958 if IIRC who went out of business, a Mr W.

 

[Nimrod]

That I can't confirm. If he did it certainly was not Tuesday as both he and the butcher said they remembered discussing it the day after Linda went missing.

Nimrod

Mr W is not connected to the case.

 

[Robin Hood]

Thank you Nimrod, you are very patient.

Does anybody else find this statement below slightly odd ?

The 17 year old sees a 'darkish' car reversing and then SOME HOURS LATER Mrs Humphrey hears a car start up again, is this suggesting somebody stayed with Linda or they returned to Linda ?

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.

 

[Nimrod]

Thank you Nimrod, you are very patient.

Does anybody else find this statement below slightly odd ?

The 17 year old sees a 'darkish' car reversing and then SOME HOURS LATER Mrs Humphrey hears a car start up again, is this suggesting somebody stayed with Linda or they returned to Linda ?

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.

I'll try to explain this one a little clearer than "truecrimelibrary.com".

Firstly, Potts Lane is about one hundred yards from where Linda was found. The girl was out with her boyfriend on his motorbike late on Thursday 19th. He lived at the top of Potts Lane on the farm. I traced this couple whilst researching and they said that on reflection shortly after that it may have been a man and woman known locally seeking privacy. I think we can make assumptions in that respect.

Mrs Humphrey lived about half a mile from the spot. She said she heard a car start up at the end of the road at about 5am on Friday 20th. It went down the road towards the spot but did not return. She did not say that she heard it start up "again". This suggests that the couple on Thursday night and Mrs Humphrey on Friday morning saw/heard the same vehicle which was never proven or for that matter strongly suspected, even.

The pathologist said that in his opinion Linda was left in the field on the evening she was taken or very shortly after which calls to account the validity of what the couple and Mrs Humphrey saw/heard.

Nimrod

 

[Robin Hood]

Thanks, that makes sense.

The mint appears to be a 'Reindeer mint'. I'm assuming a Xmas mint left from Christmas and probably used to entice Linda away. If the body was kept in a car it could have been picked up with Linda's body and accidentally left.

 

[Nimrod]

Thanks, that makes sense.

The mint appears to be a 'Reindeer mint'. I'm assuming a Xmas mint left from Christmas and probably used to entice Linda away. If the body was kept in a car it could have been picked up with Linda's body and accidentally left.

The mint sweet was never considered a vital clue as it was widely available. However it was still found close to Linda. It could have fallen from her pocket, her killer's or simply from anybody who dropped it while out for a walk. That said, it is still quite a coincidence that of all places it should be where it was. If I had to stick my neck out and I am not one for readily doing so, I would say it was probably either of the first two.

Nimrod

 

[Robin Hood]

I'd bet there's still some DNA on that whisky bottle

 

[Nimrod]

I'd bet there's still some DNA on that whisky bottle

You may well be correct regarding DNA but the whisky bottle was one of several items of discarded rubbish found at the entrance to the field, not by Linda's body. This entrance provided a "wide spot" in the road which was handy for pulling over onto and therefore leaving litter after a break. Personally, I don't think the killer would be throwing out an empty whisky bottle at the S.O.C. I think it was simply unconnected litter.

Nimrod