UK UK - Penny Bell, 43, Ealing, London, 6 June 1991

[lee sumner]

The level of overkill doesn't suggest a hit. They'd have to be a very incompetent hitman to create such a bloodbath in a public place. All the evidence suggests that she knew her killer. For me there is only one, very obvious suspect who has repeatedly drawn attention to himself over the years, whose fingerprints were the only ones in her car other than hers, and who admitted being in her car that morning.

iam sure richmond was cleared. he attempted to sell his story to the press, but i dont buy it.

 

[lee sumner]

My name is Tash Kent and I am looking to make a documentary about the murder of Penny Bell. I've read a lot of publicly available articles, delved deep into the discussion forums on Websleuths and Reddit and listened to podcasts and YouTube videos that are readily avaailble. The key areas of interest for me are:

1. The use of the word "appointment" and the timing of the appointment that Penny left for (if of course she did have an appointment). I think there has been suggestions that this was a meeting but the timing and use of the word suggests that this could have been a doctor's appointment or a dentist appointment. Based on her direction of travel from her home in Denham to Fulmer Common Road and then to Gurnell Leisure Centre in Greenford, Penny may have been visiting a doctor's surgery in in Iver. Has anything ever been released about this?

2. Has anything ever been discovered about the man in the bronze car who an eye witness saw get into Penny's car in the layby on the Fulham Common Road. Was the description that of the man who was later seen by another eye witness?

Lastly, it would be good to hear about any theories that you may have on this case so that we can try and help solve it!

i have a true crime magazine that covers the penny bell case. there is lots of interesting info in there. the attack on penny was brutal, and looks like a murder known as a crime of passion, but detectives working the case could not find any evidence she was having an affair with a mystery man. the missing money has got to be connected to her murder because penny took that money with her the day she was killed. i have been told that DS brian edwards who was leading the investigation knows who killed penny, but he could never prove it.

 

[Terryb808]

i have a true crime magazine that covers the penny bell case. there is lots of interesting info in there. the attack on penny was brutal, and looks like a murder known as a crime of passion, but detectives working the case could not find any evidence she was having an affair with a mystery man. the missing money has got to be connected to her murder because penny took that money with her the day she was killed. i have been told that DS brian edwards who was leading the investigation knows who killed penny, but he could never prove it.

Crime of Passion yes, not necessarily someone she was having an affair with, but maybe some related to her husband.
Maybe she wouldn’t let Alistair go and was trying to pay the killer off.
This would explain the ferocity of the attack, no hitman is going to kill his target in a busy leisure centre car park mid morning.

 

[tes1984]

DS brian edwards the SIO in charge of the investigation knows who the killer is, but he could never prove it. this is what i heard.

I would love to know what his case theory is.

 

[tes1984]

he could still slip away easy. i dont believe he left on foot, so he had to have a vehicle in that car park.

I wouldn't rule out the offender leaving on foot.

It fits in with the man in boxer shorts sighting, which seems to be one police are still going with.

A lot of witnesses came forward (many of them a fair time after the murder) so how reliable is the police time line?

 

[tes1984]

he could still slip away easy. i dont believe he left on foot, so he had to have a vehicle in that car park.

If he has a vehicle at the car park, then does he force Penny there?

Or does Penny drive to the car park alone, to make her appointment, and then get attacked?

How reliable are the witnesses who reported a possible initial struggle or attack, while the car is still being driven?

 

[davidt]

If he has a vehicle at the car park, then does he force Penny there?

Or does Penny drive to the car park alone, to make her appointment, and then get attacked?

How reliable are the witnesses who reported a possible initial struggle or attack, while the car is still being driven?

She had a pretty distinctive car of which its unlikely you would see another very often. Therefore I do think the sightings in this case are very credible. The original Crimewatch reconstruction says a witness saw a man getting out of a car and being picked up by Penny. Later versions talk of a man seen standing near a car rather than in it. If the first version is correct then there must be two cars or an accomplice if there's another car at the leisure centre.

 

[tes1984]

She had a pretty distinctive car of which its unlikely you would see another very often. Therefore I do think the sightings in this case are very credible. The original Crimewatch reconstruction says a witness saw a man getting out of a car and being picked up by Penny. Later versions talk of a man seen standing near a car rather than in it. If the first version is correct then there must be two cars or an accomplice if there's another car at the leisure centre.

What do you think the timeline of events is for that morning?

 

[dotr]

She had a pretty distinctive car of which its unlikely you would see another very often. Therefore I do think the sightings in this case are very credible. The original Crimewatch reconstruction says a witness saw a man getting out of a car and being picked up by Penny. Later versions talk of a man seen standing near a car rather than in it. If the first version is correct then there must be two cars or an accomplice if there's another car at the leisure centre.

Any chance a woman was involved? speculation.

 

[davidt]

What do you think the timeline of events is for that morning?

Honesty don't know but this seems like a reasonable account. In Detail: Penny Bell
Someone who knows the area could probably comment on this and the possible route.

 

[davidt]

Any chance a woman was involved? speculation.

Always found it interesting that in the days leading up to the murder Penny was said to be on edge or agitated or words to that effect. Obviously she also drew the money out and on the morning of the murder did not carry out some of the usual household chores. It feels like there was something going on. Nothing has ever emerged about the appointment she mentioned which again is apparently unlike her not to record. Of course she may never had an appointment but just said it to avoid being held up by her builders. Also she may have used the word appointment for any sort of meeting or liaison or assignation. You wouldn't thought a routine business meeting would have made her agitated.

 

[tes1984]

Honesty don't know but this seems like a reasonable account. In Detail: Penny Bell
Someone who knows the area could probably comment on this and the possible route.

That's an interesting analysis, although it doesn't seem completely accurate. For example, the Bells had been living in their new home for a lot longer than one year.

 

[tes1984]

she wearing a pink dress when she was killed.

I've read reports where it says she was wearing a peach coloured blouse.

 

[davidt]

That's an interesting analysis, although it doesn't seem completely accurate. For example, the Bells had been living in their new home for a lot longer than one year.

Just thought the maps were useful. Though I don't think anyone really knows what route she took.

 

[lee sumner]

My name is Tash Kent and I am looking to make a documentary about the murder of Penny Bell. I've read a lot of publicly available articles, delved deep into the discussion forums on Websleuths and Reddit and listened to podcasts and YouTube videos that are readily avaailble. The key areas of interest for me are:

1. The use of the word "appointment" and the timing of the appointment that Penny left for (if of course she did have an appointment). I think there has been suggestions that this was a meeting but the timing and use of the word suggests that this could have been a doctor's appointment or a dentist appointment. Based on her direction of travel from her home in Denham to Fulmer Common Road and then to Gurnell Leisure Centre in Greenford, Penny may have been visiting a doctor's surgery in in Iver. Has anything ever been released about this?

2. Has anything ever been discovered about the man in the bronze car who an eye witness saw get into Penny's car in the layby on the Fulham Common Road. Was the description that of the man who was later seen by another eye witness?

Lastly, it would be good to hear about any theories that you may have on this case so that we can try and help solve it!

i believe she had some kind of meeting that she did not want to go to. in the days leading up to her murder penny was not herself. her family said she appeared zoned out was the word her daughter used. i think she had a sense something was going to happen, but if that was the casr. why not reach out for help.

 

[lee sumner]

If he has a vehicle at the car park, then does he force Penny there?

Or does Penny drive to the car park alone, to make her appointment, and then get attacked?

How reliable are the witnesses who reported a possible initial struggle or attack, while the car is still being driven?

that is a great question you asked about penny driving directly to the car park. i have always thought it made more sense meeting the killer there not picking him up at another location then driving to the gurnel grove leisure centre, but if this is what she did, then all the sightings of her are wrong.

 

[lee sumner]

Is this the former case detective that has been helping Penny’s daughter?

no.

 

[lee sumner]

Always found it interesting that in the days leading up to the murder Penny was said to be on edge or agitated or words to that effect. Obviously she also drew the money out and on the morning of the murder did not carry out some of the usual household chores. It feels like there was something going on. Nothing has ever emerged about the appointment she mentioned which again is apparently unlike her not to record. Of course she may never had an appointment but just said it to avoid being held up by her builders. Also she may have used the word appointment for any sort of meeting or liaison or assignation. You wouldn't thought a routine business meeting would have made her agitated.

it was not a normal business meeting.

 

[lee sumner]

Crime of Passion yes, not necessarily someone she was having an affair with, but maybe some related to her husband.
Maybe she wouldn’t let Alistair go and was trying to pay the killer off.
This would explain the ferocity of the attack, no hitman is going to kill his target in a busy leisure centre car park mid morning.

the money does suggest she was paying off a mystery man, but why. if she payed off the person, why was she killed in such a brutal manner. the killer brought the knife with him, so clearly this was premeditated. i dont think the murder was because of alistair or his past. penny was an intelligent woman who does not seem the type to be blackmailed, but i could be wrong.

 

[lee sumner]

Is it known definitively that Penny was stabbed at the Leisure Centre? I ask because the description of her car being driven slowly and erratically, with the hazard lights flashing, makes it sound like she already had been or was being attacked at that very moment.

why did the perp allow penny to turn on the hazards and the windscreen wipers. the killer could switch them off from inside the vehicle. if she did put them on to get attention from people, then i doubt they were on very long, as he would warn her not to put them on again.