Hoyles told police that the man looked terribly stern and had a local accent. Although this person of interest could have just been out for hike or involved in some other unrelated nefarious activity, the authorities believe that he may have been in involved in Muriels murder. "All historic murder cases, or '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. I could never hurt anyone or anything, but in a small, close-knit community, people talk and I knew that in the eyes of some people I was the murderer. Jones and his wife Muriel hid a lot of secrets from their daughter and one of these secrets may have been Jones wasnt her father. It became known as the Little Red Riding Hood murder - but who killed Muriel Drinkwater? Over the years, South Wales Police have fought tooth and nail to prevent me gaining any information under the Freedom of Information Requests Act. Pinterest. Paul says: "Muriel had almost made it to the home. This true crime happened in Penllegaer Woods on the outskirts of Swansea in 1946. I would like to request an internal review of (an adverse) decision made by South Wales Police regarding information I requested on 28-6-21. From the statements of the day it appeared her mum was making a pot of tea and looked out the window and actually saw Muriel about 500 yards away coming up the track towards the farmhouse. 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Im not sure how much of a farming business the family had or if they just casually sold eggs like many people in the country do. On 29 August 2021, I sent the following email to Freedom Of Information at South Wales Police. Muriel's death was known at the time as the Little Red Riding Hood Murder because of the bright red coat she was wearing. Thanks again ~ Christine, Your email address will not be published. I was able to edit the comment for you before it went live. The police found the murder weapon in the undergrowth near where Muriels body had been discovered. Hi Neil. Are you able to help please? VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. I live on the land of penllergaer woods and I have some information that I think u would like to hear.. how can I get in contact with u to chat.? The Photo Request has been fulfilled. [13] However, in 2019, South Wales Police stated that forensic tests on the DNA "categorically confirm that Jones was not responsible for the murder of Muriel Drinkwater. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Lewis, head of the Specialist Crime Review Unit said: 'The results of the forensic examination categorically confirm that Jones was not responsible for the murder of Muriel Drinkwater. All Rights Reserved. She was still wearing her school uniform. Learn more about managing a memorial . I personally think it was someone still in the area from the Second World war. Only by comparing D.N.A. Forensic scientist Dr Colin Dark said that the stain had been found on the lower flap of Muriel's coat. The detectives in the programme got a breakthrough when they were able to track down Muriel's relative Martin Phillips, who had been six at the time of the murder. '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. My enquiries are now complete and have led me to believe that Harold Jones would have presented a danger to young girls throughout his life All relevant information has now been presented to South Wales Police, Major Crime Review Unit,who are currently in the process of making further inquiries into the murder of Muriel Drinkwater. Thanks again! Your work keeps this case alive and I hope it will one day reveal the true identity of Muriels killer. Sadly though, this has proved not to be. The True Crime Files But in 2003, when the case was reopened for review, forensics experts found a semen stain found on Muriel's coat. Wales documentary screened at 10.30pm on Sunday 8 November 2020 spent a full 5 minutes suggesting that 2 books found in a Carmarthen bookshop recently had been taken from Muriels schoolbag in 1946 as trophies by the killer. request regarding the unsolved murder of 12 year-old Muriel Drinkwater near Swansea in June 1946. For decades, a key person of interest in Muriels murder has been Hubert Hoyles. I am in regular contact with a niece of Muriel Drinkwater who has told me that members of her family gave South Wales Police samples of their D.N.A.. A much loved, very kind and thoughtful person who did great things for people but never expected anything in return. D.S. Vote. Its amazing the documentary could screw things up so much. 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. "Given the sheer level of violence that he inflicted on his own relatives, I can't quite believe that this would be the first instance of his violence.". Moments before being brutally attacked, 12-year-old Muriel Drinkwater had waved to her mother, who stood at the kitchen window, as she made her way home from Gowerton High School along the long path that led to the family home. Video, 00:01:00One-minute World News, WATCH: Key moments from PM's NI Brexit deal speech. Click hereto hear the Audio File of this case. Unless he bludgeoned first then he raped, this would have caught her by surprise. "It does make you think that Muriel Drinkwater (who passed her 11-Plus to get into grammar school) is the sort of girl he would have been interested in. Your email address will not be published. taken from Jones one and only child, a daughter. Video, 00:00:42, Dog found alive after 23 days under rubble, Watch Kate beat William in spin class endurance race. ~ Christine. Accountant Graham Wildin built an incredible 10,000sq/ft leisure complex - which has a bowling alley, casino, a cinema and more - at the back of his home. https://www.abc10.com/amp/article/news/crime/prison-inmate-accused-42-year-old-homicide-in-dixon-area/103-535ec3ad-2aa1-4d10-94a7-aafe4f6081ff, We are thrilled to announce that remains discovered in 2017 in Sanford, Maine at a building site have been identified. The murder of Muriel Drinkwater is an unsolved 1946 child murder case from Wales. In the days and weeks that followed Muriel's murder, police officers visited every farmhouse and cottage within 150 square miles, along with interviewing 20,000 men in Swansea, Aberdare and Carmarthenshire. Advertisement. A team of crime experts have re-investigated the brutal killing 74 years ago and uncovered what they believe to be firm new leads in the search for who killed her, Get the latest court and crime news from WalesOnline. It is currently one of the oldest active cold cases in the UK. After discussing this development with Muriels niece, myself, Muriels niece and a number of of her nursing friends came to the same conclusion that if Jones daughter isnt his biological daughter then Jones could not completely rule out Jones as a suspect. Police believe 12-year-old Muriel Drinkwater might have been a victim of a notorious serial killer when she was raped and murdered in 1946. profiling cleared Hubert who stated he had long been suspected by some locals of being the murderer and was happy to clear his name.). And no idea and Japanese workers. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. And I also think there are likely more victims. Trump rages at Mark Zuckerberg amid claims group linked to Facebook boss gave $2 million to Georgia elections board - and says Dems are 'trying to steal a SECOND election'. Video, 00:01:28The 'smart suit' that is changing children's lives, View from the cockpit of a Ukraine combat helicopter. Something went wrong, please try again later. Published: 08:03 EST, 1 May 2019 | Updated: 13:00 EST, 1 May 2019. Is it possible that scientists could examine Muriels coat and find another profile that could be compared to Jones daughters D.N.A.? Sorry I doubled up on some of the above but cant edit it. Her name was written in copper plate, Muriel J Drinkwater, and they were examined by the forensic expert who did some incredible work for us, and was able to find this full crime stain on the back of Muriel's little school mac. The gym is tucked away in an unsuspecting industrial estate in the Swansea Valley and is run by a world-champion strongman who wants as many people as possible to feel included in his beloved sport. "Each case is reviewed periodically. However, in 2008, a team of retired detectives investigating cold cases found Drinkwater's clothes in storage. 4th daughter born to Lilian and Charles Herbert Irvine in Liverpool. Will do Christine. Another wait and see. She said: "He came to public attention in the early 1950s when he was convicted of murdering an older couple. There are far too many retired people out there who want to write books about unsolved murders, trawling through these records and coming up with half-baked theories.. We are hoping to make a BBC documentary (follow on from Dark Son) to see if we can shed any new light on the case. [8], Last edited on 11 February 2023, at 09:11, List of unsolved murders in the United Kingdom, "Marwolaeth merch yn parhau'n ddirgelwch", "The Muriel Drinkwater case: can they crack the coldest murder case? Twelve-year-old Muriel Drinkwater was a choirgirl who dreamed of being a schoolteacher. However, a lack of hard evidence would later see him freed. That DNA was initially used to rule from suspicion someone who had been spotted close to the woods on the afternoon Muriel was attacked. Who sodomises a 12 year old girl and batters her about the head, then shoots her twice in the chest? 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. Although the profile was loaded into the UK National DNA Database, it failed to match any of the approximately five million DNA records held there. However, if it wasnt for Victor Penaluna and D.C. Paul Rogers of the London Metropolitan Police I would have been none the wiser about the Muriel Drinkwater murder. Thomas was born on July 22 1880, in South Thomaston Knox Maine. You are talking about 74 years ago now and nothing has been able to close the matter.". (My belief now is that the suspect he referred to was Hubert Hoyles who as a 13 year-old boy had come into contact with Muriels family shortly before her murder. Police are closer than ever to finding her killer, "Secrecy over 1940 murder as DNA offers new leads", "The unsolved murder of a 12-year-old brutally abused and killed", "Serial Slaying of Pretty Women Has New Scotland Yard Confused", "Detectives link Muriel Drinkwater and Sheila Martin murders", "The chilling tale of a man who bludgeoned his relatives to death with a hammer and paid the ultimate price", "The unsolved murder of 12-year-old Muriel Drinkwater and the new suspect identified", "Muriel Drinkwater murder file is declared secret at request of police", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Muriel_Drinkwater&oldid=1138738141, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 09:11. 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. However, what happened to Jones once he left Wandsworth jail in December 1941, aged 35, remains a mystery. She was shot twice in the chest. I contacted D.S. [3] In 2008, a DNA profile of the suspect was extracted from her clothes, possibly the oldest sample . ", Muriel Drinkwater who was killed in June 1946. She was seen by her mother from a distance of 400 yards away, but before Muriel could arrive home, she was murdered. Advertisement. Advertisement. She was seen by her mother from a distance of 400 yards away, but before Muriel could arrive. They also announced in May 2019 that Abertillery double child killer Harold Jones had also been cleared of Muriels murder. with South Wales Police has recently conceded that it CANNOT be categorically stated that Harold Jones has been ruled out completely as Muriels killer. 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. In a Welsh village during the summer of 1946, a 12-year-old girl is brutally murdered. 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.. He stated he had long been suspected by some locals of being the murderer and was happy to clear his name. Like you I hope there is justice one day for Muriel but sadly as more and more time passes I worry that becomes less likely. I suggest reaching out to a DNA expert and seeing what insight they might be able to provide. It was the first time he had spoken publicly about the tragedy that haunts his family to this day. South Wales Police detectives requested the original case file from Kent Police to determine if there was a connection. left on the coat was compared to D.N.A. Ms Darby says: "He denied killing his relatives at all. Regards. Play it now! We got a partial profile, given that it was the oldest cold case with a semen stain on it that we had been working on.". "I found the original clothing," he said. He said, ``She was regularly seen walking, skipping and singing in the woods as she made her way each day from her home to the . I wonder if there was a sketch done when Hoyles confronted a man weeks earlier. http://www.tcbmediarights.com/screeners/dark_son.html. 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. On this podcast episode, we cover the unsolved cold case of Muriel Drinkwater. Video, 00:01:18Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, One-minute World News. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Casey DeSantis says Ron looked like Tom Cruise in his white Navy uniform when then got married at Disney: Florida's First Family says venue was an 'ironic' choice, Ron DeSantis claims former Disney CEO Bob Chapek privately complained to him about the 'pressure' he was under from woke Left to wade in on Florida's 'Don't say gay' bill. Does his daughter have a son.? Lets deduce, her killer was obviously male, or were they, unless they had extracted the sperm from another person it is definite that they are a male, so we have a male, s/ that narrows it down. On June 27, 1946, 12-year-old Muriel Drinkwater made her way home from school in Penllergaer, Swansea (UK). Sometime later that afternoon, Muriels mother Margaret glanced out of her kitchen window and noticed Muriel approaching their property from approximately 400 yards away. ", * Dark Land: Hunting the Killers is on BBC iPlayer, School friends at the grave of Muriel Drinkwater, whose murder in 1946 remains one of the most horrifying in Welsh history. "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. 'Each case is reviewed periodically. Her blue coat, underwear and school uniform had been wrapped in a paper bag and stored. 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 . Why on earth would the police continue to stonewall after all these decades? But in 2003, when the case was reopened for review, forensics experts had a major breakthrough when they found a semen stain on Muriel's coat. taken from Jones exhumed body can the police honestly say catergorically that Jones was or was not Muriels killer. Hi Nicola. It is now more than 70 years since the 12-year-old schoolgirl was brutally raped, battered around the head . I have requested information regarding the cost of the re-investigation of Muriels murder since 2008. Jones killed two young girls when he was just 15 and was jailed for 20 years. Thank you for all your assistance in this matter, the information you have provided has proved to be very helpful. . It is frustrating that the Wales Online story of Saturday 7 November states the police have D.N.A. Up Next. The gym is tucked away in an unsuspecting industrial estate in the Swansea Valley and is run by a world-champion strongman who wants as many people as possible to feel included in his beloved sport. The killer was dubbed Jack The Stripper because of the way he left his victims. The 12 year old loved to sing and there was a skip in her step as she started on the winding path through the forest. See link to Jones and other murders. 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