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Alphon resembled the Identikit pictures more than Hanratty did; Alphon never produced a convincing alibi; He provided a more credible motive than Hanratty could; He was a poor driver, as witnesses had seen the Morris Minor being driven erratically towards Redbridge Station; On 22 March 1967, Detective Superintendent Douglas Nimmo reported to, On 29 May 1996, Detective Chief Superintendent Roger Matthews reported to Home Secretary. July 3, 2022 July 3, 2022. What Is The Case Of Michael Gregsten's Suicide. Their relationship started over a mutual love of car . In the evening of Thursday 24 August, the murder weapon, a .38 revolver, was discovered under the back seat of a 36A London bus, fully loaded and wiped clean of fingerprints. At the trial Nudds also stated that the man, upon leaving, had asked the way to a bus stop for a 36A bus, though his statement to police had merely mentioned the 36 bus. See the latest news in your area enter your postcode below or visit InYourArea: This story is well known and Hanratty, often referred to as the A6 Murderer, has become Bedfordshire's most notorious killer. Despite being the victim of an unspeakable crime, Valerie found herself at the centre of a witch hunt committed to proving the innocence of the man she knew to be her attacker. The journey continued along the A5 through St Albans, which the gunman mistakenly insisted was Watford, before joining the A6. A strong, disabled woman's story. Storie and Gregsten pleaded with him not to shoot them. He would have been wrongly identified by three witnesses at identification parades; first as the person at the scene of the crime and secondly (by two witnesses) driving a vehicle close to where the vehicle in which the murder was committed was found. Private detectives tracked down a Mrs Grace Jones, a landlady with a guest house which had a green bath in the attic as described by Hanratty. Copyright 04/03/2023 Alamy Ltd. All rights reserved. His last words to his family were "Mick, I am completely innocent. [citation needed] Storie gave another statement to the police later that morning, just before she underwent surgery in Bedford Hospital. I do this act in the knowledge that it will clear my family's character of any act or wrong'. Want the latest Bedfordshire news direct to your inbox? As they sat there was a tap on the driver's window. Author Paul Stickler said: 'This is a story that really does need to be told and it's not been told in the way that it should be before now. Having recently re-read the late Paul Foot's excellent book "Who killed Hanratty", which he painstakingly researched for over 5 years I remain convinced (rightly or wrongly) that the original suspect, Peter Louis Alphon, is the real murderer of Michael Gregsten. The comments below have not been moderated, By After a five-hour ordeal, ending in a layby on the A6 in Bedfordshire, Michael was shot dead and Valerie was raped, shot and left for dead. 1945: Ex-soldier buried his wife on Anglesey beach after . Charles France was also the recipient of highly unpleasant anonymous phone calls. Forensic science and the case of James Hanratty Roger Lewis, Pseudocide New Spotify exclusive podcast from Casefile Presents, ShipStation Try ShipStation FREE for 60 days with promo code CASEFILE, Best Fiends Download Best Fiends for free, Imperfect Foods Get 20% off and free shipping on your first order with offer code CASEFILE20. At about 1.30am on Wednesday 23 August, the car was on the A6, travelling south, when the man said he wanted a 'kip' (sleep). On Tuesday, 22nd August, 1961, Michael Gregsten, 36, a research physicist, called at the address of his estranged wife at Sabine House, Abbots Langley, and after taking his 9-year old son, Simon, to play in Cassiobury Park, Watford, he collected his girlfriend, Valerie Storie, 22, from work, and he and Storie went in Gregsten's Morris Minor to He was sent to the gallows at Bedford Prison on 4 April 1962, becoming one of the last people to be hanged in Britain before capital punishment was abolished. The case became a cause celebre, with politicians and pop stars, legal experts and writers joining the campaign to prove he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice. They had finished the planning for the weekends rally, Valeries maps folded away in her shopping basket. Something went wrong, please try again later. After nine hours, they returned to the court and entered a unanimous verdict of guilty. This is a hold-up, a mans voice said. circa 1962. View 1 apartments for rent in corsicana, tx. In 1999 the case was referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). Alphon was the son of a senior figure at Scotland Yard. But if it happens, use the ignition to turn the pilot on again. It is not known why the trial was moved to Bedford, just nine miles from the murder scene, although this afforded easier access for the now-paraplegic Valerie Storie, who had received treatment at nearby Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Learn more about how you can collaborate with us. Professor Hobbs described Valerie as a 'bloody minded and determined' woman with a charming character. "However, my MP joined the rebel cause, became embroiled in a committee set up to prove a miscarriage of justice, and had the temerity to write to me asking me to join it.". Ask the author: Jeremy Craddock on The Jigsaw Murders, Ask the author: Monica Weller on investigating a 50-year-old cold case. In 1997, a police inquiry concluded he was wrongfully convicted and the case was sent to the Court of Appeal,[1] which ruled in 2002 that a DNA test conclusively proved Hanratty's guilt beyond any doubt.[2]. And when she was found the following morning she was able to give a hugely detailed description of what happened. Moreover, the murderer drove badly, whereas Hanratty was an experienced car thief. [8] Gregsten had separated from his wife Janet (d. 1995[13][14]) who lived with their two children at Abbots Langley. But then the other suspect, Peter Alphon, publicly confesses to the crime. Storie then left the car and returned to sit beside Gregsten's body. "Valerie has worked at the laboratory since she left school five years ago and she has known Michael for a long time.". On 3 July 1957, aged 20, five months after his release from Wormwood Scrubs, Hanratty was sentenced at Brighton Magistrates' Court to six months' imprisonment (he served four) for a variety of motoring offences, including theft of a motor vehicle and driving without a licence. His companion, 22-year-old laboratory assistant, Valerie Storie, from Cippenham, near Slough, had been raped and shot five times in the chest. Free shipping for many products! They had never been disturbed before and it was easier to talk here rather than anywhere else. Hanratty said he had called into a sweetshop in Scotland Road and asked directions to 'Carleton' or 'Tarleton' Road. Ingrams said that Foot continued until his own death in 2004 to believe in Hanratty's alibi, despite the DNA tests of 2002. Keep an eye on the newspapers, this in years to come will come out.". While she died in 2016 before she wrote her book and told her story in her words, The Long Silence is a compelling read with never before heard details of what happened on that fateful night and the impact it had on Valerie's life. 'Feral pigeons' are terrorising Biggleswade's businesses, meeting hears, The 'infestation' has grown to around 50 pigeons, according to one town councillor, Closures expected with Lloyds Pharmacy set to sell off stores across UK, This follows the news that the pharmacy brand is also closing all of the 237 Lloyds outlets inside Sainsbury's, More than 40,000 defrauded from Luton Borough Council during cyber-attack, Councillor Rob Roche, portfolio holder for finance, said: "Money stolen from the council is money stolen from the residents of Luton. [30], The Hanratty family acting through their solicitor, Sir Geoffrey Bindman, repeatedly called for further inquiries into the case. However, only two days later, Storie gave a different description of her assailant to the police. With some justification it seemed, since Michael had a tendency to spend willingly rather than save. She told them: "I have never had a problem with the truth. A BBC Panorama episode in 1966 included extracts from the Jean Justice tapes. Hanratty put a cloth over Michael's bloodied head before raping Valerie on the back seat of the car. Use in a presentation/talk (eg,Powerpoint and Keynote) or in an editorial newsletter. That's basically taking the rest of his brothers life with him, since he knew he wouldn't be cleared. Flatline intro and Come play with me intro and outro www.dl-sounds.com, Logo and website design Paulina Szymanska, James Hanratty: The A6 Murder Crime Files, Tributes pour in for Sloughs brave Valerie Storie Slough & South Bucks Observer, Man is charged with A6 murder The Guardian, Court told of A6 car chase The Guardian, Calls to Yard in A6 case The Guardian, Hanratty family in new appeal against murder conviction BBC News, Police denial of concealing evidence The Guardian, Lay by murder gun identified The Guardian, New search in lay by murder The Guardian, Lennon film on the A6 murder found The Observer, Fresh confession revives Hanratty doubts The Guardian, Appeal court to reveal Hanratty murder case The Guardian, DNA hampers effort to clear Hanratty The Guardian, Murder casebook: James Hanratty Crime and Investigation Network, A miscarriage of justice? Woman left with serious injuries after dog attack on residential road in Luton. FBiH - Konkursi za turistike vodie i voditelje putnike agencije. But when Michael reached for the bag Hanratty shot him twice in the head, killing him instantly. If you do as I tell you, you will be alright., Extracted from The Long Silence: The True Story of James Hanratty and the A6 Murder by Valerie Storie, the Woman Who Lived to Tell the Tale by Paul Stickler. Michael was 14 years older than her and married with two children, though he was in the process of separating from his wife. After his release, his father resigned his job as dustman with Wembley council to start a window cleaning business with his son in a futile attempt to keep him away from crime. The man tied Storie's hands behind her back with Gregsten's tie and then saw a duffle bag containing some clean clothing. Of approximately seven bullets fired, five hit Storie; she fell to the ground next to Gregsten and played dead. When Paul was handed what he calls the 'Storie papers', made up of her own notes on that fateful night as well as police tapes, he decided her story needed to be told. Hanratty found a job there driving a mechanical shovel for the company of Green Brothers, which made breeze blocks, and remained with the firm for three years. At Deadman's Hill the man ordered Gregsten to pull into a lay-by. The James Hanratty case is perhaps Bedfordshire's most notorious murder. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. At 11.30pm, the man said he wanted food, and told Gregsten to start driving. Select from premium Janet Gregsten of the highest quality. The pair tracked down Peter Alphon in February 1962, and began a long friendship with him for the purposes of establishing the truth. [8], Hanratty's capital murder trial started at Bedfordshire Assizes on 22 January 1962 before Mr Justice Gorman and a jury; it was originally to have been heard at the Old Bailey, as requested by Hanratty's defence counsel, Michael Sherrard QC, later CBE. During 1962, the case caught the interest of London businessman Jean Justice, the son of a Belgian diplomat and partner of barrister Jeremy Fox. He said: "Whenever journalists came to her asking to tell her story she said no, as they'd misrepresent her. This would be of no interest except for possibly the oddest coincidence in the case. He certainly didn't know what he alleged that Mrs Gregsten was the prime mover in commissioning the murder. [34][37][39], At the appeal hearing in 2002, Michael Mansfield QC, the barrister acting for the Hanratty family, said that a vial, among surviving evidential items, had been broken which could account for contamination. The decision by the Court of Appeal included a discussion of the handling of the various items of evidence involved. Despite this, Michael was having an affair with his 22-year-old lab assistant, Valerie Storie. Through the window of the car and despite the fading light, she could clearly see that he was wearing a suit and tie with a white shirt. A brown, check car rug was spread out; another small, personalised feature of the rallying Morris. After vainly screaming and waving her petticoat to attract the attention of passing motorists, Storie lost consciousness. The day before he died he wrote a letter to his brother Michael in which he said: "I'm dying tomorrow but I'm innocent. Just before the defence opened its case, Hanratty changed part of his alibi. Hanratty also raped Gregsten's fiance, Valerie Storie, shot her five times and left her for dead. michael gregsten wife. Valerie hid pound notes in her bra to stop Hanratty from taking them. The police issued an appeal to boarding-house keepers to report any unusual or suspicious guests. Among the prosecution team at the trial was Geoffrey Lane, who was subsequently appointed Lord Chief Justice. Historical-Meal-5525 2 yr. ago. The Hanrattys were warm, gentle, determined people, unlikely parents of a man who had been convicted of shooting Michael Gregsten dead in a lay-by off the A6, raping his girlfriend Valerie Storie and then shooting her, leaving her for dead before driving off in the couple's car. At about 9pm on August 22, 1961, Michael Gregsten, 36, and his girlfriend Valerie Storie, 22, were sitting in their Morris Minor 1000 car in a lay-by at Dorney Reach, Buckinghamshire, when there was a tap on the driver's window. Valerie criticised the journalists who campaigned to prove Hanratty's innocence in an interview with the Mail on Sunday in 2002. Mr Gregsten's body was tonight identified by his wife, Janet. At the time of France's second suicide attempt in January, one of the letters he left was addressed to the coroner, in which he wrote 'I am of sound mind and body. Shortly after his return, Gregsten left his pregnant wife, Janet, and went to live in Windsor, inviting Valerie Storie to navigate for him during car rallies organised by the de Havilland car. After forcing them to drive 60 miles, gunman James Hanratty murdered Michael before raping Valerie and emptying a number of rounds into her body. He stayed in a room the night before the crime from which bullets that had been fired from the murder weapon were recovered. No precise diagnoses were offered, and it has since been suggested that he suffered from either epilepsy or post-concussional syndrome, which would have had a marked effect on his personality.[8]. Results from testing in June 1999 were said to be strong evidence of a familial match - the evidential DNA was "two and a half million times more likely" to belong to James Hanratty than to anyone else. He then ordered her to drag Michael's body out of the car to the edge of the lay-by before ordering her to show him how to operate the vehicle. [citation needed] She remembered a man resembling Hanratty, and at first said he stayed there during the week of 1926 August but later said she couldnt really remember what week he did stay. The man then kept them there for two hours, chattering to them incessantly. Try to reignite the pilot light. On 14 October, Valerie Storie identified Hanratty in an identity parade, after each of the men in the parade had repeated the phrase used by the murderer: "Be quiet, will you? It was a conclusive match. His wife, Maureen Hanratty, said the family had been 'put through hell' because of the behaviour of the authorities. As a result of these facts, after the A6 murder, Valerie was often unfairly characterised as a "loose woman". The gunman ordered Gregsten to drive in several directions, before stopping beside the A6 at Deadman's Hill, where the offences took place. But tonight, they were talking. Inside a parked Morris Minor was a 36-year-old scientist, Michael Gregsten, and his 22-year-old girlfriend, Valerie Storie. Valeries immediate instinct was that it was the farmer coming to find out what they were doing and to tell them to get off his land. Signing up to the newsletter is simple. You shot him. They drove around the suburbs of North London, apparently aimlessly. Not so much lying to avoid the death sentence, but putting the burden of clearing his name on his brother, even AFTER his death, makes him the worst type of criminal. He argued that the evidence may have been contaminated because of lax handling procedures.[34][40]. According to Storie, the couple were abducted at gunpoint in their car at Dorney Reach, Buckinghamshire, by a man with a Cockney accent and mannerisms matching Hanratty's. This image could have imperfections as its either historical or reportage. Hanratty confessed to his defence barrister that he had invented part of the Liverpool story as he was unsure he could prove where he was. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images Make an enquiry and our team will be get in touch with you ASAP. land for sale in highgate, st mary jamaica . She refused and, having managed to free her hands, tried to disarm him but was overpowered; after he threatened to shoot her, she relented. What was going to happen to them? Michael is married and he and his wife Janet have two boys, Simon, eight, and Anthony, nearly two.But Michael is having an affair with his 22-year-old lab assistant, Valerie Storie. For disappearances in France on the A6 between Paris and Lyon, see, GRO Register of Deaths SEP 1978 11 0739 BRENT - James Francis Hanratty, DoB = 3 October 1907, GRO Register of Marriages DEC 1936 2a 1724 BROMLEY - James Hanratty = Mary A. Wilson, GRO Register of Deaths JUL 1999 C81A 2421C 97 LEWISHAM - Mary Ann Hanratty, DoB = 6 April 1917, GRO Register of Births DEC 1936 2a 1038 BROMLEY - James Hanratty, mmn = Wilson, GRO Register of Births: MAR 1925 3a 660 BARNET. [1] He was hanged at Bedford Jail on 4 April 1962, after being convicted of the murder of scientist Michael Gregsten, aged 36, who was shot dead in a car on the A6 at Deadman's Hill, near Clophill, Bedfordshire in August 1961. At about 1.30am on August 23, Hanratty told Michael to pull into a lay-by at Deadman's Hill and to hand over his duffle bag. He was found guilty for the murder of a 36 year old scientist Michael Gregsten in August 22nd 1961. Although Hanratty's blood group (O) was the same as the murderer's, it was a fairly common blood type shared by 36% of the British population, including Peter Alphon and, apart from Storie's identification, there was no other evidence that Hanratty had ever been in the Maidenhead area. Michael J. Gregsten, mmn = Oulet, GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 1962 4a 7 AMPTHILL. After some investigation, 'Ryan' turned out to be James Hanratty, a 25-year-old petty criminal with four convictions for car theft, larceny and burglary. By August 22nd 1961 the marriage of Michael and Janet Gregsten had been in difficulties for some time.The 3 year love affair between Valerie Storie and Gregsten had intensified and on 1st August 1961 Gregsten had taken what seemed like an irrevocable step to end his marriage.He took a flat in Maidenhead and told his wife he would be moving in on James Hanratty was later tried, convicted and executed for the murder of Michael John Gregsten on the A6 road. Storie was an assistant at the same laboratory and had been having an affair with Gregsten, although this did not become public knowledge until Storie wrote a series of articles for the popular Today magazine in June 1962, five months after the trial. Search for stock images, vectors and videos, Available for editorial use only. Alphon subsequently surrendered himself, and was subjected to an intense interrogation. In October 1955, aged 18, Hanratty appeared at the County of Middlesex Sessions, where he was sentenced to two terms of two years' imprisonment, to run concurrently, for housebreaking and theft. The couple were found by a police patrol in the lay-by on the A6 at Deadman's Hill, near Luton, at 0645 BST today. France also left behind several letters for his family, the contents of which have never been made public. Bitterness continued in 1970 when the A6 Committee held a public meeting in Bedford to raise awareness of their concerns. During one of the phone calls, he pronounced "think" as "fink".[20]. This time, she did. When she refused, the man got out and forced her out of the car at gunpoint, pushing her on to the back seat, where he ordered her to undo her brassiere and remove her underwear before raping her. I therefore have no fear of him. Collaborate with our global Enterprise Sales team. [8], The first policeman on the scene was handed a census form on which Kerr had written down Storie's account of what she recalled at that moment; the document was never seen again. 341,587,075 stock photos, 360 panoramic images, vectors and videos, Share Alamy images with your team and customers. He took several steps back to the car before turning and firing four bullets at her, then reloaded and fired again. Drain the heater and clean it. She didn't change her story one iota.'. A group known as the A6 Committee was set up, with newspaper articles following and demands for an independent review in the House of Lords. Her testimony was critical in securing a guilty verdict, but this was questioned by many who felt the supporting evidence too weak to justify conviction, and Hanratty's brother fought for decades to have the verdict overturned. Jamal Edwards, a music producer and entrepreneur, died suddenly in February 2022. On Tuesday, 22nd August, 1961, Michael Gregsten, 36, a research physicist, called at the address of his estranged wife at Sabine House, Abbots Langley, and after taking his 9-year old son, Simon, to play in Cassiobury Park, Watford, he collected his girlfriend, Valerie Storie, 22, from work, and he and Storie went in Gregsten's Morris Minor to the Old Station Inn, Taplow, near Slough. Sixty years ago today, on April 4, 1962, their attacker was one of the last eight people in the UK to be executed when he was hanged at Bedford Prison. Paul's book describes the events in great detail of the night in illuminating detail, based on Valerie's accounts. During the 1990s, increasingly advanced DNA analysis techniques became widely available. Usher admitted remembering Hanratty and the suitcase, and partly remembered the name of the man as 'Ratty'; he was located by private detectives working for the defence, but was never called as a witness. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Michael Gregsten with his wife Janet 1962 OLD PHOTO at the best online prices at eBay! Peter Alphon died in January 2009 after a fall at his home. Mr Gregsten's body was tonight identified by his wife, Janet. He also claimed the gun went off by accident. how to save a picture on laptop without mouse. Her wish was honoured when The Long Silence was released with the title that Valerie had planned to give to her book. The man got into the back of the car and told Gregsten to drive further into the field, then stop. How much time had passed since they had pulled into the field is not absolutely clear since neither was paying particular attention but, Valerie would later estimate, after about thirty minutes their private conversation was disturbed. On the evening of August 22, 1961, lovers Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie were parked by a field near Slough. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. In August 1961, Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie were sitting in their car in Dorney Reach, UK when an intruder forced his way into the backseat brandishing a gun. Two civil servants employed at the Road Research Laboratory at Langley, near Slough, Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie, drew up in a Morris Minor car outside the Old Station Inn, a public house just outside the village of Taplow. Valerie Storie did not recognise Alphon in an identity parade, and he was released four days later after being detained on a charge of assaulting Meike Dalal. Next, use the -inch open-end wrench and pull out the thermistor by turning it counter-clockwise. On 11 October, Hanratty was arrested by police in Blackpool, at the Stevonia cafe. Gregsten at first refused, but the man became aggressive and threatened them with the gun. Two suspects were spotlighted for the attack, which was dubbed The A6 Murder. James Hanratty was eventually charged and executed, despite claiming his innocence. Hanratty claimed that his suitcase had been handed in to Lime Street Station to a 'man with a withered or turned hand'. Michael Streeter on the latest twist in a celebrated murder mystery. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. They were, though, generally relaxed talking in their cornfield. Was this a miscarriage of justice? The gunman got out of the car and approached her; pleading for her life, she took a pound note from her pocket, screaming, "Here, take this, take the car and go." She said: 'They have built their case on this myth and it has grown to become pure folklore. None of it made sense. Ingrams said that Alphon, in conversations with Foot and others, had spoken "obsessively about the case, frequently incriminating himself". You don't want it to be blown out. The police then took the unusual step of publicly naming Alphon as the murder suspect. All rights reserved. They dispatched a telegram to Valerie's place of work, inviting her to the Corn Exchange to "refute any allegations that may be made against you". FACTFILE 22nd August 1961, Michael Gregsten and his mistress Valerie Storie, were sitting in his car in a field, they were hijacked by a man with a gun, the man made them drive around for hours, eventually ending up at Deadmans Hill on the A6 just outside Clophill, Bedfordshire. Following her death, author Paul Stickler was handed Valerie's extensive notes and files, allowing her story to finally be told. The trial lasted 21 days, the longest in English legal history up to that time.[21]. She was of the opinion that it is for all of us to make the most of what we have been dealt.'. Surely we could do much better?, Man in his 70s attacked in his home by burglars in Luton. After holding them at gunpoint for two hours, Hanratty told Michael to start driving because he wanted food. [41], Valerie Storie was quoted as saying "I identified the guilty man. Even once she had been shot and was passing in and out of consciousness, she still managed to wave her petticoat to try to attract attention. The dead man, who has been identified as physicist Michael John Gregsten, 34, from Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire, had been shot twice in the head with a 38-calibre revolver. Hanratty was convicted of the murder in 1962 and sentenced to death. By the time of his arrest for the murder of Michael Gregsten, Hanratty had already accumulated four convictions for motoring offences and housebreaking. Eight weeks later he was found semi-conscious in the street, having apparently collapsed from either hunger or exposure.