Victor said that the programme had made him suspicious as to whether Florences killer Harold Jones who had been released from a 20 year prison sentence in 1941 for the Abertillery murders was responsible for 12 year-old Muriel Drinkwaters death. She was pulled from that path into the woodland beside it, attacked and murdered amongst the undergrowth of Penllergaer Woods, near Swansea, just yards from safety. Detectives to revisit unsolved murder. 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. He clearly wasn't very bright, and there's evidence that you see of overkill with Muriel Drinkwater's case as well.". 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. I wonder if there was a sketch done when Hoyles confronted a man weeks earlier. If the perpetrator was lying in wait as I believe he was, why select that certain spot? Something went wrong, please try again later. It became known as the Little Red Riding Hood murder - but who killed Muriel Drinkwater? There was a camp a mile away in Grovesend. The Little Red Riding Hood murder of Muriel Drinkwater. Video, 00:01:20, WATCH: Key moments from PM's NI Brexit deal speech, EU Chief on NI deal: 'We were honest with each other' Video, 00:00:36, EU Chief on NI deal: 'We were honest with each other', The 'smart suit' that is changing children's lives. I contacted D.S. Video, 00:00:36, Tears of relief after man found in Amazon jungle, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. The murder of Muriel Drinkwater ,[2] also known as the Little Red Riding Hood murder, is an unsolved 1946 child murder case from Wales. But when they tested a stain on Muriel's coat it did not come up with a link to child murderer Harold Jones - who is also suspected of being a serial killer dubbed Jack the Stripper. I have a special interest in this case as I too was brought up in Penllergaer. taken from one of Jones many nieces or nephews in Wales would prove conclusively if Jones was or was not Muriels killer. 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[18] The public can no longer access the Drinkwater files by Freedom of Information Act requests or in person at the archives office in Kew. Hoyles lamented, For years, Ive lived with the knowledge that some people in the community suspected me. Jones, originally of Abertillery, South Wales, is a suspect in the killings of six women in London in the 1960s. He could not be placed at the scene, and the DNA ruled him out of the investigation. sample from Harold Jones daughter. Martin well remembers a young girl who was "always full of life" and would always be skipping and singing. 4th daughter born to Lilian and Charles Herbert Irvine in Liverpool. Just before she entered the woods she looked up to see the farm in the distance. More recently, however, it was tested against the DNA of one Harold Jones, a convicted double child murderer who slayed two similarly young girls in Abertillery in the 1920s, to see if he might be the perpetrator. ", "Groundbreaking DNA test rules out childkiller in unsolved murder", 74 years ago, Muriel Drinkwater was murdered. Yet, despite their exhaustive enquiries - not to mention the discovery of the gun used in Muriel's shooting - the culprit managed to evade justice. Advertisement. Sorry I doubled up on some of the above but cant edit it. She was still wearing her school uniform. Twelve-year-old Muriel Drinkwater was a choirgirl who dreamed of being a schoolteacher. Talk about a case hitting close to home for you! The killer was dubbed Jack The Stripper because of the way he left his victims. Perhaps one day then there'll still be justice for Muriel Drinkwater - even if it might have to stretch beyond the grave. Mudgee General Cemetery. 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. Enter your email address to receive our monthly newsletter and to be notified about new posts. A different D.C.I. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. The murder of Muriel Drinkwater (Welsh: Llofruddiaeth Muriel Drinkwater),[2] also known as the Little Red Riding Hood murder, is an unsolved 1946 child murder case from Wales. OnJune 27, 1946, twelve-year-old Muriel Drinkwater made her way home from school inPenllergaer, Swansea. Neil. She was buried at St David's Church in Penllergaer. Drinkwater, a 12-year-old schoolgirl, was raped and shot in the woods in Penllergaer, Swansea. I have requested information regarding the cost of the re-investigation of Muriels murder since 2008. I am awaiting D.N.A tests to be carried out on Harold Jones family members. 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Sometimes the rumours and suspicion in these unsolved cases does almost as much damage to the community as the crime itself. 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. 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. Video, 00:01:00View from the cockpit of a Ukraine combat helicopter. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Learn more about managing a memorial . 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. Neil Milkins. Chief Inspector Bethell aptly explains, Re-opening the case is as much about proving who didnt do it, as who did. Remember that Hoyles was suspected of Muriels murder for decades and lived under a cloud suspicion that followed him everywhere he travelled in his small village. 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. In 2008, a DNA profile of the suspect . The police think that Hoyles, who as mentioned above passed Muriel on her way home, encountered Muriels killer weeks before her death. "(The murder) turned our family upside down and has been talked about through the generations. "[14][5], In 2020, the BBC One documentary Dark Land: Hunting the Killers suggested that Ronnie Harries could be the murderer. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Hi Neil. I appealed that decision and was then informed that as the information I requested was kept in paper format in various locations in South Wales then it would be too costly and time-consuming to check out so the request was denied. Does his daughter have a son.? Medicaid to cut 14 MILLION Americans from health coverage as states crack down on eligibility for the first time in three years after numbers soared during COVID - so are you at risk? Would you be able to tell me please if Harries has been cleared of Muriels murder as well. Dear Sir/Madam. If you can contact [emailprotected] Id really appreciate it. '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. I suggest reaching out to a DNA expert and seeing what insight they might be able to provide. Thanks again! GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS. ', Sister of murdered Idaho student Kalyee Goncalves gives birth to baby girl and gives it middle name 'MaddieKay' in tribute to her and slain best friend Maddie Mogen, CDC issues 'serious public health alert' over nationwide spike in drug-resistant stomach bug that infects half a million Americans each year, Mark Walhberg is SLAMMED for presenting SAG Award to Asian cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once following his hate crime conviction for assaulting Asian men in 1988. I have informed South Wales Police regarding this information to save them a fortune on a wild goose chase trying to extract D.N.A. I contacted Detective Superintendent Martyn Lloyd-Evans (now retired) of South Wales Police by phone and had a friendly conversation with him about Victor Penalunas suspicions. Hi Neil 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. Officers are now examining a semen stain on Muriel's coat to see if it can be linked to Jones. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[2]='LNAME';ftypes[2]='text';fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[3]='ADDRESS';ftypes[3]='address';fnames[4]='PHONE';ftypes[4]='phone';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true); Liked it? Her parents Harold and Muriel Jones/Stevens kept a lot of secrets from this daughter one of which may be that she wasnt Harolds daughter. Despite their inve. This was no spur of the moment event. 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Todays' video is about the true crime story of the unsolved murder of 12 year old Muriel Drinkwater in 1946. Some time after speaking to D.S Lloyd-Evans, D.N.A. Only by comparing D.N.A. from Ron Harries and his cousin and from Muriels coat and yet are not releasing the results of the tests. Required fields are marked *. But in 2003, when the case was reopened for review, forensics experts found a semen stain found on Muriel's coat. He is very clearly interested in the fact that she is young, that she is a schoolgirl, and also that she is very clever. 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. ADVERTISEMENT BY ANCESTRY.COM. This true crime happened in Penllegaer Woods on the outskirts of Swansea in 1946. All Rights Reserved. First, I was told that South Wales Police werent obliged to say. Harries bludgeoned two of his relatives to death with a hammer when they wouldn't let him borrow their car. Just a few weeks short of her 13th birthday, Muriel had been beaten on the crown of her head with an object, raped and then shot twice in the . [6] On 27 June 1946, Muriel took the school bus home from Gowerton Grammar School. A much loved, very kind and thoughtful person who did great things for people but never expected anything in return. With the help from a niece of Muriel Drinkwater I pursued my research which led to South Wales Police taking a D.N.A. Swansea 12-year-old Muriel Drinkwater, who was shot after being sexually assaulted in 1946, Officers searching the farmland in the days after the murder, Muriel's schoolmates with flowers for her grave, A picture of the gun police believe was used, Harold Jones, a convicted child killer who was also a suspect in Muriel's killing, Ronnie Harries, the last man to be sentenced to death in Carmarthen, The book that was found in a charity shop. This will conclude a 10 year wait to see if Jones was indeed Muriels killer. request regarding the unsolved murder of 12 year-old Muriel Drinkwater near Swansea in June 1946. Up to see if Jones was or was not Muriels killer weeks her. As mentioned above passed Muriel on her way home muriel drinkwater update Gowerton Grammar.., forensics experts found a semen stain found on Muriel 's coat memorial using the Edit button.. The unsolved murder of Muriel Drinkwater - even if it might have to stretch beyond the grave the! 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