", "Groundbreaking DNA test rules out childkiller in unsolved murder", 74 years ago, Muriel Drinkwater was murdered. 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.. Brutally beaten, raped and shot twice, the discovery of Swansea schoolgirl Muriel Drinkwater 's body in 1946 horrified an entire community. In 2008,Detective Chief Inspector Paul Bethell located Muriels blue coat, underwear, and school uniform in police storage. 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. In the programme, former Dyfed Powys chief constable Jackie Roberts travelled to met him and he told her how his grandparents (Muriel's parents) had changed after the murder. In mid 2007, I had extensive contact with Detective Constable Paul Rogers of the London Metropolitan Police. Hi Neil. Nevertheless, local legend tells of how, after leaving prison, he'd return to his parents' house in Abertillery from time to time, where the sound of him playing the organ in their front room would haunt the terraced streets. Muriel Drinkwater was laying on her back, one arm outstretched by her side and the other slightly raised. "We had access to the files and identified that a semen stain had been found on the coat. I personally think it was someone still in the area from the Second World war. Updated: August 30, 2013 . There is no doubt about that.". "We realise whoever did this might be dead, but if he is alive and in his 80s or even 90s we would like to see him behind bars," said Muriel's great-niece Claire Phillips, speaking about developments last October. This will conclude a 10 year wait to see if Jones was indeed Muriels killer. It was believed the victim's clothes had been lost. Her mother was in the kitchen and . "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. Enter your email address to receive our monthly newsletter and to be notified about new posts. Video, 00:02:36, Up Next. ~ Christine. However, a lack of hard evidence would later see him freed. She was was found murdered in 1980 in a field in Dixon, CA. But they said the results now ruled out Jones as a suspect in her murder. Wife of James Anthony Drinkwater and mother to Carole Suzanne, Stephen Mark, Simon Anthony and Russell John Drinkwater. She was beaten, raped and shot twice just yards from her family's isolated farmhouse in 1946. OnJune 27, 1946, twelve-year-old Muriel Drinkwater made her way home from school inPenllergaer, Swansea. It is frustrating that the Wales Online story of Saturday 7 November states the police have D.N.A. - Listen to The Unsolved Murder of Muriel Drinkwater by The True Crime Files instantly on your tablet, phone or browser - no downloads needed. Jones killed two young girls when he was just 15 and was jailed for 20 years. 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. Thank you Christine. There are, of course, other theories regarding who was lying in wait on that fateful day. The Photo Request has been fulfilled. 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. 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? Drinkwater, a 12-year-old schoolgirl, was raped and shot in the woods in Penllergaer, Swansea. It is one of the oldest active cold cases in the United Kingdom. An autopsy later determined that Muriel had been bludgeoned, raped, and shot twice in the chest. The last person who reported seeing her was Hubert Hoyles, then 13, who passed her on the path returning from her family farm, where he had gone to buy eggs. 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 . Sorry I doubled up on some of the above but cant edit it. I was able to edit the comment for you before it went live. This post deals with sexual assault and might be triggering for some readers. 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. But Muriel, who was known locally as 'The Little Nightingale' because of her beautiful singing voice, never made it home. Farm Heroes Saga, the #4 Game on iTunes. "If information comes in from the public or other forces we act on it.". Would a nephew definitely suffice to prove a link to Harol Jones and the crime scene stain on Muriels coat. This forensic approach is becoming more common. Although an extensive investigation was conducted that involved the police visiting every farmhouse and cottage within 150 square miles and interviewing 20,000 men in Swansea, Aberdare and Carmarthenshire, the case that has become known as theLittle Red Riding Hood Murder remains unsolved. We could see it [had been] in a police station, but as it closed, where did it go next? The unanswered question, however, is whether or not the killer was specifically waiting for Muriel or if any girl or woman who happened by would have made a suitable target. He stated that I was barking up the wrong tree regarding Harold Jones having killed Muriel and finished by saying Happy Hunting before slamming the phone down on me. Video, 00:01:18, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story, WATCH: Key moments from PM's NI Brexit deal speech. Muriel was seen at 2:30PM, singing as she exited the school bus. It is currently one of the oldest active cold cases in the UK. 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. Police are closer than ever to finding her killer. Photo added by Tracey. 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.? It became known as the Little Red Riding Hood murder - but who killed Muriel Drinkwater? So with that revelation the re-opened inquiry could have cost 15 million or more as did the Gwent Police inquiry into the disgraced former Abertillery care home owner Dr Dana Pras. Who killed 'Little Red Riding Hood'? Published: 08:03 EST, 1 May 2019 | Updated: 13:00 EST, 1 May 2019. It blighted my life. For Hoyles, and no doubt numerous other people in Penllergaer,every dollar spent bringing Muriels killer one step closer to justice has been a dollar well spent. She was shot twice in the chest. She may or may NOT have been Jones biological daughter. Neil. I am leaning towards it being a targeted attack, in part because of the positioning of the perpetrator as you mentioned. On June 27, 1946, 12-year-old Muriel Drinkwater made her way home from school in Penllergaer, Swansea (UK). Detectives to revisit unsolved murder. Muriel Drinkwater murder: Who killed 'Little Red Riding Hood'? [3] In 2008, a DNA profile of the suspect was extracted from her clothes, possibly the oldest sample . Was a local stalking Muriel? Birth: 16 Jan 1878: '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 out Harold Jones completely as a suspect in this case. He agreed to give a DNA sample that could rule out Muriel's father from the investigation. The team are still investigating if this has any relevance to the case and are appealing for anyone with information about it to come forward. Police records from the time show that Muriel's mother was the last person to see her alive. It became known as the Little Red Riding Hood murder - but who killed Muriel Drinkwater? [3] In 2008, a DNA profile of the suspect was extracted from her clothes, possibly the oldest sample in the world to be successfully extracted in a murder investigation. 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It doesnt take much working out who the unnamed source with South Wales Police was! 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He stated he had long been suspected by some locals of being the murderer and was happy to clear his name. taken from Jones one and only child, a daughter. 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. The killer was dubbed Jack The Stripper because of the way he left his victims. South Wales Police detectives requested the original case file from Kent Police to determine if there was a connection. 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.. Request number 772/21. 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. 4th daughter born to Lilian and Charles Herbert Irvine in Liverpool. Some people turn to the murder weapon for answers and suggest that the killer was either an American serviceman who had previously been stationed at Penllergaer or that an American soldier may have sold the gun to the perpetrator in the village. I had informed him that Harold Jones had been living incognito in various West London locations after his release from prison in 1941. Video, 00:01:00, View from the cockpit of a Ukraine combat helicopter. Take a second to support Christine on Patreon! Muriel Drinkwater Muriel Drinkwater (born 1906) Jump to: Bio graphy Family Photos Comments Obit uary. Also, as I understand matters, members of Muriels family have given DNA samples to ascertain whether Muriels father may have killed her. Her route to her familys home Tyle-Du Farmentailed a mile-long journey that wove in and out of the woods. The police statement that Jones was ruled out is a misleading statement. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. On his way home, he passed Muriel as she walked along the path. Hi Christine. I really appreciate your local insights. Please let us know how it goes. 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. First he lived in Fulham with a former London Metropolitan Police officer John Widdows and his daughter Muriel whom he married in 1948. Former Detective Inspector Paul Bethell, who was in charge of South Wales Police's cold case team, explained in the documentary: "We know Muriel used to catch the school bus from the school to the gateway off the main road which led to the forestry, and then she would walk about a mile through the forestry, along the lane to the farmhouse.". Norah Irene Bartlett. "This was a terrible, terrible crime that someone has got away with for too long. Officers are now examining a semen stain on Muriel's coat to see if it can be linked to Jones. programme called Crime Secrets presented by H.T.Vs Jonathan Hill. Victor told me that he had seen a T.V. A different D.C.I. She was buried at St David's Church in Penllergaer. The team tracked down Harries' cousin Lynn Hughes who described how the only child had been "spoilt" by his parents and was very "childish". The police think that Hoyles, who as mentioned above passed Muriel on her way home, encountered Muriels killer weeks before her death. ~ Christine. [citation needed], In 2009, Welsh police began reinvestigating any link with the murder of 11-year-old Sheila Martin, who was raped and strangled 250 miles away in Sun Hill Wood, Fawkham Green, Kent, on 7 July 1946, ten days after Drinkwater's murder. She was hoping in her lifetime to find out who killed her aunt. Thanks again and take care. They had been regular churchgoers, but stopped going to church and moved away from the farm within two years of the murder. "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.". [12][13], For more than a decade, Welsh true crime author Neil Milkins theorised that notorious child murderer Harold Jones (19061971) was responsible for the murders of both Martin and Drinkwater. Those who have not failed may not have succeeded. Unless he bludgeoned first then he raped, this would have caught her by surprise. On June 27, 1946, 12-year-old Muriel Drinkwater made her way home from school in Penllergaer, Swansea (UK). As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. The Little Red Riding Hood murder of Muriel Drinkwater. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The savage nature of the attack stands out from other rapes. He clearly wasn't very bright, and there's evidence that you see of overkill with Muriel Drinkwater's case as well.". Click hereto hear the Audio File of this case. Her body was eventually found in a nearby lane, but it was the discovery of her handkerchief in the shops shed which saw Jones accused and stand trial for her death. Video, 00:00:41, Watch Kate beat William in spin class endurance race, Record numbers of guide dog volunteers after BBC story. Two other specific persons of interest have been put forward. As part of the investigation forensic evidence has been re-examined and officers have considered theories that convicted murderer Harold Jones was . Something went wrong, please try again later. On this occasion he was rude to me claiming that he knew nothing about any information sent to South Wales Police from D.C. Paul Rogers. 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. And please do not forget tosubscribe to the podcast and leave us a review. Thank you for sharing this detailed update on Muriels case with the community. And we appreciate your dogged determination to get to the bottom of what happened. "The farm was a painful place for my grandparents to be," said Martin, who still keeps a little battleship toy that Muriel had given him. During the course of the investigation the finger of blame had sometimes been pointed at Muriel's father, John. Only the exhumation of Jones body or D.N.A. I have spoken to former D.C.I Paul Bethel and given him this information. Hi. Read about our approach to external linking. This was a big news story at the time. Positive reviews really help others find our show. In 2007 whilst researching for my 2008 True Crime book Every Mothers Nightmare Abertillery in Mourning, which dealt with the murders of two Abertillery school-girls in 1921, I received a surprise visit from Victor Penaluna, a cousin of the second Abertillery victim Florence Little aged 11. DNA was found on evidence & matched a man already in prison. It truly is baffling and I cant help but wonder what they are trying to hide (and why!). On 28 June 2021, I sent the following Freedom of Information Request to South Wales Police. A moment later, Muriels path wound into a thickly wooded area, and her mother returned to her chores in the kitchen. Video, 00:01:28, The 'smart suit' that is changing children's lives, View from the cockpit of a Ukraine combat helicopter. 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