Valerie and 36-year-old Michael Gregsten were held captive in their car for five hours by a gunman who forced them to drive 60 miles from Buckinghamshire to Bedfordshire before shooting them. Hi, It's truly a crying shame that all the postings on this fascinating forum have been lost, seemingly for ever. The initial prime suspects were Hanratty, a petty criminal, and Peter Louis Alphon, an eccentric drifter. They had been here on a few occasions before, to make love or simply to spend time alone together. [8] Gregsten had separated from his wife Janet (d. 1995[13][14]) who lived with their two children at Abbots Langley. This turned out to be untrue, as her and her boyfriend, Michael Gregsten, were held up by a gunman and held captive in Gregsten's car for five hours. 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. After nine hours, they returned to the court and entered a unanimous verdict of guilty. Jet tila michael voltaggio and defending champion and last seasons winner brooke williamson. Hanratty was convicted of the murder in 1962 and sentenced to death. land for sale in highgate, st mary jamaica . 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. All rights reserved. dr mark weiss psychologist; evaluate crossword clue 4 letters; pitt county jail bookings twitter. Pre-pay for multiple images and download on demand. [34] However, he admitted that, if contamination could be excluded, the DNA evidence demonstrated that James Hanratty had committed the murder and rape. After vainly screaming and waving her petticoat to attract the attention of passing motorists, Storie lost consciousness. This is a hold-up," a mans voice said. Valentine's Day collision leaves moped rider with 'life-changing' injuries. Hanratty put a cloth over Michael's bloodied head before raping Valerie on the back seat of the car. michael gregsten wife - Svm-med.com 1945: Ex-soldier buried his wife on Anglesey beach after . 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. BBC ON THIS DAY | 23 | 1961: Couple found shot in A6 lay-by But tonight, they were talking. [citation needed]. "[25], The journalist and campaigner Ludovic Kennedy wrote many articles asserting Hanratty's innocence. Use in a presentation/talk (eg,Powerpoint and Keynote) or in an editorial newsletter. Valerie Storie after receiving treatment for stab wounds on the A6 where Michael Gregsten was murdered is taken to court during trial against James. "[42], Following the DNA evidence in 2002, Storie earned over 40,000 for her participation in various TV and newspaper documentaries. Why did you shoot him?" 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. At 11.30pm, the man said he wanted food, and told Gregsten to start driving. He was sent to Walton Prison, Liverpool, where he was again identified as a psychopath.[9]. The gunman replied that Gregsten had frightened him by turning too quickly. Still can't find what you're looking for? Show all articles. In July of the following year he fell from his bicycle, injuring his head and remaining unconscious for 10 hours; he was admitted to Wembley Hospital, where he remained for nine days. Valerie's story: The woman who survived the A6 Murder I looked in his eyes and he looked in mine. A woman who was raped and shot in a car with her lover - and was then hounded by people who were convinced her attacker was innocent, has told her story in a new book from beyond the grave. After forcing them to drive 60 miles, gunman James Hanratty murdered Michael before raping Valerie and emptying a number of rounds into her body. Gregsten was forced to drive down the A6 until he reached Deadman's Hill near Clophill, Bedfordshire. After a failed escape attempt, Hanratty was transferred to Camp Hill Prison, Isle of Wight. 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. Hanratty's initial defence was that he had been in Liverpool on the day of the murder, but then, halfway through the trial, he changed part of his story, claiming that he had in fact been in Rhyl, North Wales. It was not yet dark, but twilight had set in and visibility was not perfect. Collaborate with our global Enterprise Sales team. 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. The A6 Committee made a list of claims which, they contended, indicated that Alphon was the murderer: Paul Foot warned "against jumping to hasty conclusions, in particular about Peter Alphon he really didn't know as much as he pretended. 60 years since the A6 murder in Bedfordshire - Home | Bedford Today Michael Gregsten with his wife Janet before he was murdered in his car on the A6 by James Hanratty. [37][38] However, they further went on to note, in the summary of their judgement: The DNA evidence does not stand alone and the Court refers to some of the more striking coincidences in the light of the DNA evidence if James Hanratty was not guilty. Bitterness continued in 1970 when the A6 Committee held a public meeting in Bedford to raise awareness of their concerns. Ask the author: Jeremy Craddock on The Jigsaw Murders, Ask the author: Monica Weller on investigating a 50-year-old cold case. 22:52, 05 Apr 2022. Michael Streeter on the latest twist in a celebrated murder mystery. I'm thinking." The decision by the Court of Appeal included a discussion of the handling of the various items of evidence involved. But in May 2002 the Court of Appeal ruled that the DNA evidence had established his guilt "beyond doubt". Valerie hid pound notes in her bra to stop Hanratty from taking them. richmond electric tankless water heater error codes As 22-year-old Valerie Storie stepped out of her home on August 22, 1961, she shouted to her parents "Goodbye, I shan't be late". Gregsten's girlfriend, Valerie Storie, was raped, shot five times, and left paralysed. '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. 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. At about 6:45am on 23 August 1961, the body of Michael John Gregsten (28 December 1924 - 23 August 1961)[10][11] was discovered in a lay-by on the A6 road at Deadman's Hill, near the Bedfordshire village of Clophill, by John Kerr, an Oxford undergraduate conducting a traffic census. Alamy and its logo are trademarks of Alamy Ltd. and are registered in certain countries. Accidentally swallowed a nicotine pouch Even Valerie's own Member of Parliament, Joan Lestor, insisted Hanratty was innocent, and once sent a letter to Valerie inviting her to join the campaign for the A6 Committee. [12] Gregsten had been shot twice in the head with a .38 revolver at point blank range; Storie had been raped, and then shot with the same weapon, four times in the left shoulder and once in the neck, leaving her paralysed below the shoulders. She identified James Hanratty as her attacker during an identity parade. 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. Was James Hanratty Guilty or Innocent? His DNA was found on a piece of material from Valerie Stories knickers where it would be expected to be if he was guilty; it was also found on the handkerchief found with the gun. During the 60 mile journey, Michael and Valerie made 22 separate attempts to escape or frustrate the driver. The pair had been intimate for two years after meeting through work, and seemingly had spoken about marriage. 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. DNA samples from both sources exactly matched James Hanratty's DNA. Want the latest Bedfordshire news direct to your inbox? When Valerie died and her papers were given to me I became determined to retell the story with her perspective at its heart. 10:56, 04 Apr 2022 With the gun still pointing at them, the man said, I have been on the run for four months. With the gun was a handkerchief which provided DNA evidence many years later. richmond electric tankless water heater error codes That night, after stopping for a drink at The Station Inn at Taplow, they stopped on a countryside road to discuss their future. Valerie Storie - obituary - The Telegraph a6 murder - Casebook: Jack the Ripper Forums ease arkansas phone number 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 michael gregsten wife - Synergyarabia.ae However, in a new edition of his book, 36 Murders and Two Immoral Earnings, printed immediately after the publication of the Hanratty DNA evidence, he retracted his assertions of Hanratty's innocence.[26]. Was a married man, he and his wife Janet had two boys, Simon, eight, and Anthony, nearly two. [17], Late in the evening of Tuesday, 22 August 1961, Valerie Storie was sitting alongside Gregsten in his car in a cornfield at Dorney Reach, Buckinghamshire. Alphon stuck to his confession and continued to repeat it until about 1971, when he withdrew his claims. But then the other suspect, Peter Alphon, publicly confesses to the crime. His reason for lying was that he had seen that Alphon was the police's prime suspect, and had wanted to assist their case. Home richfield school district michael gregsten wife. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Michael J. Gregston [, GRO Register of Marriages: SEP 1951 5f 1655 WOOD GREEN - Michael J. Gregsten = Janet Phillips or Kinnock, GRO Register of Deaths: JAN 1995 38C 7831 24 HORSHAM - Janet Gregsten, DoB = 9 Jan 1930, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Wrongly hanged: Hanratty is found innocent", "40 years after his execution, appeal judges say DNA is certain proof of Hanratty's guilt", "Hansard (for the 2 August 1963 sitting)", "We will never know the truth about the A6 killer", "After 36 years, Hanratty is set to be cleared", "Appeal Court to review Hanratty murder case", "England and Wales Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) Decisions. He told Gregsten to pass the bag but, as Gregsten moved, there were two shots. 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. 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. He had the same identifying manner of speech as the killer. Case 173: Rocio Wanninkhof & Sonia Carabantes, Tributes pour in for Sloughs brave Valerie Storie. "If anyone doesn't want to be punished then they, surely, don't commit the crime. Michaels duffel bag containing freshly laundered clothing rested next to it. Historical-Meal-5525 2 yr. ago. The car had been jointly owned by Gregsten's mother and aunt, and lent to the couple who, according to Storie, were planning to attend a car rally. However, as Paul's book reveals, these words were a mask for her true feelings. DESCRIPTIONIn August 1961, a couple by the name of Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie were sitting in their Morris Minor car in Dorney Reach, UK, when an in. The case for Hanratty's innocence was pursued by his family as well as by some of the opponents of capital punishment in the United Kingdom, who maintained that Hanratty was innocent and sought to draw attention to evidence that would cast doubt on the validity of his conviction. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images) Victim's Wife 23rd November 1961: Mrs Janet Gregsten arrives at Ampthill Court in Bedfordshire, to attend the trial of James Hanratty for the murder of her husband, Michael Gregsten. The pair had been intimate for two years after meeting through work, and seemingly had spoken about marriage. She said: 'They have built their case on this myth and it has grown to become pure folklore. After driving them around the English countryside for hours, the intruder shot both Michael and Valerie, leaving them on the side of the road at a location known as Deadman's Hill. Michael wound down his window, only halfway, when a gun was thrust through the gap, its muzzle pointing directly at them. Police handout, showing James Hanratty in police custody, Lennon and Ono protest Hanratty's execution. He then retrieved a cloth from the duffle bag, covered Gregsten's bloodied head with it, and ordered Storie to clamber into the back of the car, over Gregsten's body. A strong, disabled woman's story. But for the next 40 years Valerie was slammed by campaign groups and celebrities who were convinced Hanratty was innocent, making her reluctant to speak to the media during her lifetime. The trial lasted 21 days, the longest in English legal history up to that time.[21]. People need to know what this poor woman went through.'. 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. It was now approximately 3am, six hours after the ordeal had started at Dorney Reach. The murder weapon was recovered from a place on a bus which he regarded as a hiding place and the bus followed a route he could well have used.