Dead Man's hill
Dubbed one of the most controversial trials in English law history, James Hanratty was sentenced the death penalty by hanging in 1962. He was one of the last to be executed in Britain by executioner Harry Allen in Bedford Prison, April 4th, 3 years before the act was abolished in 1965.
Left and right references:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1342569/50-years-challenge-DNA-test-bid-clear-Hanratty.html
Middle reference:
http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?p=74702
Left and right references:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1342569/50-years-challenge-DNA-test-bid-clear-Hanratty.html
Middle reference:
http://forum.casebook.org/showthread.php?p=74702
Michael Gregsten, (28/12/1924-23/8/1961) was a scientist who worked at Road Research Laboratories located at Slough, He had two children and was married to Janet and lived at Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire. Gregsten was having an affair with one, Valerie Storie who also worked at the research laboratory with Gregsten. Storie (24/11/1938) an assistant at the same research laboratory and mistress to Gregsten.
Aerial view of Deadman's Hill, the circled is where Gregsten was found.
Below also shows the route in which the murderer had taken that fateful night.
The police believed that the couple were confronted by a very smartly presented male with a gun (found to be a 28. calibre revolver) as they were parked on Dorney common in Berkshire on the evening of 22nd August 1961. The gunman had spoken to them and had said (according to Storie)
"This is a hold-up, I am a desperate man, I have been on the run for four months. If you do as I tell you, you will be all right"
Gregsten began driving with no known destination, At around 11:30 the gunman said he wanted food and he knew the Bear Hotel in Maidenhead. Gregsten was ordered to stop driving and told to stop at a milk vending machine and was sent into a shop to purchase cigarettes, then stop for petrol also. The couple had offered the gunman all their money and the car but he had no set plan for money, he seemed to want to stay with the couple. Through the Northern London suburbs they continued their journey along the A5 via St Albans, where the gunman had insisted it was Watford before joining the A6. At around 1:30 the car was now travelling Southerly until the gun,an said he wanted a "kip".
The couple were ordered to drive for 30 miles and told to remain quiet and to keep facing the front. After a couple of hours driving on the A6 and joining the A6, they arrived at Deadman's hill, located on a lay-by near Clophill at around 1:30am.
The gunman had said that in order for him to have a "kip" (sleep) that he would have to tie them up to do so. The assailant tied Stories hands behind her with Gregsten's tie and found a bag at the rear end of the car with rope inside. The gunman had told Gregsten to hand over the bag but as he moved to reach for the bag, two shots had been fired, Gregsten was found to have been shot twice into the head from which he had died instantaneously. The testimony given by Storie, had detailed why he had shot him, the gunman replied with that Gregsten had frightened him by moving too quickly.
After Gregstens murder, the attention moved on to Storie. Storie was ordered to get into the back seat and lay over Gregsten's lifeless body, she was then raped and forced to drag his body out of the car. After, the man had asked Storie to show him how to drive the car, it was clear that he hadn't driven before. The gunman had not known how the use the gears or pedals. Storie in a last bid for freedom had pleaded for her life and had taken a pound note out of her pocket and bellowed "Here, take this, take the car and go". The gunman however, had proceeded to shoot Storie, four times in the left shoulder and once in the neck leaving her paralyzed from the shoulders down.
At the scene of the crime, Gregsten's body was found with two shots to the head where he had died instantly by the 38 calibre revolver. Valerie however was found semi-conscience, she had been raped and had taken 5 shots to the chest with the same revolver which killed Gregsten. Once found, she was taken to Bedford hospital where she underwent surgery for the extent of her injuries. It is said that there had been detectives with tracker dogs who had spent the day searching the area and two cartridges had been recovered. Also, house to house inquiries have been conducted.
Detctives, police and tracker dogs surrounding the grey 1956 Morris Minor, registration number 847 BHN, which was found deserted behind Redbridge tube station, Illford, Essex on the 24th August
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/the-morris-minor-car-in-which-michael-john-gregsten-was-news-photo/3319767
Aerial view of Deadman's Hill, the circled is where Gregsten was found.
Below also shows the route in which the murderer had taken that fateful night.
The police believed that the couple were confronted by a very smartly presented male with a gun (found to be a 28. calibre revolver) as they were parked on Dorney common in Berkshire on the evening of 22nd August 1961. The gunman had spoken to them and had said (according to Storie)
"This is a hold-up, I am a desperate man, I have been on the run for four months. If you do as I tell you, you will be all right"
Gregsten began driving with no known destination, At around 11:30 the gunman said he wanted food and he knew the Bear Hotel in Maidenhead. Gregsten was ordered to stop driving and told to stop at a milk vending machine and was sent into a shop to purchase cigarettes, then stop for petrol also. The couple had offered the gunman all their money and the car but he had no set plan for money, he seemed to want to stay with the couple. Through the Northern London suburbs they continued their journey along the A5 via St Albans, where the gunman had insisted it was Watford before joining the A6. At around 1:30 the car was now travelling Southerly until the gun,an said he wanted a "kip".
The couple were ordered to drive for 30 miles and told to remain quiet and to keep facing the front. After a couple of hours driving on the A6 and joining the A6, they arrived at Deadman's hill, located on a lay-by near Clophill at around 1:30am.
The gunman had said that in order for him to have a "kip" (sleep) that he would have to tie them up to do so. The assailant tied Stories hands behind her with Gregsten's tie and found a bag at the rear end of the car with rope inside. The gunman had told Gregsten to hand over the bag but as he moved to reach for the bag, two shots had been fired, Gregsten was found to have been shot twice into the head from which he had died instantaneously. The testimony given by Storie, had detailed why he had shot him, the gunman replied with that Gregsten had frightened him by moving too quickly.
After Gregstens murder, the attention moved on to Storie. Storie was ordered to get into the back seat and lay over Gregsten's lifeless body, she was then raped and forced to drag his body out of the car. After, the man had asked Storie to show him how to drive the car, it was clear that he hadn't driven before. The gunman had not known how the use the gears or pedals. Storie in a last bid for freedom had pleaded for her life and had taken a pound note out of her pocket and bellowed "Here, take this, take the car and go". The gunman however, had proceeded to shoot Storie, four times in the left shoulder and once in the neck leaving her paralyzed from the shoulders down.
At the scene of the crime, Gregsten's body was found with two shots to the head where he had died instantly by the 38 calibre revolver. Valerie however was found semi-conscience, she had been raped and had taken 5 shots to the chest with the same revolver which killed Gregsten. Once found, she was taken to Bedford hospital where she underwent surgery for the extent of her injuries. It is said that there had been detectives with tracker dogs who had spent the day searching the area and two cartridges had been recovered. Also, house to house inquiries have been conducted.
Detctives, police and tracker dogs surrounding the grey 1956 Morris Minor, registration number 847 BHN, which was found deserted behind Redbridge tube station, Illford, Essex on the 24th August
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/the-morris-minor-car-in-which-michael-john-gregsten-was-news-photo/3319767
The above image details the abandoned grey 1956 model Morris minor after the A6 murder was committed, Circa 1961.
http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/mrs-janet-gregsten-in-ampthill-bedfordshire-to-give-news-photo/3318970
The image above sees the investigators imaging the crime scene to show the relative distance of the car at the scene on Deadman's hill, Circa 1961.
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/investigators-at-deadmans-hill-on-the-a6-road-near-the-news-photo/124371814
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