The A6 Assailant : Members of the Investigation team

Members of the Investigation Team

There are various members of the investigation team who all are required to work together to gather the information required, and to ensure all evidence, information and intelligence are admitted on time for the trial of said criminal with their alleged crime. Each role has their own responsibility in the audit trail of evidence and are required to keep all involved and other roles informed to compile necessary information. Each role is significant, and they all need to cohesively work as one unit to 'get the job done' and to set free or convict the said suspect.

Within an investigation the FAO is the person who is the first to attend the scene who is of authoritative standing, this officer once on the scene, assesses the situation and calls for the appropriate the backup, they call personnel such as the police, investigators follow once crime is assessed and severity, fire services if needed, forensics, etc. Other roles in which the FAO oversees is protecting evidence and detailing where items are found. Normally initial information is received here by witnesses, and victims if alive still. In my case, the FAO gained the original witness statement from John Kerr, an Oxford undergraduate student, Kerr had written Stories breathed account of her attack including her address, name, age of herself and Gregsten, an initial description was also given to Kerr by Storie and his own account of his side also. Kerr had also completed a census and both the census and both statements and given written to the FAO, these documents were not found again. This mishandling of evidence and original statement could potentially damage the case as the information and recollection of the event are fresh imprints when it's just happened, and with later statements they run the risk of more errors and misconstrued descriptions. A second statement was taken by Storie at bedside before surgery and another description of the assailant was given, later after surgery and after an identity parade of suspects, Storie picked a volunteer from the parade, and another identity image was made with the aid of another witness Edward Blackall on the 29th August. Blackall had apparently seen the driver of the Morris Minor and made a separate identikit image which was released to the public, meanwhile Storie, 2 days later had given a different description of her assailant. However, after Hanratty's arrest in Blackpool on the 11th October at the Stevonia Cafe, then on the 14th October, Storie had picked Hanratty from the identity parade.

Above:
The differences between the first and second Identikit image

Above:

The first identikit made, resembled Alphon heavily, when compared to an actual image.

The SOCOs job is to oversee and direct the forensics team and evidence collectors, the SOCO or scenes of crime officer is in charge of collecting and passing the evidence to the exhibits officer to then be transported to the laboratory and police station. PPE or personal protective equipment is imperative to be upheld and implemented on a crime scene to prevent cross contamination between the forensics team and the evidence and to also ensure the safety of the forensics team. In my case, as it is historic 1960's, PPE wasn't implemented as formally, whereas now it is mandatory for protective clothing to be worn, which arose issues surrounding the integrity and validity of the evidence. The main piece of evidence was the underwear in which Storie was sexually assaulted in, the underwear was taken for analysis. Another piece of evidence was found away from the scene and on the 36A bus, under the seat. Through later research, I had found that the underwear must have been collected and preserved appropriately as the garment was tested and profiled a number of times over the years therefore the item must be preserved, the integrity however after being tested over 40 times would be diminished. The gun was collected a few days after the murder, and found by cleaner Edwin Cooke, the police did not appear to wear any PPE when collecting the gun, later on when bullets were found in the Vienna Hotel in Maida Vale, the bullets were matched to the 38. calibre Enfield. The SOCOs work predominantly with Forensics to ensure that they do their job to the best of their ability, they also work with the investigating officers as information is passed onto them, and the police as SOCO and forensics were called by them to the scene.

Above:
The location as to where the gun was found on the back of the 36A bus, under the seats.

The role of the investigating officer is to follow up the leads and begin the investigation researching and talking to witnesses to gain as much information to prove or disprove information given to them and to seek the truth for the courts and case. Detectives did see Storie in hospital after her surgery to discuss the incident further. The investigating officers in my case consists of detective constable James Williams who was called as witness at Bedford Assizes. Detective constables Albert Stillings and Jim Williams who worked at Blackpool for the Criminal Investigation Department, these constables detained a man named witness and who could give them information relating to Hanratty's alibi of being in Blackpool. Detective sergeant Kenneth Oxford was later cross examined at trial by Hanratty's defence counsel, Michael Sherrard, for his handling of the case and lack of professionalism. The director of the Metropolitan Police Laboratory at Scotland yard, Lewis Nicholls was called to give evidence at the Magistrates court. Detective superintendent Bob Acott who was in charge of the investigation team, and detective superintendent Charles Barron, who lead from Bedfordshire Criminal Investigation Department (Beds CID), Both spoke in court to give evidence of their findings. Each of these roles fell under the investigating officers umbrella as they worked together, especially the Bedfordshire CID and Blackpool CID, and the Metropolitan police due to the two hotels in London (Alexandria Court and the Vienna hotel), witnesses were called by defense and prosecution for the Rhyl, North Wales alibi later in court, but were notified to give evidence by the CID departments and wouldn't of without the notification to give evidence and their importance in giving the evidence. The two Alibis given by Hanratty were investigated in depth to understand his whereabouts, also Alphons movements and financial loss (£10,000) reportedly lost without a trace by the illusive Alphon. The investigative officers work alongside the police as they are located in the incident/operations room and can freely pass information easily across.

Above:
Albert Stillings (Right) Jim Williams (Left)

Above:
Kenneth Oxford

He Joined the Metropolitan Police and within months transferred to CID as a detective, As a junior officer in the early 1960's had been apart of the 'A6 Murder Squad' which saw Hanratty hanged for murder and rape. years later in his career he was criticized for leaked documents about the Hillsborough disaster in Merseyside, as the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was briefed 4 days after the disaster.

Above:
Lewis Nicholls

Above:
Bob Acott (Left), Charles Barron (Right)

Above:
Defence council for Hanratty; Michael Sherrard

Above:
Graham Stanwick (Right) Prosecution council.

Intelligence officers are utilized to gain statistical data from local and national crimes and pin points what crimes were committed and where, and who are the prevalent names linking to the crimes. This is because for Bedfordshire a murder wasn't the 'norm' and had to search around for petty criminals as the car was taken. As the crime in the case of Hanratty involved a car theft, they looked for petty car theft names and Hanratty flagged up as the has had past convictions for drinking with a banned licence, stealing cars, and had a job driving cars and vehicles. The Morris Minor was found the next day in Ilford, Essex behind Redbridge tube. According to Storie, the assailant had to ask how to drive the car as Minors are hard to drive due to being specific. Alphon later Hanratty's hanging, confessed to PC (police constable) Ian Thomson "there can't have been any fingerprints in the car otherwise mine would have given me away". On inspection of the Morris Minor, there were no fibres, blood, forensic ties to either suspect, other than Hanratty's longstanding record with vehicles and Alphons lack of.

Above:
Beford Criminal Investigation Department, operations room, Head of operations and investigation, Bob Acott.

Forensic Analysts are the laboratory workers who test the various forensic pieces of evidence and conclude their findings for the courtroom as expert witness to the crime. Without these analysts the investigation would solely rely on circumstantial evidence, forensics evidence holds the key to knowing the assailant by transfer of DNA or linking evidence be that in the form of fingerprints, footwear markings, semen, blood, etc. Normally, the piece of evidence is given by the exhibits officer to the laboratory and forensic analyst, and the chain of custody must be signed and dated to keep a log of who is in charge and protecting the evidence in question.
In my case, a pititol piece of evidence was Stories undergarments after her rape and shooting, the analysts carried out a variety of tests to find secretor groups to match from the garment to the assailant, later revealing it to be group 0, which matched both Hanratty and Gregsten group wise. When they tested back in the 1960s, forensic testing and DNA profiling was in its infancy stages and technology needed to enhance, therefore the evidence was stored until technology advanced to then re-test, again in 2002 when Hanratty was exhumed from his grave. The gun and bullets found on the 36A bus and Vienna hotel room were cross referenced to determine if that was the gun that killed Gregsten and paralyzed Storie, and it matched. A handkerchief was wrapped around the gun and was also tested for DNA, with no prevail of trace or match. Dr Keith Richards was the firearms and pathologist on the scene and created the expert witness statements to be read in court as to what he found. The report recorded that Gregsten was killed by 2 gunshots to the head with a 38. calibre enfield revolver at point blank, and Storie was raped and shot with the same 38. calibre revolver and was shot 4 times in the shoulder and 1 time in the neck, leaving her paralyzed from below the shoulders.

Above:
Image taken by Firearms and pathologist specialist: Keith Simpson, the 38. calibre Enfield

The police officers are called to a scene to keep bystanders and onlooking public, and the media away from the scene to protect the evidence and integrity of the scene. They are implemented these officers to work with investigating officers to make arrests and detain suspects. The gun found on the bus was found by cleaner Edwin Cooke, which was found days later after the crime occurred the police were called to the scene and the handling of the said gun was poor, no gloves which would cross contaminate the evidence making all forensic links to fingerprints invalid, however a match was made with the bullets linking to those found with the gun, and in the hotel. The Morris minor where Gregsten and Storie were taken in and dumped by the assailant, days after the murder the car was found. The grey 4 door 1956 Morris minor (847 BHN) behind Redbridge Tube in Essex. The car was jointly owned by Gregstens mother and aunt and had taken the car for a reported car rally.

Above:
Police and tracker dogs found the Morris Minor

Above:
Police and investigators around the Morris Minor

Witnesses called were as follows; Charles Frederick France, Hanrattys close friend who was also a petty criminal for burglaries and shared information before the crime about the safe 'deposit' area at the back of the bus. James Richard Trower, who spotted Hanratty as the driver of the Morris Minor and was called to the stand for the prosecution. Olive Dinwoodie who is linked to the Liverpool alibi as Hanratty stated he went into a sweetshop on Scotland road, wanting directions to 'Carleton' or 'Charleton' road, in court she stated that she couldn't remember the date. Gwen Smith and Pearl Hobson were nurses to Storie whilst undergoing her surgery and aftercare, called to court to detail any confessions, information, and her mental state. Grace Jones, who stood for the Rhyl alibi, as she ran a guesthouse Hanratty reportedly stayed in, located in North Wales. This witness then stated in court that her documents and accounts were chaos making her record disputable, but the defense stated that on that date and with the description Hanratty had of the attic room was exact and could of been there, but the prosecution stated that Ms. Jones could have stood in court to promote her guesthouse. John Skillett alongside Edward Blackhall stated they saw the driver of the car and gave description as to the man, they were called when the trial was held at the Magistrates court. Roy William Langdale was called 1st to the stand as witness, who contributed to his conviction, a compulsive liar as he was known as. Albert Cecil, another man who gave evidence to a sighting of the driver. Stanley Burton was called as witness at the magistrates. Mary Meaden gave evidence at Bedford assizes. Terence Michael Evans was a fairground attendant in Gwynfryn Avenue, in Rhyl, North Wales who was called as witness to the trial.