• We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Visiting Crime Scenes

I found a book Somebody's Husband,Somebody's Son by Gordon Burn in a charity shop the other day.It's a Yorkshire ripper book I've been looking for a while now.
It struck me halfway book that because of Google images, I could find, without too much searching, the places mentioned in the book, so that has added another dimension to reading books.
So this thread gave me that idea,thanks for that.
 
Today, far from home, I decided to pop along to a site associated with a famous crime. I saw a couple of other places also linked to it but hadn't looked up the current address of the people involved because, well, that would be creepy.

Just now though I did find out and discovered that I'd twice driven within yards of their house. Part of me feels glad I didn't know, and the other part is kicking myself. Human nature is a complicated thing. ;)
 
cherrybomb said:
McAvennie_ said:
Last time I was in San Francisco I had something of a morbid desire to visit the street corner where the first Zodiac victim was killed.

Going back to SF in September as part of our honeymoon, will maybe see if I can come up with a romantic suggestion to swing by that area... 8)

Is it wrong that I'd find going there rather romantic? :oops: :?

Sadly I didn't make it...

Was pushing my luck after dragging her around for about an hour looking for the statue of Yoda at Lucasfilm's offices! :oops:
 
McAvennie_ said:
cherrybomb said:
McAvennie_ said:
Last time I was in San Francisco I had something of a morbid desire to visit the street corner where the first Zodiac victim was killed.

Going back to SF in September as part of our honeymoon, will maybe see if I can come up with a romantic suggestion to swing by that area... 8)

Is it wrong that I'd find going there rather romantic? :oops: :?

Sadly I didn't make it...

Was pushing my luck after dragging her around for about an hour looking for the statue of Yoda at Lucasfilm's offices! :oops:
if you mean paul stine he certainly wasnt the first although the jurys out on who the first actually was i think

on jury service in 2004 i broke protocol and visted the site of the alleged rape as it was literally 5 minutes from my place ... glad i did as it clearly informed me of the nature of the place which was contaminated wasteground and not picturesque parkland as per the police photographs ( ! )
 
Erm....word to the wise....might be worth deleting that last bit.....
 
I've often looked on google street view to fins where he A6 murder happened. But the layby has gone and it is dual carriageway now.

One interview shows houses in the background but I can't find them either.
 
Watching Crimes That Shook Britain, about Suzy Lamplugh. There are plenty of easily-recognisable locations to be looked up on Google Maps: the building where she worked, the street where her car was found, the house where she presumably met the murderer.

You could even search for where her body may be buried, in the grounds of an abandoned army barracks at Norton in Worcestershire. The exact place may yet be located.
 
I did go to Fred and Rose West's house before it got demoished. Not sure why. Was in the area.

Have been to Belsen. Fair few murders there.

And the only other murder scene I've visited was in Great Yarmouth. Minutes after the murder had taken place and with the victim still in situ. Mid-90s.
 
Watching Crimes That Shook Britain, about Suzy Lamplugh. There are plenty of easily-recognisable locations to be looked up on Google Maps: the building where she worked, the street where her car was found, the house where she presumably met the murderer.

You could even search for where her body may be buried, in the grounds of an abandoned army barracks at Norton in Worcestershire. The exact place may yet be located.

I saw the Suzy Lamplugh program this week on the crime channel, I remember seeing the Norton Barracks just south of J7 on the M5, but the verge has overgrown now you can't see it anymore.
 
About 6 houses up the street from mine, but around a corner, there is a murder-house. About 10 yrs ago a lady named Dixie murdered her abusive drug-addicted husband and sealed his body up in the bedroom where it stayed for months before discovery. She lived there with their children in the house with his body. A friend of mine was actually questioned by police for the trial because Dixie baby-sat her son while the body was in there.
I guess he was so abusive and whatever else, she was aquitted on temporary insanity, given treatment and lives there still with a new husband. I've never seen her and she didn't have her light on Halloween. Not that I really want to meet her, neighbor or not.
 
Not crime scenes exactly, but I've had a lifelong interest in railways, and I never pass through Harrow and Wealdstone station without a slight shudder, and wonder how all the commuters on the platform can just be standing there unconcerned! Especially if its a bit foggy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrow_and ... rail_crash

As a bit of a crossover to the Forgotten History thread, I have never heard of this incident before. Quite amazing given its scale and the fact it occurred little over 20 miles from where I grew up.
 
Neat. If he turns into a restraunt are you going to eat there?
Also, full disclosure, I'm a big believer in ghosts. But I find it a little annoying that all these 'Paranormal Teams' are a stomping around every murder house they can find convinced tragedy equals ghosts. If I was a ghost I wouldn't give any signs out of aggravation. :p
 
That's the nub of it - we hear about crime mainly through the media. They select juicy stories and ignore the less salacious ones.

On R4 recently I heard some senior journalist talking on this subject and recalling a summer where there were about 5 sensational murders, all unrelated, one after another.

He made the point that while one or two would nicely fill up the silly season, five was too many, as the public would be scared out of their wits!

It is curious how certain crimes are selected to 'go national'.

Just this week back on my local turf a woman was found burned in a field, by the description it seems it would seem probable that is was an older local woman out walking. However, nobody has seemingly reported a friend/relative missing yet so she remains unidentified and despite the horrific nature it doesn't appear to have become a major news story.

Could have been a very bizarre suicide, or SHC I guess. This one was literally miles from my UK home.

http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/new...ED__WOODLAND_DEATH__Do_you_know_this_woman_/#
 
Do you think it was a situation like years ago, you used to hear of teens setting homeless people on fire for fun?
 
Neat. If he turns into a restraunt are you going to eat there?
Also, full disclosure, I'm a big believer in ghosts. But I find it a little annoying that all these 'Paranormal Teams' are a stomping around every murder house they can find convinced tragedy equals ghosts. If I was a ghost I wouldn't give any signs out of aggravation. :p

I think I'd give it a miss. The house does have a very creepy feel to it. I've a feeling that it will eventually fall into such a state of disrepair that it will have to be demolished.
 
Do you think it was a situation like years ago, you used to hear of teens setting homeless people on fire for fun?

Could be. Wouldn't put anything past today's teens! Really is unexplained, the area is popular for walkers but also not far on foot over the hills from a town centre and some rather dodgy estates. Just surprises me that nobody has been reported missing since Saturday and an identity of the victim obtained - which makes me wonder if it is a suicide of an old, lonely elderly woman. Unusual method if so!
 
Yeah if it was suicide you'd think she'd go quieter like some pills in bed or something. Maybe she was a tough old bird whobwanted to go out like a warrior. But I'm getting kind of a dump-site vibe about it. She may be not be missing in your town because they still want the pension..
I visited a dump-site once. I didn't know until after we'd been there awhile and my friend said 'Over there, under that little bridge, that's where they found Amber Harris.' I guess he'd brought me because before they found her, he'd been at the park just feet from this girl's body not knowing and he was still feeling messed up about it.
 
Yeah if it was suicide you'd think she'd go quieter like some pills in bed or something. Maybe she was a tough old bird whobwanted to go out like a warrior. But I'm getting kind of a dump-site vibe about it. She may be not be missing in your town because they still want the pension..
I visited a dump-site once. I didn't know until after we'd been there awhile and my friend said 'Over there, under that little bridge, that's where they found Amber Harris.' I guess he'd brought me because before they found her, he'd been at the park just feet from this girl's body not knowing and he was still feeling messed up about it.

Yeh, my gut feeling is either bizarre self-immolation or an innocent walker murdered rather than someone's body being dumped after a crime committed elsewhere.

The local press has been very quiet on details, it was in fact Friday evening she was found. The description certainly fits an elder lady who would perhaps go out walking, a rambler.

She has been described as white, around 5ft 2ins and wearing thin rimmed glasses with brown frames. She was also believed to be wearing a brown anorak which possibly had a hood, size 5 Softlites shoes and had a black retractable walking cane.

The area is very close to the Ridgeway which is a popular walking route. This makes me feel it was someone attacked while out walking.

However, another report mentioned that the body had been found in an area off the path where you would have to be familiar with the local woodland to get to which seems to perhaps suggest a suicide?

Certainly would not be a shock - sadly - to find out it was some kind of prank/attack perpetrated by youths but certainly not a vagrant or homeless person in this case.
 
Not my thing, but I have knowingly visited a murder scene as it was were a friend had killed herself and close relatives, but this was to visit those who remained behind.
 
I accidentally parked next to one when my friends and i went to a warehouse on a street, we wondered who the flowers were for on a yard,it was where the poor girls body was dumped about a week ago
 
my dad (sadly no longer with us) got called out to his uncles house early one morning by the police.
upon arrival, he was shown into the rear living room and was told that his aunt had been suffocated and his uncle attacked by what they believed to be an intruder, consequently he was in hospital receiving treatment for his injuries.
it was soon discovered, that it was in fact the uncle who had suffocated his wife, because she was suffering from a terminal illness and between them they had made a pact to end their lives together as they could not bear to be apart. they had been childhood sweethearts and inseperable all their lives.
after killing her he had then taken a load of 'pills' (paracetamol) in the belief that this would finish him off by overdose. after the realisation that this was not having the desired effect, he then found a piece of electrical flex with a plug, and plugged it into the wall whilst holding the bare ends.
this electrocuted him to the extent of throwing him across the kitchen where he banged his head on a table - knocking himself out.
the next day he was found by a neighbour, dazed, confused and bleeding from his head wound.
this is where the police came into it all. he was subsequently charged with the murder of his wife (even with the suicide notes as evidence) but as he was seen as no danger to the public, (and because of his age) he was put in an open prison. he hanged himself there a couple of days later.
it was left up to us (because we were his closest relatives) to clear the house etc, and whilst we were there, my wife who was pregnant at the time, sat down to rest - until she was told that that was where he suffocated his wife to death! needless to say she found somewhere else to sit
it was quite an eerie feeling being in their house knowing what had gone on.
all quite sad. RIP uncle Stan and auntie Emmy...
 
my dad (sadly no longer with us) got called out to his uncles house early one morning by the police.
upon arrival, he was shown into the rear living room and was told that his aunt had been suffocated and his uncle attacked by what they believed to be an intruder, consequently he was in hospital receiving treatment for his injuries.
it was soon discovered, that it was in fact the uncle who had suffocated his wife, because she was suffering from a terminal illness and between them they had made a pact to end their lives together as they could not bear to be apart. they had been childhood sweethearts and inseperable all their lives.
after killing her he had then taken a load of 'pills' (paracetamol) in the belief that this would finish him off by overdose. after the realisation that this was not having the desired effect, he then found a piece of electrical flex with a plug, and plugged it into the wall whilst holding the bare ends.
this electrocuted him to the extent of throwing him across the kitchen where he banged his head on a table - knocking himself out.
the next day he was found by a neighbour, dazed, confused and bleeding from his head wound.
this is where the police came into it all. he was subsequently charged with the murder of his wife (even with the suicide notes as evidence) but as he was seen as no danger to the public, (and because of his age) he was put in an open prison. he hanged himself there a couple of days later.
it was left up to us (because we were his closest relatives) to clear the house etc, and whilst we were there, my wife who was pregnant at the time, sat down to rest - until she was told that that was where he suffocated his wife to death! needless to say she found somewhere else to sit
it was quite an eerie feeling being in their house knowing what had gone on.
all quite sad. RIP uncle Stan and auntie Emmy...

A sad and moving story.
 
Thanks everyone for the kind words, it was - at the time a traumatic situation, made all the worse by a horrible falling out of certain family members towards my dad for reasons beyond his control.
As if it wasn't stressful enough for him having to visit his uncle - who was in his eighties -in prison to try and help him understand what was happening to him and why he was being charged with the murder of his beloved wife, then he had to oversee the funerals of two family members -they never had kids, he then had his own sister turn on him, and completely ignore him for the next 15 yrs.
In their wills, they had decided to leave the entire contents of their bank account approx 130,000 pounds - to a childrens charity. A real nice gesture you would think?? well as soon as the charity found out about this they nastily hounded my dad for the money even though he had no control over it, it was all held in probate due to the circumstances, when they eventually got their hands on the money there was no thanks at all from them to my dad for all his help.
It did have an awful affect on him for a long time.
 
I can't 'like' that post because it's so sad.

But such family rifts do occur - there are at least two I know of in my family.
 
Back
Top