Valerie Storie survived the shooting but was left paralysed and wheelchair-bound. Hi, It's truly a crying shame that all the postings on this fascinating forum have been lost, seemingly for ever. BBC ON THIS DAY | 22 | 1962: 'A6 murder' trial begins Michael Gregsten with his wife Janet before he was murdered in his I do this act in the knowledge that it will clear my family's character of any act or wrong'. For over thirty five years one person remained silent. "I would be terrified of every unusual sound or knock at the door. RM ID: B5E30P Preview Image details Contributor: Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo File size: 30 MB (1.3 MB Compressed download) Releases: As a result of these facts, after the A6 murder, Valerie was often unfairly characterised as a "loose woman". Were they to marry? Was James Hanratty Guilty or - The short story writer | Facebook I had found the guilty person. The man then said he wanted to sleep, and that he would have to tie them up. What Is The Case Of Michael Gregsten's Suicide. In 1999 the case was referred to the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC). The man was immaculately dressed. All you have to do is to click here and type in your email address. Hanratty was then charged with the capital murder of Michael Gregsten. But then the other suspect, Peter Alphon, publicly confesses to the crime. 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. On April 4, 1962, Hanratty was hanged by executioner Harry Allen at Bedford Prison. His reason for lying was that he had seen that Alphon was the police's prime suspect, and had wanted to assist their case. Still can't find what you're looking for? Signing up to the newsletter is simple. You shot him. [8], The first policeman on the scene was handed a census form on which Kerr had written down Storie's account of what she recalled at that moment; the document was never seen again. The Long Silence, published in August 2021, is the first book to explain in detail the 'cat and mouse' drive and it has been heralded by many as a much overdue account. Gregsten was found shot dead in a car on the A6 in Deadman's Hill, Bedfordshire, and his girlfriend Valerie Storie was raped . Was a married man, he and his wife Janet had two boys, Simon, eight, and Anthony, nearly two. Despite this, she was hounded by the media and celebrities, including John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who criticised her for allegedly sending an innocent man to his grave. Bedfordshire Police is appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage. Michael J. Gregsten, mmn = Oulet, GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 1962 4a 7 AMPTHILL. Hanratty - did he rape and murder? | Watford Observer At Deadman's Hill the man ordered Gregsten to pull into a lay-by. Valerie Storie was left paralysed after James Hanratty attacked her and killed her boyfriend in August 1961. The prosecution was led by Graham Swanwick QC, later a High Court judge. It is not known why the trial was moved to Bedford, just nine miles from the murder scene, although this afforded easier access for the now-paraplegic Valerie Storie, who had received treatment at nearby Stoke Mandeville Hospital. It was now approximately 3am, six hours after the ordeal had started at Dorney Reach. The dead man, who has been identified as physicist Michael John Gregsten, 34, from Abbots Langley in Hertfordshire, had been shot twice in the head with a 38-calibre revolver. Search for stock images, vectors and videos, Available for editorial use only. Valeries immediate instinct was that it was the farmer coming to find out what they were doing and to tell them to get off his land. The pair tracked down Peter Alphon in February 1962, and began a long friendship with him for the purposes of establishing the truth. On 29 August, Valerie Storie and another witness, Edward Blackhall, who had seen the driver of the Morris Minor, compiled an Identikit picture which was then released. Find Janet Gregsten stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. However, only two days later, Storie gave a different description of her assailant to the police. Free shipping for many products! [8], Hanratty's capital murder trial started at Bedfordshire Assizes on 22 January 1962 before Mr Justice Gorman and a jury; it was originally to have been heard at the Old Bailey, as requested by Hanratty's defence counsel, Michael Sherrard QC, later CBE. Crime A6 Murder of Michael Gregsten. ;Picture taken at home of Mrs DNA samples from both sources exactly matched James Hanratty's DNA. Hanratty's family and their supporters have continued to contest this conclusion and to press for a further review of his conviction. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. Woman left with serious injuries after dog attack on residential road in Luton. Satisfied he had killed her, the gunman drove off southward with much crashing of gears, in the direction of Luton. This was the beginning of the crime which would see Michael murdered and Valerie raped and shot before being left at Deadman's Hill on the A6. Ingrams said that Alphon, in conversations with Foot and others, had spoken "obsessively about the case, frequently incriminating himself". The police raided the hotel, and questioned Nudds again, who then changed his story, claiming that Alphon had in fact been in the basement and 'Ryan' in Room 6 but, for reasons unknown, had swapped rooms during the night. She refused and, having managed to free her hands, tried to disarm him but was overpowered; after he threatened to shoot her, she relented. He always protested his innocence claiming he was 250-miles from the scene in a bed-and-breakfast in North Wales at the time of the attack. They covered about 30 miles before the gunman ordered Gregsten to pull into a lay-by on the A6 at Clophill at around 01 . The gunman then made to leave but suddenly turned back and shot Valerie several times, with five bullets hitting her. Collect, curate and comment on your files. [35], James Hanratty's body was exhumed in 2001 to extract his DNA. 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. Nudds also now added that Alphon had left the hotel 'calm and composed'. The author now hopes that the posthumous autobiography will be turned into a film so that more people can learn about what she endured. Search above
If you do as I tell you, you will be all right." The Criminal Cases Review Commission announced yesterday that the case of. Ingrams said that Foot continued until his own death in 2004 to believe in Hanratty's alibi, despite the DNA tests of 2002. .. At about 9pm on August 22, 1961, Michael Gregsten, 36, and his girlfriend Valerie Storie, 22, were sitting in their Morris Minor 1000 car in a lay-by at Dorney Reach, Buckinghamshire, when. His last words to his family were "Mick, I am completely innocent. In August 1961, Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie were sitting in their car in Dorney Reach, UK when an intruder forced his way into the backseat brandishing a gun. Journalists such as Paul Foot and Bob Woffinden campaigned for years to prove Hanratty's innocence, casting doubt on Valerie's evidence. Police handout, showing James Hanratty in police custody, Lennon and Ono protest Hanratty's execution. "They then left at about 7.30pm in a grey Morris car which I understood belonged to Michael's mother. Twice he told Gregsten to turn off the road and then changed his mind, and the car returned to the A6. 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. Alphon subsequently surrendered himself, and was subjected to an intense interrogation. The Crimes | Crime + Investigation UK The Police tracked down a Mrs Dinwoodie, who served in a sweetshop in Scotland Road, and who recalled a man like Hanratty asking for directions. His wife, Maureen Hanratty, said the family had been 'put through hell' because of the behaviour of the authorities.
Professor Hobbs said: 'She never felt sorry for herself. Valerie's story: The woman who survived the A6 Murder What was going to happen to them? The James Hanratty case is perhaps Bedfordshire's most notorious murder. He would have been wrongly identified by three witnesses at identification parades; first as the person at the scene of the crime and secondly (by two witnesses) driving a vehicle close to where the vehicle in which the murder was committed was found. , updated While at Maidstone, Hanratty came to the attention of a researcher who lived and worked alongside the inmates; he was later to remark upon Hanrattys "gross social and emotional immaturity". Two suspects were spotlighted for the attack, which was dubbed The A6 Murder. James Hanratty was eventually charged and executed, despite claiming his innocence. The police issued an appeal to boarding-house keepers to report any unusual or suspicious guests. The initial prime suspects were Hanratty, a petty criminal, and Peter Louis Alphon, an eccentric drifter. List Of Most Dreaded Murderers In British History Eight weeks later he was found semi-conscious in the street, having apparently collapsed from either hunger or exposure. None of it made sense. AboutPressCopyrightContact. BBC - Beds Herts and Bucks - History - James Hanratty - The A6 Murder Gregsten's girlfriend, Valerie Storie, was raped, shot five times, and left paralysed. Author Paul Stickler said: 'This is a story that really does need to be told and it's not been told in the way that it should be before now. He also claimed the gun went off by accident. 1985: West German spy chief defects to East, Man finds A6 murder weapon - broadcast 25 August 1961. Pre-pay for multiple images and download on demand. michael gregsten wife - Synergyarabia.ae Mr Stickler remains interested in pursuing the story further and is looking into another case which he believes might have inspired Hanratty. Victim's silence finally broken 60 years after A6 Murderer attack 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. During one of the phone calls, he pronounced "think" as "fink".[20]. Despite being pilloried by the media, Valerie Storie withdrew from the limelight and tried to live a normal life. More than 300 homes approved as part of new Luton development, Improvements are set to be made to surrounding roads as part of the development. Mr Gregsten's body was tonight identified by his wife, Janet. James Hanratty denied shooting Michael Gregsten, a physicist, twice in the head last August. Show all articles. James Hanratty - Wikipedia Where was the money going to come from? The pair had been intimate for two years after meeting through work, and seemingly had spoken about marriage. She identified James Hanratty as her attacker during an identity parade. The argument for contamination was dismissed as "fanciful" by the judges, who concluded that the "DNA evidence, standing alone, is certain proof of guilt". Surely we could do much better?, Man in his 70s attacked in his home by burglars in Luton. Copyright 04/03/2023 Alamy Ltd. All rights reserved. Miss Storie's mother, Mrs John Storie, said: "Michael came here last night and had tea with Valerie. 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. 50-year fight to clear James Hanratty's name - BBC News At about 1.30am on Wednesday 23 August, the car was on the A6, travelling south, when the man said he wanted a 'kip' (sleep). After some investigation, 'Ryan' turned out to be James Hanratty, a 25-year-old petty criminal with four convictions for car theft, larceny and burglary. ;Picture taken at home of Mrs. Janet Gregston with her two sons Anthony 3 and Simon (9) 1961. a6 murder - Casebook: Jack the Ripper Forums
Keep an eye on the newspapers, this in years to come will come out.". That's basically taking the rest of his brothers life with him, since he knew he wouldn't be cleared. However, as Paul's book reveals, these words were a mask for her true feelings. BBC ON THIS DAY | 23 | 1961: Couple found shot in A6 lay-by We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Hanratty was sent to recuperate at an aunt's home in Bedford, a place he and his brother Michael had visited as children on holiday. After Hanratty received a unanimous verdict of guilty in court, a petition arguing his innocence was signed by 90,000 people, but an appeal was dismissed. Michael gregsten wife / june 11, 2022 june 11, 2022 / were achilles and patroclus cousins. They dispatched a telegram to Valerie's place of work, inviting her to the Corn Exchange to "refute any allegations that may be made against you". In some accounts of the case Janet Gregsten instigated the investigation into James Hanratty by a psychic experience. In 2002 DNA evidence proved beyond all doubt that Hanratty was guilty. However, she was certain that this occurred on Monday 21 August. Michael Gregsten with his wife Janet 1962 OLD PHOTO | eBay James Hanratty (4 October 1936 4 April 1962), also known as the A6 Murderer, was a British criminal who was one of the final eight people in the UK to be executed before capital punishment was effectively abolished. This time, she did. Michael Gregston was murdered by James Hanratty 1962. [citation needed] Police went back to Nudds, the hotel manager (who himself had a lengthy criminal record for fraud and other offences), who now said that his second statement was a lie, and his first statement, implicating 'Ryan', was in fact true. ', Professor Adrian Hobbs, a close friend of Valerie who worked with her at the Road Research Laboratory in Bracknell, Berkshire, said: 'I think she was just waiting to be vindicated. When Paul was handed what he calls the 'Storie papers', made up of her own notes on that fateful night as well as police tapes, he decided her story needed to be told. Case 172: Michael Gregsten & Valerie Storie - YouTube It was clear he either had not driven before, or was unfamiliar with a Morris Minor. James Hanratty murdered Michael Gregsten before shooting 22-year-old ", Planned school expansion will cause 'traffic chaos', councillor claims, Councillor Victoria Harvey warned: This council is failing on travel plans. The gunman ordered Gregsten to drive in several directions, before stopping beside the A6 at Deadman's Hill, where the offences took place. Justice took the precaution of making thorough notes, and recording all telephone conversations with Alphon. ON Tuesday, August 22, 1961, Michael Gregsten, 36, called at the home of his estranged wife at Sabine House, Abbots Langley, and, after taking his nine-year-old son, Simon, to play in Cassiobury Park, Watford, he collected his girlfriend, Valerie Storie, 22, from work. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. Crime A6 Murder of Michael Gregsten. See the latest news in your area enter your postcode below or visit InYourArea: This story is well known and Hanratty, often referred to as the A6 Murderer, has become Bedfordshire's most notorious killer. "The book tells the story of what happened that night and how she dealt with it in the years that followed. 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. (Known as the 'A6 Murderer' Known for Killing Scientist 'Michael Gregsten') 3 3 Birthdate: October 4, 1936 Sun Sign: Libra Birthplace: Bromley, Kent, England Died: April 4, 1962 Better known as the A6 Murderer, James Hanratty was one of the last people to be executed before capital punishment was abolished. Appeal Court to review Hanratty murder case | UK news | The Guardian Hanratty claimed that his suitcase had been handed in to Lime Street Station to a 'man with a withered or turned hand'. Hanratty's early years were troubled. He explained: "I felt the story had been misrepresented and needed a retelling from a fresh perspective. [41], Valerie Storie was quoted as saying "I identified the guilty man. [citation needed]. 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. Learn more about how you can collaborate with us. He had the same identifying manner of speech as the killer. Lying next to Gregsten, semi-conscious, was Gregsten's mistress, Valerie Jean Storie (24 November 1938 26 March 2016). Valerie hid pound notes in her bra to stop Hanratty from taking them. Home richfield school district michael gregsten wife. 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. [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. 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 Deadmans Hill. Ask the author: Jeremy Craddock on The Jigsaw Murders, Ask the author: Monica Weller on investigating a 50-year-old cold case. I knew who he was and he knew that I recognised him. michael gregsten wife. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The other piece of evidence tested, a sample from Valerie Storie's underwear, provided two different sets of male DNA - one that corresponded to Hanratty; and one which the Court of Appeal interpreted as coming from Gregsten.[34]. According to this, Hanratty had gone to Rhyl to sell a stolen watch to a 'fence', arriving there in the evening of Tuesday 22 August and staying in a boarding house near the railway line. It details 22 attempts made by Michael and Valerie to escape or frustrate the gunman, including hatching a plan to drive into a policeman if they came across one on the journey in order to get his attention. (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. 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Whilst he was a professional thief, he had no convictions for violence, and apparently had never possessed a gun, although he later admitted to the police that he had attempted to obtain one after his last release from prison in March 1961. If you do as I tell you, you will be all right.'. What Is The Case Of Michael Gregsten's Suicide | ipl.org The day before he died he wrote a letter to his brother Michael in which he said: "I'm dying tomorrow but I'm innocent. Two civil servants employed at the Road Research Laboratory at Langley, near Slough, Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie, drew up in a Morris Minor car outside the Old Station Inn, a public house just outside the village of Taplow. Save up to 30% when you upgrade to an image pack. A brutal crime at Deadman's Hill On August 22, 1961, lovers Gregsten and Storie were parked next to a cornfield in a Morris Minor when a revolver was thrust into the car and a cockney voice let them know they were being held up. The journey continued along the A5 through St Albans, which the gunman mistakenly insisted was Watford, before joining the A6. She wanted to write a book to finally give her version of events but did not get round to this before her death in 2016. She retreated into her own world, while at the same time listening, watching and making notes of what was being said.". 'What I do find distasteful is that the family's belief in their son's innocence has been boosted by campaigners who have given them false hope. Valerie later wrote of it: "In times of trouble one could always go to one's MP and ask for, and possibly receive help and understanding. Rachel Muir For Mailonline
1945: Ex-soldier buried his wife on Anglesey beach after . Among the prosecution team at the trial was Geoffrey Lane, who was subsequently appointed Lord Chief Justice. Michael Gregsten with his wife Janet before he was murdered in his car on the A6 by James Hanratty. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. "However, my MP joined the rebel cause, became embroiled in a committee set up to prove a miscarriage of justice, and had the temerity to write to me asking me to join it.". Detectives and tracker dogs have spent the day searching the surrounding area and so far two cartridges have been found. Justice attended the trial every day, being driven there by his chauffeur, and Alphon accompanied him from time to time. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. [citation needed]. Why is it called "Deadmans Hill"? - Maulden Village [19] Alphon claimed he had spent the evening of 22 August with his mother, and the following night at the Vienna Hotel, Maida Vale; the police quickly confirmed this and Alphon was released. He leaves two sons, aged seven and two. map Storie drank gin and Pepsi, Gregsten had Double Diamond. Secretly, however, she was drafting the contents of a book and writing hundreds of notes. The following extract describes the moments leading up to the events on that fateful nightin August 1961 that turned her life upside down Valeries shopping basket rested on the back seat. 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 the Old Station Inn, Taplow, near Slough. He was struck by how calm and measured she was throughout the whole ordeal. The comments below have not been moderated, By
Michael Gregston was murdered by James Hanratty 1962. He then stated that he had in fact been in the Welsh coastal town of Rhyl. [27] Justice encouraged the initially reluctant Fox to help him expose what he believed to be the fabrication of the case against Hanratty. 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. Valerie Storie after receiving treatment for stab wounds on the A6 where Michael Gregsten was murdered is taken to court during trial against James. Hanratty: the truth at last? | The Independent | The Independent