The Blackout Killer terrorises wartime London (Part 1/2) | Forensic Files

[Music] from audioboom studios and woodcut media what makes a killer returns for season
four i'm jennifer natoso and i'll be your host as we examine 13 new killers this season we'll take a look at
infamous killers including diane downes gary ridgeway the green river killer ted
bundy and dennis rader the btk killer follow us on spotify or subscribe on apple podcasts stitcher or wherever you
find your favorite shows [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website [Music]
i'm speaking from london [Music] it is late afternoon and the people of london are preparing for the night
everyone is anxious to get home before darkness falls before our nightly visitors arrive
the dusk is deepening listening crews are posted all the way from the coast to london to pick up the
drone of the german planes soon the nightly battle of london will be on this has been a quiet day for us
but it won't be a quiet night the searchlights are in position the guns are ready
the people's army of volunteers is ready they are the ones who are really fighting this war
the firemen the airaid wardens the ambulance drivers and there's the whale of the banshee
[Music] the nightly siege of london has begun the city is dressed for battle the sun set over wartime london
blanketing the entire city in darkness the streetlights on the mostly bare roads were dimmed or turned off
slotted covers were fitted onto traffic lights and emergency vehicles to direct their bright glow to the ground
pedestrians navigated the shadowy streets with great difficulty they were permitted to carry a small
six-inch flashlight but it had to be casted downwards and could only be turned on sparingly
this was the life of a londoner since september 1939 the war had become the backdrop of
everyday life walls were plastered with propaganda posters warning of nazi espionage
sandbags were piled high around lamp posts and in doorways barbed wire encircled government
buildings which were protected by anti-aircraft weaponry pontoon bridges spanned the river thames
its embankment peppered with concrete guard posts brick bomb shelters had been constructed
throughout the city for civilians to swiftly hide in should the enemy breach the perimeter
most people chose to spend evenings at home hidden behind windows covered with cardboard thick curtains or black
painted glass strict penalties were doled out to anyone who let even the slightest sliver
of light escape to hinder enemy aircraft from bombing attacks the city had enforced the
nightly blackouts the least popular of all anti-bombardment implementations it left the city's nightlife in quiet
stasis disrupting many lives and lowering morale looting theft burglaries robberies and
gang-related crime increased under the cover of darkness as did rape and murder [Music]
on the night of sunday february 8 1942 41 year old evelyn hamilton arrived at a boarding house in london's west end
she would only be staying for one night as she made her way further north to the
port town of grimsby after unpacking and settling into her room evelyn asked the boarding house
owner where she could get a late meal she was directed to a restaurant approximately half a mile away on oxford
street [Music] it was nearing midnight when evelyn rugged up and made her way through the
cold dark streets to the restaurant one of the few places that maintained some element of the boisterous pre-war
festivities was lion's corner house the large ornate eatery was a popular haunt for military men and volunteers
tasked with safeguarding london at night while it appeared dark and quiet from the outside
inside the restaurant was a buzz with live music and patrons drinking to forget about the everyday stress of war
evelyn was led to a table and ordered a celebratory glass of wine not only was it her birthday she was
about to start a new job as a pharmacy manager and was looking forward to new beginnings
by the time evelyn finished her meal it was early monday morning and the sun had
yet to rise the transition from the bright restaurant interior to the unlit foggy
streets was disorientating enough but evelyn had to walk extra cautiously in her high heels
she made her way along montague place passing a cluster of unoccupied above-ground bomb shelters
[Music] as she walked by the central shelter she was suddenly grabbed from behind and
dragged inside [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] hours later at 8 40 a.m two men were
walking along montague place when a weak beam of light caught their attention it was emanating from a small torch that
lay in the doorway of a nearby bomb shelter the men went to investigate just inside the door lay the lifeless
body of evelyn hamilton her torn blouse exposing one of her breasts her skirt had also been lifted up with
her underwear pulled below her knees the men rushed out to alert a police officer and the cramped shoulder was
soon teeming with detectives scuff marks on evelyn's shoes and broken pieces of mortar indicated she had
fought to free herself during the skirmish but she had no defensive wounds meaning
her killer struck fast and unexpectedly before she could gather her bearings and
fight back bruising and fingernail abrasions along her neck showed that she had been
manually strangled which prevented her from screaming for help and resulted in her death
[Music] the absence of foreign fingerprints meant her killer had worn gloves evelyn's wristwatch was frozen in the
one o'clock position likely broken during the assault this allowed detectives to narrow down
the exact time she was set upon a light layer of snow had fallen across the city that morning but there was no
chance of retrieving the perpetrator's footprints from outside the shelter the movements of onlookers detectives
and other crime scene examiners had turned the snow into slash the blackout had worked in the killer's
favor by providing them with a cover of darkness and isolation because of this no locals had seen or
heard anything suspicious yet the scene showed the killer was rushed and likely didn't finish what he
had intended while there was no physical evidence that evelyn had been sexually assaulted
the state of her clothing indicated her assailant had intended to do so but fled
amid attack perhaps he feared he would be caught in the act evelyn's handbag was found discarded on
the pavement not far from the crime scene it still contained evelyn's identity card and a ration book but her wallet
was empty of cash evelyn's sister told detectives that evelyn was known to carry large amounts
of money as she didn't trust banks believed evelyn had 80 pounds stolen from her bag the equivalent of 4 000
pounds today it seemed highly unlikely that evelyn knew her killer given she was only
briefly passing through london she had never been in a relationship and there wasn't anyone within her social
circle that could be immediately highlighted as a suspect men who evelyn had encountered during
her short stay in london were questioned including the owner of the west end boarding house and other patrons at the
restaurant she visited one by one they were ruled out leaving homicide detectives with no feasible
leads [Music] later that monday night 35 year old evelyn oatley sipped a scotch in the
king's arm pub just under two miles from where evelyn hamilton had been killed less than 24 hours prior
evelyn oatley had called london home for the past six years making the big move from a poultry farm in blackpool in the
hopes of becoming a stage actress the west end was renowned for its theaters meaning it was the perfect
place for evelyn to settle down and begin her new career the outbreak of the war changed
everything with evelyn's theatre dream halted she did whatever she could to get by
it was a hard and lonely time as the neon theater lights that drew her to the west end were permanently shut off
when the king's arms pub closed evelyn stepped outside into the crisper darkness and made her way to her bedside
apartment on wardor street she shared the building with two other tenants an elderly man who lived on the
floor above and a woman named ivy pool who lived across the hall evelyn arrived home just before midnight
as she opened to the front door and stepped into the hallway she was suddenly bathed in light
ivy stood on the landing above having quickly flicked on a light to help evelyn find her way up the stairwell
evelyn expressed her thanks and made her way up she wasn't alone she was joined by a man in his mid-20s
and the pair disappeared into her apartment together ivy was aware that evelyn occasionally
engaged in sex work to make ends meet but this was the first time she had seen her with a client so young
ivy returned to her own apartment and could hear evelyn's wireless radio playing as she chatted quietly with her
male companion [Music] at around 12 30 just as ivy was beginning to doze off she was jolted
awake by blaring jazz music the wireless in evelyn's apartment had been turned up as loudly as it would go
this was unlike evelyn who was considerate of her neighbors and never played music at such a volume
ivy considered knocking on evelyn's door to ask her to turn it down but she didn't want to interrupt
instead she rolled over and tried her hardest to get to sleep [Music] the music continued on for some time
before it suddenly stopped and everything fell silent [Music] the next morning of tuesday february 10
ivy was reading the paper when there was a knock at her door she was greeted by two workmen who were
collecting money from the personal electricity meters installed in each apartment
at the time light and heat were supplied to homes for an hourly fee via coin operated machines
the two men asked if there was anyone else living in the building ivy told them about evelyn oatley whom
she assumed was sleeping in after her late night ivy accompanied the workmen across the
hall and knocked on evelyn's door to her surprise it swung open on its hinges evelyn's apartment was cold dark and
quiet with the electricity meter having run out the blackout curtains positioned over
the windows made it difficult to see anything inside so one of the workmen shot a torch into the room
it illuminated evelyn's body lying diagonally across her bed her head extended over the side exposing
a deep gash across her neck that pulled blood on the floor below ivy still clad in her pajamas rushed
down the stairwell with the workmen in tow they burst out onto the street where they spotted a policeman and called for
his attention we just found a dead woman one of the workmen cried out breathlessly
it was estimated that evelyn oatley was killed three to four hours prior a blood-stained razor blade and a pair
of hair curling tongs also caked in blood were resting on the blanket beside evelyn's head
positioned between her legs was a metal can opener with a sharp tip that was used to pierce tin cans
in this case it had been used to carry out a violent sexual assault and mutilation
a small flashlight had also been inserted inside evelyn where it still remained although evelyn's throat had been cut
bruising and abrasions around the gaping wound and the hemorrhaging of her eyes revealed that she had first been
manually strangled once unconscious evelyn's throat was fatally slit with the razor blade
the majority of the sexual violence occurred when she was on the brink of death with the flashlight having been
inserted into her body post-mortem evelyn's handbag and wallet were still in her apartment but their contents were
scattered and both were empty of cash only ivy pool could provide a description of the young man who had
come home with her murdered neighbor he hadn't said a word as he followed evelyn into her apartment but ivy
recalled his short wavy hair that was combed to one side his pointed jaw was clean-shaven except
for a mustache that framed the top of his thin lips standing about five feet eight inches
tall he had been wearing a light blue overcoat buttoned up to the collar two women had now been violently
murdered in central london within a 24-hour period evelyn hamilton's case was rare
involving an opportunistic killer snatching a random woman off london's darkened streets
in contrast the murder of a sex worker wasn't nearly as uncommon evelyn oatley's murder was also far more
bloody and violent carried out by a sadistic killer driven by sexual degradation
while the differences between the two slangs implied two distinct perpetrators police weren't so sure
after his seemingly unfinished public attack on evelyn hamilton the killer might have learnt from his mistakes and
struck behind closed the doors where there'd be less risk or distraction then there was the bruising on each of
the victim's necks it showed that they had both been strangled by a left-handed individual
following the murder of evelyn oatley london sex workers were on heightened alert the west end area in which the
killer struck was referred to in the papers as the mile of terror while some women were extra cautious
about who they accepted as clientele others couldn't afford to be picky some refused to be inhibited by fear
although frowned upon by society the act of paying for sex wasn't illegal and the
sex workers were busier than ever wartime bred a sense of recklessness as no one knew what the future held driving
people to indulge female police officers posed undercover as sex workers within the mile of terror
hoping to flush the killer out but he didn't take the bait two nights after the hamilton and oatley
murders 28 year old sex worker patricia borg walked the drizzly streets of london's paddington district on the
lookout for potential clients it was nearing 10 pm and business was quiet wanting a break from the cold patricia
stopped by an empty storefront and lit a cigarette just as she was considering calling it a
night a man approached and asked patricia will you take me home i have two pounds
given the city-wide blackout patricia struggled to see the man through the dark but he spoke with a refined english
accent that indicated he was highly educated two pounds was a substantial amount for
the time but despite being desperate for the money patricia declined something about the man's mannerisms
gave her the creeps and the brazen way he propositioned patricia made her wary the man took a deep inhale of a
cigarette and backed away he asked if patricia knew of any woman who would have him for two pounds
she said no the man then walked down the road and disappeared into the shadows case file will be back shortly thank you
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as the civil defense services do they're under strict orders and always carry them
how many of you carry your gas masks yet civilians are just as much in danger of
a gas attack as the services and they should take the same precautions you should have your gas mask with you
always if you're out in the street when the warning rattle goes put on your gas mask
and get undercover wherever you go have your gas mask with you always later in the evening after patricia borg
turned down her prospective client 25 year old catherine mulcahy was standing on the corner of regent street in the
west end a young man approached his face barely visible in the faint glow of the
cigarette he inhaled with each smokey breath he stepped closer eyeing catherine from head to toe he
asked will you go with me catherine was apprehensive although the man smiled broadly and
appeared friendly his eyes were emotionless like empty pits nevertheless she accepted his offer and
the pair climbed into a taxi bound for catherine's apartment near hyde park by the time they arrived catherine was
having second thoughts but she had already taken the man's money and feared his reaction should she deny her
services now neither catherine nor the man had change for the electricity meter so catherine
burned a piece of paper in a saucepan to provide them with a few minutes of light
they removed their clothes and climbed into bed for a brief moment everything seemed to
be going as planned then the man dug his knees hard into katherine's stomach winding her
he moved so quickly that catherine had a little time to react before she knew it the man had wrapped
his hands around her throat there was no doubt in katherine's mind that she was about to be killed
she fought back as best she could thrashing clawing and grabbing at her attacker
it was no use he wouldn't let up realizing she was still wearing her boots catherine sourced what little
energy she had left and kicked the man hard in the stomach he rolled off the bed cradling his gut
giving catherine the opportunity to run out the front door kitty mcquillen lived across the hall
from catherine mulcahy it was 11 pm when she heard the commotion outside her door and was
startled by catherine's voice screaming murder police kitty opened her front door just as
catherine rushed inside naked except for a pair of boots kitty caught side of the silhouette of a
naked man through the doorway into katherine's dark apartment before slamming her own door shut and arming
herself with a heavy vas the man called out in an unusually calm voice give me a light
miss give me a match kitty opened the door and threw them in a box of matches he collected them off the floor then
struck one to observe his surroundings kitty could make out his pointed chin but very little else
have you seen my boots he then asked kitty and catherine watched nervously as the man stumbled about in the dark
collecting his clothes when his match burnt out he lit another once he had managed to dress himself he
moved towards kitty's apartment door she raised her vars defensively while catherine gripped her tightly from
behind catherine was well aware of who she had crossed paths with the man she had brought home had been
the topic of conversation amongst those who occupied a london streets at night his horrific acts had reignited memories
of an infamous unidentified killer that proud the city 50 years prior jack the ripper slashed and mutilated
sex workers in rage fueled attacks in london's east end between 1888 and 1891 while some theorised that he might still
be alive and was continuing his spree others were convinced the current killer was merely a copycat
they referred to him as the blackout ripper you're a murderer catherine mulcahy yelled as the blackout ripper approached
without saying a word he reached into his pockets and pulled out a wad of cash he counted out eight pounds in one pound
notes and threw them towards catherine saying i'm sorry i think i had too much to drink
he then walked down the hallway clambered down the stairs and headed out into the dark street
[Music] it was then that the blackout ripper crossed paths with doris juanette [Music]
several years earlier henry juanit had been aimlessly shopping on oxford street when he spotted a woman named doris
waiting at a bus stop he had noticed her in the west end before but never felt it was appropriate
to introduce himself this was his chance what followed was a whirlwind romance that led to their marriage two months
later at the outset of the war like many others henry and doris found themselves
in a financially precarious situation henry took a job as a staff manager of a hotel on regent street
at 7 pm on friday february 13 he arrived home after spending nearly 24 hours at the hotel
to his surprise the milk was still sitting on the doorstep from that morning's delivery
henry opened the front door and called out to doris there was no response it was pitch black and he struggled to
find the light switch once he did his eyes were drawn to the remains of last night's meal still
sitting on the kitchen table henry knew immediately that something was wrong doris was extremely tidy and she
wouldn't lay food out overnight henry walked down the hallway towards their bedroom
he could see that a light was on inside but the door was sharp and there was no response when he called out
when henry tried to open the door he realised it had been locked from the inside
henry rummaged through the apartment looking for something he could use to jimmy open the door
unable to find anything and with a growing sense of worry henry summoned the police
an officer soon arrived and circled the exterior of the building looking for a window
the one leading into henry and doris's bedroom was covered by shutters and also locked from the inside
with no other option the officer went inside and gave the couple's bedroom door a big hard kick
the door dislodged from its hinges granting the officer access to the room his attention was immediately drawn to
the bed although it appeared to be made something was clearly underneath the blankets
the officer pulled the covers back exposing doris joanna's body she was naked aside from a black
nightgown that was left open a silk stocking was wrapped tightly around the 32 year old's neck
flesh had been carved out from under her left breast multiple deep incisions had
been made across her body and her genitals had been viciously mutilated the officer exited the bedroom and told
henry i must advise you not to go in that room detectives who were still in the midst
of investigating the murders of evelyn hamilton and evelyn oatley were summoned to the joanna residence
the blackout ripper had struck again henry was aware that doris had been a sex worker before the two met and he
conceded that she must have returned to the profession while he worked nights at
the hotel still her murder was a complete mystery to the devastated henry who later told
reporters lived for each other i wish myself dead because we were so fond of each other
as detectives were documenting the crime scene a police dispatcher pulled up on a
motorbike outside he walked into doris's room with a letter in hand inside was a brief message to detectives
another body had been found earlier that day fifteen-year-old barbara lowe took the train into london
barbara attended a boarding school in the resort town of south andon sea but she ventured into london on the third
friday of every month to spend the weekend with her mother margaret the pair valued their catch-ups which
were often spent shopping walking through the city's famed gardens or seeing a film at the cinema
on the afternoon of february 13 1942 barbara arrived at her mother's apartment on gazfield street in west
london bags in hand barbara excitedly knocked on the front door there was no response
after trying a few more times barbara walked down the road to visit her mother's friend
the friend hadn't seen margaret for a few days and didn't know where she could be
barbara spent the next hour wandering the streets thinking her mother must have gone out and that she might run
into her failing that she returned to gazfield street and stood at her mother's door
once again banging loudly suddenly a neighbor's door swung open and he asked barbara to step inside
two police officers were waiting within holding a package that had been left ignored on margaret's doorstep for
several days margaret's neighbours had summoned the police after becoming worried
they always kept an eye out for margaret as they were aware she took on sex work
to help pay for her daughter's tuition as a result margaret had met some rough and violent men
two days earlier in the early hours of february 11 a neighbor had heard a man wearing heavy boots come and go from
margaret's apartment but they hadn't seen her since [Music] the officers gained access to margaret's
apartment using a set of spare keys they moved through the darkened sitting room and into the cramped kitchen
at the back was a bedroom with a locked door unable to locate a key one of the officers kicked the door down
the room inside was pitch black the officer felt along the wall until he came upon a light switch and clicked it
on the burst of light exposed the bed on the right side of the room margaret lowe laying it face up with
blankets pulled up to her chin the officer pulled the covers back slightly revealing a stocking tied
tightly around her neck margaret lowe bore the brunt of a vicious attack several incisions had been made around
her groin with one 5-inch long cut partially exposing her internal organs lying near margaret's legs was a large
bread knife two dinner knives a paring knife and a metal fire poker all of which were used in the attack
a wax candle was found inside her sourced from a glass candle holder on a nearby mantelpiece
the blackout ripper had now claimed four victims within a two-mile radius in just
five days with each new attack surpassing the previous in severity police knew that at
this pace he could strike again at any moment later that evening thirty-year-old
margaret haywood who was known to friends as mary sat alone in a crowded bar in piccadilly circus a short walk
from the west end she was waiting for a date minutes ticked by and mary soon reached
the conclusion that she had been stood up as 8 30 approached a well-dressed and handsome young man walked over and took
a seat behind her in a refined british accent he asked mary if she would like a drink
mary said she was waiting for someone but this didn't dissuade the man he carried over two glasses of whiskey
handing one to mary and downing his own with a single swig he then stared at mary enough to make
her uncomfortable she didn't care for his overconfidence or charisma but he persisted
smiling he asked to take her to dinner adding i have to be back at my unit by 10 30.
mary reluctantly agreed a decision she regretted the longer she spent in the man's company
at one stage he took a large wad of notes from his wallet and counted 30 pounds in front of her
understanding that he was trying to proposition her mary clarified that she wasn't a sex worker and went to leave
the man persisted calling her a nice girl and saying he fancied her mary remained firm but ultimately agreed
to give him her phone number she wrote it down on a piece of paper that the man slipped into his coat
pocket mary moved towards the door and the man followed her out insisting they spent
the night together while mary found him handsome she didn't even know his name she continued to refuse his advances
until he seemingly accepted the rejection and said he'd escort her back to piccadilly circus
they walked along in silence when all of a sudden the man asked do you know that i knocked a girl out
once he said the girl's father had interfered in their relationship which prompted him
to lash out it was a strange remark but the man didn't elaborate he just continued onwards
struggling to see through the dark mary stumbled on some uneven pavement and took a small flashlight from her back
she had just turned it on when the man yanked it from her hands and switched it off admonishing her for shining light in
the street it was then that mary realised they were heading in the wrong direction
mary pointed this out but the man brushed off her concerns he wanted to kiss her and asked mary if
she knew of any bomb shelters nearby unsure what to do mary walked with him a little longer until he eventually pulled
her into an arched doorway he tried to undress her but mary fought back and attempted to run
the man grabbed her arm pulled her back and blocked the entrance to the doorway so she couldn't escape
he then wrapped his hands around mary's neck seemingly in a trance and with little
emotion he pressed his thumbs into mary's windpipe as she struggled against him the last thing she heard was the sound
of his voice whispering over and over you won't you won't you won't it was approaching 10 p.m when 18 year
old john shine walked through st james's market towards regent street he was passing a shallow side alley when
he noticed a flashlight flickering on and off from under a doorway driven by curiosity jon headed towards
the light when he overheard the sound of a scaffold following the noise jon stopped
he could see a young woman lying in the doorway a man stood over her holding the
flashlight that had caught jon's attention earlier as soon as the man noticed to jon's
presence he dropped the flashlight and took off into the darkened surroundings john rushed towards the woman
it was mary haywood she lay unmoving with her head against the door and her legs pointing to the
street her dress had been torn open and pulled up exposing her thighs her face was dirty and smeared with
blood john knelt down beside mary when all of a sudden she began to moan in pain
he tried to help mary to her feet but her legs were weak and she was disorientated
a police officer who happened to be passing by noticed them and made his way over to help
mary began to cry what has he done she pointed at her bag which was lying on the ground its contents scattered
about just as she went to collect her things jon noticed a small pack lying in the
doorway it was a haversack which was a type of bag typically carried by military
personnel inside was a gas mask [Music] the constant fear of being bombed loomed
over londoners the average person was far more worried about a chemical gas attack
potentially fatal mustard gas had been deployed during world war one and there was a genuine fear it might be used
against civilians again as a precautionary measure the london county council suggested that civilians
carry a gas mask with them at all times john shine picked the gas mask up off the ground and asked mary if it was hers
she said no mary haywood had survived an encounter with the blackout ripper after taking her statement the attending
officer collected the haversack in the gas mask that the killer had left behind printed on the bag's inside flap was a
royal air force number five two five nine eight seven case file will be back shortly thank you
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you support case file to continue to deliver quality content fight our pilot the words convey something of the spirit
that lies in our squadrons something young and vigorous decisive wanting action at once and finding its
expression in the struggle going on daily over our southeastern shores but you have not yet been let into the
mind of the men who do the flying nor showing their feelings when in the air and going into a fight
the long periods of waiting are a test of temperament some pilots occupy themselves actively others pass the time
in sleep corporal charles johnson of the royal air force was stationed at the aircrew
receiving center had sent james close in regents park at 10 30 that friday night the phone
rang on the other end was a police officer i need you to search records and trace
the number of an airman corporal johnson was told he grabbed a pen 525987 the number was allotted to leading
aircraftman 28 year old gordon cummins cummins had arrived at the center on february 2 to begin training as a
fighter pilot a week later evelyn hamilton was murdered in a bomb shelter less than
half a mile away corporal johnson went to inform cummins that the police wished to speak to him
but he was nowhere to be found a 10 30 pm curfew was in place for cadets but it wasn't until 4 30 am that
cummins was spotted trying to sneak into his living quarters he apologized explaining that he'd been
drinking heavily and had trouble making it back in time it wasn't particularly unusual for
cadets to break curfew as they often ventured into the city at night to let off steam and over-indulge
when cummins was informed that his gas mask had been found at the scene of a crime he seemed confused
he had his haversack with him with his gas mask inside however the number inside the bag
confirmed it wasn't his cummins then realized what must have happened he'd been drinking at a pub with other
cadets and had placed his haversack by his feet alongside the others someone must have taken his by mistake
the heavily intoxicated cummins couldn't remember exactly who had joined him that
night and of those he could remember he didn't know their names but he was confident he'd be able to
recognize them if he saw them again cummins was taken to the west end central police station where he was
directly questioned about mary haywood the two had been drinking at the same piccadilly circus pub prior to mary's
attack cummins spoke of having a hazy recollection of walking around the streets with a woman but was too drunk
to remember what happened after that he denied attacking mary saying i remembered i should be back at my
depot i caught a cab and went to regent's park cummins agreed to provide a written
statement during which detectives noticed that he wrote with his left hand there were also fresh abrasions across
his knuckles which cummins claimed had occurred when he was working on an airplane motor
when asked to view a police lineup that featured cummins mary haywood unhesitantly identified him as the man
who had assaulted her cummins maintained his innocence stating that mary must have confused him with
another airman who was attempting to frame him detectives were unconvinced by his story
and placed him under arrest for assault inside cummins pockets police found an array of miscellaneous and seemingly
trivial items including a plastic comb with some teeth missing a fountain tip pen engraved with the initials dj and a
wristwatch with a broken band that had been repaired with tape [Music] he also had a strip of paper with a
number on it it was mary heywood's phone number scrawled in her handwriting she had told police that she'd given it
to her assailant prior to the attack the question remained was gordon cummins the blackout ripper
evidence had pointed to the four-time killer being in some way connected to the royal air force
the man who had attempted to strangle catherine mulcahy in her apartment had left behind an item of clothing as he
scrambled around in the dark trying to get dressed before fleeing it was a belt which was part of the
royal air force uniform this aligned with the recollections of the other women who had interacted with
the ripper they all said he claimed to be an airman positioned at the entry hall of the
saint james close air aircrew receiving center was a log book cadets were required to record the time
they left and returned each day with an orderly stationed at the logbook to ensure that everyone complied
a detective flipped through the book to the dates and time periods that evelyn hamilton evelyn oatley doris juanette
and margaret lowe were killed to his surprise gordon cummins's name was signed in on each occasion
meaning he was at the center when each woman was targeted yet something stood out
while some of the logbook entries were penned in ink others had been scrawled in pencil
all of cummins's entries coinciding with the time of the murders were in pencil meaning they could have easily been
altered in some cases they were written in a different pencil to all the others on
the page an entire page from that week was also missing with the entries from another
date copied into its place the detective wrote in his report the booking in book at st james's close
is far from being a true record of men being off duty according to the cadets who bunked with
cummins he often stayed out past curfew and snuck back in before dawn when he went out with others cummins
would sometimes go off on his own it was no secret that he was out seeking sex workers
[Music] cummins with his unruly wavy blonde hair trimmed mustache narrow facial features
and wide smile was considered an attractive man who often bragged about his conquests
he had earned the reputation amongst his fellow cadets as being a ladies man and
a party animal women were often charmed by his looks intellect and refined british accent as
it reflected nobility and wealth [Music] a search of the trash cans outside of the aircrew receiving center's entrance
resulted in an unusual find the soles of two shoes with a distinctive tread pattern
back at the police station gordon cummins was asked to show detectives the soles of his shoes
surprised he lifted his feet for the detective to see the tops of his souls had been replaced
with a new tread although no discernible boot prints had been uncovered at any of the crime
scenes detectives theorised that cummins had changed the souls out of fear that their unusual pattern might be traced
back to him when asked to explain why he had recently changed the souls of his shoes
cummins just shrugged his shoulders the aircrew receiving center was searched extensively revealing a
significant item in the very back of a cupboard in the shared kitchenette it was a white metal cigarette case
engraved with the initials lw inside was a photograph of a woman it didn't resemble any of the victims
but when shown to their loved ones evelyn oatley's former husband identified the case as belonging to his
actress wife who used the stage name lita ward the photograph inside was of her mother
detectives showed the items found in gordon cummins pockets to the victims families
doris joanna's husband henry immediately recognized the comb fountain pen and wrist watch as having belonged to doris
a connection was also established to evelyn hamilton via a green lead pencil that was found in a dust bin in cummins
living quarters she had borrowed it from a friend shortly before her murder the night after evelyn was killed
cummins was seen flashing a large amount of money given that around 80 pounds was stolen
from evelyn's purse this had likely been her money two one pound notes that the blackout
ripper had tossed at catherine mulcahy featured serial numbers that were traced back to cash that was paid to gordon
cummins earlier that day traces of blood were found on cummins clothing but restraints in scientific
testing meant it couldn't be compared to the blood of the victims yet there was one test that could
provide investigators with a smoking gun detective chief superintendent frederick
cheryl had been working the blackout ripper case since the murder of evelyn hamilton
cheryl was the head of scotland yard's fingerprint division and regarded the country's leading fingerprint expert
he had managed to lift several key fingerprints from two of the rippers crime scenes two were uncovered in evelyn
oatley's apartment one was on the can opener that was used to mutilate her and the other on a piece of glass in her
purse he'd also found foreign fingerprints on a candle holder in margaret lowe's
bedroom it had held the candle that was later found inside her body gordon cummins fingerprints were taken
upon his arrest and detective cheryl cross-checked them against those from the crime scenes
they were a match furthermore traces of mortar on cummins haversack matched that found in the bomb
shelter where evelyn hamilton was murdered [Music] gordon cummins was ultimately charged
with the murders of evelyn hamilton evelyn oatley doris juanette margaret low and the attempted murders of
katherine mulcahy and mary haywood he was examined by a medical officer to determine if he was suffering from any
mental illness that might have influenced his violent behavior the doctor concluded
the character and sight of the wounds inflicted on the victims points to a sadistic basis for the murders
but throughout the period he has been in my care the accused has been normal in conduct and rational in conversation
at no time has he exhibited any evidence of mental disease this assessment aligned with those who
knew cummins while some found him vain and pompous he had never shown a dark side or a disdain
for women his father described him as a normal person without any cruelty in his nature
superior officers praised his military discipline and physical abilities which surpassed his fellow cadets
sex workers he'd been with didn't describe him as aggressive cummins also had a wife who steadfastly
defended him yet some noted that he had a gift for storytelling that would convince
listeners that whatever he was saying was the truth he was also caught lying about his
whereabouts on the night of the murders claiming he had alibis that were later disproven
english law dictated that if someone was facing multiple criminal counts they only faced trial for one
therefore in april 1942 cummins was tried for the murder of evelyn oatley the prosecution felt they were more
likely to secure a guilty verdict with this charge as it was the only one in which cummins fingerprints were found on
an item directly used to assault the victim cummins pleaded not guilty and appeared
his typical happy and relaxed self throughout proceedings even laughing with his lawyers
when he took the stand cummins admitted he had been in evelyn oatley's company shortly before her murder but insisted
she was alive and well when they parted ways he had told this information to police
but to cummins dismay they immediately accused him of being evelyn's killer cummins said one officer remarked
we have a rope around your neck and are going to hang you with it the officer who comes accused of making
this threat denied it wholeheartedly the prosecution's case rested primarily on the fingerprint evidence as it showed
cummins had handled the sharp can opener used to mutilate evelyn's genitals the defense worked to discredit the
prince calling them very faint and imperfect renowned fingerprint expert detective
chief superintendent frederick cheryl stood by his findings he was asked would you stake your reputation knowing
that a man is being tried for his life without hesitation cheryl responded yes the jury deliberated for only 35 minutes
before returning to the courtroom where cummins stood before them with fists clenched
the presiding judge summed up that the murder of evelyn oatley was a sadistic sexual murder of a ghoulish
type gordon cummins was found guilty when asked if he had anything to say come and studded
i am completely innocent sir the judge then donned a square black cap that historically was only ever worn by
english judges when delivering the following sentence quote there is only one sentence which the law
permits me to pronounce and that is that you be taken to a place of execution and
that you be there hanged by the neck until you are dead and may the lord have mercy on your soul
in the lead-up to his execution gordon cummins exhausted all avenues of appeal his family believed in his innocence and
wrote to the home secretary claiming it was a miscarriage of justice a petition supporting cummins received
10 000 signatures with his supporters highlighting his lack of violent history and clean criminal record
they questioned how someone so straight and narrow could abruptly begin killing women in such an immensely violent and
personal way the home secretary wrote the same response to all letters i have considered sympathetically and
carefully all the circumstances of the case i regret i have failed to discover any
grounds which justify me in advising his majesty to interfere in the due course of the law
in october 1941 just four months before evelyn hamilton was killed the body of nineteen-year-old maple church was found
in the wreckage of a building destroyed by overhead bombings in london's camden town
maple had been strangled with her undergarments as well as mutilated analysis of the wounds showed the killer
was likely left-handed maple had also been robbed [Music] four days after maple's body was
discovered the unconscious body of 49 year old edith humphreys was found lying across her bed in her flat just half a
mile away her skull had been fractured with a penetrating stab wound to her brain and
her jaw was broken there were also signs she had been manually strangled edith was still clinging to life and was
rushed to hospital but died of her injuries later that day reports differ but many say that edith
had been robbed with the jewellery and money missing with no signs of forced entry it
appeared she had willingly let her kill her into her home a background check showed that gordon
cummins was in the area when the murders of maple church and edith humphries took
place despite intensive investigations both cases remained unsolved yet given their similarities to the
blackout ripper's known crimes many have theorised that maple and edith might have been his first victims
[Music] to this day scotland yard strongly believes gordon cummins was responsible
for these crimes the man himself would never lay claim to any of the murders he was accused of
maintaining his innocence up until june 1942 when he was led to the hangman's noose
he offered no resistance and appeared stoic when the rope was placed around his neck
gordon cummins was pronounced dead minutes after am to the tune of an air raid siren blasting over london
at that exact time city dwellers huddled nervously in makeshift shelters listening for the sound of encroaching
german aeroplanes for londoners their fears had returned to the war now that the blackout ripper
was no longer lurking in the night [Music] you

Case 218: The Blackout Killers (Part 1)

[Part 1 of 2] At the height of World War Two in London, a serial killer roamed the streets. In just one week in February 1942, he killed four women and attempted to kill others, taking them by surprise at night during the enforced blackout periods.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-218-the-blackout-killers-part-1

Brief Summary

The episode details the Blackout Ripper murders in WWII London, focusing on victims and the arrest of Gordon Cummins.

Key points

Wartime London: A City Under Siege. As darkness falls, London prepares for nightly battles against enemy aircraft.
Evelyn Hamilton's Tragic Fate. Evelyn Hamilton arrives in London, only to meet a horrific end.
The Discovery of a Gruesome Scene. Evelyn Hamilton's body is found, revealing a violent crime.
The Mile of Terror. The murders of two women spark fear among sex workers in London.
Patricia Borg's Close Call. Patricia declines a suspicious man's offer, narrowly escaping danger.
Catherine's Escape. Catherine fights back against her attacker and manages to escape.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

The nightly siege of London has begun.

Describing the atmosphere of wartime London.

2:09WatchJul 9, 2022

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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