What happened to Beryl and her baby at 10 Rillington Place? (Part 1/2) | Forensic Files

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please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website today's episode deals with the crime
committed against the child it won't be suitable for all listeners today the district of Notting Hill in London's
inner West is renowned as one of the city's more affluent areas but in the late 1940s it was not a desirable place
to live a number of its buildings had been damaged or completely ravaged during the Blitz an intensive German
bombing campaign during the Second World War that killed more than 40,000 civilians
many of the larger houses that remained standing were sold to landlords who divided them into multi occupancy
dwellings with tenants leasing either a room or a single storey 10 Rillington place in Notting Hill the Ladbroke Grove
neighborhood was one such abode it was the tenth house in a row of narrow matching three-story brick residences
situated at the end of a cul-de-sac that had joined a busy thoroughfare named st.
Mark's Road all of the houses had been built during the 1870s and by the late 1940s they had fallen into neglect and
disrepair as they were home to so many residents the street had a bustling atmosphere with local children often
gathering outside to play during the summer months the landlord for number-10 lived elsewhere they had split the house
into three flats that each occupied an entire story of the building it was poorly maintained and had no phone or
indoor bathroom facilities instead residents had to use bed pans or a lavatory in the backyard which had
joined a small communal washhouse in March 1948 the property's ground and middle floor flats were
leased to long term tenants but the top floor remained available to ran newlyweds Timothy into Beryl Evans had
been living with Timothy's parents and sisters just around the corner on st. Mark's Road their living quarters were
small and crowded when Beryl discovered she was pregnant she and Timothy decided
it was time to find a place of their own they were informed of a house nearby that had a sign in its top floor window
reading flat two-lap its affordability coupled with its convenient location near their extended family compelled the
Evanses to submit an application despite the property's less than desirable features their submission was
approved and on Monday March 29 1948 the young couple moved in to 10 Rillington place
[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Beryl Susannah Thorley was born on September 19 1929 in the southeast the
London area of the lewisham she was the oldest of four children with two younger
brothers and the sister during the Second World War the thorleys moved to the West London neighborhood of
Kensington when Barrels mother died in 1947 her father relocated to the seaside resort of Brighton roughly 53 miles
south of the capital Beryl remained in London where she worked as a telephone switchboard operator had Grove in her
house hotel on Park Lane a hotel in the upmarket district of Mayfair one of her colleagues was dating a young man who in
turn offered to set Beryl up on a blind date with his friend Timothy John Evans was born on November 20 1924 in the
Welsh mining town of Merthyr Tydfil located in the country's south his father who worked locally as a coal
Hulya abandoned to the family seven months before Timothy was born as a result Timothy and his elder sister
Eileen were raised by their mother Thomasina in 1929 she remarried another co-worker named Penry Probert later that
year the newlyweds had a daughter Mary Timothy Evans childhood was marred by a number of developmental delays he
struggled to walk and speak though eventually learned how to do both at age 8 Timothy cut a toe on his right
foot on some glass by a river the wound was bandaged too using a dirty cloth which led to him developing
tubercular Veruca a rash of small red popular nodules related to the infectious disease tuberculosis the
injury never healed properly and Timothy was often in hospital receiving treatments he missed out on much of his
schooling causing his literacy to suffer to the extent that he could barely write
and could only read simple texts such as comic books in 1935 when Timothy was 10
years old the Welsh coal fields were experiencing a depression so his stepfather relocated to London in search
of work the rest of the family joined him six weeks later settling in the cities in a West Timothy continued to
miss school due to his ill health in 1939 he was sent to a clinic in Hampshire that specialized in treating
children with tuberculosis and stayed for an entire year though the physicians there couldn't entirely fix Timothy's
foot injury they managed to treat it effectively enough that it never bothered him significantly again though
he was left with a permanent limp by the time he reached that old hood Timothy stood at 5 foot 5 inches tall and had a
slight frame described as cocky and cheerful he had dark eyes and dark hair which he slicked back across his head
his leg impairment excused him from military service during World War two and he remained in London with his
family as the city in June at the Blitz although his limited education hindered his work prospects he managed to secure
a job as a car cleaner amongst friends and family Timothy was renowned for exaggerating and telling tall tales
he developed the habit as a form of entertainment when he was bedridden as a child he claimed that his father was an
Italian count and that he had a brother who owned an enormous fleet of cars though he had a Welsh accent he would
sometimes feign a cockney manner of speaking to fit in with these English friends Thomasina attributed her son's
fibbing to his lack of self-confidence if caught out in a lie Timothy would become ashamed and would
plead with his mother not to tell his older sister Eileen whom he adored in January 1947
shortly after Timothy's 22nd birthday a friend offered to set him up on a date with a girl named Beryl Thorley Timothy
was drawn to the petite dark-haired Beryl and the pair hit it off instantly they met several more times to attend to
local dances and to go to the cinema within weeks of their first date they became engaged on September 20 one day
after Barrels 18th birthday they married at Kensington registry office six months later the couple moved into
10 Rillington place in preparation of their growing family their flat consisted of a single bedroom with a
joint living and kitchen space despite the cramped quarters and a lack of modern amenities they liked their new
home and decided to stay put even when told of a ground floor flat available elsewhere that had its own
garden and a lavatory number 10 Rillington place had several communal areas including the hallway
staircase and outside rear yard so the Evanses often saw their neighbors throughout the day the ground floor flat
was home to another married couple while the middle residence was occupied by an
orderly man later that year Timothy commenced the new job as a delivery driver for a food wholesaler he
managed to drive a van all over London despite having difficulty reading signs and maps on Sunday October 10 1948
Timothy and Beryl welcome to their first born a girl they named to Geraldine Beryl was an affectionate mother while
Timothy spent hours playing with his daughter he would bring her home small gifts that he collected throughout his
delivery shifts on Wednesday evenings Thomasina would babysit her grandchild so that the new parents could go to the
cinema together yet their relationship grew increasingly fraught and difficult money was scarce they struggled to
afford to rent and to make great payments on their furniture Timothy felt his wife did not know how to cook clean
or manager household budget Beryl was frustrated at the amount of time and money her husband spent drinking at
local pubs he also had a quick temper that was exacerbated by alcohol their neighbors overheard their loud arguments
which sometimes became physical by July 1949 Beryl had returned to work part-time to support her family she
struck up a mild flirtation with a colleague and once teased Timothy about it when he paid her a visit he slapped
her and the pair caused the scene that resulted in Beryl losing her job on another occasion Beryl threw a jar of
baby cream at her husband causing a gash that required stitches Beryl's father concluded that his daughter was
unhappily married and her relationship with Timothy was not quote a genuine friendship other relatives and
acquaintances were of the opposite opinion believing the couple were happy and in love
Timothy's younger sister Mary attributed their marital issues to struggling to make ends meet in post-war London a
young girl who babysat Geraldine described them as a lovely couple very fond of each other they did quarrel
a bit but never badly and never for long on the evening of August 28 1949 a police officer was called to 10
Rillington place following reports of a layout fire in the top floor flat they found Timothy barrel Thomasina
and a teenage girl in the midst of an argument the girl 17 year old Lucy Endicott was a friend of barrels who was
temporarily staying with the Evanses Beryl had slapped Lucy after accusing her of sleeping with her husband the
previous night Thomasina was demanding Lucy leave as her presence was causing problems in her son's marriage
Lucy denied the allegations she claimed to have witnessed Timothy beat Beryl and
threatened to throw her out of a window the feud ended with lucy and timothy leaving the flat they stayed together
for two nights until lucy tired of his company and went home to her mother timothy returned to Beryl who accepted
him back at around 7 a.m. on Tuesday November 15 1949 Cornelius Lynch was in the midst of
preparing for work when he heard a knock on the front door he was surprised to greet his 24-year old nephew Timothy
Evans the son of his sister Thomasina Timothy was far from home although he was born and raised in
southern Wales he currently lived in London 164 miles from Cornelius house in the Welsh
village of from earth avail Timothy informed his uncle that he had been traveling with his boss searching for
areas to expand his food wholesaling business their car broke down in the city of Cardiff about half an hour's
drive south leaving them stranded for a few days at least Cornelius and his wife
violet were happy to let their nephew stay with them forever he needed timothy spent the following days going for walks
in the nearby hills reading comics by the fire and accompanying his aunt on shopping errands his week-long absence
from home would go unnoticed as barrel was holidaying at her widowed father's place in Brighton and had taken one year
older Geraldine with her a framed picture of the infant was displayed in the Lynch's house and Timothy was often
caught talking to it on one occasion he turned to his aunt violet and told her just wait till you see her on TV
she's a Smasher while at a pub with his nephew one day Cornelius noticed timothy holding what
appeared to be a woman's wedding ring when asked if it was barrels timothy said no he'd just found it somewhere
he also gifted an old friends wife and necklace though didn't reveal where it had come from on his fifth day in mirth
avail Timothy celebrated his 25th birthday he left the following day of Monday November 21 telling the lynches he
needed to meet his boss in Cardiff to collect some pay and expenses three days later
Timothy reappeared he admitted to his aunt and uncle that he never went to Cardiff he had actually been back to
London when asked if he had seen his wife and daughter during his brief trip home Timothy replied that he had he
revealed that Beryl had walked out on him and baby Geraldine during his journey back to mirtha Vale he dropped
his daughter off with some acquaintances in the city of Newport just outside of Cardiff the lynches were suspicious of
their nephews odd behaviour and confusing explanations and were not inclined to believe that Beryl had
abandoned him and her baby one night Cornelius asked Timothy to again confirm what had happened he changed his story
this time saying Beryl was pregnant by another man so he had to left her and would never see her again meanwhile
Timothy's mother and sisters hadn't heard from him in more than a fortnight on Sunday November 27
Timothy's sister Eileen visited 10 Rillington place only to find the Evanses top story flat quiet she
inquired with the neighbours and spoke to the occupants of the ground floor flat a middle-aged couple named to John
and death old Christie Ethel reported that Beryl had left the property with the Geraldine almost three weeks earlier
on Tuesday November 8 she was certain of it as she helped a barrel carry her bags
Ethel's husband - John told Eileen they've had a rail best to leave young couples alone the following day
Timothy's other sister Mary arrived at Rillington place to carry out her own investigations she also spoke with the
Christie's and couldn't understand why Beryl hadn't written as she must have known they would worry if they didn't
hear from her John Christie revealed that Timothy had sold all the couple's furniture as though he had no intention
to return it appeared to have been in response to his mother who was interfering with the couple's lives too
much John stated that Beryl left without saying goodbye though his wife claimed otherwise explaining Beryl bid her
farewell and stated she would write Mary planned to contact the police if she didn't hear from her brother or Beryl by
the end of the wake John Christie advised her against it as Timothy would not thank her if she involved to the
authorities in his personal matters when Thomasina last spoke with her son he claimed that Beryl and Geraldine were
holidaying in Brighton yet it had been almost a month since the otherwise communicative Beryl contacted her
in-laws Thomasina sent a telegram to Beryl's father in Brighton as she had purchased a dress for Geraldine as a
Christmas gift and wanted to confirm Beryl would still be there before sending it in his reply er barrels
father revealed that his daughter hadn't been staying with him a short time later Thomasina received a
letter from her sister-in-law violet Lynch informing her that Timothy had spent the previous two weeks at her
home in mirth avail a number of individuals told Thomasina that her son owed them money leading her to suspect
he had run away from his debts furious that Timothy was lying and had seemingly abandoned his responsibilities Thomasina
wrote back to violet sheep and there is some mystery about him you can tell him from me I never want to see him again as
long as I live he packed up a good job here he is like his father no good to himself or anybody else
violet Lynch received Thomas Tina's letter the morning of Wednesday November 30 she read it to Timothy at the
breakfast table before accusing him of lying he maintained his story that barrel and Geraldine were in Brighton he
also denied selling their furniture he appeared anxious and didn't finish eating his meal at 3:10 that afternoon
he walked into mirth avails police station Timothy told the officer on duty Detective Constable Quinn Fran Evans I
would like to have a chat with you alone he was taken into the station's charge office where he announced I want to give
myself up I have disposed of my wife when asked what he met Timothy elaborated I put her
down the drain the detective queried whether Timothy knew what he was admitting to he
answered yes I know what I'm saying I can't sleep and want to get it off my chest
he was cautioned and asked if he wanted to make a written statement as he couldn't read or write Timothy suggested
he'd talk about it while officers dictated he was then transferred five miles north to the Criminal
Investigation Department in his hometown of Merthyr Tydfil once there Timothy gave an official statement to
Detective Constable Gwynn fern Evans and another officer Detective Sergeant Glynn
dog off he started with the discovery months earlier that Beryl was pregnant with their second child the news
distressed 19 year-old Beryl who was already struggling to make ends meet with one child she had also started a
new job at a news agency and would have to quit if she had another baby she wanted to terminate the pregnancy but
abortions were illegal in the United Kingdom at the time Timothy didn't share his wife's concern telling her if you
are having a baby well you've had one another one won't make any difference Beryl said about trying to abort the
pregnancy herself Timothy warned that she would only end up making herself unwell but Beryl was
adamant Timothy approached his mother to see whether she knew of anything that could
induce a miscarriage as a practicing Catholic Thomasina was firmly against the idea Beryl also discussed the matter
with Timothy's sisters her a friend and her neighbors John and Ethel Christie at the advice of those
she spoke to she obtained some over-the-counter pills and a syringe to inject glycerine into carbolic soap into
her body but her attempts failed as time went on the combination of her unhappy marriage unwanted pregnancy and other
home remedies caused the barrel to become increasingly ill and emotionally distraught she confided to her neighbor
Ethel Christie that she wanted to have an illegal abortion performed but couldn't afford one then in early
November barrels overall well-being appeared to improve on Friday November 4 her brother basil noted that she seemed
to be in good spirits without coming plans to go on a holiday with baby Geraldine yet her husband told a
different story on Sunday November 6 after a month of trying and failing to induce a miscarriage Beryl told Timothy
that if she couldn't have an abortion then she would take her own life as well as Geraldine's the following morning
Timothy visited a cafe for breakfast a man sitting nearby engaged him in conversation asking you were looking
pretty worried is there anything on your mind Timothy shared his troubles with the
stranger who in turn gave him a bottle wrapped in brown paper stating tell your wife to take it first thing in the
morning before she has any tea then to lay down on the bed for a couple of hours and that should do the job
that night barrel went to fetch a cigarette from her husband's coat pocket and discovered the bottle
Timothy spoke of his encounter with the stranger at the cafe but cautioned her not to consume the bottles contents he
went to work the next day of Tuesday November raid upon returning home in the evening he noticed the flat was in
darkness inside he found barrel in bed deceased between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m. he dragged two barrels body downstairs out
the front door and to lowered her head first into a storm drain he then smoked a cigarette by the
living-room fire Timothy planed he didn't go to work the next day and instead resigned telling his
employer that he had received a better offer he visited his mother to tell her barrel and Geraldine had gone to
Brighton he then arranged to have a secondhand furniture dealer purchase all of his furniture for forty pounds the
dealer couldn't collect the items until Monday November 14 so Timothy remained in London for the next five days
afterwards he caught a train to Wales to visit his aunt and uncle in mirth avail
he told the officers that he had arranged for someone to look after baby Geraldine before departing Timothy
concluded his statement at 5:10 p.m. at which point it was read back to him and he signed it three officers were
dispatched to 10 Rillington place where they spotted a storm drain in the street
out front as Timothy described even with their combined strengths they were unable to lift its heavy cover their
efforts drew the attention of ground-floor resident John Christie who emerged from his flat and reaffirmed
that Beryl and Geraldine had a left some time ago through the use of Alevis the officers
were finally able to lift the storm drain lid they peered inside only to find it empty at approximately 9:00 p.m.
Detective Constable Quinn friend Evans returned to where Timothy Evans was being held and told him the drain which
you say you put your wife's body down has been examined and that there is nothing there he replied well I put it
there when asked who helped him lift the cover Timothy stated that he had done so
entirely by himself given its weight the detective was skeptical and remarked I don't think that your wife's body has
ever been in the drain Timothy responded no I said that to protect a man named Christie it's not true about the men in
the cafe either I'll tell you the truth now he then proceeded to give a second statement which the officers transcribed
he admitted to lying about meeting a stranger in a cafe but maintained the rest of his statement was essentially
true roughly a week before Beryl had died Timothy was approached by his downstairs neighbor John Christie John
who was aware of barrels attempts to terminate her pregnancy remarked I'd like to have a chat with you about your
wife taking these tablets I know what she's taking them for she's trying to get rid of the baby if you or your wife
had come to me in the first place I could have done it for you without any risk John revealed that he had been studying
to be a doctor prior to the outbreak of World War one and showed Timothy a medical textbook he owned Timothy was
unable to read it but it contained diagrams and illustrations of the human anatomy John said he could perform an
abortion but cautioned there was a one in ten chance Beryl would die Timothy was disinterested in the offer and went
upstairs to his flat when he entered Beryl immediately asked whether John Christie had spoken to him about
performing an abortion Timothy said he had but told Beryl she wasn't to have anything to do with it
as she trusted John she intended to take him up on his offer several days later on Monday November 7
Timothy arrived home from work and was told by barrel that John Christie had made arrangements to carry out the
procedure the next morning shortly before her husband left for work the following morning Beryl asked him to
tell John on his way out that everything was all right to proceed she threatened
to tell him herself if Timothy didn't Timothy did as he was asked then went to work when he returned home that evening
John Christie was waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase he followed Timothy upstairs and told him it's bad
news it didn't work Timothy entity's flat and found his wife's body on their bed covered with a
quilt he uncovered her seeing that she was dressed in a black skirt her checked blouse and a light blue jacket there was
blood around her mouth and nose and between her legs geraldine was nearby in her car
timothy picked her up wrapped her in a blanket and took her into the kitchen where John Christie was waiting he said
Beryl had been dead since about three o'clock adding that her stomach had been septic poisoned and that she would have
had to go to the hospital anyway he refused to give any details about the failed abortion procedure or what it
involved for the past month the middle floor flat at 10 Rillington place had been unoccupied its sole resident an
elderly man named Charles Kitchener had been hospitalized to undergo an operation on his eyes John Christie took
a Barrels body into the vacant flat and promised to dispose of it later down a nearby drain Timothy remarked that it
was foolish to dispose of barrels body but John said it was necessary to prevent police prosecuting him for
performing an illegal medical procedure he instructed Timothy to go to work as per usual in the morning while he looked
after baby Geraldine their suspicions might arise if she was sent to her grandmother's home unexpectedly
over the next few days John urged Timothy to leave London as soon as possible in order to conceal the death
of his wife he recommend that a local furniture dealer Timothy could sell his belongings - and said he knew a young
couple in the nearby area of East Acton who would be happy to look after Geraldine Timothy did as he was told and
while he was at work on Thursday November 10 John had the young couple come by to collect the Geraldine Timothy
told his relatives that his wife and daughter were on holiday has instructed by John and disposed of barrels clothing
by tearing it up into pieces and giving them to a rag dealer once his personal affairs were in order and the flat was
empty he caught a train to mirth avail [Music] by the time Timothy concluded giving
this second statement it was 11:50 p.m. he had been in police custody for almost
the nine hours and spent the remainder of the night in solitary confinement both the John and Ethel Christie were
questioned at length in relation to Timothy's accusations John denied offering to perform an abortion on Beryl
that had been aware she was trying to terminate an unwanted pregnancy he advised her against it for the sake of
her health Ethel told police that Beryl mentioned going to a location near a hospital where she could pay to have an
abortion carried out the Christie's described to the Evanses marriage as an unhappy one with John explaining quote
Beryl has told my wife and I on more than one occasion that Timothy has assaulted her and grabbed hold of her
throat she said he has a violent temper and one time would do her in John had spent the first two weeks of November
practically housebound after taking time off from the factory where he worked due
to ill health on the date of barrels alleged to death he was at home suffering severe back pain and
inflammation of the small intestine he left his flat twice to see the doctor at 5:20 p.m. and to visit the library with
his wife John saw barrel for the last time that day as she left the house at seven o'clock that evening
Timothy returned home and spoke to the Christie's telling them that Beryl and Geraldine had gone to the city of
Bristol to visit friends and he would join them later in the week almost a week later on Monday November 14 Timothy
told John that he had quit his job and was moving before his departure Timothy gave his neighbor two suitcases
as well as Geraldine's pram and highchair asking him to hold on to them until he found a new home for his family
he reappeared almost ten days later on Wednesday November 23 John said that his wife had inquired about Beryl at which
point Timothy revealed that she had left him police also spoke with Timothy's mother
who confirmed she hadn't seen her son his wife or their child in weeks they passed on a message from Timothy asking
her to contact a John Christie to confirm the address of the young couple who had Geraldine his message didn't
make sense the Thomasina who replied I know my son has a very vivid imagination and is a terrible liar
Timothy's personal belongings were retrieved from the mirtha Vale home of Cornelius and violet Lynch including the
letter his mother sent days earlier conveying her frustrations that he had abandoned his family afterwards
Detective Constable Gwyn Fran Evans spoke with Timothy Evans again who feigned ignorance over the letter penned
by his mother he was asked when he last saw barrel's body and whether he had helped a John Christie move it to
Charles kitcheners middle floor flat here Timothy changed his story yet again he claimed he had heard his 50 year old
neighbor huffing and puffing as he struggled to drag his wife's body downstairs he had been assisted by
carrying her legs while John lifted her torso quote that's the truth and that's the last time I saw her body
when asked if he had returned to London after fleeing to mirth avail Timothy responded oh yes I forgot about
that he claimed to have returned to inquire about Geraldine's welfare but John Christie had told him he couldn't visit
his daughter for another two or three weeks as she was still settling into her new home detective Evans expressed his
disbelief at Timothy storey prompting the response I may have made a few mistakes but as far as Christie is
concerned I have said the truth meanwhile a search of 10 Rillington place was underway police examined the
garden were recently disturbed earth but found nothing in the ground floor flat belonging to
John and Ethel Christie police bound to Geraldine's clothing pram and highchair the Evanses upstairs flat was emptier
furniture but for newspaper clippings were discovered they detailed a notorious crime that had taken place
earlier that autumn on October 4 1949 Stan Lee said he a wealthy car dealer from London's East End disappeared
nearly three weeks later his torso was found in a marsh in the nearby County of Essex a 29 year old named Brian Hume was
later charged with the murder the clippings included pictures of the bundle that Stanley's torso had been
wrapped in officers also found a briefcase that had been stolen in August from a residential Notting Hill address
enabling them to arrest Timothy Evans for grant the larceny by the morning of Friday December 2 more than 36 hours had
passed since Timothy Evans had given his initial confession yet police still hadn't found barrel or Geraldine Timothy
remained insistent that John Christie had killed Beryl and had knowledge of Geraldine's whereabouts but John's
Donnelly denied these claims by this stage chief detective inspector George Jennings had been placed in charge of
the case another officer and a biologist from Scotland Yard too joined him in a thorough search of 10 Rillington place
the house was again checked from top to bottom but resulted in no significant discoveries they went into the communal
backyard next finding a broken dustbin that didn't garner their interest they searched the outdoor lavatory before
turning their attention to the small wash house that had joined it though the door stuck shut
ethel christy who was observing the goings on with her husband explained that the door had a habit of jamming and
fetched a knife which was used to prise that open it was so dark inside that the
officers needed a torch to see the washhouse measured just 54 by 52 inches and it was primarily used for storage or
fetching water there was a copper boiler in the left corner and to the right was
a sink with a pile of timber boards stacked against it chief detective Inspector Jennings reached behind that
woodpile and felt something he removed some of the boards and uncovered something wrapped in a green tablecloth
and tired with a cotton sash cord he asked death or what was in it but she had never seen it before the officers
laid at the bundle on the cement outside the wash house as they did so a pair of feet that were
bound together slip down detective Jennings returned to the wash house and spotted something else hidden behind
some wood stacked behind the door it was the body of a baby girl with a man's tire knotted around her neck
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the large band parcel contained the body of 19 year old Beryl Evans bent with her
head between her fate the infant body was that of her one-year-old daughter Geraldine as the weather in London had
been cold in recent weeks both corpses were preserved and had no foul odor Beryl and Geraldine had been deceased
for roughly three weeks and the cause of death in both cases was asphyxiation by
strangulation ligature marks and bruises on Beryl's throat and neck were consistent with her killer using a piece
of rope or twisted stocking she was dressed in a skirt blouse and jacket with the latter two undone exposing her
upper body her underwear was missing her face was bruised with her right eye and
upper lip both swollen indicating that she'd been struck about twenty minutes before her
death Beryl also had two bruises on her upper left thigh one on her left shin and another small bruise inside her
vagina wore her womb contained a 16 week old male fetus and bore no signs of the
work of an amateur abortionist it was believed that the bruise in her vagina might have been from a self-inflicted
injury done to induce a miscarriage yet the possibility that her killer had attempted to sexually assault her
postmortem was also considered Geraldine Evans was fully clothed her only injuries were ligature marks on her neck
caused by the tire found with her remains the pair's clothing was identified by John and Ethel Christie
who confirmed the items had belonged to their neighbors when shown that I used to kill Geraldine John thought he might
have seen Timothy Evans wearing one quite similar Timothy Evans was transported from Merthyr Tydfil back to
London so that he could be formally charged with the murder of Beryl and Geraldine without
telling him that the bodies of his wife and daughter had been found the officers
escorted Timothy on a train to London that night a police tip-off alerted the media and depressed photographer was
waiting as the train pulled in at Paddington Station they snapped the picture of a startled and distraught
Timothy as he disembarked flanked by two officers he was taken to Notting Hill police station where he was placed in
the charged room laid out on the floor where the items recovered from barrel and Geraldine's bodies including their
clothing the blanket tablecloth and cord used to wrap barrels body and the knotted tie used to strangle Geraldine
as Timothy surveyed the items chief detective inspector George Jennings stated at 11:50 today I found the dead
body of your wife Beryl Evans concealed in a wash house at 10 Rillington place and Notting Hill also the body of your
baby daughter Geraldine concealed behind some timber in the same our building and
this clothing was found with them tears appeared in Timothy's eyes as he picked up the tyre detective Jennings informed
him that his wife and daughter had been strangled to death and that he had reason to believe Timothy was
responsible Timothy replied yes Timothy immediately provided a brief verbal confession to
the crimes which detective Jennings transcribed into his notebook at red barrel was incurring one dead after
another I could not stand it any longer so I strangled her with a piece of rope and took her down to the flat below the
same night whilst the old man was in hospital I waited till the Christie's downstairs had gone to bed then I took
her to the wash house after midnight this was on Tuesday 8th of November on Thursday evening after I came home from
work I strangled my baby in our bedroom with my tie and - later that night I took her down into the wash house after
the Christie's had gone to bed when Timothy signed to this confession he allegedly told the officers he felt a
great relief at finally sharing the truth before offering to go into more detail about the crimes he then provided
another more detailed statement his fourth since turning himself in to police two days earlier he described
murdering Beryl around 6:30 on the evening of Tuesday November 8 after she initiated a dispute that quickly became
physical Timothy hit her across the face and the barrel retaliated quote in a fit
of temper I grabbed a piece of rope from a chair which I had brought home off my
van and strangled her with it I then took her into the bedroom and laid her on the bed with the Rope still tired
around her neck before 10:00 that night I carried my wife's body downstairs to the kitchen of mr. kitchen as flat as on
you he was away in hospital he then fed Geraldine put her to bed and smoked a cigarette before returning to Charles
kitchen is vacant flat to wrapper barrels body in a blanket and green tablecloth he beyond her concealed body
with cord from a kitchen cupboard and carried her downstairs to the wash house she was placed under the sink with
planks of wood stacked in front Timothy then slipped back into the house and spent the rest of the night lying
fully dressed on his bed over the next two days he fed and changed to Geraldine before going to work leaving her alone
at the flat until he returned in the evenings on Wednesday November 10 he had an argument with his employer and
subsequently quit upon arriving home he picked up Geraldine from her cart and strangled her with one of his tires
after waiting for John and Ethel Kristy to go to bed he crept to downstairs with
the Geraldine's body and hid her in the wash house as well news of Evans arrest broke quickly on Saturday December 3
through London papers published stories about his late-night interrogation with the Evening Standard running a headline
that read men all night with the police that same morning Timothy was formally charged with murder to which he replied
yes that's right he was transported to Brixton prison in London's inner south to await trial upon admission he
confessed to the prison's principal medical officer who was required to ascertain whether he was sane and
mentally competent to stand trial for reasons unknown Barrels father and siblings were not given details
regarding her and Geraldine's funeral authorities arranged for the mother and daughter to be laid to rest in a shared
grave known as a corpus grave alongside six other bodies their burial site was located in the Catholic section of
London's Gunners bury symmetry despite barrel being of Jewish faith in the days that followed investigators
set about building a case for the prosecution they revisited 10 Rillington place on Monday December 5 to obtain a
more detailed statement from residents John and Ethel Christie both reported hearing heavy thudding from above on the
night of November 8 as though someone were moving furniture in relation to the backyard washhouse Ethel told police
that they locked its door however there was no lock on the door with residents merely jamming it shut in a manner that
made it difficult to open as the rooms boiler was broken the space was typically used for storage Ethel had
been using it daily since November 8 to rinse out a bedpan and saw the pile of timber stacked in front of the sink but
didn't notice anything tucked behind it John Christie didn't visit the wash house until Monday November 14 the date
Timothy Evans left for Wales at 7:30 that morning John ventured out to fetch some firewood he entered the wash house
and two noticed the timber pile but didn't disturb it the day before Beryl was murdered she spoke to Ethel about a
friend named - Jane Vincent coming to visit Beryl was less than enthused accusing the woman of causing trouble
between herself and Timothy John was one of barrels oldest friends having met in school when they were
children they lost touch only to reconnect after a chance meeting at a post / natal clinic where they took
their infant daughters the two women would catch up several times a week taking it in turns to visit one another
Joan told police that she couldn't quite recall when she had last visited Beryl naming November 5 7 & 8 as possible date
Joan arrived that 10 Rillington place around lunchtime the building's front door was open something she had never
seen before she went upstairs and found the door to the Evanses flat which was usually kept open closed she knocked and
called out Beryl that's me there was no answer which Joan found odd as Beryl was always
home at lunchtime she attempted to open the door by turning the handle it gave slightly before closing again as though
someone were pushing against it convinced there was somebody standing on the other side Joan said if you don't
want to see me you've only got to say so there was no reply so Joan left in the course of their investigation
police discovered that around at the time of barrels murder structural work was underway at 10 Rillington place
the landlord had hired a team of five laborers to repair plastering and to replace wall boards a manager plaster a
carpenter and two assistants commenced work on Monday October 31 and were at the property on and off over the next
two weeks repair work on the roof of the outdoor wash house and lavatory commenced on Tuesday November a
plasterer Frederick Willis and his assistant Frederick Jones left the building's front door open as they were
constantly entering and exiting to gather equipment at around 10 a.m. Jones was mixing materials out front
when a young woman came downstairs with a baby in her arms accompanied by another young woman she put the baby in
a pram and two left he couldn't recall seeing her again the plaster is finished mending the
washout sealing by the following day and for the rest of the week were regularly
in and out of the small building as they stored their tools in there when there were finished on Friday November 11
jones cleaned and swept the room thoroughly before leaving the property for good
both men were certain there had been nothing out of the ordinary there during that period all five workmen were shown
a crime-scene photograph of the wash house that depicted the timber pile by the sink
carpenter Robert Anderson identified the planks as floorboards he had removed from the ground floor hallway on
November 14 he left them in the wash house for the tenants to use as firewood these statements were at odds with
Timothy Evans final confession he had described placing the bodies of Beryl and Geraldine in the wash house on
November 8 and a November 10 respectively yet the workmen had been accessing the small room on both those
dates upon realizing this discrepancy chief detective inspector George Jennings summoned plasterer Frederic Willis and
his assistant Frederick Jones to clarify matters along with their manager raymond
phillips detective Jennings asked Phillips to speak with him first while his two employees waited in
another room three hours passed and Willis and Jones grew frustrated finally Jones was brought in for questioning
detective Jennings wasted no time in telling him that his earlier statement was incorrect as the bodies had been
placed in the wash house before he concluded his work there on November 11 Jones was certain this could not be the
case as he had not seen anything suspicious in the wash house the entire time he was at 10 Rillington place he
was insistent refusing to budge from his story his boss Raymond Phillips was called into the room and told
we've got 30 or 40 witnesses to prove the bodies were in the wash hours but your man says they weren't Phillips
turned to Jones pointing out that if the police said this was the case then it must be so Jones altered his statement
writing that he now recalled clearing out the wash house on Tuesday November 8 not Friday November 11 Fredrik Willis
was then asked to join them he too began to doubt his own recollections and too changed his statement adding the words I
feel now that it would have been quite possible for anything to have been under the sink in the corner an officer was
dispatched to 10 Rillington place to verify the amended details with the Christie's who had become the primary
witnesses in the case John Christie confirmed that on Tuesday November 8th the plaster has told him
they had finished the repairs on the wash house and telemetry he also clarified that they had stored their
tools and materials in the front room of his flat from that date until November 11 Thomasina visited Brixton prison to
see her son she had tried to visit him while he was under arrest but was told she would have to wait until he'd been
formally charged upon reuniting with him after weeks of no contact Thomasina asked Tim why did you do it he
responded I didn't do it mum Christie done it before explaining that he hadn't even
realized that Geraldine was dead until police brought him back to London Timothy claimed that police had
interrogated him until five o'clock in the morning to coax a confession from him he pleaded with his mother to have
John Christie visit him stating he's the only one who can help me now Timothy Evans was granted a legal aid for his
defence as he had no money to pay for an attorney he continued to profess his innocence though his legal team viewed
his sworn statements as very damning their brief noted that it would be difficult to decide whether to try for
an insanity defense or provide an alternative scenario in line with their clients claims Timothy's barrister
Malcolm Morris visited him in prison on a number of occasions during these meetings
Timothy explained that he had been scared police would become violent with him if he didn't confess to the murders
he reverted back to his second statement blaming John Christie for killing Beryl
despite there being no evidence of her having undergone a botched abortion he remarked that John must have killed
Geraldine as well Morris warned his client that the court probably wouldn't believe this version of events and if he
was to insist on it as his defence then he would be required to testify Timothy understood and readily agreed to
do so British legal practice at the time meant that even if a defendant was charged with multiple murders they would
only be prosecuted for one therefore the prosecution had to decide whether to try
Timothy Evans for the murder of barrel or Geraldine in cases where two murders were tied together in a single event
evidence that related to the first murder could be given in a trial about the second but not the other way around
after some consideration they chose to proceed with trolling the accused for Geraldine's murder this way they could
still enter evidence about barrels death into court thus strengthening their case
against him for the murder of Geraldine the trial commenced on Wednesday January
11 1950 at the Central Criminal Court of England and Wales commonly known as the
Old Bailey there was a little media interest in the case and it was barely covered by the daily papers before
proceedings began at 10:30 Timothy Evans legal team were startled to learn that key witness for the prosecution John
Christie had a criminal record this was despite chief detective inspector George Jennings stating that
John's record was quote as white as the driven snow three decades earlier in 1921 John Christie stole two money
orders during his employment as a postman leading to a three-month prison sentence
three years later he committed a larceny twice and was again sent to prison that
same year he and Ethel separated and John struck up a new relationship with a woman he met in London named Maude
five years later he was convicted of assaulting Maude after striking her in the head with a cricket bat he was
sentenced to six months hard labor his final conviction was for stealing a car in 1933 for which he served another
three months the prosecution and police were satisfied that John Christie had since become an upstanding citizen
worthy of testifying on their behalf in a murder trial following the outbreak of
World War two he worked as a war reserve constable until his resignation in 1943
he and wife Ethel had since reunited and had lived at 10 Rillington place since 1938
despite this the defense regarded to John Christie as an unreliable witness when John was called to give evidence at
trial he gave detailed accounts of arguments he'd overheard between the Evanses painting their relationship as
destructive he claimed that on the evening of November 10 the night that the prosecution was alleging the accused
had killed baby Geraldine Timothy had arrived home quote extremely angry upset really wild he told John that he had
quit his job and was hoping to find a new one in Bristol where Beryl and Geraldine supposedly were and would be
selling his furniture before leaving defense barrister Malcolm Morris cross-examined to John using the
opportunity to share his defendants explanation for both murders by stating well mr. Christie I've got to suggest to
you and I do not want there to be any misapprehension about it that you are responsible for the death of mrs. Evans
and the little girl while he acknowledged that he had known about barrels unwanted pregnancy
John firmly denied suggesting that he could perform an abortion for her when asked whether he owned any medical
textbooks John said he owned a cent Johns Ambulance manual that included diagrams of the human body but had never
shown it to Timothy Evans he called the accusation that he helped carry barrels body downstairs ridiculous as he had
been bedridden with severe back pain and inflammation of the small intestine during the week in question in a final
attempt to undermine John's credibility Morris concluded his cross-examination by addressing his prior convictions
other witnesses for the prosecution included Ethel Christie whose testimony matched that of her husband's Timothy's
aunt violet Lynch and to dr. Robert T the pathologist who had performed the autopsies of Beryl and Geraldine
he described how the pair were killed by strangulation and made it clear that there was no evidence of damage to
Beryl's uterus indicative of an abortion procedure all four of Timothy Evans confessions were read to the court the
defense aimed to discredit them and managed to find one unreliable aspect according to an inspector who was
present at the time Timothy provided his statements chief detective inspector George Jennings
mentioned where barrel and Geraldine's bodies were found before Timothy provided that information himself the
defense only had one witness Timothy Evans Timothy explained to the court that he had initially blamed a stranger
he met in a cafe for Barrels death in order to protect to John Christie upon learning that her body wasn't in the
storm drain as he believed it would be he had decided to tell the truth he described his latter two confessions as
a load of lies that Heda made up because he was distraught at learning of Geraldine's death and believed police
would knock him about if he didn't comply he stated that when police showed him his wife and daughters clothing and
the other artifacts found with their bodies they also revealed that the pair had been in the wash house concealed by
Tim Bob in his final question to his client Malcolm Morris asked had you anything left to live for when Geraldine
was dead Timothy replied no sir prosecutor Christmas Humphries referred to the defendants known and extensive
history of a lying he described to John Christie a World War one veteran who also worked in the war reserve police
during World War two as a perfectly innocent man who had no motive to murder his neighbors Humphries
asked the defendant can you suggest why he should have strangled your wife can you suggest why he should have strangled
your daughter to both of these questions Timothy replied no at the conclusion of
his 10 minute long closing argument Humphries asked the jury even if Christie had been responsible for the
woman's death why should he two days later go up to that flat and strangle an innocent little baby lying there aged 14
months even this fluent liar who will lie as and when he pleases cannot invent an answer to that question the defense's
closing argument was significantly longer Malcolm Morris reminded the jury that unlike ajahn Christie Timothy Evans
had no previous convictions for violent behaviour he asserted that elements of his clients
story were not something that an uneducated illiterate man could invent he explained that his client made no
admissions that Geraldine was dead until after he was told her body had been found at which point he confessed due to
his fear of the police the trial judge reminded the jury that they were only required to reach a verdict regarding
Geraldine Evans murder despite the defense's story that Beryl had died after arranging for John
Christie to perform an abortion the judge clarified that she had not died from such a procedure and added Evans is
a person who does not hesitate to lie the jury deliberated for forty minutes before returning with their verdict
they found Timothy Evans guilty of the murder of his one-year-old daughter Geraldine in 1950 death was the
mandatory sentence for murder when asked if he had anything to say as to why the court should not sentence him
to death Timothy replied no sir he remained silent as the judge stated Timothy John Evans the jury has found
you guilty of willful murder in the sentence of the court upon you is that you be taken from this place to a lawful
prison and thence to a place of execution and there you shall suffer death by hanging
may the lord have mercy on your soul at these words John Christie broke into sobs from his seat at the back of the
courtroom as the Christie stood to leave Timothy's mother shouted at John murderer
murderer Ethel replied don't you dare call my husband a murderer he's a good man
Timothy Evans was taken to Pentonville prison in North London to await his execution he was a model prisoner who
was generally liked by the guards one officer noted that Timothy talked of his deceased wife and child almost as if he
had forgotten the crime while another commented he speaks of his wife with respect
Timothy past time playing cards with other prisoners or discussing football and boxing he found renewed faith in the
Catholicism he had been raised with and attended Mass every week while also receiving regular visits from a Christ
his mother stepfather and sisters visited often Timothy continued to maintain his innocence a month after his
trial he appealed his conviction on several grounds including that evidence relating to Beryl's death should have
been inadmissible and that the judge had misdirected the jury to find him guilty
his appeal was ultimately dismissed once again Timothy showed no visible distress at the verdict but upon
returning to prison he began pacing in his soul his execution was scheduled for Thursday
March 9 1955 days beforehand Timothy appeared before a Medical Board to confirm he was of sound mind
he again attempted to recant his confessions stating I didn't care what happened to them so I made the statement
he speculated that John Christie had killed Geraldine to get her out of the way he didn't dwell on his situation but
found it painful to discuss the board found no cause to provide a medical reprieve two days before his execution
Timothy was visited by his mother and sisters he asked them if there was any hope and his mother replied we have done
all we can son there's nothing more I want you to make your peace with God don't worry you'll go to heaven
[Music] at their final visit Timothy's older sister Eileen stayed behind tough that
the others had a left and said look Tim you've got nothing to lose now tell me the truth so that I can know did
you do it he answered no why Lane I didn't do it cristy done it on Thursday March 9 1952 methey spoke with a priest
before the executioner arrived at 9:00 a.m. he was taken to the prisons execution shed wear a hood was placed
over his head and he was hanged his body was buried in an unmarked grave in the grounds of Pentonville prison the
execution failed to make headlines five months later the owner of 10 Rillington place sold the house to a 35
year old Jamaican immigrant by this stage Charles Kitchener had permanently vacated the property and to the
building's new landlord plans to lease each of the rooms in the middle and upper floor flats to maximize returns
seven new tenants moved in four of whom were also from Jamaica John and Ethel Christie remained in their ground-floor
residence though they were displeased by their new neighbors the pair held racist
views and made a number of complaints about noise and intrusions to their property to a free legal advice service
eventually John Christie negotiated exclusive access to the properties backyard on the grounds that he and his
wife needed privacy by Tuesday March 24 1953 the Christie's were no longer living at 10 Rillington
place that afternoon Beresford Brown the tenant who now occupied the top floor flat was making
some repairs to the Christy's old kitchen after the landlord had given him permission to make use of it as he
installed some brackets for a wireless radio he tucked the portion of the rooms rear wall and discovered that it was
Hollow Beresford peeled back a small portion of wallpaper revealing a small hidden
alcove tucked away alongside the kitchen he's shown a torch inside and was alarmed at what he saw to be continued
next week [Music] [Music] you

Case 139: Beryl & Geraldine Evans (Part 1)

[Part 1 of 2] Newlyweds Timothy and Beryl Evans had been living with Timothy’s parents and sisters. Their living quarters were small and crowded. When Beryl discovered she was pregnant, she and Timothy decided it was time to find a place of their own...

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research and writing – Erin Munro Creative direction – Milly Raso Production, scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-139-beryl-geraldine-evans-part-1

Brief Summary

Timothy Evans is convicted of murdering his wife and daughter amid a tumultuous marriage and a botched abortion attempt.

Key points

Noom: Your Health Companion. Noom helps users develop a new relationship with food and track their health goals.
Timothy's Disturbing Confession. Timothy Evans confesses to the police about disposing of his wife, Beryl.
Timothy's Desperation. Timothy reveals the extent of his despair over Beryl's situation, contemplating drastic measures.
Beryl's Despair. Beryl expresses her desperation over her unwanted pregnancy and troubled marriage.
Confession and Doubt. Timothy's conflicting statements raise suspicion as police investigate the case.
Discovery of the Bodies. The police uncover the remains of Beryl and Geraldine, confirming the worst fears.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

Small steps make a big progress.

Encouragement for gradual change with Noom.

0:50WatchMar 13, 2020

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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