All information is what I have managed to find out, but not confirmed with the police
this information is what i have been able to find out so far on the case.
i have so many questions from finding out information. hope i can find and out more information as i go.
Josephine Backshall
Background and leading up to the day Josephine went missing
Josephine Backshall lived in a semi-detached house atNorfolk close, Maldon, Essex. With her husband Clifford Backshall, and their 3 children, Christopher, Sarah and Emma.
At the time of her murder Josephine was 39 years old, Clifford was 39 as well and the children were 12, 10 and 7.
Josephine had a red Ford Cortina MK3.
Josephine was seeking part-time work in or around Maldon, to earn some extra money for her family.
These are the words in her advert:
Lady, late 30s, seeks part-time employment in or round Maldon. Own transport. Anything considered. Previous experience banking. Able to type. And then her phone number.
This advert appeared in the wanted section of the Maldon and Burnham Standard in February 1974.
The first person to respond to her advert was a man called Peter, who talked about the possibility of modelling for cosmetics and possibly clothing.
Josephine and Peter had arranged to meet on two occasions, but Peter had not kept either meeting. Peter later apologised and Josephine had met him on several occasions. On one of these occasions Peter went to Josephine’s house and took photos of her in her garden.
Day of going missing
Tuesday the 29th of October 1974
Josephine received a phone call from Peter on Tuesday the 29th of October 1974.
Peter said he had been let down by a women who was meant to do some modelling for him in Cheltenham that night, so he asked if she could fill in? Peter mentioned a commission of £100.
That evening Josephine left her house around 6-6:15pm. She told her family she was going to meet Peter for an appointment in Witham at 6:30pm
Later that same evening at around 7:15pm a red Ford Cortina MK3, believed to have been Josephine’s car. The car was seen on Collingwood road, Witham, with the bonnet up.
Josephine’s car was later found, broken into in the Collingwood road carpark in Witham.
There was no indication that there was a link between Josephine’s murder and her car being broken into.
Day body was found and after
On the morning of Friday the 1st of november 1974, at around 11:45am Josephine’s body was found by post office workers. Josephine’s body was found fully clothed, laying face down in a shallow pond, with her hands tightly bound in front of her. Josephine’s hands were tied with cord. cord was also used to strangle her which was still around her neck. (i don’t know if it was the same type of cord or not yet!).
At the time investigators said that there was no signs of sexual assault.
Josephine’s watch had stopped at 8:10.
Josephine was discovered in a field off of (what was known as) Bury Green Lane, which leads to the village of Bury Green, near Bishop;s Stortford and the village of Little Hadham in Hertfordshire.
Josephine was found almost 35 miles from her home.
There was some information that josephine was seen in the company of a man at the Fountain pub in Good Easter at 10:30pm (pub is now a private residence since the 1980s)
Police released information later on, that Josephine’s last meal consisted of white cabbage, baked beans, potato and bread. (the cabbage was a little burnt, so police thought maybe bubble and squeak).
Police know Josephine was standing by her red Cortina in Collingwood road, Witham on the night she met her killer. Josephine turned down an offer of help saying someone was already on the way to assist.
A man did come forward who had been working at the rail station car park on the last night Josephine was alive. He said he saw a women who could have been Josephine Backshall arguing with a man aged about 30, six foot tall, with short brown and wearing a check sports jacket. “The women looked as if she didn’t want to get too close to him, although he had his arm around her”. Mr Robertson, 42 year old witness.
The police said “we now know Mrs Backshall’s car had gone from Collingwood road, Witham, by nine oclock on the night she died”.
A later newspaper reported that the man hunt had switched to the Braintree area. Police had set up a road block to ask motorists about the telephone kiosk opposite The Swan public house, on the A120 at Bradwell. It is understood the killer may have used the booth on the night of October 29th, when a phone call luted Mrs Backshall to her death.
Police have already worked on a theory that, a call from Great Totham phone box lured Mrs Backshall to her killer. The murder hunt is now centred on the Bradwell kiosk.
Hertfordshire police did warn that the killer may strike again. “This killer must be caught”.
In a later newspaper article it stated that detectives are also looking at other unsolved murders for general comparison, but have discovered a big question mark over motives for the killer.
Another paper
The police pleaed with the public to search their albums for photos or cine of Mrs Backshall. Investigators said the murder squad men need the photographs to piece together the last hours in Josephine Backshall’s life.
A man was questioned by police for several hours at the weekend in connection with the murder, but he was later released.
Over 100 cafes and restaurants have been visited by detectives to try and discover where the dead women ate her last meal, probably with her killer.
And police are also anxious to trace garages or passers-by who were asked to help the dead women when her red Cortina car broken down in Collingwood road, Witham, on the night she met her death. Mrs Backshall was seen standing by the car with the bonnet up and police think the headlight was faulty.
31st August 2018 Welwyn and Hatfield times)
Only said the following:
Josephine Backshall was found in a Bishops Stortford field having been tied up, hit around the head and strangled in 1974.
Peter
Josephine had described (to family and friends) Peter as being in his early 30s, tall, heavily built man, with knowledge about perfumes and woman’s toiletries. She also said he was a competent photographer.
During the investigation police found 3 other women in the area, who had put adverts in the local papers, who had been offered modelling opportunities by Peter.
They all rejected him.
