SOLVED MA - Jane Britton, 22, Harvard student, Cambridge, 7 Jan 1969

[AKWILKS]

COLLEGE GIRL AND FAMILY MURDERS 1966 - 1969: CASES THAT MAY BE RELATED

Sharon Bubes, Evanston, IL - Attacked in her bedroom with a hammer, 6/30/66

Valerie Percy, Kenilworth, IL - Murdered in her bedroom by hammer like object and knife, 9/18/66

Bricca Family, Cincinnati, OH - Found bound with household objects and murdered in bedrooms by knife, 9/27/66

Sims Family, Tallahassee, FL - Bound with household objects and murdered, 10/22/66

Cheri Jo Bates, Riverside, CA - Murdered at campus library by knife, 10/30/66

Confession letter in Cheri Jo Bates murder, Riverside, CA - probably placed in mailbox on 11/28/66

Robison Family, Good Hart, MI - All family members shot, mother beaten with a hammer, 6/25/68

Jane Britton, Cambridge, MA - Harvard grad student beaten to death with hammer, 1/7/69

Cecelia Shepard, Lake Berryessa, CA - Bound and murdered by knife, 9/27/69

Betsy Aardsma, State College, PA - Murdered in campus library by knife, 11/28/69

Joan Webster, Cambridge, MA - Harvard grad student abducted and killed, 11/28/81

See http://www.zodiackillersite.com/viewtopic.php?f=102&t=993

Along with the possible pattern noted above, I have a case that is new (to me anyway) which may merit consideration into this possible pattern.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1969/1/8/grad-student-killed-ptwenty-three-year-old-jane-s/

MA MA - Jane Britton, Harvard student, murdered in 1969 - Websleuths Crime Sleuthing Community

It is the case of Jane Britton, a Harvard grad student brutally beaten by a hammer like object, probably a pointed archeology hammer.

The case has eerie foreshadows of the deaths of Betsy Aardsma and Joan Webster, with echoes of the prior murder of Valerie Percy. Like Webster she was a Harvard grad student. Like Webster and Aardsma she was an east coast college student. Both Webster and Britton had prominent successful fathers - Webster's was VP at IT&T, Britton's VP at Radcliffe College. Like Percy she was brutally beaten in the face by a pointed hammer. Like Domingos/Edwards (towel) and Robison Family (blanket), Britton was also covered, by a coat and rug.

Her boyfriend James Humphries was considered a suspect but never charged. A witness saw two young men run into a car at the approximate time of death. Britton was an anthropology student who wanted to be an archeologist. She had gone on a major dig in Iran and was mentioned in a newspaper article in November 1968.

Richard Haefner, a suspect in the Aardsma case, also went on digs as a geologist. A rock was missing from her apartment. Police thought she had probably been killed with a pointed dig hammer.

Zodiac Killer suspect Ted Kaczynski had attended Harvard from 1958 to 1962. A woman named Ada Bean (Bradbury) killed in Cambridge close to the Britton apartment one month later had been a secretary at Harvard and at the time of her death worked for a business machine company. Britton's apartment had been the scene of a knife murder of Beverly Samans, a Boston College grad student, on May 8, 1963.

While the Zodiac Killer wrote of obtaining victims to be slaves in paradise, the police consulted experts who said that Britton's body and face, covered in red ocre, matched ancient burial practices designed to transport the deceased into paradise.



Jane Britton article and picture, compare to picture of Penn State student Betsy Aardsma, killed 11/28/69 and picture of Harvard grad student Joan Webster, killed 11/28/81.


<snipped>

 

[LookingHoping]

I wonder if this is the case this book is based upon: "While I Was Gone," by Sue Miller Fictional and not based upon discussions you all are having, but I'd never heard of Jane before opening this thread this morning and it sure sounded familiar.

 

[HankB]

I believe the key to solving the murders is understanding the ritual. The above posts mentions 2 Zodiacs, Bates and Shepard. There was no ritual in the Aardsma, she was stabbed once in the heart with a paring knife. The same type weapon used on Beverly Samans, and the Jersey Girls. Not enough attention is given to the coded letters found in Samans apartment, the papers mention they hadn't been deciphered, I wonder is this is still true. It would also be interesting to see what symbols were painted on Jane Britton. Did the media blackout prevent those symbols from being compared to other Symbol murders, like for instance those of California. Were they they same? It is a misleading avenue to only focus on Iran and that dig as a source of the Red Ochre, and ritual. If they had bothered in investigating, they would have realized the first explorers to Massachusetts discovered red ochre ritual burials. The lost Tarratine tribe known for its red paint burials out of Penobscot Bay were some of the first Native American Tribes to meet the explorers when they appeared on the Massachusetts and Maine coasts. The Peabody Museum in Harvard has Red Ochre on display from ancient 7 to 8,000 year old Red Paint People Burials also out of the Penobscot River, mainly Bucksport and Orland. Odd also that about the time Othello was conceived by Shakespeare, is the exact time Gosnold was being met by Native Americans using Sailboats and speaking better English then themselves. Yet let's not make that connection, falter on the Iran connection and the murderer goes free.

 

[Robin Hood]

I think the investigation was thrown by the diplomatic immunity (my theory) on one of the suspects, that in itself didn't help.

I don't remember the coded letters in Saman's apartment but may have read something at some stage. If you can throw more light that way HankB, I'd be grateful.

 

[HankB]

One clue leads to another, eventually you come across mention of a Samans Probe done by D.A. Droney, based on an expose tell-all by George Harrison, the non-beatle. At the end of the road you come up with a profile that includes a genius level bomb expert, women hater that likes to send coded messages, and kill coeds wearing blue clothing now where have we heard that profile before? It's enough to want to write a book on the theory, maybe call it Othello Rising!

 

[AKWILKS]

Hank - Could you please send me the news article on the coded letters found in Beverly Samans apartment? Great work. Thanks.

 

[Veidt]

I'm still reading through this thread, however, I wanted to type down some things that have crossed my mind before I forget them.

- Could the reddish brown liquid be tincture of iodine? I don't know if it was commonly used in the 60s or if it could have mistaken for red ochre (although it sounds like there was some degree of confusion about what it was and whether it was a powder or a liquid). Tincture of iodine is a reddish brown liquid that is often used as a disinfectant. Maybe whoever did it didn't know much about chemistry (fits with something I'll say later in this post) and thought it could be used as a replacement. Or maybe they were trying to hide evidence or 'heal' the wounds they inflicted on Jane. Another possibility is that she was holding a bottle of it when she was attacked - this could explain the splattering.

- If someone (someone who was trafficking stolen antiques or RR) was trying to silence her so she wouldn't talk about something she saw, I don't believe that she knew what she had seen or why it mattered. She hung out with her boyfriend as normal and they even went out (so they didn't just stay in her flat where she could talk about something that was worrying her). The Mitchells reported that she seemed normal and happy, and talked about daily stuff like her upcoming exam. Now, if she was worried or disturbed for ANY reason, like a fight with H or having seen something illegal she felt she had to report, I don't think she would have sounded so normal. Much less to people who knew her and could have noticed if she sounded off. Unless she was a very good liar I think it would have been noticeable that there was something on her mind - and she could also have easily covered up for that, by saying she was just worried about her exam or something.

So I think that if someone killed her because she saw something, then I believe it's because it was something minor she saw... something she'd just report without thinking much about it, or even something SHE didn't know the significance of. But remember, the perp would have known the full story and could have freaked out and thought that what she saw had caused her to know too... or at least that she or anyone she told could end up putting two and two together.

- I wonder if the markings even MEANT anything special to the perp. If it was someone covering up for something like antiques trafficking, or someone who was jealous of her because of personal conflict, maybe whoever did it also felt guilty... like they didn't want to kill her but in their sick reasoning they thought they had to. So after killing her they do something that means something to both of them, as an apology of sorts.

It could also be someone who believed in those markings on a spiritual level. I don't think by itself this was the motive to kill her - unlike someone implied before. This could fit in with the antiques trafficking thing, for example if the perp believed themselves to be justified in stealing artifacts for spiritual reasons. Or maybe someone who ascribed spiritual significance to those markings and used them because of feeling guilty (see what I said above) but who killed her for unrelated (non-spiritual) reasons like jealousy or covering up another crime.

- I know that's been brought up but something that I don't think has is... maybe they meant nothing special to the killer? Maybe the perp had no connection to that field of studies but heard about that from a friend or in a book. For example when I was at universty still and had friends in fields I was also interested in, I asked about what they were studying and what textbooks they were using and so on. So maybe it was someone who was trying to make it seem like it was someone who had a visible connection to those symbols, but in reality it was someone who just knew them because of a passing interest or even tried to learn about them deliberately for this. So basically someone trying to plant a connection that wasn't there. This scenario could also fit in with people being confused about the reddish brown substance, as to an outsider to that field, maybe different substances seemed like plausible stand-in or like the same thing as red ochre.

- I don't think H dropping out of his program is that weird... I know lots of people who have dropped out of their own grad programs and pretty much everyone I know who has done them, has considered dropping out at one point. Why? Because it can be stressful and there are many times when it's easy to feel unmotivated, etc. On top of that he was on a top program. That's usually stressful enough but can you imagine... he went out with his GF as normal, then the next day he finds her body and discovers she was murdered shortly after. That has to be a gruesome memory to live with, losing someone is always hard, and losing someone because of murder seems even more difficult. Plus I can imagine the 'what ifs' - what if he had taken her to see a movie, what if he stayed over for longer.

- I think it's weird there's so little info on this even years on... but I believe it's probably only because there was the black out first, and then when that was over the media just didn't pick up on the case that much again. Another thing is, maybe LE also spread out relatively little info because they already had some prime suspects in sight. I've read in other threads that this is common, sometimes LE divulges little info because they don't know much either, but in other cases it's because they already know of people they're fairly certain did it and are just waiting for a slip up... so they don't need much help from the public because they already have suspects and people connected to them.

- Another thing I've thought is that if this was someone who knew her in any way, they'd also know about her exam. I think whoever did it wanted her to be found relatively soon. Of course, the timing may also be a coincidence.

I'm interested in whether Jane's routine that evening was something an outsider would know about. Again, the timing could be a coincidence, the perp being 'lucky' that Jane just happened to be home alone at that time. But I also wonder if maybe the perp knew something about what Jane would be doing and when and what time she was expected back. Also how to keep it silent - it sounds like there was at least some struggle, the Mitchells lived nearby and if they heard screaming they would have known something was wrong. So whoever it was, I think it was probably someone she knew or who came up with an excuse, so she didn't expect that to happen and was caught off-guard because it was someone who seemed trustworthy, maybe even someone she was friends with. Though as I said it's also the perp was just 'lucky' and managed to commit the murder and get away with it without being caught and without anyone hearing or seeing anything specific.

I wonder, was anything at stake in this exam? A work opportunity or an assistantship, maybe? Something that she could easily get if she took and passed the exam, and that someone who was competing with her may have wanted very badly?

 

[Veidt]

Something else that I thought about and forgot to add. I know that apparently she was previously attacked while she was an undergrad. I wonder if the two things are connected - maybe there was a stalker following her and she didn't know.

It doesn't even have to be someone she was acquainted with, it could be a complete stranger - maybe someone who was in one of her undergrad classes and even years later was still obsessed with her. Even someone she may have known in passing, who was an acquaintance of an acquaintance, but was never considered due to a lack of a link between them beyond the same general location and knowing someone she also knew (which is fairly normal in universities so it wouldn't have stood out).

(This part may seem graphic.) I know that in those cases people expect there to be rape. But what if maybe that was what he was trying to do, but when he was trying to keep her from struggling he killed her earlier than he had planned? A lot of stalkers seem to believe the person they're obsessed with reciprocates their affection. So maybe if she was alive he could pretend that, but when he struggled and he panicked and killed her, he then didn't go through with what he was planning and instead tried to pay 'homage' to her.

This could also fit in with what I said above, about someone who wasn't exactly in that field of studies... maybe he was studying something else and just knew about the subject because he was interested in that field, maybe even because he thought she'd approve of his interest in archaeology and anthropology... so he knew of those burial rites and when he killed her, he felt 'guilty' and decided to pay 'homage' to her.

This sounds horrible I know, but unfortunately a lot of disturbed people exist in this world and it wouldn't surprise me if someone thought that way.

 

[Ausgirl]

I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone who's been posting, and for all the theories/info/ideas put forward. Good stuff! I am glad this case hasn't faded altogether. I think I would have liked Jane, had I met her at the same age. She seemed very fun, and very independent, while being dedicated to her studies. The world is definitely less for her loss.

The more I stare at this today... well, Jane was probably asleep or sitting up on her bed when attacked. Her door wasn't locked. Screams would quickly alert the neighbours, and none were heard. It just suggests to me today that her killer waited til things went dark and quiet, then approached her in her room and either struck her immediately or had a hand clamped her over mouth as he (or she..) did so (I think the latter, as there were signs she struggled). Then the killer proceeded to hit her repeatedly in the face and head, then (presumably full of adrenaline and covered in Jane's blood) took the time and risk to stop and do the other things, the covering, the ochre.

Those acts must have been really significant to the killer in one way or another, or why do them? Red herrings? Why not just leave? What was he/she actually trying to achieve, if it -was- red herrings? When I see staging, I always try to see what the killer was trying to say - or obscure.

I'm being rambly, I guess I am trying to say that if the killer's goal was to bump her off over artifact-related stuff, why then point directly to the anthropology dept via staging?

If it wasn't staging, then it was probably out of a sense of shame once the rage died down (I dislike the term 'remorse' when used in murder cases..). But why that much rage?

This case bothers me SO MUCH! lol

Oh - good call on the fire escape btw.. there was one in Chaim Weiss' murder, too, quite similar, massive head trauma, no clear motive.. Made me wonder where Jane's bed was, in relation to the window.

 

[Veidt]

I'm being rambly, I guess I am trying to say that if the killer's goal was to bump her off over artifact-related stuff, why then point directly to the anthropology dept via staging?

If it wasn't staging, then it was probably out of a sense of shame once the rage died down (I dislike the term 'remorse' when used in murder cases..). But why that much rage?

Respectfully snipped.

I'm not sure I view any of those things - the markings being a decoy, the murder being 'just business', and rage - as incompatible. I'll explain why.

We, or at least I, would think that a criminal killing someone who got in their way would kill dispassionately because they're not so much taking out rage or getting gratification from the murder. Their goal is to take out someone who knows too much so they'd do it without going overboard.

However, not every criminal is a hard-boiled criminal with a long CV in the criminal business and a stoic attitude. It could have been someone inexperienced for whom killing someone was a much bigger deal than for someone who does it as a usual part of business.

It could also have been someone who was unbalanced and lost control, thus going overboard with rage.

If it's related to the antiques theft I can see this being the case. I've read a bit about art theft since it's a subject that fascinates me and one thing I've seen pointed out often is that, a lot of art objects stolen from museums are used as bargaining chips in drug deals. I've also read that in many cases, it's a crime rookie who thinks art theft sounds like a cheap ticket to a glamorous life of wealth, so they take their chances, only to discover it's not as high-profile or profitable as it seems.

This could easily be the case with stealing archaeological antiques. Think about it... I've read about it less but it sounds like many cases of that are tweedy scholars who want to make money and are tempted by the fact that they're in contact with antiques every day. Heck, a group of people I knew at one point who were archaeology students, told me someone in their department ended up getting in trouble with the administration for stealing items from digs. I met that person at one point... the impression I got which they confirmed, was that this person was definitely not the type you'd expect to be a criminal, not a streetwise person at all, more the kind you'd put down as a loopy professor type.

My point being, if the perp killed Jane over archaeological items, maybe the perp wasn't necessarily a big crime pro.

This fits with what I said in one of my other posts here, maybe the perp became paranoid about what Jane could know and became nervous and decided to kill her. Maybe what she saw wasn't even a big deal, and I think this was the case if she saw anything as she's been described as sounding happy and normal earlier that evening. Maybe she just saw someone walk past carrying some artifact... and she assumed it was normal, after all it could have needed to be carried elsewhere for studying, but the perp knew what (s)he was up to and became worried Jane knew too. So the perp panics and decides to kill her because (s)he thinks she knows a lot, etc.

In such a scenario, I can easily see the killer being rather amateurish and nervous both about what Jane could know... and also about killing someone. Which might explain the 'rage'.

This could also explain a decoy, a very experienced criminal would probably be able to go, kill someone in a simple way, and leave again covering their tracks... someone with less experience and probably a rather nervous concern with being caught could decide to go overboard with a decoy also.

Even someone who did kill her for personal reasons, such as a stalker or someone who was jealous of her, could have decided to use a decoy.

One of the things brought up in Chaim's thread is that some hired murderers make the crime scene look grizzlier, even add random elements, to make it seem less like a business killing and more like a personal one, to throw off investigators. I don't know if that's true but if it is, it could have been the case here. Making it seem like it was personal (the 'rage') and adding those elements like the markings, would make LE suspect people who were relatively close to her, so if the perp killed her because she was on to something illegal, maybe the perp had something to gain from this by sending LE the other way.

I have a question or questions about the locks... it's actually a multi-part question. I assume the door wasn't locked because of the problem with Harvard buildings and locks going on at the time, which someone mentioned earlier in the thread, correct? If her building wasn't affected and her door could be locked maybe the perp was someone she knew, someone who showed up late, maybe faked a reason for being there like borrowing some notes for the exams or needing to talk about problems... and then caught her off-guard.

My other question about the locks is, what kind of door setup was there in the building and Jane's flat? This is something I've discussed in the thread about Chaim. Basically, in most houses I've lived in, the front door had two options. One was locking door from the inside. That's exactly what it sounds like, someone outside needs a key and has to turn it an extra time in the lock, someone inside also needs to use a key to unlock. The other option however, is just to close the door. When that happens someone on the outside still needs a key. The difference is, the outside person doesn't have to turn the key as much and someone inside can open it just by turning the knob or handle. So it's still sort of 'locked' just... less locked, I guess. Most locks I've had also allow you to lock it multiple times by turning the key a few times so it's extra-locked.

So if the door on Jane's apartment was like most doors I'm familiar with, the perp would still have had to break in in some way... it's just it would be slightly less easier than if it was 'more locked' but not that much.

As usual, this post and my other ones are only my two cents and personal opinion.

 

[Veidt]

I also have to say I agree with you Ausgirl when you say you think you would have gotten along with Jane if you had met her. She sounds like she was a lovely person.

One of the most disturbing things about this website is reading about people who honestly sound so lovely being killed. It's heart breaking. It's even scarier when they're the type of person who reminds you of yourself and your friends. It's honestly unbelievable how too many evil people just do these things, and even get away with it. :banghead:

 

[Ausgirl]

Thanks, Veidt, you've certainly offered a lot of food for thought.

Just re the doors & locks -- security was notoriously poor on student buildings all round and there was a great deal of angst over it within the student political factions of the time. Jane was known to attend meetings concerned with housing, and at one point I was considering there MIGHT be a link there with her death, her dad being a Radcliffe bigwig, and the student unions being as dead serious and violent (and full of agendas) as they were... and several dodgy people on my radar being involved with those, too.

Anyway, Jane's apt was never locked, apparently because she shared her 'fridge with the Mitchells and so it was left unlocked all the time to allow them free access to their foodstuffs.

 

[Veidt]

Thanks, Veidt, you've certainly offered a lot of food for thought.

Just re the doors & locks -- security was notoriously poor on student buildings all round and there was a great deal of angst over it within the student political factions of the time. Jane was known to attend meetings concerned with housing, and at one point I was considering there MIGHT be a link there with her death, her dad being a Radcliffe bigwig, and the student unions being as dead serious and violent (and full of agendas) as they were... and several dodgy people on my radar being involved with those, too.

Anyway, Jane's apt was never locked, apparently because she shared her 'fridge with the Mitchells and so it was left unlocked all the time to allow them free access to their foodstuffs.

Thank you for clarifying all of that. I'd previously read that the security in the buildings was bad and that Harvard ended up adding locks to the buildings later but I didn't know Jane attended meeting related to housing issues.

Why did you dismiss that possibility, if it's alright to ask?

I wonder if, even if the housing issues weren't the motive, if someone involved with the SUs met Jane at a meeting and decided to harm her for personal reasons. Maybe someone even resented her father's status.

Do you know if it would be known that Jane kept the door unlocked because of the shared fridge? Was it something people could easily have guessed or known (say, a common situation in other buildings etc.)? Or was it information that only her close friends would know about if she brought it up in conversation?

I also wonder why her father didn't tell her about the security issues or find another accommodation for her, like independent housing. I assume he'd have heard about all the security problems. I'm not blaming him, though, and there's a number of (reasonable) explanations.

:twocents:

 

[harvardanthro]

I live in Boston, and dated a Harvard anthropologist for a while. The inside word is that she was probably murdered by someone currently on the faculty...

 

[rosesfromangels]

I live in Boston, and dated a Harvard anthropologist for a while. The inside word is that she was probably murdered by someone currently on the faculty...

Yikes!

 

[Veidt]

I live in Boston, and dated a Harvard anthropologist for a while. The inside word is that she was probably murdered by someone currently on the faculty...

I believe I've narrowed it down to the person you're talking about. :scared:

Does the gossip ever mention a possible motive?

Of course that gossip is just that and it may not be true but it makes me wonder why such things are rumored to begin with!

 

[Ausgirl]

hi harvardanthro -- thanks so much for joining in, and welcome to the forum!!!

What you've said is really intriguing! And without mentioning any names ofc, if there's any kind of additional info, I would -love- to hear it!

Oh - and I found an article that kind of points out just how important were the discoveries made by the team Jane was on in Iran.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1968/11/12/archaeological-unit-from-harvard-unearths-lost/

This is like.. major points in recorded history they were unearthing there. Wowee. That's anthropological gold, right there. The stuff I'd suppose academics would drool over, and that can make a career illustrious.

 

[basswood]

I was Jane Britton's roommate the last two years of High School. I'm interested in learning if there have been any reports of further progress since the last of the above posts. She wrote me in July, prior to her murder, from the dig in Iran, and some of the things she said cause me to question some of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of her body - nothing earth-shaking, just seems strange.

Has anyone in this forum any contacts among newspaper or television reporters in the Cambridge area that might be interested in pressing the Cambridge police for more information?

 

[Veidt]

I was Jane Britton's roommate the last two years of High School. I'm interested in learning if there have been any reports of further progress since the last of the above posts. She wrote me in July, prior to her murder, from the dig in Iran, and some of the things she said cause me to question some of the circumstances surrounding the discovery of her body - nothing earth-shaking, just seems strange.

Has anyone in this forum any contacts among newspaper or television reporters in the Cambridge area that might be interested in pressing the Cambridge police for more information?

Hello, welcome to WS! :seeya:

Thank you for posting here and I'm very sorry for your loss. Jane sounds like she was a great person.

The post above yours isn't a report of new progress in the case itself - a forum member found a new account from 1969 about the dig Jane participated in and posted a link here. It was also posted yesterday so I think in 24 hours our members probably didn't find any previously unposted information.

I don't know when anything completely new last surfaced about the case since I don't know this case by heart or anything, maybe try checking the articles posted through this thread.

I really like the idea of trying to get in touch with local media and seeing if they can get anything new out of the police and maybe reawaken interest in this case. I hope that if any members have any connections they'll chime in. If not, maybe it would help to get in touch with newspapers in the area, especially reporters who might be interested in the case due to having written something about it or being crime reporters. The fact that you knew Jane might get them to listen to you.

I hope this helps and I hope you stay on WS. If there's anything you'd like to add to this thread and the many questions here feel free to contribute, or let us know if there's anything or anyone you think we should look into (within the rules of the site about naming names).

Good luck in your search for information, I hope you and Jane's other friends and family get some closure. We hope we can help.

 

[fred&edna]

I live in Boston, and dated a Harvard anthropologist for a while. The inside word is that she was probably murdered by someone currently on the faculty...

Thanks for sharing.

It's been more than 40 years since Jane was murdered, so I'm curious as to exactly when people were discussing (or maybe whispering) this "inside word"... was it during the 70's, 80's, 90's, the last 10 years... or ?? And, what was the inside story as to why she was murdered?

TIA!