UK UK - Julia Wallace, 69, Liverpool, 20 Jan 1931

[STANDREID]

Yes, I believe that they just discovered her birth certificate a dozen or so years ago. I don't know what her game was unless she was just vain about her age.

Julia was about 14 weeks from turning 70.

 

[Dreamnine]

I can't make up my mind on whether WW was responsible or not...he certainly was odd.

If it was someone else, though, what was the motive? Not burglary anyway.

 

[ctaylor]

A new article in the Guardian today about this case. In this weekend's Sunday Times, the famous author PD James claims to have solved it. Unfortunately the Sunday Times essay written by PD James requires subscription. There is a link to it in the Guardian article in case anyone does want to subscribe. She also thinks William Wallace all along....

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/28/pd-james-murder-julia-wallace

 

[STANDREID]

I agree with her ultimate conclusion but the first part sounds unlikely to me.

 

[December]

One of the links talks about how every time William would become very sick (and his sicknesses were lengthy), Julia would immediately thereafter get a "revenge" illness of her own. O.k., how is this known? Sometimes people who are caring for sick people wear their own health down and they do become sick. This is pretty common from my observation. With Julia being quite a bit older than most people thought, it seems she might be even more prone to this. Also, it sounds as if she went to a doctor. Even in the 1930s, a doctor should be able to tell if you really have bronchitis or not.

IDK, maybe Julia was a drama queen, but are they basing this off of anything other than a pattern of him getting sick then her getting sick? Because one of the witnesses expressed concern for Julia and she reassured that person she would be all right. I guess you would have to be there to hear how she spoke about her illness, but it seems she passed up a chance to get out her fainting couch if she was a drama queen.

oh, moo.. i forgot since everyone is dead on this case anyway

 

[STANDREID]

Both Wallaces seemed to have problems with their urinary systems.

 

[STANDREID]

Savona Brine, the daughter, was 13 so she was likely born in 1917 or very early 1918. My uncle was born a few years before that and he's still with us. The nephew, Harold English Dennison was 29.

It appears that Savona died in 1998, around age 81, according to one source.

 

[wtiger]

has anyone read the john gannon book regarding this case?

 

[STANDREID]

I haven't read it, is it any good?

 

[STANDREID]

It appears that Savona died in 1998, around age 81, according to one source.

She may have been the last living significant witness.

 

[MaryLiz]

I remember watching "The Man From The Pru" years ago on PBS' Mystery! Series. It was quite good. That's the first I had ever heard of this case. I can't remember if the film leaned toward William Wallace as the killer, but I do remember after watching it that I thought Parry did it. I'm definitely going to check out some of the books about the case. Haven't thought about it much for a long time and have always been fascinated by it.

 

[Aaron Nadelman]

The last surviving witness would have been James Wildman who died in 2005.

 

[wtiger]

Hi stan. In response to your question, is it any good?
i personally think that this book mainly covers already discussed theories and introduces the authors own view of events which in my opinion is quite frankly too far fetched to be credible.

however he does reference a diary left by mr wallace in which he makes reference to a book which he had read allegedly in the run up to his wifes murder. The author mr gannon then erroneously states that the author named in this diary "does not exist".

my own research has led me to believe that the book to which Mr Wallace alludes in his diary, is indeed a real book which was written by john kirkwood leys. and was intriguingly called "under a mask". this book was indeed published in the very year mentioned by mr wallace and adds extra mystery to this case.

i suspect that this may well be a cryptic clue accidentally left behind by mr wallace..........or it could be just another red herring!

i have so far been unable to ascertain exactly what kind of book under a mask is. but i suspect it may well have been a murder/mystery or thriller type book

i would be interested to hear anyone's thoughts on this.

 

[STANDREID]

Thanks for that information wtiger.

 

[ctaylor]

Has anyone ever read this book? The Murder of Julia Wallace: Amazon.co.uk: James Murphy: Books@@AMEPARAM

I read the author comment on another site claiming he solved it and it's all in the book.

 

[STANDREID]

I haven't read it. Although I think I've seen someone comment on it, I don't recall if the assessment was positive or not.

 

[STANDREID]

The last surviving witness would have been James Wildman who died in 2005.

Ok, thanks. That's likely the last witness of record.

I would bet that some people who were small children at the time and saw Wallace making his rounds on the day of the murder are still alive.

 

[STANDREID]

Has anyone ever read this book? I read the author comment on another site claiming he solved it and it's all in the book.

The last 2 or 3 books I've heard of were written in the view that Wallace did it, I believe, although the reasons vary.

 

[STANDREID]

I remember watching "The Man From The Pru" years ago on PBS' Mystery! Series. It was quite good. That's the first I had ever heard of this case. I can't remember if the film leaned toward William Wallace as the killer, but I do remember after watching it that I thought Parry did it.

It is a very good movie and, the way I saw it, implied that Parry did it although it didn't show him doing it or flatly say he did it.

 

[Donamena]

A new article in the Guardian today about this case. In this weekend's Sunday Times, the famous author PD James claims to have solved it. Unfortunately the Sunday Times essay written by PD James requires subscription. There is a link to it in the Guardian article in case anyone does want to subscribe. She also thinks William Wallace all along....

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/28/pd-james-murder-julia-wallace

I have every book of hers. Great crime novel writer!!