UK UK - Ronald Owen and Edith Owen, dog & parrot, murdered, Northampton, 25 Apr 1983

[mrsward]

Hi everyone , been a member a while and im hoping you lovely lot can help me out .

Bit of a needle in a haystack situation..


My great uncle and aunt were murdered in 1983 .along with the dog and parrot..

I really dont know much about the case , i do not have contact with my family so cant ask them , i am curious to know if the person was caught and the reason for there murders , where would i find this out ?

"25th april 1983
Ronald Owen and Edith Owen were murdered at their home in Cranford Road, Northampton. Police where interested in speaking to a man with a limp."



Thats all i have...

 

[musicaljoke]

How sad that this murder was never yet solved, but don't give up. Sometimes it takes a long time, and it takes someone like you to spearhead new investigations. Perhaps the WS community can give you some guidance. I will you well.

 

[Laughing]

Edith Owen - Unsolved Murder 1983 - Cranford Road, Northampton - Edith Owen Unsolved Mysteries UK

Maybe try contacting the local newspaper's office for articles?

Request a copy of the police report?

@gregjrichards @CoverMeCagney @HayLouise are some of our capable UK folks!

Okay, so HayLouise has stopped by already....

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I'll post it in the UK index (below) as there are several members who are brilliant at researching stuff like this!

 

[musicaljoke]

@Angleterre might be another resource for you.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

I found this, using the surname Owens instead of Owen. It looks like there may have been a video which is no longer there, but this is the accompanying text:

Malcolm Munro report on the murder of an elderly couple, Ronald and Edith Owens, who were found stabbed to death at their home in Kingsthorpe, Northampton. Interview with Det. Supt. David Johnson, who said there was no apparent motive for the brutal murder. Interview with Winnie Watson, neighbour, about the murdered couple.

G/V's ambulance outside the couple's home.
C/U colour and B/W stills of the couple.
Est. shot Northampton police headquarters.
G/v's forensic experts searching house for evidence.

Central News: 25.04.1983: Murder of elderly couple

 

[CoverMeCagney]

@mrsward there seems to be more potential public records for Owens, are you sure it's Owen without the s?

 

[mrsward]

Thank u all so much ! It could be owens ,i will try to confirm that, i thought i would be able to find more online than i have so far , how would i request the police report ?just go into my local station ? (Same town as the crime)

 

[rosesfromangels]

Sounds very personal considering even the poor dog and parrot were executed. I’m thinking the remains showed overkill.

Either a roaming random psycho, or someone with a big grudge. I think it’s the latter.

amateur opinion and speculation

 

[mrsward]

Sounds very personal considering even the poor dog and parrot were executed. I’m thinking the remains showed overkill.

Either a roaming random psycho, or someone with a big grudge. I think it’s the latter.

amateur opinion and speculation

And thats exactly why id like to find out more , surely youd think this person would have been caught , i was so young at the time i barely remember it ,

I do believe the name is owens , sorry for that error guys !!

 

[Legally Bland]

This is a freedom of information request from 2017 for Northamptonshire Police's unsolved murders and the Owens aren't on it. Hopefully it means it has been solved and not slipped through the cracks.

Unsolved Murders - a Freedom of Information request to Northamptonshire Police

 

[Tortoise]

Possibly the Northamptonshire Central library would have copies of the local papers at the time of the murders, or if not there, would be able to tell you where you can access them. Or a paid subscription to newspaper archives, meaning you could search online for reporting on the murders.

This is what the library website says -
Local and family history

Listed below are the local newspapers held on microfilm at the Discover Centre:

• Northampton Mercury 1720 to 2015
• Northampton Herald 1837 to 1931
• Northamptonshire Guardian 1876 to 1890
• Northampton Daily Reporter 1880 to 1907
• Northampton Weekly Reporter 1880 to 1884
• Northampton Daily Chronicle 1900 to 1931
• Northampton Independent 1905 to 1960
• Northampton Daily Echo 1908 to 1931
• Northampton Chronicle & Echo 1937 to 2017
• Daventry Express 1948 to 2017
• Daventry Herald 1983 to 1992

The British Newspaper Archive is available to use for free at all public libraries in Northamptonshire. Explore hundreds of national, regional and local titles dating from the 1700s to 1950s, including Northampton Chronicle and Echo, Northampton Mercury and Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph. Licensing requirements mean that customers need to register for free before viewing articles on the website.

Discover Centre at Northamptonshire Central Library
We hold a large collection of local and family history resources in our Discover centre at Northamptonshire Central Library - including the items listed below. For enquiries about the department please contact Answers Plus.

Please note that due to staffing requirements opening hours may occasionally be changed at short notice. If you're planning to visit Discover, it's recommended that you email the library centlib@firstforwellbeing.co.uk to confirm that it will be open on that day.

Discover opening hours
Day Opens Closes
Monday Closed
Tuesday 2pm 6pm
Wednesday 2pm 6pm
Thursday 10am 5pm
Friday 10am 5pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed

 

[mrsward]

Your all amazing ! , thank u so much for taking the time for me , i really do appreciate it , i will go and do some research with the info provided and will let u know the outcome , again thank u all ,it means a lot to me

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Please let us know if you manage to crack the case @mrsward, and good luck!!

 

[rosesfromangels]

Your all amazing ! , thank u so much for taking the time for me , i really do appreciate it , i will go and do some research with the info provided and will let u know the outcome , again thank u all ,it means a lot to me

In what looks like an overkill situation, I always try to determine what the Victim(s) might have done (intentional or unwittingly), that resulted in a significant (real or perceived) loss to the Perp.
That would be my focus.

amateur opinion and speculation

 

[dalsglen]

We see murders on here everyday, often for no reason than just because. But to murder a parrot?A dog I can kinda understand, they're pretty loyal creatures, but a parrot. Makes no sense.

Best of luck mrs ward. Maybe try post on the uk crime sub reddits too, might get lucky with some locals who may know more.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

We see murders on here everyday, often for no reason than just because. But to murder a parrot?A dog I can kinda understand, they're pretty loyal creatures, but a parrot. Makes no sense.

Best of luck mrs ward. Maybe try post on the uk crime sub reddits too, might get lucky with some locals who may know more.

Parrots talk!

 

[StarrChance]

Can’t find much, doesn’t seem to be on a unsolved website.
Ancestry has a few details

Ronald James Owens
1921–1983
BIRTH 1 SEP 1921 • Merthyr Tydfil, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
DEATH 23 APR 1983 • Northampton, Northamptonshire, England



Edith Joan Owens
1923–1983
BIRTH 16 MAR 1923
DEATH 23 APR 1983

Good luck with your search

 

[Angleterre]

Thank u all so much ! It could be owens ,i will try to confirm that, i thought i would be able to find more online than i have so far , how would i request the police report ?just go into my local station ? (Same town as the crime)

Hi
You won’t be able to go into your local station and request the report as firstly it is too long ago so the records will not be computerised
All records up to 7 years are stored on the computer to comply with legislation
Anything other than 7 years hence , are sent to “iron mountain ‘ for storage and backed up on the equivalent of microfiche
You have a couple of options available to you
Firstly, may I ask what it is that you want to know? Who was the point of contact with the police at the time of this horrific crime? If you no longer communicate with the other members of the family and you request records,you need to be careful about upsetting any relatives that may still be in contact with the Police.
Putting that aside. as I said, you have options..,
1. You can ask your local Police Area Command Team if they have a cold case unit and you can approach the head of this unit and explain what it is that you want .
2. Failing that , you can write to the Chief Constable asking that you be contacted regarding the case by a nominated staff member who can discuss it with you and you can mention the victims charter and keeping people informed ( google these for more understanding about basic standards that should be followed)
3. You could do either a FOI request ( freedom of information request) or a DSAR ( data subject access request) to the chief constable of the police area where the crime was committed and they will consider your request and have 28 days to do so upon receiving your request.
Good luck and I hope that you are able to progress what you need to, to a successful conclusion x

 

[Angleterre]

@Angleterre might be another resource for you.

Very kind of you musicaljoke, thank you