GUILTY UK - S/K Robert Black on trial in the '81 murder of Jennifer Cardy, 9

[CoverMeCagney]

He died in prison today

 

[martin123]

Robert Black dies a few weeks before he was going to be charged with Ganette tates murder. Looks like the police were taking a fresh look into Robert Black. We may have seen him linked and charged with more murders.

 

[Earth]

Since I was taught to not show disrespect to the dead, I will say that it is a pity he did not say where his victims are.

 

[Earth]

You don't suppose Black could be responsible for the disappearance of Sandy Davison, do you? I've put my suggestions forward.

1) Sandy was a 4-year-old boy who disappeared in Irvine, Ayrshire, in Scotland on 23rd April 1976. He ran out of a side-gate to look for the family dog. His sister ran out as well, but she returned without him.

Like the four cases he was known to have committed (and the Genette Tate case), this was quick, opportunistic and not witnessed.

2) Black's delivery route took him to Glasgow. Glasgow is only 25 miles from Irvine.

He began a his van-driving job in 1976. However, I cannot find the date. But I do know that this sort of person would want to strike at the earliest opportunity, like a child with a new toy.

3) It happened at a critical point in the timeline. Serial killers sometimes have a few years between the first and second murders, before killing at a much quicker pace.

Black is very likely to have murdered Christine Markham in 1973, three years before. (NB: I think that he took her on the road north of Scunthorpe, as she was going to a wooded place whose name escapes me.) His next possible crime is Mary Boyle in Ireland in March 1977. Then just seventeen months before Genette Tate's murder.

It would not surprise me if he committed if he committed three murders over a two-and-a-half year period.

4) And this is the most important thing.

Sandy was a boy. BUT...

With his curls and his young age, he could pass for a girl. Plus, Sandy is a unisex name, just saying.

 

[gregjrichards]

The key to the murder of a young girl who was killed almost 40 years ago could be held by a bangle kept by her killer.

Suzanne Lawrence, who was 14, is thought to have been murdered after vanishing in 1979.

The youngster was last seen at a fair in Highbury, north London, just a few miles away from where child killer Robert Black lived.

Following his arrest, police recovered a woven orange and pink bracelet from Black's home, which detectives believe he kept as a trophy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-trinket-kept-child-killer-solve-murder.html

 

[ayrshireman]

I do believe Robert Black is responsible for the disappearance of April Fabb which i believe may of been his first murder and he definately should be considered the prime suspect in the mary boyle case and is most likely to be responsible for dozens of unsolved child murders. I however do not believe Black is Responsible for Genette Tates disappearance i believe Ian Bealey should be the prime suspect in this case.

I believe he is responsible for Tate's disappearance and murder. He used a route very local to where she disappeared, he was identified by locals who remembered a 'Scottish van driver' who used to stop at a local burger van not far from the Tate site. Their description of the driver fits Black strongly. Also the actual snatch is Black's MO: he used to pounce on his victims and throw them into his van very quickly. The snatch of Genette we know could have happened in a very tight window of time.

 

[ayrshireman]

You don't suppose Black could be responsible for the disappearance of Sandy Davison, do you? I've put my suggestions forward.

1) Sandy was a 4-year-old boy who disappeared in Irvine, Ayrshire, in Scotland on 23rd April 1976. He ran out of a side-gate to look for the family dog. His sister ran out as well, but she returned without him.

Like the four cases he was known to have committed (and the Genette Tate case), this was quick, opportunistic and not witnessed.

2) Black's delivery route took him to Glasgow. Glasgow is only 25 miles from Irvine.

He began a his van-driving job in 1976. However, I cannot find the date. But I do know that this sort of person would want to strike at the earliest opportunity, like a child with a new toy.

3) It happened at a critical point in the timeline. Serial killers sometimes have a few years between the first and second murders, before killing at a much quicker pace.

Black is very likely to have murdered Christine Markham in 1973, three years before. (NB: I think that he took her on the road north of Scunthorpe, as she was going to a wooded place whose name escapes me.) His next possible crime is Mary Boyle in Ireland in March 1977. Then just seventeen months before Genette Tate's murder.

It would not surprise me if he committed if he committed three murders over a two-and-a-half year period.

4) And this is the most important thing.

Sandy was a boy. BUT...

With his curls and his young age, he could pass for a girl. Plus, Sandy is a unisex name, just saying.

I am Irvine born and bred, and this case was part of my childhood. Even today, theories abound, from gypsy travellers taking him (there was a 'tinkers' campsite in Irvine for many years and they were questioned and completely cleared) to wee Sandy falling into construction works nearby. There has even been a recent claim that a local teenage girl was attacking little kids, but this is the claim of an unnamed man who claims he was attacked by said girl around 1976 and believes she may have killed Sandy. IMO not credible, esp as he waited 40 years to claim this.

Another to consider IMO is the vile Angus Sinclair. His job also took him through Ayrshire in the mid 70s, and he is also the prime suspect (along with his brother in law Gordon Hamilton) in the disappearance of Patricia Black from a bus stop in Irvine town centre in 1975. As a proven and convicted child killer and child rapist, imo, he cannot be discounted.

Black?. Possibly. As you say, whoever took him may have thought it was a wee girl.

 

[ayrshireman]

Addendum:

Patricia Black was (Oct) 1976, not 1975. My error.

 

[dotr]

Unsure of where to post this lengthy article about sleuthing, but it has many references to sk Robert Black as well as mentioning Websleuths, Todd Matthews and "Brain Scratch's" John Lordan.
We're 'armchair detectives' investigating grim cold cases from our own homes
''POURING himself a coffee, Chris Clark prepares for another long night of trawling through old newspaper clippings for clues about grisly murders and violent kidnappings.

But Chris isn't a police officer - he's a self-confessed 'armchair detective' who has dedicated his life to solving missing persons cases, hunt killers and investigate decades-old mysteries from the comfort of his own home.''

Chris Clark spends hours pouring through research to help police solve cold casesCredit: Chris Clark
''And he's not alone. There are now streams of online pages, forums and chat rooms dedicated to those wanting to solve cold cases around the world - from Facebook groups through to huge forums like Websleuths, which has built up hundreds of thousands of members.''

"Tips for armchair detectives
While there's no set rules when it comes to investigating a cold case, amateur sleuth John Lordan has a rough plan he usually sticks to when making his videos.

He says: “Initially I’ll do a media review, going through everything that’s publicly available.

"If there’s any type of police material or statements that have been released, I’ll include all of them too. I’ll usually start without any direct contact with family, before hearing from them.

"People may initially be upset and ask why I didn’t reach out first to ask them about it, but I’ve found information from the family can be the most biased yet."

Todd Matthews agrees and suggests the first step should always be to look through old newspaper articles, gathering all the public information you can together.

Meanwhile, according to an online Jack The Ripper tour guide, a few simple tips to stick to include paying attention to small details, distancing yourself if you become too invested in the research - as that may cloud your judgement - and being adaptable, catering your research to each individual case rather than following one uniform method.''

 

[ayrshireman]

I know Chris well through his FB page and website Armchair Detective.

I agree with a lot of his ideas re unsolved cases, but disagree on others.