UK UK - Shelley Morgan, 34, stabbed, (Former Iowan), Bristol, 11 June 1984

[Wurzel]

Very interesting!

This is the google maps location خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

The two adjoining houses are listed and it mentions in the listing that it was extended to the right in 1987 : 20 and 21, Freeland Place, Bristol, City of Bristol

- which would seem to be evidence that Shelley could not have taken the photo.

The new property is No. 20a Freeland Place.

 

[Tortoise]

So thanks to your keen observations @Wurzel it seems evident that the photo and ergo the calendar production post-dated the murder.

If the calendar was bought specifically to send these two postcards to the police, it seems to me that it's probably someone fixated by the case, this many years later, and perhaps someone who is taunting police to catch him.

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Was it just lucky then that the pictures were in the calendar(s)? Or was he able to influence that somehow without being the photographer? (Think they are two different photographers and I doubt the police would have released them if the photographers were suspects. Imo, photographers are innocent and we should follow the police’s examples and not publish their names to preserve the thread).

 

[trendsetter]

I've noticed that the telephone number of the printers of the reverse of the Clifton Terraces postcard is 0905 748256; this uses the old-style prefix that would have been superseded on PhONEday (sic) on 16th April 1995 (PhONEday - Wikipedia) and replaced by 01905.

The change was well publicised in advance and businesses encouraged to update their stationary. A calendar for 1995 would therefore have been printed with the new prefix, consequently it looks as though the calendar couldn't have been for a year later than 1994.

I'm slightly embarrassed that I didn't spot this earlier!

 

[dotr]

Posted this thread on this one... fwiw.
UK - UK - Karen Hales, 21, Ipswich, 21 November 1993

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Thanks dotr.

I was wondering if John Cannan had ever been ruled out of Shelley’s murder.

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

I have been reading about cadaver dogs on the Madeleine McCann CB thread.

In studies, dogs have alerted to scent from 30+ years ago. It would be interesting scientifically to see if they alerted to the site where Shelley was found. Presumably, aside from when she was found and the weeks after, it hasn’t been too disturbed in the interim.

If an alert was indicated here, then I am wondering if by any minuscule chance the dogs would be able to find the knife or any of her possession in the vicinity.

I imagine anyway a thorough search was done at the time, so it may not be something that LE would want to do if resources were an issue. I guess there is not a lot of use in potentially finding something that you then can’t use if legal procedures were not followed.

 

[dotr]

Missing Olympus camera may hold key to solving murder of mother-of-two, 33, in 1984 | Daily Mail Online

Police trying to end the 36 year mystery surrounding her death would like to speak to anyone who bought an Olympus CM20 camera around the time of her disappearance.

 

[Pinkizzy]

I have been reading about cadaver dogs on the Madeleine McCann CB thread.

In studies, dogs have alerted to scent from 30+ years ago. It would be interesting scientifically to see if they alerted to the site where Shelley was found. Presumably, aside from when she was found and the weeks after, it hasn’t been too disturbed in the interim.

If an alert was indicated here, then I am wondering if by any minuscule chance the dogs would be able to find the knife or any of her possession in the vicinity.

I imagine anyway a thorough search was done at the time, so it may not be something that LE would want to do if resources were an issue. I guess there is not a lot of use in potentially finding something that you then can’t use if legal procedures were not followed.

I guess the killer was covered in blood after the stabbing and there was a blood trail from the crime scene, I guess the dogs could smell both locations

 

[Pinkizzy]

It looks like she caught a bus to the area where she was found dead

 

[Pinkizzy]

If Bower Ashton is a beauty spot, why did it take 4 months to find her remains?

With regards to the anonymous caller, i guess he was a loner and noone recognised his voice

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

New Year’s Day and I am thinking about whether Shelley wore a wedding ring, and whether that was with her when she was found. It is not mentioned as being with her skeleton, yet it is not something the police seem to be appealing for info about. Yet other murderers have given jewellery to girlfriends, or have pawned it. I guess police at the time visited pawnshops regarding the camera so I assume records will show them asking about the ring too. I wonder if police actively looked for the camera before her remains were found.

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

I wish we knew whether police had traced some people on the bus they believe she took towards Portishead, or whether they didn’t manage to speak to anyone. Media wording varies but as far as I understand it, no one remembers her from the journey. They must surely have spoken to the bus driver. He - in 1984 I’d be surprised if the driver were female-would surely have noticed her, through a rear view mirror even if there was a usable door at the rear of the bus or in the middle of the bus.

She may not have regularly travelled on that route, but people are creatures of habit, so I bet a good proportion used that bus often. Thinking of my days on the outskirts of a city, you may not know people’s names but you recognise some people on your route. So I can’t see how a functioning police force didn’t speak to a number of bus travellers.

She looked distinctive, presumably had at least a trace of an American accent, and was a talker (says her sister in the 35 year anniversary appeal). I find it impossible that she didn’t make eye contact, smile or talk to someone on the bus. I can’t see that she could have made a bus journey and not been noticed.

Therefore, without access to any police statements or any of the 1984 newspaper reports (I wish I knew how to get hold of the latter easily), my opinion currently is that she could not have travelled by bus from the city centre, or wherever she would have had to change buses.

 

[dotr]

Image: One of the postcards is of a scene overlooking the River Avon in Bristol
Lengthy link w. pics. rbbm.
Re post from 2019, wish there was an update wrt the postcard appeal.

Breakthrough in Shelley Morgan murder investigation after 35 years
''Shelley Morgan, 33, was stabbed multiple times in a sexually motivated attack after dropping off her two children at school on 11 June 1984.''
''Her body was found four months later by children in Backwell Hill near Bristol Airport.

Mrs Morgan, an art college student who was born in the US, had been heading towards Leigh Woods near Ashton Court when she disappeared.
She had been planning to spend the day sketching and taking photographs.

The tear-off postcards are from a calendar sold by the local Bristol Hospice charity in the 1980s or 1990s.''

''It is not clear where the postcards were found but police say the locations are significant, as they are linked to areas where Mrs Morgan had been going when she disappeared and where her body was later found.''

''One is of a scene overlooking the River Avon in Bristol, taken from Bower Ashton - just below the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

The other is of St Andrew's Church, seen from Backwell Hill.

Police would like to hear from anyone who may have bought the calendar or who kept the tear-off postcards with those images.''

Image: The second postcard is of St Andrew's Church seen from Backwell Hill

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Hello dotr.

Tonight’s musings. I believe I read that Shelley was found in a shallow grave. Shallow grave implies to me some kind of digging, or scraping to lower the ground level. Some kind of preparation at least. So, if this ‘shallow grave’ is not just media wording issues, does that mean that Shelley was not sexually assaulted and killed at/near that particular location? Or perhaps the killer pre-planned a kill (and Shelley was an unfortunate random victim)?

 

[dotr]

Unsure of when school breaks for the summer, but wondering if the perp has kept an eye on SM from a neighbouring home or near the children's school.
If SM usually leaves town for summer holidays, maybe the perp had to act before that happened, or if he was a student and had to return home before the holidays?
speculation, imo.

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Unsure of when school breaks for the summer, but wondering if the perp has kept an eye on SM from a neighbouring home or near the children's school.
If SM usually leaves town for summer holidays, maybe the perp had to act before that happened, or if he was a student and had to return home before the holidays?
speculation, imo.

Yes, I was wondering yesterday if she was being ‘stalked’ (but maybe not to the extent that was noticeable). Speculation.

I skimmed some research, published in 2021, about murders in Malaysia. I think it said that 70% of stabbings where there were more than 25 stab wounds were due to jealousy. Imo.

I can’t find the research to link it in, but I will search again later.

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

I wonder if a reward was ever offered for info regarding Shelley’s murder? I think the bigger newspapers used to sometimes offer rewards, not sure about local newspapers. If not offered at the time, I wonder why? There were 80 police officers assigned originally, and it featured on Crimewatch. Shelley was distinctive - arty, American and a mother, surely there should have been outrage?

I also wonder why police didn’t offer a small reward for locating her camera. Just enough of a sum to make people remember to check.

 

[Victoria Chambers]

Wow, this crime made me think of Rachel Nickell. Murdered in front of her 2 year old son on Wimbledon Common in broad daylight. Stabbed 49 times and sexually assaulted. Her underwear was also left around her ankles. I remember an expert saying -"He has done this before. And he will do this again!" The police focused on and jailed the wrong man. And Rachel's killer, Robert Napper, did indeed strike again. Mutilated Samantha Bissett and smothered her 4 yr old daughter. He kept info regarding the sites where attacks had taken place. He will die in Broadmoor secure hospital. He is suspected of being the 'Green Chain Rapist'.. he would walk past his victims before turning and grabbing them from behind with a knife. He was 18yrs old when his Mum kicked him out the house in 1984. She did not lay eyes on him for 5 yrs until 1989. Wow

 

[dotr]

@ 13:25
Crimewatch UK November 1984 - YouTube