UK UK- Janet Brown, 51, research nurse, found nude, gagged, handcuffed & bludgeoned to death, @ home, Buckinghamshire,10 April '95, *DNA, new initiative*

[tes1984]

Any possibility that the killer was a local teenager, or even a bit younger than that? speculation.

Paul Britton profiled the killer as a man in his 30s or 40s.

However, Britton also mentioned the possibility of two offenders. He said that if there were two people involved, they would probably be aged 14 to 18 (but added that "the way the house was used argues against it").

 

[tes1984]

If he left through the smashed window that might account for glass being outside of the window because he pushed through the hole. He could then have walked parallel to the road, but behind hedges etc until he reached a point level with his parked car (assuming that it was his car that was seen parked in the off road area known as the tri angle).

The stuff with the window is really bizarre.

The police analysed a piece of the carpet, but didn't find any shards of glass whatsoever.

This suggests that the killer smashed the glass from inside the house. Could he even have cut the glass (as misdirection) during or after the attack on Janet?

 

[tes1984]

We do know a car was seen in the tri angle and, as far as I know, the driver has not come forward to be eliminated. (If the driver was not the murderer, what could he have been doing there?)

There were also two other vehicles seen nearby. A small Fiesta or Metro was seen at around 9.50pm.

Intriguingly there was also a brown Ford Escort (or similar) containing three black men and one white man, who were apparently trying to shield their faces.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

There were also two other vehicles seen nearby. A small Fiesta or Metro was seen at around 9.50pm.

Intriguingly there was also a brown Ford Escort (or similar) containing three black men and one white man, who were apparently trying to shield their faces.

I read someone referring to a black man having been seen, but nothing about three black men and one white man and nothing about shielding their faces. The comment was in the comments section of a youtube video. Is this anywhere on line please? Where did you get this from please?

 

[tes1984]

Paul Britton mentions the vehicles of interest in his book.

I'm not sure if the vehicles were ever tracked down. They don't seem to have been mentioned in the latter day police appeals.

 

[Konstantin]

What sort of burglar strikes at 8 or 9pm on a Monday? Why not 9pm on a Friday/Saturday night when the house will be more likely to be empty?

A professional burglar would case the joint to be sure that no one was home when he called. A burglar would want to get in, get whatever is valuable (so he would want to know up ahead that there was a reasonable chance of something valuable in the house) and get out. Depending on what that was, he would need to have a vehicle nearby as who wants to be walking along a road with a stolen TV? Also then you are limited to what you can carry.

It is very clear that this is not a burglary gone wrong. A burglar who was disturbed would not carry out a prolonged torture and murder on the householder.

I wonder if, since if this was a killer who was living out a fantasy, like the Night Stalker (who was also a burglar), he would have struck again, this was something personal against Janet. Did the police ever research her male contacts? Britton was, IIRC, surprised that Janet seemed so bland, as if no one actually really knew her. Does that suggest she kept parts of her life very secret?

 

[tes1984]

I agree. I have read that Janet Brown used to sleep naked, but I think few women would just drop their dressing gown on the floor.

According to Paul Britton, there was a men's dressing gown on the floor too.

(I think that the intruder expected that Roxanne would be there too.) Who knows what the intruder forced Janet Brown to do? Quite possibly he intended to murder his victim(s)

I have a bit of an issue with the idea that the killer was expecting Roxy to be home.

If the killer spies on Janet going to bed at 8.15pm, and decides to break in soon afterwards, then fair enough, but does he really expect a 15 year old girl to also be tucked up in bed at that early hour?

What if Roxy hears him breaking in, and calls the police or flees out of the front door?

 

[Konstantin]

If the killer spies on Janet going to bed at 8.15pm, and decides to break in soon afterwards, then fair enough, but does he really expect a 15 year old girl to also be tucked up in bed at that early hour?

I think he knew that Roxy was not home because he saw her leave though he might or even likely did not know when she would be home.

Restraining one victim is one thing but restraining two at the same time would be quite another and he could not predict, as you say, how the second victim would react. Perhaps she would be compliant and perhaps quite the opposite.

Again does that not suggest prior knowledge and research? Familiarity with the household? And again perhaps something personal against Janet?

 

[LucyOso]

This is an interesting case and cases if the two are linked. My first thoughts would be a local vendor-like telephone contractor, security system installer, paper "boy" man, mail carrier, pesticide sprayer, power worker, gardener, garbage man, some one who would be some what familiar with routines and the residents and have a reason to be present and not observed.

The cut out glass, then shattering it could very well be someone who not only knew they had time to not get caught, but was experimenting with silent methods to break in and out of homes. Is cutting glass fast and soundless like the movies? Etc.

Are there any similar cases in other parts of the country? Maybe less refined or evolving MO. This person could take similar public service jobs and move around frequently.

 

[tes1984]

I think he knew that Roxy was not home because he saw her leave though he might or even likely did not know when she would be would be home

Roxy left the house much earlier in the day, so I doubt if the killer saw her leave.

I can't imagine that the killer was watching the property all day. I reckon he planned to arrive there around 8pm, when it got dark.

I wonder why he left at 10pm. These types of home invaders often spend more than an hour or two in their victims' houses. Did he have to be back somewhere at a reasonable hour?

 

[tes1984]

This is an interesting case and cases if the two are linked. My first thoughts would be a local vendor-like telephone contractor, security system installer, paper "boy" man, mail carrier, pesticide sprayer, power worker, gardener, garbage man, some one who would be some what familiar with routines and the residents and have a reason to be present and not observed.

The police said they checked out everyone who had visited the house in the previous 12 months. Who knows if someone slipped the net though.

If the perp did his recon a long time in advance, then he would certainly have noticed Janet's huge dog. IIRC the dog died about 6 month before Janet's murder.

 

[LucyOso]

The police said they checked out everyone who had visited the house in the previous 12 months. Who knows if someone slipped the net though.

If the perp did his recon a long time in advance, then he would certainly have noticed Janet's huge dog. IIRC the dog died about 6 month before Janet's murder.

I am sure they did. In other cases, someone who was previously screened did indeed turn out to be the perp.

 

[tes1984]

In other cases, someone who was previously screened did indeed turn out to be the perp.

Absolutely, and I've seen a few other historical UK cases where the police were working hard, but only managing to DNA test a few suspects per week.

 

[HollyHunter9]

This killer gives me such BTK vibes. Planned everything to the last detail, yet still managed to make a series of dumb mistakes.

I can't see this murder being drug addicts (looking for easy cash) or a wandering lunatic. Such types wouldn't have the glass cutter. A drug addict/lunatic doesn't cut the glass, he just smashes a window.

Yes i agree with completely. This is very BTK vibes.

 

[tes1984]

Yes i agree with completely. This is very BTK vibes.

I really wonder why Janet's killer doesn't cut the phoneline before entering the property. He doesn't even seem to unplug or disconnect the phones once he's in the house.

 

[tes1984]

If the inner panel of double glazing is smashed from inside the house, then how does the killer get into the house in the first place?

And if the panic alarm by the front door is triggered by key, then how does Janet manage this if she has her hands cuffed behind her back?

 

[HollyHunter9]

I really wonder why Janet's killer doesn't cut the phoneline before entering the property. He doesn't even seem to unplug or disconnect the phones once he's in the house.

Yes that is odd, so much just doesnt make sense.

 

[Konstantin]

I really wonder why Janet's killer doesn't cut the phoneline before entering the property. He doesn't even seem to unplug or disconnect the phones once he's in the house.

If a rational choice and not an oversight maybe he thought if the daughter rang and the line was showing as being unavailable or broken then she would start to worry whereas if it just rang out or went to answer phone she would more assume her mum was in the bath or asleep.

 

[tes1984]

If a rational choice and not an oversight maybe he thought if the daughter rang and the line was showing as being unavailable or broken then she would start to worry whereas if it just rang out or went to answer phone she would more assume her mum was in the bath or asleep.

Good point. It is a rational move for him to leave the phones alone once he's in the house.

So strange though that (before he is in the house) he doesn't seem concerned someone will hear him breaking in and call the police.

 

[tes1984]

His biggest chance of capture is Janet calling the police.

There aren't any neighbours who can see or hear anything.

What parts of the property would passing motorists have been able to see?