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

[Cedars]

He would...stage an overly elaborate break in after the murder, and just happen to have a glass cutter in his car.

Wondering how visible Janet's murdered body would be for anyone looking through the window?

The lack of clothing, the covered mouth, the handcuffs, the jewelry, almost like staging for a steamy cover for some sex n' gore type magazine.
Did the perp aim to replicate one he had particularly fancied? speculation.

Yes, the idea of staging has always seemed to me to be involved.

So then, my questions are:

- which parts were staged and which parts are 'genuine'?

To me, the 'genuine' would be down to 'Janet was killed'.

So much else is kind of contradictory. If you assume the intention was one thing, then there's other evidence that contradicts that and 'was probably staged'.

Like - a sexual sadist but no sexual assault? Left body exposed but tried to stage as a burglery? As I say, contradictory.

And then, who was it staged for? The killer's gratification? Or to mislead police?

JMO

 

[tes1984]

It's one of the most contradictory cases I've ever seen.

Regarding the sexual sadism, perhaps he did commit a sexual assault. They might have developed a DNA profile years later from semen stains, like in so many other cases.

PB said that the killer lay on top of Janet. He also suspected that the killer might have masturbated and flushed the evidence down the toilet. Traces of semen could potentially have been found when the plumbing was examined, without the technology to match it to a DNA profile until years later.

I tend to agree with PB that the killer was something of a sexual failure and had developed sadistic control fantasies in compensation. A lot of sadists get sexual pleasure from torture and bludgeoning, without committing rape or obvious sexual assault.

 

[Cedars]

It's one of the most contradictory cases I've ever seen.

Regarding the sexual sadism, perhaps he did commit a sexual assault. They might have developed a DNA profile years later from semen stains, like in so many other cases.

PB said that the killer lay on top of Janet. He also suspected that the killer might have masturbated and flushed the evidence down the toilet. Traces of semen could potentially have been found when the plumbing was examined, without the technology to match it to a DNA profile until years later.

I tend to agree with PB that the killer was something of a sexual failure and had developed sadistic control fantasies in compensation. A lot of sadists get sexual pleasure from torture and bludgeoning, without committing rape or obvious sexual assault.

Yes, if sexual sadism was the 'genuine' part we would see in the crime elements all adding up to sexual sadism. Not a bit of theatre like handcuffs.

I'm sorry to say I've learned about the details of many sexually sadistic murders. They involve obvious signs of the infliction of immense pain and suffering on the body of the victim. Also obvious signs that the perp enjoyed watching their victim suffering (the essense of sadism is to prolonge the suffering).

Perhaps those are being concealed by police?

Battering someone to death on the head, IMO, is not sadistic. It is the quickest, least sadistic way to kill someone (apart from a gun), because the murderer is not touching the person's body and is hastening death, usually because they want it to be over with asap.

Just an example.

 

[tes1984]

Janet's killer was a bludgeoner, but the pathologist said Janet would have suffocated anyway. So the killer was obviously enjoying prolonging suffering.

There's also the suspicion that he photographed Janet. He certainly lay on top of her, taped and handcuffed her. Also punched her. So he had extended physical contact with her.

Levi Bellfield was a bludgeoner who hit his victims in blitz attacks, and didn't spend a lot of time with his victims. Yet he also abducted Millie Dowler and held her for a long period of time. Even sadistic killers don't always follow set patterns.

 

[Cedars]

Janet's killer was a bludgeoner, but the pathologist said Janet would have suffocated anyway. So the killer was obviously enjoying prolonging suffering.

There's also the suspicion that he photographed Janet. He certainly lay on top of her, taped and handcuffed her. Also punched her. So he had extended physical contact with her.

Levi Bellfield was a bludgeoner who hit his victims in blitz attacks, and didn't spend a lot of time with his victims. Yet he also abducted Millie Dowler and held her for a long period of time. Even sadistic killers don't always follow set patterns.

I'm not clear on why your example would be profiled as 'sadistic'. In criminology there is a difference between sexual assault and sadism. Certainly, sexual assault is cruel and controlling. But sadism is a particular flavour that not everyone is into, like S+M.

For example, in the US a man killed a girl's parents, abducted and (probably) sexually assaulted her, threatened her to prevent her escaping, but wanted her to play-act that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. He wasn't sadistic, he believed he was in love...

ETA: Sara Everard's UK killer has been described as 'sadistic'. I've never read a description of her death, to explain why he's labelled that way, I think it's too appalling to publish.

JMO

 

[rvlvr]

There are obviously a lot of problems with the lover theory.

He would not only have to flip and turn into a sexual sadist, but also stage an overly elaborate break in after the murder, and just happen to have a glass cutter in his car.

It’s the glass cutter element, isn’t it, that suggests premeditated murder. You could probably make a case for having the tape and even iron bar in your car, but how many people even own such a glass cutter, never mind casually have one to hand? Honestly, I’ve no idea, it’s not an item I’m familiar with, but it doesn’t strike me as something most people typically have in their toolbox? Who would have reason to own one?

 

[Professor Moriarty]

It’s the glass cutter element, isn’t it, that suggests premeditated murder. You could probably make a case for having the tape and even iron bar in your car, but how many people even own such a glass cutter, never mind casually have one to hand? Honestly, I’ve no idea, it’s not an item I’m familiar with, but it doesn’t strike me as something most people typically have in their toolbox? Who would have reason to own one?

As far as I know (and I make no claims on the subject) glaziers, who make windows and mirrors in workshops etc, use electric machines to cut glass. You need to wear eye protection and gloves.

The little glass "cutters", which you can buy easily online and put in your pocket, are only for small jobs. There is a little wheel/blade that just scores a line in the glass. When the scoring is complete, you snap the glass along the line. I imagine that the special tape used was to hold the glass in place until the scoring was complete. These pocket cutters are used by some burglars eg to cut out a small hole so that they can reach through to unlock a Yale type lock. If cutting a man size hole, it would be a good idea to wear eye protection and gloves, although we know that the murderer was reckless.

 

[tes1984]

I'm not clear on why your example would be profiled as 'sadistic'. In criminology there is a difference between sexual assault and sadism. Certainly, sexual assault is cruel and controlling. But sadism is a particular flavour that not everyone is into, like S+M.

The point I was trying to make is that sometimes blitz attackers, like Bellfield, are also capable of the drawn out, overnight torture of victims.

 

[tes1984]

As far as I know (and I make no claims on the subject) glaziers, who make windows and mirrors in workshops etc, use electric machines to cut glass. You need to wear eye protection and gloves.

I was thinking glazier/window fitter, builder, artist, DIY enthusiast or burglar...

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Buckinghamshire: 'Mum was handcuffed and bludgeoned to death'

A family and Thames Valley Police appeal for information on the 30th anniversary of a cold case murder.

www.bbc.co.uk

If you click to get to photo 3 you can see the cut out and broken glass clearly and zoom in.

 

[dotr]

Buckinghamshire: 'Mum was handcuffed and bludgeoned to death'

A family and Thames Valley Police appeal for information on the 30th anniversary of a cold case murder.

www.bbc.co.uk

If you click to get to photo 3 you can see the cut out and broken glass clearly and zoom in.

The patio window which was broken with a glass cutter and tape by the intruder
From link, thank you!

Buckinghamshire: 'Mum was handcuffed and bludgeoned to death'

A family and Thames Valley Police appeal for information on the 30th anniversary of a cold case murder.

www.bbc.co.uk

''The next morning a builder arrived to work at the house, heard the burglar alarm and looked through a window.

He then saw Janet's naked lifeless body lying at the bottom of the stairs.
The head of Thames Valley Police's major crime investigation review team, Peter Beirne told the BBC Janet's killing was "extremely unusual" and "perplexing".

The front Janet Brown's home where she was found dead on 11 April 1995
Police Aerial pho

 

[tes1984]

Buckinghamshire: 'Mum was handcuffed and bludgeoned to death'

A family and Thames Valley Police appeal for information on the 30th anniversary of a cold case murder.

www.bbc.co.uk

If you click to get to photo 3 you can see the cut out and broken glass clearly and zoom in.

Interesting that the head of the review team says there was "no sexual motive".

To me, that doesn't sound like the DNA profile was from semen.

 

[tes1984]

Of course, it is possible that he did do something similar: the Carolanne Jackson murder. She was a lady of similar age, living in the same area and killed almost on the anniversary of Janet's murder. Maybe the same murderer, maybe not.

In 1998, the Operation Enigma team suggested the same killer might be responsible for the murders of Janet Brown, Carolanne Jackson and Rachel Nickell.

 

[tes1984]

The Crimewatch video makes clear that he used some special tape used for taping up broken window panes in greenhouses etc

Apparently the killer used a rare form of Sellotape weather proof tape.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Apparently the killer used a rare form of Sellotape weather proof tape.

We can speculate forever about this case. One scenario is:

The intruder entered the secluded courtyard and began scoring the glass with his glass cutter. As he was scoring a large and tall opening, he applied the tape to stop the glass from falling out. In that courtyard, he could not be seen from the road or driveway. No one was likely to enter the courtyard. He would only be seen if someone entered the room on the other side of the glass.

(Maybe his glass cutter made a squeaking noise, enough to alert Janet without her knowing that someone was breaking in. The sound could have been that of an animal. Maybe she went into the room to investigate.)

Janet did enter that room and saw him. The intruder's hand was forced. He could have fled, his plan would have been frustrated and there was also the possibility that the police might catch him. Instead, he smashed his way into the room. (Maybe this triggered the burglar alarm.) Janet ran for the locked front door, where she could have triggered the panic alarm (a button for which was next to the door), unlocked the door and escaped into her driveway and then the road. He caught her.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

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In this item, it says that Janet had previously been the victim of a break-in. The intruder could be the same person, having acquired some knowledge of the house.

 

[tes1984]

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www.pressreader.com

In this item, it says that Janet had previously been the victim of a break-in. The intruder could be the same person, having acquired some knowledge of the house.

I think the Browns were burgled in 1986. Presumably that's when they got the Great Dane guard dog (who died late 1993).

Janet still had a 'beware of the dog' sign on display, but my guess is that the killer knew there wasn't a giant dog waiting for him on the ground floor.

 

[Professor Moriarty]

Thanks. Quite some time since the burglary had passed then.

 

[tes1984]

The police seem to think that the initial confrontation took place in Janet's bedroom. I don't think there were any signs of an initial struggle downstairs.

They also seem to think the first alarm was triggered at around 8.15pm, and the second alarm at around 10pm. Perhaps the first alarm was triggered during a break in, and the second one was set off by the killer as he left the property.

 

[tes1984]

IIRC a neighbour drove past the house and heard the external alarm around 10pm.

The alarm was set to ring for twenty minutes and had stopped when he drove back past the house around 10.20pm.