UK UK - Janice Weston, 36, Murdered, A1 Layby, Brampton, Cambs. / London, 10 September 1983

[Konstantin]

Does the killer wait until the tyre is changed before he strikes? Or does he bludgeon Janice, dump her body nearby, then finish changing the tyre before driving off?

The latter would seem to be quite risky but then, he could have been pumped with adrenaline and the only way to drive off is to finish changing the tyre, so...

I think there is a bit of a misconception about certain martial arts and their ability to give people, particularly women vs male attackers, a fighting chance. Martial arts are practiced within a specific ruleset. They are very much not street fighting where there are no rules -- actually there are very different rules. You fight other women in your weight class in very specific rules. There is a reason why sports are gender segregated (I know that is controversial but having trained combat sports, there is a reason why there are weight classes and men should NOT be fighting women). Even if Janice had a black belt in BJJ and fought Muay Thai as an ammy or pro, she would have little chance against a male attacker with a weapon and bad intentions.

A smaller woman has really no chance against a larger male who is hellbent on hurting her, especially if he has a weapon and is not helpfully sticking to the set of rules you learned in a gym. The best way to win a fight is not to get involved in one which is not something you have a choice about when you are attacked.

 

[davidt]

I'm of the opinion that it's unlikely Janice was killed by a hitchhiker or ramdomer(s) in the layby. I say that because if thst were the case you'd still have the mystery of why she was on the road in the first place. Indications are that she intended to stay in London. She'd told friends that was her plan. She'd started a meal, started drinking wine. It was a dark, wet night and according to Google, Clopton Manor was about 80 miles away. The indications in the flat are that she left in a hurry. Half eaten meal, dirty dishes in the sink. And if the Crimewatch reconstruction is accurate her handbag was left on her bed in the bedroom. The contents of which were partially emptied on to the bed. As if she'd tipped them out in order to grab what she wanted in a rush. Everything seems to point to something happening unexpectedly. If she was killed in a random attack then what was the reason she left the flat in a rush and why did no one come forward to say they'd contacted her? They would have had no involvement in the murder after all. Currently I favour the idea she already had someone with her, perhaps whoever it was who may have contacted her in the first place. There's no witnesses to her leaving the flat so we don't know if anyone was with her or if she may have collected someone.

I'm also interested in Tony Weston. He seems quite a vague character. He was married before with children. He'd met Janice through her work. It's said he had various property interests in the UK and abroad. Apart from that there doesn't seem a lot of information on him. He was a property developer/speculator. How successful he was, how he well he was regarded, who he mixed with and so on is unclear. These activities sometimes are undertaken in a somewhat murky world. I think there's been some speculation whether he started an affair with Janice whilst still married or not. The police went in very heavily on him. Extended and intense interrogation. I'd like to know their thinking at the time. It really looks like they thought they had their man. I know he was in France and sone have suggested there was a window of opportunity for him to return and be involved. That to me seems to be stretching it. However it seems to me he was subjected to more than routine enquiries and I wonder why?

When it comes to Janice we know she was successful and ambitious. Tony wasn't the first time she had become close to a client. Something usually frowned upon in professional organisations. We know she had inherited a large amount from an elderly client. A client who had at one stage proposed to her. Not sure to what extent that relationship reached. Exactly how close they were. Usually if a relationship of this sort or the one with Tony arises that person's business affairs would immediately be passed to a different partner in the firm due to the obvious high risk of conflicts of interest arising. Indeed the elderly clients will was challenged by his family. So they weren't happy about it. Could Janice have upset someone along the way? Did someone think Janice had taken advantage of the client perhaps?

 

[INSP MORSE]

I'm of the opinion that it's unlikely Janice was killed by a hitchhiker or ramdomer(s) in the layby. I say that because if thst were the case you'd still have the mystery of why she was on the road in the first place. Indications are that she intended to stay in London. She'd told friends that was her plan. She'd started a meal, started drinking wine. It was a dark, wet night and according to Google, Clopton Manor was about 80 miles away. The indications in the flat are that she left in a hurry. Half eaten meal, dirty dishes in the sink. And if the Crimewatch reconstruction is accurate her handbag was left on her bed in the bedroom. The contents of which were partially emptied on to the bed. As if she'd tipped them out in order to grab what she wanted in a rush. Everything seems to point to something happening unexpectedly. If she was killed in a random attack then what was the reason she left the flat in a rush and why did no one come forward to say they'd contacted her? They would have had no involvement in the murder after all. Currently I favour the idea she already had someone with her, perhaps whoever it was who may have contacted her in the first place. There's no witnesses to her leaving the flat so we don't know if anyone was with her or if she may have collected someone.

I'm also interested in Tony Weston. He seems quite a vague character. He was married before with children. He'd met Janice through her work. It's said he had various property interests in the UK and abroad. Apart from that there doesn't seem a lot of information on him. He was a property developer/speculator. How successful he was, how he well he was regarded, who he mixed with and so on is unclear. These activities sometimes are undertaken in a somewhat murky world. I think there's been some speculation whether he started an affair with Janice whilst still married or not. The police went in very heavily on him. Extended and intense interrogation. I'd like to know their thinking at the time. It really looks like they thought they had their man. I know he was in France and sone have suggested there was a window of opportunity for him to return and be involved. That to me seems to be stretching it. However it seems to me he was subjected to more than routine enquiries and I wonder why?

When it comes to Janice we know she was successful and ambitious. Tony wasn't the first time she had become close to a client. Something usually frowned upon in professional organisations. We know she had inherited a large amount from an elderly client. A client who had at one stage proposed to her. Not sure to what extent that relationship reached. Exactly how close they were. Usually if a relationship of this sort or the one with Tony arises that person's business affairs would immediately be passed to a different partner in the firm due to the obvious high risk of conflicts of interest arising. Indeed the elderly clients will was challenged by his family. So they weren't happy about it. Could Janice have upset someone along the way? Did someone think Janice had taken advantage of the client perhaps?

I read somewhere that westons former partners were questioned by police. I do wonder if the police gained interesting information from them regarding Tony Weston and in particular the type of person that he was. This may have led to the police questioning hom at length. It would be interesting to know what the police had learnt but we'll never know unless all the files on the case are released

 

[tes1984]

TW certainly had some powerful associates. He didn't have an alibi, and had a motive in as much as he was the main beneficiary of Janice's estate.

The idea of him sneaking back into the UK, killing his wife, then sneaking back to France might explain certain aspects of the case, but is it all a bit far fetched?

 

[INSP MORSE]

TW certainly had some powerful associates. He didn't have an alibi, and had a motive in as much as he was the main beneficiary of Janice's estate.

The idea of him sneaking back into the UK, killing his wife, then sneaking back to France might explain certain aspects of the case, but is it all a bit far fetched?

From what I've read about his wherabouts he wouldn't come come back, killed Janice and then gone back to France as he would have stayed here.

 

[INSP MORSE]

TW certainly had some powerful associates. He didn't have an alibi, and had a motive in as much as he was the main beneficiary of Janice's estate.

The idea of him sneaking back into the UK, killing his wife, then sneaking back to France might explain certain aspects of the case, but is it all a bit far fetched?

I dont think it's too far fetched otherwise 4he piece wouldn't have detained him for 55 hours.

However, Ive been looking at this from another angle. I read that there's an army base not too far from where janice body was found. I also found that back in 1983 there was an army barracks in Royston where the number plates were made up. I asked AI about this and this is what it came up with.

The Military Bases in 1983
While the murder took place in September 1983, the surrounding bases were heavily populated:

• RAF Brampton
  (1.5 miles from the scene): This was the major non-flying base acting as the headquarters for RAF Support Command. Thousands of personnel worked there in administrative and logistical roles.
• Bassingbourn Barracks
  (18 miles from the scene): In 1983, it was the Depot for the Queen's Division. It was a massive training hub where hundreds of new infantry recruits were cycle through basic training at any given time.
• The A1 Connection: The
  A1 road
  was the primary link between these bases. In 1983, it would have been common to see military personnel in uniform or in private cars travelling this exact stretch of road at all hours.

 

[davidt]

I dont think it's too far fetched otherwise 4he piece wouldn't have detained him for 55 hours.

However, Ive been looking at this from another angle. I read that there's an army base not too far from where janice body was found. I also found that back in 1983 there was an army barracks in Royston where the number plates were made up. I asked AI about this and this is what it came up with.

The Military Bases in 1983
While the murder took place in September 1983, the surrounding bases were heavily populated:

• RAF Brampton
  (1.5 miles from the scene): This was the major non-flying base acting as the headquarters for RAF Support Command. Thousands of personnel worked there in administrative and logistical roles.
• Bassingbourn Barracks
  (18 miles from the scene): In 1983, it was the Depot for the Queen's Division. It was a massive training hub where hundreds of new infantry recruits were cycle through basic training at any given time.
• The A1 Connection: The
  A1 road
  was the primary link between these bases. In 1983, it would have been common to see military personnel in uniform or in private cars travelling this exact stretch of road at all hours.

From what I've seen the police weren't just questioning him, they were intent on getting a confession out of him. That's what I find curious. Feels like they had already convinced themselves he was the culprit. Was this a major mistake or did they already have some information on him or his other activities perhaps?

Doesn't feel like we will ever know but finding out why Janice went out that night I think is likely to be the key. Why the rush given the property was hours away. Something must have presented itself as very urgent. Its not as if she could get there quickly in any event. Or could she even have been abducted?

 

[INSP MORSE]

From what I've seen the police weren't just questioning him, they were intent on getting a confession out of him. That's what I find curious. Feels like they had already convinced themselves he was the culprit. Was this a major mistake or did they already have some information on him or his other activities perhaps?

Doesn't feel like we will ever know but finding out why Janice went out that night I think is likely to be the key. Why the rush given the property was hours away. Something must have presented itself as very urgent. Its not as if she could get there quickly in any event. Or could she even have been abducted?

If the perpetrator had asked lets say by phone call for janice to meet him or pick him up on the way knowing full well they were going to kill her them he ran the risk of janice telling any of her friends that she was meeting someone. The perpetrator would be taking a huge risk. Its more likely than the perpetrator was with janice when they left. That way they would know that janice had not told anyone who she was with.

 

[tes1984]

Doesn't feel like we will ever know but finding out why Janice went out that night I think is likely to be the key. Why the rush given the property was hours away. Something must have presented itself as very urgent. Its not as if she could get there quickly in any event. Or could she even have been abducted?

It does all appear rushed, and she seems to take a strange selection of items with her that evening.

Apparently Janice had an overnight bag, but I'm not sure exactly what the bag contained.

Looking at the other items, it's difficult to know whether she left alone, or with someone else.

 

[davidt]

It does all appear rushed, and she seems to take a strange selection of items with her that evening.

Apparently Janice had an overnight bag, but I'm not sure exactly what the bag contained.

Looking at the other items, it's difficult to know whether she left alone, or with someone else.

The Crimewatch reconstruction mentions it being rushed as well.

The overnight bag is a bit difficult and could even be a bit of a red herring. We can't really tell if it was packed that night or if it was something she may have kept ready. My partner has one at home ready as due to a health issue she has in the past been admitted to hospital on occasions very urgently. So she keeps one prepared just in case. In Janice's case it said they often travelled to Clopton so perhaps she kept one ready? It feels a bit odds with what looks like the rushed manner of everything else.

 

[davidt]

If the perpetrator had asked lets say by phone call for janice to meet him or pick him up on the way knowing full well they were going to kill her them he ran the risk of janice telling any of her friends that she was meeting someone. The perpetrator would be taking a huge risk. Its more likely than the perpetrator was with janice when they left. That way they would know that janice had not told anyone who she was with.

Yes, that makes sense. There's also the problem of the killing itself. If it was preplanned it was a particularly odd place to carry it out and having to use a weapon of convenience rather than having one ready. Perhaps it wasn't a planned murder but something that got out of hand during the journey and escalated.

We know about Janice's career and the two relationships she established via her work. Is much more known about her personal life? In terms of possible other relationships? I don't think there's much information on how her marriage was going either. We do know the family of the elderly client who left her an inheritance challenged his will. I wonder what they thought of Janice? Could there have been any other romantic relationships?

 

[INSP MORSE]

Yes, that makes sense. There's also the problem of the killing itself. If it was preplanned it was a particularly odd place to carry it out and having to use a weapon of convenience rather than having one ready. Perhaps it wasn't a planned murder but something that got out of hand during the journey and escalated.

We know about Janice's career and the two relationships she established via her work. Is much more known about her personal life? In terms of possible other relationships? I don't think there's much information on how her marriage was going either. We do know the family of the elderly client who left her an inheritance challenged his will. I wonder what they thought of Janice? Could there have been any other romantic relationships?

I think the police think it was not pre planned either as in the crimewatch program they mention it may have been an argument that got out of hand. My problem with that is that the murderer used overkill in the number of blows with the car jack. Having said that, one they started they had to make sure she was dead.

We dont know anything else about janice exept for the one she recieved an inheritance which suggests to me that she was happy.

We dont know anything about Tony Weston exept for that fact he was a property developer. Some people say he would not have a motive as he had money himself but we do not know that. Perhaps he a businessman with financial difficulties. Maybe he was a bit of a conman, he was previously married. The police spoke to his previous partners and then kept him in for questioning for 55 hours. One thing that has struck me is that after the murder there is no request by Tony Weston in the media to find his wife's killer. You only read about him making a complaint about how he was interviewed. If he loved his wife. Why didn't he use some of the money to keep awareness about the case open until his final days, to find the perpetrator? Thats a big red flag for me.

I wonder if the person that was seen visiting janice a couple of days before she went missing has some connection to Tony Weston?

Tony Weston would have known about that layby as he had travelled up to that property before. Its not a stretch that some kind of ruse was hatched to get janice up to the property but stop in the layby on the way and use the car jack as the weapon. Then all Weston has to do is plant the seed that janice had a habit of using hitchhikers.

 

[tes1984]

It seems a terrible location to choose for a planned murder, although the killer has got away with it so far!

The police were confident that the wheel was changed in the layby, so the killer seems to have spent a fair amount of time there. Faking a car issue to get Janice to that spot seems unlikely IMO.

It was dark, but the murder scene was still fairly public. Five witnesses recalled a man changing a tyre, but nobody seems to have seen Janice (or a couple arguing etc).

I think the police were very suspicious about TW's behaviour after the murder. I can't remember if there was ever a reward in this case.

 

[INSP MORSE]

I have to disagree about it being a terrible location. Regarding what I mentioned above its a very good location to throw suspicions away from TW and point towards a hitchhiker. Witnesses recalled seeing someone change a tyre. Yes that's a good thing. They weren't hiding the fact they were changing a tyre. Janice was already in the ditch behind him then out of view. It was dark too at that time.

It seems a terrible location to choose for a planned murder, although the killer has got away with it so far!

The police were confident that the wheel was changed in the layby, so the killer seems to have spent a fair amount of time there. Faking a car issue to get Janice to that spot seems unlikely IMO.

It was dark, but the murder scene was still fairly public. Five witnesses recalled a man changing a tyre, but nobody seems to have seen Janice (or a couple arguing etc).

I think the police were very suspicious about TW's behaviour after the murder. I can't remember if there was ever a reward in this case.