UK UK - Serial killer preying on elderly couples, could be on the loose since mid-1990's

[cocomod]

I wonder if we will find out any new information if this does go to court .

Thanks for the update !

Employment Judge Jane Aspinall said: '[Miss Davies] reasonably believed that the information she disclosed as tending to show a criminal offence or miscarriage of justice was true.

'She acted and has continued to act, with utter conviction that she has detected double murders.

'The failure was continuing in that the cases continued, and had continued since their verdicts in the late 1990s, to be classified as murder-suicides, not as [she] supposed, double murders.

'This was likely to continue, on [her] thinking, until the matters were reinvestigated and possibly had their verdicts overturned. They were, as she saw it, long-standing wrongs that had not been put right.

'[Miss Davies] shared information in breach of obligations of confidentiality. She accepted in evidence that she could have anonymised the photographs and not shared the identity of the victims but did not do so.

'The Tribunal finds that this was irresponsible and unreasonable of her.

'The Tribunal finds it was wholly irresponsible of her if she thought she could identify a suspect, to disclose that to anyone other than the police.'

On hearing the verdict, Miss Davies said: 'All I ever wanted was for these cases to be re-investigated.

 

[Moonstrawbs]

New show which was absolutely fascinating

'Silver killer' ITV true crime show about deaths criticised by police

A police chief has taken the unusual step of speaking out against a 'harmful' true crime documentary suggesting a serial killer may have killed several elderly couples.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

The one link I can see with all these cases, is that all had some form of regular contact with a medical establishment, such a GP surgery or hospital, through their various minor and major illnesses and conditions:

BA - 'stomach bug & vomiting'

DW - had 'water problems', seen doctor as worried about prostate

AW - arthritis and on meds for back problems

MH - Parkinson's

VH - arthritis

KM - diabetes, had strokes and prostate cancer

EM - vascular dementia

SW - acute mental health problems, eyesight problems

I stand by what I said in 2022.

The two cases on the TV doc tonight both had opened doors, despite the owners being security conscious. The unprescribed drugs found in the home of one...

Who would you open your door to and let in without hesitation? Someone you recognised from your GP surgery or hospital. Who would have access to drugs? Answer - as before.

David Collins' book is well worth a read.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

I do have a view, some might think outlandish view, but it was when I heard the town of Wilmslow that made my ears prick up.

Sorry to be cryptic but it makes me wonder whether there was a murderer who visited Wilmslow occasionally to perhaps meet a family member but knew these elderly couples through that family member?

 

[Inspectordreyfus]

I do have a view, some might think outlandish view, but it was when I heard the town of Wilmslow that made my ears prick up.

Sorry to be cryptic but it makes me wonder whether there was a murderer who visited Wilmslow occasionally to perhaps meet a family member but knew these elderly couples through that family member?

Are you thinking of someone you already know to have a family member near there or some other connection to Wilmslow? I was curious as a now convicted killer popped in my head as soon as I read it but can't find much about places he may have worked or had connections to during the 90s (other than his home).

 

[Rookie D]

It was an excellent documentary indeed.

It's the first time I'd heard of any of these particular cases, and I must say that I find it absolutely astonishing that they were all deemed as murder-suicide cases.

The evidence IMO clearly suggests that there had been some sort of foul play involved from a 3rd party.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

It was an excellent documentary indeed.

It's the first time I'd heard of any of these particular cases, and I must say that I find it absolutely astonishing that they were all deemed as murder-suicide cases.

The evidence IMO clearly suggests that there had been some sort of foul play involved from a 3rd party.

Get hold of David Collins book if you can. He was The Times journalist who broke the story.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

Are you thinking of someone you already know to have a family member near there or some other connection to Wilmslow? I was curious as a now convicted killer popped in my head as soon as I read it but can't find much about places he may have worked or had connections to during the 90s (other than his home).

Again sorry to be so vague but I can’t name the individual I’m thinking of. He was a suspect in a murder case in another part of the UK. He has a very strong connection to that part of Cheshire.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

The murders were both committed at the end of the working week slightly suggesting any perpetrator might have still been working during the week.

It seems to me any perpetrator might have taken enormous pleasure in outsmarting the police into thinking this was a murder/suicide. Perhaps this is a person of high intelligence.

I’m sure this person must have a weird fascination in death. The sadistic nature of these murders probably suggests someone who liked looking at images of death & suffering.

To have gained access to each home suggests they knew both couples whether personally, through family or something like the Church.

This is someone who knew Wilmslow very well and had probably lived or stayed there.

 

[MsMiniSleuth]

The murders were both committed at the end of the working week slightly suggesting any perpetrator might have still been working during the week.

It seems to me any perpetrator might have taken enormous pleasure in outsmarting the police into thinking this was a murder/suicide. Perhaps this is a person of high intelligence.

I’m sure this person must have a weird fascination in death. The sadistic nature of these murders probably suggests someone who liked looking at images of death & suffering.

To have gained access to each home suggests they knew both couples whether personally, through family or something like the Church.

This is someone who knew Wilmslow very well and had probably lived or stayed

The murders were both committed at the end of the working week slightly suggesting any perpetrator might have still been working during the week.

It seems to me any perpetrator might have taken enormous pleasure in outsmarting the police into thinking this was a murder/suicide. Perhaps this is a person of high intelligence.

I’m sure this person must have a weird fascination in death. The sadistic nature of these murders probably suggests someone who liked looking at images of death & suffering.

To have gained access to each home suggests they knew both couples whether personally, through family or something like the Church.

This is someone who knew Wilmslow very well and had probably lived or stayed there.

Do you see a connection between these two and the others which have been linked?

 

[Rookie D]

The murders were both committed at the end of the working week slightly suggesting any perpetrator might have still been working during the week.

It seems to me any perpetrator might have taken enormous pleasure in outsmarting the police into thinking this was a murder/suicide. Perhaps this is a person of high intelligence.

I’m sure this person must have a weird fascination in death. The sadistic nature of these murders probably suggests someone who liked looking at images of death & suffering.

To have gained access to each home suggests they knew both couples whether personally, through family or something like the Church.

This is someone who knew Wilmslow very well and had probably lived or stayed there.

Excellent post.

You mention something rather interesting, that had also sprung to my own mind when I first discovered this case; as a result of the recently televised documentary.

The church.

There's an element of ritual in these particular murders; certainly a degree of sadism at the very least.

This is evidenced by the fact that the injuries discovered on both victims, appear to have been inflicted whilst they were alive; ergo, not post mortem.

This is a critical point, because it's what separates a sadist from a deviant.
Take for example 3 of the victims of "Jack the Ripper" (Chapman, Eddowes and Kelly) The body of evidence for each of those victims supports the fact they were each murdered quickly and the vast majority of their respective injuries then inflicted post mortem.
However, this is not the case with the Wilmslow murders. There is no indication that any of the injuries were inflicted post mortem, and therefore it can be suggested that the Wilmslow victims were effectively tortured prior to death; the killer appearing to have utilised multiple methods of inflicting pain and suffering in order to achieve his goals.

This IMO strongly supports the idea that the killer was a sadist. He also appears to have been driven by the process of the kill rather than just the act. In other words, the killer doesn't just dispatch an elderly couple in their beds and then leave, but rather, he chooses to add layers to the process of his killing by adding details such as a faux suicide note and faux medication.

But why would the killer do this?

Well, first and foremost, with a sadistic psychopathic killer, it rarely has anything to do with "motive" or an underlying mental health issue, but instead, it's all about the fun of it all and the enjoyment of complete control and power over a victim's life.

That said, it CAN be about an underlying motive, and this brings me back nicely to...the church.

There are (broadly speaking) certainly a few Christian denominations who promote a more extreme religious doctrine. The particular focus on sin, redemption, atonement, sacrifice, purity, punishment, condemnation and suffering, are aspects that may or may not have influenced the mind of the killer to make the choices he did.

The question is; were any of the elderly couples who were murdered, connected with the church in any way? And if so, could there be a connection with someone who was a member of that church?

I would suggest that if any of the victims were members of an evangelist, spiritualist or pentecostal church, then that would increase the likelihood that the killer was connected to the victims through the church.
It's interesting to note that throughout the 70's, 80's and 90's, there was a number of orthodox Christian denominations who were plagued with more radical thinking splinter groups who chose a more non-orthodox path, and that this gained momentum over time.
Could the killer have been one of these radical Christians who had crossed the boundary into satanism?

What I think is key, is that the killer isn't someone who would necessarily have appeared as outwardly dangerous or likely to raise suspicion, but instead, they would have presented as being "normal"

A predatory "Jeckyl & Hyde" type killer, rather than an openly raging psychotic lunatic.

There's clearly still so much to unravel in these particular cases, and lots to ponder.


Fascinating indeed

 

[Bluebear15]

I've just watched the documentary, it was very interesting and I'm not convinced of the cases being linked. There doesn't seem to be any evidence pointing to someone else. The suicide note identified by the son as being his father's handwriting makes me think that the Ward case was murder suicide though.
Jmo

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

Do you see a connection between these two and the others which have been linked?

Not directly but I probably need to read David Collins book to get more background information. The deaths in the Davyhulme & Didsbury cases appear to have occurred on a Monday should that be relevant.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

Excellent post.

You mention something rather interesting, that had also sprung to my own mind when I first discovered this case; as a result of the recently televised documentary.

The church.

There's an element of ritual in these particular murders; certainly a degree of sadism at the very least.

This is evidenced by the fact that the injuries discovered on both victims, appear to have been inflicted whilst they were alive; ergo, not post mortem.

This is a critical point, because it's what separates a sadist from a deviant.
Take for example 3 of the victims of "Jack the Ripper" (Chapman, Eddowes and Kelly) The body of evidence for each of those victims supports the fact they were each murdered quickly and the vast majority of their respective injuries then inflicted post mortem.
However, this is not the case with the Wilmslow murders. There is no indication that any of the injuries were inflicted post mortem, and therefore it can be suggested that the Wilmslow victims were effectively tortured prior to death; the killer appearing to have utilised multiple methods of inflicting pain and suffering in order to achieve his goals.

This IMO strongly supports the idea that the killer was a sadist. He also appears to have been driven by the process of the kill rather than just the act. In other words, the killer doesn't just dispatch an elderly couple in their beds and then leave, but rather, he chooses to add layers to the process of his killing by adding details such as a faux suicide note and faux medication.

But why would the killer do this?

Well, first and foremost, with a sadistic psychopathic killer, it rarely has anything to do with "motive" or an underlying mental health issue, but instead, it's all about the fun of it all and the enjoyment of complete control and power over a victim's life.

That said, it CAN be about an underlying motive, and this brings me back nicely to...the church.

There are (broadly speaking) certainly a few Christian denominations who promote a more extreme religious doctrine. The particular focus on sin, redemption, atonement, sacrifice, purity, punishment, condemnation and suffering, are aspects that may or may not have influenced the mind of the killer to make the choices he did.

The question is; were any of the elderly couples who were murdered, connected with the church in any way? And if so, could there be a connection with someone who was a member of that church?

I would suggest that if any of the victims were members of an evangelist, spiritualist or pentecostal church, then that would increase the likelihood that the killer was connected to the victims through the church.
It's interesting to note that throughout the 70's, 80's and 90's, there was a number of orthodox Christian denominations who were plagued with more radical thinking splinter groups who chose a more non-orthodox path, and that this gained momentum over time.
Could the killer have been one of these radical Christians who had crossed the boundary into satanism?

What I think is key, is that the killer isn't someone who would necessarily have appeared as outwardly dangerous or likely to raise suspicion, but instead, they would have presented as being "normal"

A predatory "Jeckyl & Hyde" type killer, rather than an openly raging psychotic lunatic.

There's clearly still so much to unravel in these particular cases, and lots to ponder.


Fascinating indeed

That is very useful analysis into the type of killer that might be involved and that possible link to the church. I too believe the perpetrator would have come across as ‘normal’, even appeared gentle and possibly softly spoken giving little indication of the evil lurking within. Perhaps they were, or had been, in a professional occupation that made them appear outwardly as even more trustworthy. I do believe this person has murdered before and not necessarily elderly victims.

The misspelt note stating ‘do not resuscitate’ looks like someone trying to throw in a red herring for law enforcement. Some thought has gone into this staging. Did the writing on that note match the victims or the writing on the apparent suicide note?

 

[Rookie D]

I've just watched the documentary, it was very interesting and I'm not convinced of the cases being linked. There doesn't seem to be any evidence pointing to someone else. The suicide note identified by the son as being his father's handwriting makes me think that the Ward case was murder suicide though.
Jmo

While I disagree with your assessment here, I appreciate your views on this.

<Admin Note: The following information stated as fact is member opinion>

The Ainsworth case is the key to the series of murders, because it occurred prior to all of the rest.

This is significant, because in terms of geo-profiling, it would seem probable that the killer was local to Wilmslow.

When a killer of this type is developing their M.O. they tend to start their crimes closer to home, and then as things progress, they often then move further afield from their geographical base.
A killer is essentially testing their boundaries; in every sense of the word.

And so when looking at a number of murders that share some stark similarities, it's always a good thing to look closer at which of theses murders appear to have chronologically occurred both first and last.

This should then give some indication on the journey the killer has taken; literally and metaphorically.

As I've said on several other threads; thinking like the police is one thing, but to really delve into the truth of any given murder case, one has to think like the killer would.
Aiming to determine their mindset, motivation, and methodology are all important areas on which to focus.

But we also need to consider the victim as well.
How a victim lived, is often an important indicator as to how and why they were murdered in the first place.

And so in terms of Mr and Mrs Ainsworth; is there anything in their life that specifically contributed to the reasoning behind why they were chosen by their killer to be murdered?

This isn't a case of a one-off spontaneous attack from a random mentally ill stranger. Far from it.
No, the slaying of the Mr and Mrs Ainsworth appears to have been a planned and calculated murder, carried out by a killer who knew exactly what he was doing, and who enjoyed the process of the kill; by seemingly writing a faux suicide note and planting some pills that he then scattered over the floor.

The killing of Mr and Mrs Ainsworth was staged, theatrical and deliberate.

The issue is that the police rarely prioritize focusing their efforts on looking at a murder from outside the box, as their primary aim is to find evidence via as linear a path as possible.
But this has its drawbacks because the SIO in this case, likely took a look at the suicide note, and then took the word of the son as gospel, and then wanted to close the book on it, and claim it as another case closed.

In other words, if a SIO of a murder investigation is handed an easy out, i.e. by having a suicide note that is then corroborated by a next of kin, they then have the green light to close the case and get the desired win.
The solving of cases is a numbers game at the end of the day, and some senior officers prefer favourable stats over actually uncovering the truth.
It then boils down to the professional integrity of the lead investigator on a case; as their remit is to close cases, not to "solve" them.

That may seem a rather sceptical take on it, but that style of "closing a case at all costs" policing, was particularly rife in the 70's, 80's and 90's.

Of course, in the case of the Ainsworth couple, the coroners officer (not the actual coroner) SD, then comes along and rocks the boat by suggesting that something feels off about the claim by the police that it was a simple case of murder-suicide.

And while I concur with her assessment, I am also not surprised that the police chose to make an example of her, by deliberately nullifying her attempts to question the integrity of the investigative team who were involved with the case.

Clearly, in this particular case, the police found it very difficult to admit their mistakes and error of judgement, and so regardless of whether SD was actually on the right track with regards to her challenging the murder-suicide claim, the police were never going to allow her to make them look incompetent or let her get away with breaking protocol.

It has meant therefore, that despite it being blatantly obvious that the Ainsworth couple were both murdered, the police chose to maintain their stance by dismissing SD as some kind of fraud; all in a bid to save face.

I would wager that within the next decade, the case will be reviewed again, and it will be found to be an error made by the police, and ultimately it will vindicate SD for her efforts in trying to shine a light on the truth.

Fascinating and utterly compelling cold murder case.

JMO

 

[Moonstrawbs]

I've just watched the documentary, it was very interesting and I'm not convinced of the cases being linked. There doesn't seem to be any evidence pointing to someone else. The suicide note identified by the son as being his father's handwriting makes me think that the Ward case was murder suicide though.
Jmo

He could have been forced to write it though. The handwriting being his doesn’t necessarily mean it was written willingly. Jmo.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

While I disagree with your assessment here, I appreciate your views on this.

<Admin Note: The following information stated as fact is member opinion>

The Ainsworth case is the key to the series of murders, because it occurred prior to all of the rest.

This is significant, because in terms of geo-profiling, it would seem probable that the killer was local to Wilmslow.

When a killer of this type is developing their M.O. they tend to start their crimes closer to home, and then as things progress, they often then move further afield from their geographical base.
A killer is essentially testing their boundaries; in every sense of the word.

And so when looking at a number of murders that share some stark similarities, it's always a good thing to look closer at which of theses murders appear to have chronologically occurred both first and last.

This should then give some indication on the journey the killer has taken; literally and metaphorically.

As I've said on several other threads; thinking like the police is one thing, but to really delve into the truth of any given murder case, one has to think like the killer would.
Aiming to determine their mindset, motivation, and methodology are all important areas on which to focus.

But we also need to consider the victim as well.
How a victim lived, is often an important indicator as to how and why they were murdered in the first place.

And so in terms of Mr and Mrs Ainsworth; is there anything in their life that specifically contributed to the reasoning behind why they were chosen by their killer to be murdered?

This isn't a case of a one-off spontaneous attack from a random mentally ill stranger. Far from it.
No, the slaying of the Mr and Mrs Ainsworth appears to have been a planned and calculated murder, carried out by a killer who knew exactly what he was doing, and who enjoyed the process of the kill; by seemingly writing a faux suicide note and planting some pills that he then scattered over the floor.

The killing of Mr and Mrs Ainsworth was staged, theatrical and deliberate.

The issue is that the police rarely prioritize focusing their efforts on looking at a murder from outside the box, as their primary aim is to find evidence via as linear a path as possible.
But this has its drawbacks because the SIO in this case, likely took a look at the suicide note, and then took the word of the son as gospel, and then wanted to close the book on it, and claim it as another case closed.

In other words, if a SIO of a murder investigation is handed an easy out, i.e. by having a suicide note that is then corroborated by a next of kin, they then have the green light to close the case and get the desired win.
The solving of cases is a numbers game at the end of the day, and some senior officers prefer favourable stats over actually uncovering the truth.
It then boils down to the professional integrity of the lead investigator on a case; as their remit is to close cases, not to "solve" them.

That may seem a rather sceptical take on it, but that style of "closing a case at all costs" policing, was particularly rife in the 70's, 80's and 90's.

Of course, in the case of the Ainsworth couple, the coroners officer (not the actual coroner) SD, then comes along and rocks the boat by suggesting that something feels off about the claim by the police that it was a simple case of murder-suicide.

And while I concur with her assessment, I am also not surprised that the police chose to make an example of her, by deliberately nullifying her attempts to question the integrity of the investigative team who were involved with the case.

Clearly, in this particular case, the police found it very difficult to admit their mistakes and error of judgement, and so regardless of whether SD was actually on the right track with regards to her challenging the murder-suicide claim, the police were never going to allow her to make them look incompetent or let her get away with breaking protocol.

It has meant therefore, that despite it being blatantly obvious that the Ainsworth couple were both murdered, the police chose to maintain their stance by dismissing SD as some kind of fraud; all in a bid to save face.

I would wager that within the next decade, the case will be reviewed again, and it will be found to be an error made by the police, and ultimately it will vindicate SD for her efforts in trying to shine a light on the truth.

Fascinating and utterly compelling cold murder case.

JMO

Great summarisation Rookie D.

If the Feb 2011 case is linked then why did the ‘murders’ stop at that time? Did the perpetrator die or was elderly themselves by that time, stopped visiting the area, or some other event that made it too dangerous to continue?

The perpetrator appears to have knowledge of the vulnerability of his victims which is why IMHO he knew them either through a 3rd Party or through some organisation such as the church. Was the perpetrator a churchgoer themselves or had strong religious beliefs?

I also wonder why elderly couples are apparently targeted? Could apparent lone person suicides that involved a lot of violence say with a knife also have been missed?

I do wonder if any other similar profile cases are lurking in other parts of the UK. Perhaps if the cases are reopened a more detailed search of Police records of apparent historical murder/suicides could be made?

 

[Rookie D]

He could have been forced to write it though. The handwriting being his doesn’t necessarily mean it was written willingly. Jmo.

I agree that Mr Ainsworth may have been forced to write his "suicide" note.

There are really only 3 options here...


1) He genuinely wrote the note with sincerity

2) He genuinely wrote the note, having been forced to do so by a 3rd party.

3) He didn't write the note, but a 3rd party did.


Cheshire police chose option 1

However, based on all of the known data, it would seem more likely IMO that option 2 is actually correct.


But if this is the case, then aside from it proving that BOTH Mr and Mrs Ainsworth were murdered by a 3rd party, what does it tell us about the killer?

Well IMO, it adds a layer of depth to the already sinister nature and mindset of the person responsible.

If we for a moment try to think from the perspective of the killer; it highlights someone who took the time to build up to the killings, rather than just focus on the act of killing itself, ergo, they spent time working through the process of the kill.

And if we then consider that same concept from the perspective of the victim; how would Mr Ainsworth have felt by being forced to write a suicide note?

Imagine being forced to write and then sign a suicide note, from someone threatening to otherwise kill you and/or your partner if you refused.

A case of "out of the frying pan and into the fire."

That's deeply disturbing, because it meant that at some point Mr Ainsworth must have realised that he was going to die regardless of whether he wrote the note or not.
If that's the case, then why give in and comply with the killer?

Well, I would suggest that the killer may have given Mr Ainsworth a degree of false hope, whereby he told Mr Ainsworth that if he wrote the note, he would end their suffering quickly and without pain.
But the point is that the killer likely never had any intention whatsoever to dispatch any of his victims without inflicting considerable pain and suffering before ending their life, and so by forcing Mr Ainsworth to write the suicide note, all he was doing was toying with his victim and likely enjoyed the thrill of making Mr Ainsworth believe that he had a glimmer of hope.

Giving a victim a feeling of false hope, is something that is often used by serial killers, as it serves primarily to reinforce their power, control and dominance over their victim.

Sickening.

IMHO

 

[Kemug]

The age of most of our (alleged) victims would put them squarely in the generation who nearly all attended Sunday School. Then progressed to Church youth groups - social events, dances, etc. Maybe taught Sunday School when their own children were young. Probably kept up their connections with church and old church friends.

 

[Lord Peter Flimsy]

Great summarisation Rookie D.

If the Feb 2011 case is linked then why did the ‘murders’ stop at that time? Did the perpetrator die or was elderly themselves by that time, stopped visiting the area, or some other event that made it too dangerous to continue?

The perpetrator appears to have knowledge of the vulnerability of his victims which is why IMHO he knew them either through a 3rd Party or through some organisation such as the church. Was the perpetrator a churchgoer themselves or had strong religious beliefs?

I also wonder why elderly couples are apparently targeted? Could apparent lone person suicides that involved a lot of violence say with a knife also have been missed?

I do wonder if any other similar profile cases are lurking in other parts of the UK. Perhaps if the cases are reopened a more detailed search of Police records of apparent historical murder/suicides could be made?

Just spotted someone posted very similar questions as me back on this thread in 2020.