Description
Book SynopsisIn 1943, four teenagers, engaged in a spot of poaching on a private estate within Hagley Wood, near Birmingham, England discover a decaying woman's body secreted within the trunk of a tree. The police are unable to identify whose remains they are, nor the circumstances of her death. Shortly after, messages start to appear on walls in the surrounding area of the West Midlands, identifying the victim as "Bella", and rumours start to circulate which point to her having been part of an active wartime spy ring, killed so as to silence her. Then, some 11 years after the body was discovered, a local woman comes forward with some explosive information in which she names the killer. Yet, more than 80 years after the event, the crime remains unsolved. Nobody has ever been arrested, and the victim remains unidentified. It is a case which has intrigued many across the world. The Hagley Wood Tree Murder takes a critical look at the case and its investigation, with reference to original police documents. It debunks many of the popular theories, identifies lines of enquiry which have not previously been in the public domain, and follows some significant leads not fully explored at the time. Above all, it explores how a number of influential people outrageously exploited the tragedy for their own ends. The Hagley Wood Tree Murder will be of interest to anyone who has a knowledge of the case or an interest in unsolved crimes or policing protocols, and especially for those who are familiar with this part of the West Midlands.
Table of ContentsAuthor's Preface; Part I: Events and Their Reporting (Chronology); Chapter 1:A Murder is Announced - The Body in The Tree; Chapter 2:Initial Investigation; Chapter 3:The Writing on The Walls; Chapter 4:Witchcraft?; Chapter 5:Some New Leads; Chapter 6:Una Hainsworth, Jack Mossop and the Dutch Spy; Chapter 7:More Spies; Chapter 8:From Beyond the Grave; Chapter 9:Later Developments; Part II: Analysis; Chapter 10:Officialdom - The Forensics and Police Enquiries; Chapter 11:The Travelling Community; Chapter 12:Provenance of the Wall Messages; Chapter 13:Una Hainsworth's Story; Chapter 14:Other Spy Ring Theories; Chapter 15:The Occult and Related Angles; Chapter 16:The Deceptions of Wilfred Byford-Jones; Chapter 17:Other Sources of Confusion; Chapter 18:Loose Ends; Part III: In Conclusion Chapter 19: Summing Up; Chapter 20: The Area Today; Appendices:; A - Timeline; B - Transcript of West Mercia Police Case Closure Report (2005); C - List of Persons Reported Missing to (Birmingham Police), May 1940-August 1941; D - Sequential "Bella" Wall Messages; E - List of Customers Calling at Williamsons, Early Monday, 27 March 1944; F - Summary of Police Enquiries at Addresses in Hagley Road, Hasbury, 2 August 1944; G - Transcript of Victor Crumpton Letter; H - Transcript of Statement of Vivienne M. Coss; I - Transcript of First Anna of Claverley Letter; J - Transcript of Second Anna of Claverley Letter; K - Statement Provided to Police by Una Ella Hainsworth 28 December 1953; L - Bibliography, Film, TV and Radio Broadcast Detail;
