michael gregsten wife. Alamy and its logo are trademarks of Alamy Ltd. and are registered in certain countries. Search for stock images, vectors and videos, Available for editorial use only. With the gun was a handkerchief which provided DNA evidence many years later. During the 1990s, increasingly advanced DNA analysis techniques became widely available. Awesome. He leaves two sons, aged seven and two. However, only two days later, Storie gave a different description of her assailant to the police. Their relationship started over a mutual love of car . After a five-hour ordeal, ending in a layby on the A6 in Bedfordshire, Michael was shot dead and Valerie was raped, shot and left for dead. [45][46], This article is about the 1961 murder on the A6 road in England. House-to-house inquiries have also been carried out. Following her death, author Paul Stickler was handed Valerie's extensive notes and files, allowing her story to finally be told. [35], James Hanratty's body was exhumed in 2001 to extract his DNA. In August 1961, 22-year-old Valerie Storie and 36-year-old Michael Gregsten were the victims of James Hanratty in the notorious 'A6 Murder'. He also wrote a letter to the coroner, in which he referred to the great harm done to the family by Hanratty. [citation needed], On 7 September, Meike Dalal was attacked in her home in Richmond, Surrey, by a man claiming to be the A6 murderer, whom she later identified as Alphon in an identity parade on 23 September. She retreated into her own world, while at the same time listening, watching and making notes of what was being said.". [citation needed]. During one of the phone calls, he pronounced "think" as "fink".[20]. All of this money was anonymously donated to Slough Mobility Transport for the purchase of two new vehicles, one of which was named 'Valerie'. Although Hanratty's blood group (O) was the same as the murderer's, it was a fairly common blood type shared by 36% of the British population, including Peter Alphon and, apart from Storie's identification, there was no other evidence that Hanratty had ever been in the Maidenhead area. Justice took the precaution of making thorough notes, and recording all telephone conversations with Alphon. At about 6:45am on 23 August 1961, the body of Michael John Gregsten (28 December 1924 - 23 August 1961)[10][11] was discovered in a lay-by on the A6 road at Deadman's Hill, near the Bedfordshire village of Clophill, by John Kerr, an Oxford undergraduate conducting a traffic census. Despatched to the youth wing of Wormwood Scrubs, he slashed his wrists; placed in the prison hospital, he was declared a 'potential psychopath'. Hanratty claimed that his suitcase had been handed in to Lime Street Station to a 'man with a withered or turned hand'. Neutral Citation Number (2002) Crim 1141, 'Musing about The A6 Bedfordshire murder', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=James_Hanratty&oldid=1135732016. Police believe the couple, both employees of the Road Research Laboratory near Slough, were confronted by a man with a gun as they were parked on Dorney Common in Berkshire yesterday evening. Shortly after his discharge, Hanratty left home for Brighton, where he obtained casual work with a road haulier. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. Gregsten was ordered to stop at a milk vending machine and sent into a shop to buy cigarettes, and then to stop at a petrol station for more fuel. You don't want it to be blown out. By the time of his arrest for the murder of Michael Gregsten, Hanratty had already accumulated four convictions for motoring offences and housebreaking. michael gregsten wife. ease arkansas phone number As executor of Valerie's will, Professor Hobbs was the first to come across the documents and notes she left behind and he worked with Mr Stickler to ensure that the 'posthumous autobiography' was an honest and truthful account. The Police tracked down a Mrs Dinwoodie, who served in a sweetshop in Scotland Road, and who recalled a man like Hanratty asking for directions. She was able to see only the body of the man between his waist and shoulders, but his smart appearance seemed at odds with his threatening behaviour. James Hanratty - Micheal Gregston - Murder UK - The - Murder in the Uk After some investigation, 'Ryan' turned out to be James Hanratty, a 25-year-old petty criminal with four convictions for car theft, larceny and burglary. James Hanratty (4 October 1936 4 April 1962), also known as the A6 Murderer, was a British criminal who was one of the final eight people in the UK to be executed before capital punishment was effectively abolished. Paul's book describes the events in great detail of the night in illuminating detail, based on Valerie's accounts. Mr Stickler, a former Hampshire Constabulary police officer who specialised in murder investigations, compiled the book during lockdown using thousands of records and annotated documents left behind by Valerie. The gunman replied that Gregsten had frightened him by turning too quickly. On 7 September 1954, aged 17, Hanratty appeared before Harrow Magistrates' where he was placed on probation for taking a motor vehicle without consent, and for driving without a licence or insurance. Michael wound down his window, only halfway, when a gun was thrust through the gap, its muzzle pointing directly at them. Awaiting the Truth about Hanratty - London Review of Books The man tied Storie's hands behind her back with Gregsten's tie and then saw a duffle bag containing some clean clothing. Shortly after his return, Gregsten left his pregnant wife, Janet, and went to live in Windsor, inviting Valerie Storie to navigate for him during car rallies organised by the de Havilland car. 1945: Ex-soldier buried his wife on Anglesey beach after . Collaborate with our global Enterprise Sales team. Michael J. Gregsten, mmn = Oulet, GRO Register of Deaths: JUN 1962 4a 7 AMPTHILL. What Is The Case Of Michael Gregsten's Suicide. One of the final eight people in the UK to be executed before capital punishment was abolished, the petty criminal was hanged at Bedford Jail in 1962 for the murder of Michael Gregsten at Deadman's Hill, near Clophill, on the A6. Among the prosecution team at the trial was Geoffrey Lane, who was subsequently appointed Lord Chief Justice. Michael Gregsten's widow later went on to have an affair with her brother in law William Ewer, who left his wife. [27] Justice encouraged the initially reluctant Fox to help him expose what he believed to be the fabrication of the case against Hanratty. Michael was 14 years older than her and married with two children, though he was in the process of separating from his wife. He was found guilty for the murder of a 36 year old scientist Michael Gregsten in August 22nd 1961. France, who had suffered from bouts of severe depression for many years, committed suicide by gassing himself (his third attempt) about two weeks before the execution. "[42], Following the DNA evidence in 2002, Storie earned over 40,000 for her participation in various TV and newspaper documentaries. Bitterness continued in 1970 when the A6 Committee held a public meeting in Bedford to raise awareness of their concerns. Circa 1962. Bedfordshire Live spoke to Paul about the newly-released book, which is titled The Long Silence - just as Valerie had intended. He then retrieved a cloth from the duffle bag, covered Gregsten's bloodied head with it, and ordered Storie to clamber into the back of the car, over Gregsten's body. If you do as I tell you, you will be alright., Extracted from The Long Silence: The True Story of James Hanratty and the A6 Murder by Valerie Storie, the Woman Who Lived to Tell the Tale by Paul Stickler. Lying next to Gregsten, semi-conscious, was Gregsten's mistress, Valerie Jean Storie (24 November 1938 26 March 2016). [34] DNA was donated by Hanratty's mother and brother,[22] which they expected to exonerate him when compared with DNA extracted from surviving evidence. Journalists such as Paul Foot and Bob Woffinden campaigned for years to prove Hanratty's innocence, casting doubt on Valerie's evidence. She told them: "I have never had a problem with the truth. Hanratty's initial defence was that he had been in Liverpool on the day of the murder, but then, halfway through the trial, he changed part of his story, claiming that he had in fact been in Rhyl, North Wales. James Hanratty was born on 4 October 1936 in Farnborough, Kent,[3] the eldest of four sons of James Francis Hanratty (19071978) and his wife Mary Ann Hanratty (19171999). They kissed only once. Valerie Storie did not recognise Alphon in an identity parade, and he was released four days later after being detained on a charge of assaulting Meike Dalal. At the time of France's second suicide attempt in January, one of the letters he left was addressed to the coroner, in which he wrote 'I am of sound mind and body. ;Picture taken at home of Mrs. Janet Gregston with her two sons Anthony 3 and Simon (9) 1961. He also claimed the gun went off by accident. (just round the corner from the authors house). The gunman ordered Gregsten to drive in several directions, before stopping beside the A6 at Deadman's Hill, where the offences took place. He explained: "I felt the story had been misrepresented and needed a retelling from a fresh perspective. Alphon was recorded by PC Ian Thomson as saying "there can't have been any fingerprints in the car otherwise mine would have given me away". He would have been wrongly identified by three witnesses at identification parades; first as the person at the scene of the crime and secondly (by two witnesses) driving a vehicle close to where the vehicle in which the murder was committed was found. What Is The Case Of Michael Gregsten's Suicide | ipl.org But in May 2002 the Court of Appeal ruled that the DNA evidence had established his guilt "beyond doubt". Neutral Citation Number: [2002] Crim 1141", "James Hanratty: Close to a final verdict? Professor Hobbs described Valerie as a 'bloody minded and determined' woman with a charming character. [34][37][39], At the appeal hearing in 2002, Michael Mansfield QC, the barrister acting for the Hanratty family, said that a vial, among surviving evidential items, had been broken which could account for contamination. I do this act in the knowledge that it will clear my family's character of any act or wrong'. The decision by the Court of Appeal included a discussion of the handling of the various items of evidence involved. After his release, his father resigned his job as dustman with Wembley council to start a window cleaning business with his son in a futile attempt to keep him away from crime. Satisfied he had killed her, the gunman drove off southward with much crashing of gears, in the direction of Luton. Or did Scotland Yard have the right man all along? When Alphon found out, he flew into a rage. Well push your creativity and go beyond your brief. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Results from testing in June 1999 were said to be strong evidence of a familial match - the evidential DNA was "two and a half million times more likely" to belong to James Hanratty than to anyone else. Author Paul Stickler said: 'This is a story that really does need to be told and it's not been told in the way that it should be before now. She said: 'They have built their case on this myth and it has grown to become pure folklore. When this evidence went to court in 2002, proving Hanratty's guilt beyond any doubt, reporters once again hounded Valerie to speak. Michael Gregsten with his wife Janet before he was murdered in his .. James Hanratty - A6 Murder Moreover, the murderer drove badly, whereas Hanratty was an experienced car thief. On Tuesday, 22nd August, 1961, Michael Gregsten, 36, a research physicist, called at the address of his estranged wife at Sabine House, Abbots Langley, and after taking his 9-year old son, Simon, to play in Cassiobury Park, Watford, he collected his girlfriend, Valerie Storie, 22, from work, and he and Storie went in Gregsten's Morris Minor to the Old Station Inn, Taplow, near Slough. [35] The Court of Appeal did not have the power to order an exhumation of Hanratty's body, but Lord Chief Justice Harry Woolf decided that this was desirable "in the interests of justice". Michael Gregsten with his wife Janet 1962 OLD PHOTO | eBay 22nd August 1961, Michael Gregsten a 36-year-old research scientist at the Road Research Laboratory at Langley, near Slough. [citation needed] Police went back to Nudds, the hotel manager (who himself had a lengthy criminal record for fraud and other offences), who now said that his second statement was a lie, and his first statement, implicating 'Ryan', was in fact true. 79 Michael Gregsten Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images At about 1.30am on August 23, Hanratty told Michael to pull into a lay-by at Deadman's Hill and to hand over his duffle bag. [34] Modern testing of DNA from Hanratty's exhumed corpse and members of his family convinced Court of Appeal judges in 2002 that Hanratty's guilt was proved "beyond doubt". , updated Why did you shoot him?" Even when she was vindicated at a trial in 2002, she said little more than a few words publicly. They had been here on a few occasions before, to make love or simply to spend time alone together. He had the same identifying manner of speech as the killer. Gregsten at first refused, but the man became aggressive and threatened them with the gun. During the 60 mile journey, Michael and Valerie made 22 separate attempts to escape or frustrate the driver. Michael Streeter on the latest twist in a celebrated murder mystery. The James Hanratty case is perhaps Bedfordshire's most notorious murder. FBiH - Konkursi za turistike vodie i voditelje putnike agencije. He then stated that he had in fact been in the Welsh coastal town of Rhyl. The following month Richard Ingrams, a close friend and colleague of Paul Foot, wrote a brief article about Alphon's part in the case in The Independent. 96 Michael Gregsten Premium High Res Photos - Getty Images Since his death Hanratty's family and supporters have fought to prove that, although a petty crook, he was not a killer. Against the wishes of his parents, Hanratty's body had been exhumed and his DNA was compared to that found on Valerie's underwear and the handkerchief in which the murder weapon had been hidden. He argued that the evidence may have been contaminated because of lax handling procedures.[34][40]. The case involved the death of a man who lived not far from Hanratty and Mr Stickler thinks he could have heard about it while he was in prison for house breaking. [citation needed] Storie gave another statement to the police later that morning, just before she underwent surgery in Bedford Hospital. A man threatened the couple with a gun. Rachel Muir For Mailonline The story of the A6 Murderer in Bedfordshire is infamous, but the story of one of his victim's has remained untold, To stay up to date with all the latest news from across Bedfordshire sign up to our free newsletter for daily updates and all the latest breaking news. BBC - Beds Herts and Bucks - History - James Hanratty - The A6 Murder map Storie drank gin and Pepsi, Gregsten had Double Diamond. He stayed in a room the night before the crime from which bullets that had been fired from the murder weapon were recovered. Despite being pilloried by the media, Valerie Storie withdrew from the limelight and tried to live a normal life. As she told food network, "i learned more about myself with every battle and i learned more how deeply talented the other warriors in this tournament are. In August 1961, Michael Gregsten and Valerie Storie were sitting in their car in Dorney Reach, UK when an intruder forced his way into the backseat brandishing a gun. 50-year fight to clear James Hanratty's name - BBC News This is a hold-up," a mans voice said. How much time had passed since they had pulled into the field is not absolutely clear since neither was paying particular attention but, Valerie would later estimate, after about thirty minutes their private conversation was disturbed. I could not ever relax.". Through the window of the car and despite the fading light, she could clearly see that he was wearing a suit and tie with a white shirt. On 11 September, two cartridge cases were found in the guest basement bedroom of the Vienna Hotel, which were matched with the bullets that killed Gregsten and to the ones in the gun found on the bus. Sign up here. BBC ON THIS DAY | 23 | 1961: Couple found shot in A6 lay-by On 19 March 1997, the Home Office referred the case to the new Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) where Baden Skitt chaired the investigation. In 2002 Valerie was finally vindicated when DNA evidence proved beyond reasonable doubt that Hanratty was guilty.