Killer Catchers by
Ellis C & Owens A.
pbk out October 04
(Blake Pub)
at £7.99
In August 1977, 39-year-old Mary Gregson was sexually assaulted and
murdered on a canal bank in Shipley. Twenty three years later, advances
in DNA enabled police to identify her killer, a local man who still lived
near the murder site.
This is the first of the fourteen case studies delineated in Killer Catchers,
several of which deal with such cold cases. Some of them have featured
on Crimewatch, including the murder of schoolgirl Marion Crofts in 1981
which took twenty years to solve. Others are landmark cases such as that
of Colin Pitchfork, convicted thanks to genetic fingerprinting.
The case of murdered Worthing pensioner Jean Barnes is also included
here as is the killing of Elizabeth & Nicholas Newall on the island of
Jersey by one of their sons.
The book shows how difficult police work can be - one fourteen year old
schoolboy had accepted a lift from a predatory stranger, making it almost
impossible to identify his killer. Another victim, a bisexual woman, had
discarded various lovers, so when it came to people with a motive the
police were spoilt for choice.
Killer Catchers is an accessible and enjoyable read which highlights the
importance of DNA and psychological profiling.
Killer Catchers by
Ellis C & Owens A.
