A case was brought against twenty-five-year-old James Hanratty who was executed six months after the murder on the basis of other non-forensic evidence. Hanratty went to his death protesting his innocence, claiming he had been set up by the police. ibid.
Then came DNA. ibid.
In fact nothing was ever found to link Hanratty forensically to the murder. Instead, his arrest was as the result of a strange and complex sequence of discoveries. ibid.
Hanratty was charged with the murder of Michael Gregsten and put on trial for his life. ibid.
Paralysed for life by a crime of shocking violence, Valerie Storie was a powerful witness, utterly unshakeable in her conviction that James Hanratty was indeed the killer. ibid.
In 1997 DNA work began again on the Hanratty case ... Science suggesting that the person who had raped Valerie Storie had also handled the murder weapon. ibid.
The interview record has been altered. ibid.
This time Valerie Storie picked out the correct police suspect ... A suspect because he was staying in the same hotel as the man police first arrested ... Witnesses whose sighting was questionable ... The failure of Valerie Storie’s first flawed identification of an entirely innocent man. ibid.
His brother Michael and mother Mary volunteered samples of their own DNA ... The results surprised everyone. ibid.
But what else apart from Hanratty’s guilt could explain the DNA? ibid.
What scientists call contamination is a genuine and alarming outcome of PCR. ibid.
During the trial itself clothing from Hanratty and Valerie Storie was transported to and from court in the same cardboard boxes. ibid.
If James Hanratty is not the killer, then where is the DNA? ibid.
The DNA is only Hanratty’s. ibid.
On February 17th 1962 James Hanratty was anxiously awaiting his fate as the jury filed back into the main courtroom here at Bedford Assizes. Fred Dinenage s3e3: Murder Casebook: Hanratty, CI 2013
What was the evidence that sealed his fate? ibid.
It was this change of alibi and positive identification by Valerie Storie that the case was built upon. ibid.
Questions have been raised about the validity of the DNA evidence. ibid.
I’m going to ask you a small favour, and that is to clear my name of the crime. Someone, somewhere is responsible, and one day the truth will come out. James Hanratty, letter to brother
I’m innocent, my Lord, and I’ll appeal. James Hanratty
Tomorrow morning, I’ll take this like a man. James Hanratty
It is beyond reasonable doubt that the DNA we’ve discovered on the crime stains was deposited by James Hanratty during the commission of the crime. Roger Mann, forensic science service
Well, I’m convinced that Hanratty was guilty ... I don’t think we can all be wrong. Valerie Storie, interview Horizon
‘Mum, I promise you I will face it like a man.’ Hanratty: The Whole Truth, Channel 4 2002
On the morning of April 4th James Hanratty, convicted for the A6 murder, was taken from his cell for the last time. ibid.
The most notorious murder case of the twentieth century. ibid.
In the early morning of August 23 1961 the bodies of Valerie Storie and her lover Michael Gregsten were found beside the A6 near Bedford. They had both been shot and left for dead. The place where they lay was known as Dead Man’s Hill. ibid.
‘I screamed and I said, “You bastard” … There was the stench of blood.’ ibid. Valerie
‘The headlights: they were just full of his face.’ ibid.
The investigation now centred on the previous occupant of Room 24 where the cartridge cases had been found. He had given his name as J Ryan … Ryan had turned out to be James Hanratty. ibid.
‘And as the words came along … And erm it was the eyes. He looked at me and I looked at him. And he knew perfectly well that I knew who he was.’ ibid. Valerie
After nine hours they reached their decision. ibid.
After only one day of the appeal hearing the case was dismissed. ibid.
‘I want you to clear my name.’ ibid. Hanratty to father
John Justice believed there had been a cover up by police … A high profile campaign. ibid.
The A6 Committee … [Paul] Foot dissected the available evidence and believed he had found some glaring inconsistencies. ibid.
[Paul] Foot also examined Hanratty’s alibi. ibid.
Alphon publicly confessed to the murder. ibid.
DNA on clothing from the murder scene. ibid.
DNA would prove to be a double-edged sword. ibid.
The body of James Hanratty was exhumed. ibid.
Statements were never disclosed. ibid.
The apparent inconsistencies of the murderer’s eyes. ibid.
‘She never changed her description.’ ibid. rozzer
40 years on it has been proved to be true. ibid.
‘The stick-up man and the recently acquired gun … and most of all by voice … To where does the evidence point?’ ibid. prosecutor
30 years ago this week James Hanratty was hanged for the A6 murder. His innocence has been proclaimed ever since. Now there is disturbing new evidence that he was wrongly executed. Hanratty: The Mystery of Deadman’s Hill, Channel 4 1992
‘Mum, somebody somewhere knows the truth and will come forward. No matter what happens we know that the country has made a terrible mistake.’ ibid. Hanratty
The shooting at Deadman’s Hill was the most notorious crime of its day. It led to Britain’s biggest investigation and longest murder trial. ibid.
The 1960s were a time of real and profound reckoning in British society. Nations all over Europe were shaking off old attitudes and traditions. In British this meant a growing distrust with the legal system, and particularly the death penalty. And there was one case more than any other that would drive those feelings out into the open. The Guilty Innocent with Christopher Eccleston s1e2: James Hanratty
‘So many elements which point to innocence; so many elements which point to guilt.’ ibid. Louise Shorter, legal expert
Questions’ over James Hanratty’s Liverpool alibi will remain for the next 40 years. ibid.