vicq
New Member
Posts: 29
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Post by vicq on Mar 29, 2020 12:05:03 GMT
Hi everyone,
I have joined the forum because I am trying to research Adeline Bracegirdle's murder. I am distantly related to Adeline on my maternal side and am in email contact with a great niece of Adeline who used to visit and has childhood memories of Adeline.
My main tool was to read the local newspaper's account of the trial of Geoffrey Mycock ( who was charged and convicted of the murder ) in the Macclesfield library - unfortunately Coronavirus restrictions have delayed that avenue.
I've found some info online but mainly relating to Mycock's appeals, the 2nd appeal being successful, and his subsequent behaviour.
I wonder whether any member has any interest or info on Adeline's case ?
The other thing I would like to do is contact the Cheshire Constabulary Cold Case Unit to enquire what the status of Adeline's case is / has it ever been reviewed? / is there any prospect of review? - can any member give me any tips on how I should go about this?
Thanks
Victoria
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Post by liferreilly on Mar 29, 2020 13:26:54 GMT
Hi Victoria,
Have you tried Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk? Think there is a subscription to join though. There are some articles on there from August 1968, relating to
the case it looks like.
With regards to the Cold case unit, i remember watching a documentary on murderer Wilbert Dyce. He'd committed horrific murders that went undetected for decades. An author was writing a book on ex-footballer Laurie Cunningham. He'd discovered the victims in the cold case were related to LC, so sent a Freedom of Information request to the police.The FOI request then triggered a cold case review within the police force. Which led to the arrest of Dyce.
Not sure how regularly the Police review cold cases. In the above case it seemed it had been almost forgotten about until the request. I think there are steps online, explaining how to make a FOI request.
Not sure if any of this helps, but good look with your research
kind regards
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vicq
New Member
Posts: 29
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Post by vicq on Mar 29, 2020 15:01:25 GMT
Hi,
Yes I've searched on Britishnewspaperarchive but haven't found any papers reporting the actual trial in depth. I'm keen to find out why the police arrested Mycock in the first place and what evidence was presented by whom at trial. Mycock was a known petty thief and burglar who lived a short distance away, he admitted theft of the pound coins from the gas/electricity meter but always denied the assault, rape and murder.
Thanks for your thoughts on cold case review. There is also a file on Mycock in the National Archives which is closed until 2047 and I need to look further into FOI for this - I guess that if Mycock was deceased I might have a chance at getting a look at that file. Mycock changed his name ---- so it is difficult to establish whether he is still alive.
Regards
Victoria
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Post by liferreilly on May 7, 2020 16:16:40 GMT
Hi Victoria
I was reading today about an author who'd written a book on Jack the Ripper. It also stated that he'd written a
book on the Alice Bracegirdle murder. Though the book isn't published. The author is David Anderson from Upton Priory.
Maybe he will have some knowledge on the case that you're after?
Not sure if you've tried to contact him, I just thought i'd pass on this info, in case you haven't.
regards
John
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Post by hellyed on Aug 16, 2020 19:08:00 GMT
Hi Victoria,
Are you on the Macclesfield Memories Facebook page?
There is currently a discussion on Adeline’s murder which may provide you with some information.
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vicq
New Member
Posts: 29
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Post by vicq on Sept 22, 2020 16:39:00 GMT
I attempted to contact him by email several months ago but didn't hear back from him. I'll give it another go.
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Post by liferreilly on Sept 22, 2020 18:25:46 GMT
Hi Vicq I know no two cases are the same, though I think Adeline's has some similarities to a much later case - that of Simon hall. He was a housebreaker,staying only a few hundred yards from where an elderly woman was robbed and murdered in her own home. He was jailed for her murder and protested his innocence for years. He even had a miscarriage of justice group set up for him. He'd lied from the very start. www.blackkalendar.nl/c/3379/Simon%20John%20Hall Obviously being a thief, does not make one a murderer. But it proves he is dishonest. Dr Alan Clift's testimony was discredited. Though personally, I wouldn't have believed a word out of Mycroft's mouth either. From newspaper reports he was caught stealing after his release. Old habits die hard. Good luck with your research. Hope you can find some further information. |
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vicq
New Member
Posts: 29
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Post by vicq on Oct 4, 2020 18:31:47 GMT
Hi John
I'm trying to keep an open mind re Mycock until I can read the evidence in some depth. Certainly at the time most locals accepted that Mycock was guilty although someone who covered the trial for the local newspaper has told me that the press' view was that Mycock was probably innocent and set up cos he was an easy target. He had numerous convictions for burglary and theft and lived a few metres away in a neighbouring street - he wasn't the brightest spark either.
I have got the impression that the forensic evidence was deemed unsafe simply because it had been one of Clift's cases - so it was not a case of the original evidence being reexamined - I doubt whether anything was kept.
I have now heard back from David Andersen - he says he is busy at present but will reply in detail soon - I'm hoping that will be very interesting.
I'll update my post when I make some progress.
Regards
Victoria
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Post by liferreilly on Oct 4, 2020 21:22:10 GMT
Hi Victoria
Yes, it's all guesswork until the real evidence is examined.
It's good that DA is going to reply to you. It'll be interesting to see what his research has found.
Keep us all posted!
Regards
LR
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