by TIM HICKS

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5.8 – Police Media Operations against the NYE’s Halliwell Investigation

Part 2: The GMP and Helen Sage

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Police Media Operations against the NYE’s Halliwell Investigation

This article is a continuation of an earlier article Police Media Operations against the NYE‘s Halliwell Investigation, which covered media operations against the NYE by 1. Wiltshire Police, 2. North Yorkshire Police (NYP) and 3. Cleveland Police. This article separately covers media operations by 4. Greater Manchester Police (GMP).

The NYE has adopted this approach for reasons of space, but also because the Helen Sage case requires more in depth coverage and justifies an article of its own.

To fully appreciate this article you should read article Police Media Operations against the NYE‘s Halliwell Investigation, or alternatively just read the sections on information warfare and the analysis of Halliwell’s undetected victims below.

If you have read it the article Police media operations against the NYE‘s Halliwell investigation, please skip the section below on Information Warfare and go straight to the section entitled “The Strange Case of Helen Sage” that follows it.

Information Warfare: The NYE’s approach is vindicated by the BBC

The murder of independent investigative journalists Daphne Caruana Galizia (NYE tribute here) and Jamal Khashoggi have highlighted the dangers facing journalists that investigate the state and/or criticise public bodies like the police. Accordingly, the NYE has been running a series of articles on information warfare being conducted against journalists.

This theme has now been taken up by the BBC – thereby vindicating the NYE’s approach to this subject and justifying its extension of it from the military, to the police and other public bodies. Jane Kinninmont writing in a BBC article about the Khashoggi case [1] commented:

“Mr Khashoggi’s case is an unusually prominent incident, but it is a symptom of deeper trends – of …….. intolerance of free expression”. 

“This trend is exacerbated by the escalating use of information warfare.” [My emphasis in bold].

Information Warfare was until recently a military term but is a very broad concept. It is now applied outside military conflicts and the armed forces. Therefore a discussion of information warfare terminology is required at this point in the article:

• Information Warfare [2] is a United States military concept involving the collection [2] of tactical information, assurance [2] that one’s own information is valid, spreading of propaganda [2] or disinformation [2] to demoralize [2] or manipulate [2] the enemy and the public, undermining the quality of opposing force information and denial of information-collection opportunities to opposing forces. Most of the rest of the world use the much broader term of Information Operations[2] which has combined the making use of technology, as well as focusing on the more human-related aspects of information use.
• Media manipulation [2] is a series of related techniques in which an image or argument that favors their particular interest of the organisation is promulgated. Media manipulation tactics may include the use of outright deception and often involves the suppression of information [2] or points of view.
• Information Operations and Media Manipulation are often incorporated into Media Operations[8].

In this context, police media operations are part of Information Warfare and can be passive, proactive and/or aggressive. They can include:

• Information suppression
• Information withdrawal
• Media manipulation
• Withdrawal from contact and interaction
• Media suppression
• Legal action or threats of legal action
• Computer
• Surveillance, both electronic and physical
• Detention or arrest
• Stonewalling: “A refusal to communicate or cooperate. Such behaviour occurs in situations such as ….diplomatic negotiations, politics and legal cases. Tactics in stonewalling include giving sparse, vague responses, refusing to answer questions, or responding to questions with additional questions”

Analysis of Halliwell’s Undetected Victims

In their article “Halliwells undetected victims”, the authors assessed that although he has only been convicted for two murders, based on two or three murders a year, Christopher Halliwell could have killed up to sixty women. This raises the question who are the missing (potentially) fifty eight victims?

The authors asserted they fall into five distinct categories:

1. Murders for which no one has been convicted and which the police have not connected Halliwell to. (e.g. Caroline Glachan)
2. Murders where a) the wrong man has been convicted, or (b) the wrong man has been accused of the murder and the police are not pursuing any other suspects, because of confirmation bias (see below) in the investigation. (e.g. Ann Heron).
3. Missing persons that the police are satisfied are murder victims (“no body murders”) even though there is no physical evidence of crime (e.g. Claudia Lawrence).
4. Murder victims whose bodies have been concealed, but who have not been reported as missing. So consequently the police are genuinely unaware that any crime has taken place. (e.g. Becky Godden-Edwards, who was only known to be missing when the police recovered her body).
5. Murder victims whose bodies have been concealed, who the police are treating as missing persons i.e. probably still alive, when they are in fact murder victims. Which brings us to the strange case of Helen Sage.

The Strange Case of Helen Sage 

Helen Sage was a mother and a prostitute who was last seen in Manchester’s red light district in August 1997. (NYE investigation here).

The authors believe Helen Sage was murdered in August 1997:

• As a prostitute, Helen was vulnerable to being attacked by one of her clients.
• Helen Sage had no reason to disappear.
• Helen Sage had a young child she was devoted to and would not have abandoned. A key test applied in missing women cases to identify if they have been murdered.
• Although her means of income was prostitution, she apparently abandoned her pitch in Manchester’s red light district and has not come to the attention of police since.
• The police conducted enquiries at the time but were unable to find her or provide an explanation for her disappearance.
• GMP has not formally linked Helen’s disappearance with the murder of Julie Jones, (Case 19. Julie Jones is pictured above in the lead illustration), although it was recognised at the time that there were similarities. Julie Jones was a prostitute and mother of two, whose naked body was found partially concealed at Shudehill Manchester, six days after she was reported missing on the 3^rd of July 1998. (See NYE “East Lancs Ripper” article here and The other Northern and Midlands cases article here). The point being that like (as the authors believe) Helen Sage, her body was concealed, although unlike Heather Sage, the concealment was inadequate. Both cases fit Christopher Halliwell’s modus operandi. Manchester Evening News articles here and here, please note that GMP have confirmed to the NYE that Pauline Currie and Georgina Moore have been traced and are alive.

However, GMP still classify Helen as missing, not dead.

Anyone with information about Julie Jones or Helen Sage is asked to call the GMP Cold Case Review Unit on 0161 856 5978, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

4. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Proactive Media Operations against the NYE over the Helen Sage case.

Helen is still classified as missing, although the authors believe she has obviously been murdered. We put this to GMP and received this response:

“At the time of Helen’s disappearance a number of hypotheses were explored to establish what happened to her.

As with cases of this nature, this is normal procedure to make sure that every outcome is considered to try and find that person. 

Helen’s disappearance is not currently being treated as murder as there has never been any physical evidence to suggest she was killed.

Of course, if any new information came to light we would review this.”

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins of Greater Manchester Police

Stonewalling the NYE’s Halliwell investigation

The GMP follows the “Bottomley Criteria” of only declaring a missing person as murdered, if there is physical evidence of crime. The nature of sex workers operating practices required that Helen Sage got into a car with an unknown man. Under these circumstances it is impossible to detect physical evidence of crime at the pick-up point, because there was no crime there, simply a sex worker getting into a client’s car in the normal course of business. The crime occurs later in the car or at a remote location.

If the murderer then conceals the body skilfully, there will be no physical evidence of a crime anywhere other than at the gravesite. As with the murder of Becky Godden-Edwards, the victim will remain undetected indefinitely. Her murder was only revealed when Halliwell voluntarily led Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher to her grave eight years later.

Clearly the absence of any physical evidence does not rule out the possibility of a “no body” murder. It therefore should not be used as the sole elimination criteria, to the exclusion of circumstantial evidence. Particularly in cases involving sex workers, who are much more prone to violence as described in this harrowing Teesside Gazette article by Naomi Corrigan.

West Yorkshire Police used formal criteria devised by Chief Superintendent Charlesworth to identify if an attack should be linked to the Yorkshire Ripper. Unfortunately the Charlesworth Criteria were too rigid. Consequently some attacks by the Yorkshire Ripper were eliminated from the enquiry when they should have been included. Thereby hindering the investigation. (NYE article here).

Unlike GMP, other forces will classify suspicious disappearances as murder based solely on circumstantial evidence. Some examples:

• North Yorkshire Police commendably re-classified the Claudia Lawrence disappearance as a murder, even though there was no physical evidence of abduction or a crime scene.
• Police Scotland follows a policy of accepting that “every enquiry is unique and assessed on the individual facts of each case, not on a fixed, inflexible set of criteria”.
• Missing Ipswich prostitute Amanda Duncan was a devoted mother to her child. (BBC Report here). The Suffolk Police detective leading this investigation -which is being treated as a murder despite the fact that there is no physical evidence of crime- stated: “She was a very good mother, her children were well dressed, well cared for and to just disappear with a nine-month-old child at home is not really a possibility.” This officer has adopted exactly the same position as the authors on the similar Helen Sage case.

It must be a concern that irrespective of the lack of physical evidence at the pick-up point, Helen Sage was murdered in August 1997 on the day of her disappearance.

I have raised these concerns with Chief Constable Hopkins of the GMP. However, these concerns have not been addressed or responded to, other than a statement from the GMP Press Office that:

“As regards your question regarding force policy – this has been addressed and we will not be drawn further”.

A classic example of stonewalling and proactive information suppression to prevent media scrutiny of a potentially bungled investigation (media suppression). 

5. Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner Passive Media Operations against the NYE over the Helen Sage case.

Tim has also raised these concerns with Baroness Hughes, the Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester (PCCGM). A very strong case for designating Helen Sage’s disappearance as a murder was put forward and Tim also requested that the GMPs handling of Helen Sage Case is reviewed by another force. Her response?

Nothing.

PCCGM Baroness Hughes did not reply or even acknowledge my e mail.

Baroness Hughes, Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner

Stonewalling the NYE’s Halliwell investigation

Baroness Hughes, Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner

Stonewalling the NYE’s Halliwell investigation

A classic example of stonewalling and passive information suppression to prevent media scrutiny of a potentially bungled investigation (media suppression). Worse, this is obviously a coordinated response between GMP and the Police and Crime Commissioner that is supposed to be holding it to account.

What is particularly concerning is that the NYE has identified a potential suspect – Christopher John Halliwell – and the police are refusing to investigate him.

The wider implications of the refusal to engage by GMP and GMPCC 

The police have a difficult relationship with the media, because it is often critical of the police, in accordance with its duty to hold them to account:

“The media also play a vital role in holding the police service to account and in connecting us with the public – this includes highlighting when things may have gone wrong or where policing is under legitimate scrutiny. The relationship should also therefore be challenging and we need to recognise the role the media discharge on behalf of the public in ensuring that we are accountable. 

The responsibility to be open, transparent and accountable is part of the Code of Ethics and sits with everybody in policing. 

In recent years there has been a perception, rightly or wrongly, that the police have withdrawn and communicate less openly with the media. This does policing a disservice and I am determined that we need to reset the relationship with the media – an appropriate and professional relationship between the police and the media is in the public interest.” (Deputy Chief Constable (DCC) Gareth Morgan, National Police Chiefs Council Lead for Media Relations)

It appears to me that the response of Baroness Hughes and Greater Manchester Police is symptomatic of the type of behaviour that Deputy Chief Constable Morgan is so critical of.

Using DCC Morgan’s terminology above, the implication of this refusal to engage with the NYE, is that journalists are properly challenging the police and holding them to account, by highlighting a case where things obviously went wrong. In short, policing is under legitimate scrutiny from NYE journalists and GMP are unable to refute the arguments that have been put forward that Helen Sage was murdered. So rather than admit this and re-open the case, they are simply ignoring it, and have withdrawn from discussion.

Why are the police refusing to re-examine Helen Sage’s case?

There are many possible reasons why GMP is refusing to engage with the NYE over the inconsistencies of the Helen Sage case. Only the Chief Constable knows the answer to the above question. These are potentially some of them:

• The police are unsympathetic to prostitutes and do not want to spend time investigating crimes against them. Historically this may have been true within the police service, but in my view this is not now credible. GMP has a very good Cold Case Review Unit. Please see this program on the way GMP Officers investigated a crime against a prostitute and the sympathetic way they treated her. I have also been very impressed by the commendable way NYP is treating this type of offence. NYP statement here and here, issued in conjunction with the charity ugly mugs. As an aside, if this approach had been adopted by the police earlier, Halliwell might have been detected earlier.
• There is a natural antagonism between the police and journalists, referred to above by DCC Morgan. Some of the NYE articles have been critical of police investigations and the police generally do not appreciate being criticised by anyone, particularly journalists. Hence the refusal to enter into a process that could reveal it bungled the original investigation into Helen Sage’s disappearance.
• Prostitute murders are notoriously difficult to resolve, because they are stranger murders. Witnesses i.e. clients, pimps and other prostitutes are reluctant to come forward. It may be that GMP does not want to expend resources on a historic case that may be unsolvable.
• The NYE has alleged that serial killer Christopher Halliwell should be considered as a suspect for the murder of Helen Sage and Julie Jones (Article here). Following the conviction of Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, (who may also have operated in North Yorkshire, NYE investigations here, here and here) the conduct of the investigation by West Yorkshire Police was severely criticised by senior policeman Sir Lawrence Byford. Byford assessed that the investigation was flawed, that Sutcliffe should have been arrested earlier and if he had been; it would have prevented the deaths of several of his victims. In particular, should a Chief Constable admit that his force failed to arrest a serial killer, it will open his force up to a furore of criticism for allowing him to go on to commit further murders. Particularly if there are indeed sixty of them.

No Chief Constable will willingly open up his force to criticism, by admitting it botched an investigation. As an example, look at the resistance the NYE had from NYP before the force would admit to its inexcusable failure to arrest Scarborough Mayor and Conservative Councillor Peter Jaconelli. BBC Report here.

Hence, perhaps, the reason the NYE team has been subjected to media suppression operations by four police forces and a Police and Crime Commissioner.

NYE appeal for information. Have you seen Christopher Halliwell at any time in the period 1987 – 2011?

Whenever we run an article on a cold case, the NYE always runs an appeal for information, to try to progress them by keeping these cases in the public eye and generating information. This is in the public interest and can assist the police. We will finish with our usual appeal for information:

Claudia Lawrence and Christopher Halliwell

He had a slim athletic build and spoke with a slight Swindon accent. You can see and hear him in the video here taken while he was in custody.

Any information would considerably assist our knowledge of Halliwell’s movements. So please contact the NYE using our email address: news@nyenquirer.uk if you think you can help.

Sources used in the article are accredited in brackets as follows:

The NYE Christopher Halliwell series 

The NYE has recently run a series of articles on the crimes which may have been committed by serial killer Christopher Halliwell, who is currently serving a full life term for two murders committed in Swindon in 2003 and 2011.

These articles are now arguably the best source of information on the full range of crimes potentially committed by Halliwell openly available.

If you enjoyed this article, you may want to read the others in the series:

1. The breaking of Detective Superintendent Stephen Fulcher. By Tim Hicks
2. Book review: “Catching a serial killer” by Stephen Fulcher. By Tim Hicks
3. Christopher Halliwell and Peter Sutcliffe compared. By Chris Clark & Tim Hicks
4. Christopher Halliwell how many victims? By Chris Clark & Tim Hicks
5. Christopher Halliwell: The Secret Murders. By Chris Clark & Tim Hicks. Parts 1 – 11.

• Scotland.
• Is Halliwell the “East Lancs Ripper”?
• The other Northern and Midlands cases.
• Have you seen this man?
• The River Tees Murders.
• Halliwells undetected victims
• Police media operations against the NYE‘s Halliwell investigation. Part 1:

(1. Wiltshire Police, 2. North Yorkshire Police and 3. Cleveland Police).

• Police Media Operations against the NYE’s Halliwell investigation. Part 2:

(4. Greater Manchester Police. 5. Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner).

• York: Did Halliwell murder Claudia Lawrence?
• The Swindon
• Inside Out Justice. Who murdered Linda Razzell?

6. Christopher Halliwell the documentary.
7. Detective Superintendent Fulcher the TV series.

5.3. The other Northern and Midlands Cases

by Chris Clark & Tim Hicks

Introduction

The North Yorks Enquirer (NYE) has been running a series of articles on convicted serial killer Christopher Halliwell, to assess the wider range of crimes he may have committed in North Yorkshire and beyond.

Serial killers prefer to operate in areas they are familiar with and know their way around. It follows from this piece of human psychology that to assess other crimes committed by Halliwell, it is necessary to identify where he lived and was familiar with, and then compare his modus operandi to unsolved crimes committed in those areas. To illustrate the complexity of this task, please see here a similar investigation by former Sussex Police Detective Constable Mark Williams-Thomas, into serial killer Peter Tobin.

Halliwell lived in several addresses in Swindon, the Liverpool area and Northampton. He may also have stayed with his father in the Huddersfield and York areas.

• Swindon is three-and-a-half hours drive to Grantham and about two hours twenty-minutes to Wolverhampton.
• Liverpool is a half-hour drive to Manchester and two-and-a-half hours to Sheffield.
• Northampton is one and a half hours drive to Grantham and about an hour and forty-five minutes to Wolverhampton.
• York is an hour and twenty minutes’ drive to Sheffield, an hour and forty minutes to Manchester, three hours to Wolverhampton and two hours to Grantham.
• Huddersfield is an hour’s drive to Manchester an hour and five minutes to Sheffield, two hours’ to Grantham and two and a half hours to Wolverhampton.

Halliwell had many jobs, including window cleaner, builder, ground worker, chauffeur, taxi-driver and bin man, his hobbies were narrow boating and fishing. These activities took him all over the country, giving him a good knowledge of many Northern and Midlands cities and the area around them. Consequently his geographic knowledge and area of operations was enormous; centered not just on Swindon, but along the canal network, at fishing spots and locations he worked at.

Adding to the complexity of this investigation, Halliwell was forensically aware. He changed cars regularly and destroyed forensic evidence whenever possible. He had also been a car thief and could steal cars to commit crime if he wished. The authors believe that he deliberately varied his modus operandi and abducted victims in one force area, then depositing the body in another. Thereby complicating the police investigation and making it more difficult for police intelligence analysts to link his crimes.

The authors have analysed Halliwell’s modus operandi, based on the circumstances of Halliwell’s two known murders [Miss Becky Godden-Edwards (Case 24) and Miss Sian O’Callaghan (Case 28)] and two deposition sites at Ramsbury Wilts. This has been compared to unsolved and undetected crimes in areas he was familiar with. This analysis is summarised below, in tabular format:

All of the cases considered in this article comply with Halliwell’s modus operandi, potential geographic area of operations and victim selection criteria.

Because of the size of this investigation, the NYE is covering it in a series of articles:

The NYE Christopher Halliwell Series:

1. The breaking of Detective Superintendent Stephen Fulcher – by Tim Hicks
2. Book review: “Catching a serial killer” by Stephen Fulcher – by Tim Hicks
3. Christopher Halliwell and Peter Sutcliffe compared – by Chris Clark & Tim Hicks
4. Christopher Halliwell how many victims? – by Chris Clark & Tim Hicks
5. Christopher Halliwell: The Secret Murders – by Chris Clark & Tim Hicks. Parts 1 – 7.
   • Scotland
   • Is Halliwell the “East Lancs Ripper”?
   • The other Northern and Midlands cases
   • The River Tees and Middlesbrough murders
   • York: Did Halliwell murder Claudia?
   • The Swindon cases
   • Outside Justice. Who murdered Linda Razzell?

The two Manchester City Centre cases.

Unknown: The Angel Meadows body (Case 1)

Julie Jones (Case 20)

The authors believe the two Manchester City Centre cases are linked to a series of murders and suspicious disappearances occurred in the quadrilateral shaped area defined by Liverpool, Rainsford, Leigh and Manchester, which may have been committed by Stephen Halliwell. They fall into three distinct groups:

• The murders of Linda Donaldson (Case 4), Maria Christina Requena (Case 6), Julie Finlay (Case 12) and Vera Anderson which have been suspected to be the work of a serial killer dubbed “The East Lancs Ripper” in the press. (Covered in the NYE article “Is Halliwell the East Lancs Ripper”).
• The suspicious disappearance of Helen Sage (Case 17), (Covered in the NYE article “Is Halliwell the East Lancs Ripper”).
• The murders of Angel Meadows (Case 1) and Julie Jones (Case 20) that took place in Manchester City Centre.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and Merseyside Police have never formally linked any of these cases. Murderers Duncan McLuckie and David Smith have been interviewed in connection with the murders of Linda Donaldson and Maria Christina Requena, but not charged.

Unknown: The Angel Meadows body (Case 1)

The victim of this murder has never been identified. Her body was discovered by builders in Manchester City Centre. She had been badly beaten, then partially stripped wrapped in carpet and dumped in the ‘Angel Meadows’ area of Manchester. Construction workers discovered the body in 2010. A shoe was taken possibly as a trophy.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have established the following about her:

• She was born sometime between 1950 and 1954 and was aged between 18 and 30 when she was murdered.
• Her death is believed to have occurred in the 70s or 80s.
• The victim was between 5ft 1in and 5ft 8in tall and was a size 12.
• She was probably European but could have come from the Middle East or Indian sub-continent.
• She had fillings and was missing the first upper right pre-molar, which would have been visible when she smiled broadly.
• The woman’s body was found alongside her green pinafore dress with large buttons, blue bra, jumper and tights. A jacket and a shoe were also recovered. The handbag was empty.
• There were three different colours of carpet at the scene – orange, blue and dark blue. The blue carpet appeared to have been cut to fit a Ford Cortina, with holes for a gear-stick. Some of the carpet was burned.

Scientists have recreated an image of her face and it is shown below:

The Angel Meadows body – Do you recognise her?

Daily Mail report with more information here.

She was thought at one point to be Helen Sage (Case 18) but this possibility was eliminated. BBC Report here.

Why the authors believe Halliwell should be considered as a suspect

• Halliwell may have visited Manchester on narrowboat holidays on the Bridgewater, Ashford and Rochedale Canals, or he may have worked in the city as a builder. It is entirely possible he had knowledge of Manchester.
• The body of Julie Jones (Case 20) was also found wrapped in carpet.
• The Angel Meadows murder was committed in the 1970s or the 1980s. Halliwell was born in 1964. He was imprisoned between 1985 and 1987 for car theft and burglary. He confessed to having strangled a woman to a cellmate. So Halliwell could have been active as a serial killer in the relevant timeframe up to 1985 and then from 1987 to 1989.
• Halliwell burned clothes and discarded seat covers and floor mats from his car after abducting Sian O’Callaghan, to destroy forensic evidence. This is consistent with destroying or dumping the carpet from the car used to transport the deceased.
• Halliwell tried to destroy evidence and this is consistent with the handbag being emptied.
• The deposition site at Angel Meadows is 0.6 of a mile from the Rochdale Canal, which connects the Leeds and Liverpool Canal via the Bridgwater Canal and 0.5 of a mile from the River Irwell. Both are fishing spots.

GMP have considered killers Ronald Castree and Peter Tobin and serial rapist James Lloyd as suspects, but they have not been charged.

Julie Jones (Case 20)

Julie Jones was a prostitute and mother of two, whose naked body was found under bushes at Shudehill, Manchester, six days after she was reported missing on the 3^rd of July 1998. She had suffered crush injuries to her chest.

Like Michaela Hague (Case 20) and Sharon Harper (Case 11), Julie Jones body was found in a car park.

At the time, police did not link her disappearance with missing prostitute Helen Sage, (Case 16), who was last seen in Manchester’s red light district in August 1997, although it was recognised that there were similarities. (Covered in the NYE article “Is Halliwell the East Lancs Ripper”), because of its similarities to other offences in the Liverpool/Rainford/Leigh/ Manchester Quadrilateral.

Manchester Evening News report with more information, details of the reward of £50,000 and the police appeal here.

Why the authors believe Halliwell should be considered as a suspect:

• The Helen Sage and Julie Jones cases are both consistent with Halliwell’s Modus operandi (See Table 2).
• The Angel Meadows body (Case 1) was also found wrapped in carpet.
• Julie Jones worked in the Whalley Range (2.6 miles from the Rochdale Canal) and Minshull Street (100 yards from the Rochdale Canal) Red Light districts. The deposition site at Shudehill is 0.4 of a mile from the Rochdale Canal, which connects the Leeds and Liverpool Canal via the Bridgwater Canal.
• Helen Sage and Julie Jones were prostitutes, enticed into a car. The circumstances are very similar to the abduction and murder of Becky Godden-Edwards.
• Halliwell used prostitutes and may have used them in Manchester, while working or visiting there, or on a narrowboat holiday. This would give him knowledge of the abduction point(s).
• Helen Sage and Julie Jones perfectly fitted his victim preferences.

In response to a media enquiry from the NYE asking GMP to confirm if Halliwell had ever been considered as a suspect in any of these cases, the GMP Press Office stated:

“We never confirm or deny the names of suspects or where they are believed to have lived, in accordance with national policy.”

Anyone with information about either murder is asked to call the GMP Cold Case Review Unit on 0161 856 5978, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The two Sheffield City Centre cases

Dawn Shields (Case 9)

Michaela Hague (Case 22)

Dawn Shields (Case 9)

Dawn Shields was a prostitute who disappeared on Friday the 13^th of May 1994, while working Sheffield’s red-light area at Broomhall Road. She soon attracted one client who picked her up in a cream-coloured car. Dawn charged between £15 and £25 pounds and did not allow her clients to linger. By 12.45am, she was seen back on Broomhall Road and getting into a dark-coloured hatchback.

A friend who was looking after Dawn’s 11-month-old son, reported her missing at 7.30am on Saturday, May 14, 1994, and then notified Dawn’s mother.

On the 20^th of May 1994 Dawn’s body was discovered by a National Trust warden who was test-driving a four-wheel drive vehicle over the grassy hill of Mam Tor, a peak near Castleton in the Peak District, 18 miles from Broomhall Road. It was naked and had been partially buried and concealed with rocks and debris. Dawn had suffered severe head injuries and was strangled. Police believe her body may have been buried for up to a week and subjected to a week of persistent rain, which effectively destroyed any forensic evidence.

Police searched the hillsides for the black mini skirt, see-through black blouse, black bra and ankle boots she was wearing when she died. Police believe she was killed elsewhere before her body was taken to the remote Mam Tor and hidden. They were unable to trace the owner of the hatchback.

The Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent David Foss of Derbyshire Police said:

‘It was only luck that her body was discovered so soon. It was some 150 yards off the road and there was a barrier to stop cars because the road was subsiding. The area is popular with walkers but the week before had been very cold with torrential rain. We have failed to trace the owner of the hatchback. He would probably have been her last client because Dawn liked to get home by 1.30am to take over from her babysitter.’ 

 The offender had abducted Dawn Shields in one police force area (South Yorkshire Police) and deposited her in the adjacent Derbyshire Constabulary area.

Michaela Hague (Case 22)

Michaela Hague was a prostitute who was stabbed multiple times in the early evening of 5 November 2001 in Sheffield. She was picked up at Bower Street and murdered at Spitalfields in Sheffield. She was able to give a description of her murderer to a Police Constable before she died.

At the time, police considered links with the murder of Dawn Shields (Case 9) above

Like Julie Jones (Case 20) and Sharon Harper (Case 11), Michaela Hague’s body was found in a car park.

BBC report with more information and police appeal here.

Why the authors believe Halliwell should be considered as a suspect in both murders:

• Halliwell may have visited Sheffield on narrowboat holidays on the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, which eventually connects to the Ashford Canal at Manchester and then on to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. (See Canal and River Trust map of the canal system here). He may have worked in the city as a builder or groundsman. It is entirely possible he knew Sheffield.
• Dawn Shields and Michaela Hague were prostitutes, enticed into a car. The circumstances are very similar to the abduction and murder of Becky Godden-Edwards who Christopher Halliwell murdered and buried in a shallow grave in a field at Eastleach in South Gloucestershire.
• Dawn Shields and Michaela Hague perfectly fitted his victim preferences.
• The abduction point for Dawn Shields at Broomhall Street is situated less than two miles from the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal moorings at Sheffield Basin.
• At the base of the deposition site for Dawn Shields at Mam Tor and nearby, are four show caves: Blue John Cavern, Speedwell Cavern, Peak Cavern and Treak Cliff Cavern where lead, Blue John, fluorspar and other minerals were once mined. The Blue John Cavern is one of the four show caves in Castleton, Derbyshire, England. The Speedwell Cavern is a Tourist attraction for boating enthusiasts like Christopher Halliwell. It consists of a horizontal lead miners’ adit (a level passageway driven horizontally into the hillside) leading to the cavern itself, a limestone cave. The adit is permanently flooded, resulting in Speedwell Cavern’s (locally unique) feature: after descending a long staircase, the visitor makes the journey into the cave by boat. Originally the guide propelled the boat by pushing against the walls with his hands, later the boat was legged through, now it is powered by an electric motor. It is two miles Mam Tor and on the direct route from Mam Tor deposition site to the abduction point in Sheffield.
• Nine miles from deposition site for Dawn Shields at Mam Tor is Ladybower Reservoir, which is a well-known fishing location, that Halliwell may have been fishing in. One of the routes from Sheffield to Mam Tor goes right past it.

• Michaela Hague was picked up at Bower Street (1.1 miles from the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal moorings at Sheffield Basin) and murdered at Spitalfields (0.5 miles from Sheffield Basin).
• Michaela Hague described her assailant to a Constable as being of medium build, about thirty eight years old, 5 foot 8 inches tall with glasses and wearing a wedding ring. He also had a gold sovereign ring on his left hand and a thumb ring with a dolphin on it on his right. Christopher Halliwell bears a very close likeness to both artists impressions of the prime suspect issued by the police, which can be seen here and here. Both likenesses are very similar to the artists impression of Caroline Glachan’s murderer, which can be seen here. There are photographs of Halliwell wearing sun glasses on holiday and various items of jewellery including necklaces and a ring. He was thirty seven years old in 2001.
• The prime suspect in Michaela Hague’s murder had been seen by other prostitutes in Sheffield in the months before Michaela’s abduction, but not since. Indicating a visitor or itinerant worker, consistent with Halliwell’s lifestyle.

In response to an enquiry from the NYE, a South Yorkshire Police spokesperson commented:

“Our Major Incident Review Team revisits all of the Force’s historic murder investigations bi-annually, to establish any new lines of enquiry and allocate dedicated resources to look in to these.

Our reviews are extensive and look at all the information we have obtained through our enquiries to date. Reviews can be quite a lengthy process however any relevant and significant lines of enquiry in this investigation will be pursued. 

We would always encourage anyone with information, no matter how insignificant you think it might be, to please contact us on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”

The West Yorkshire case: Lindsay Jo Rimer (Case 13) Hebden Bridge West Yorkshire

Lindsay Jo Rimer was thirteen years old when she disappeared on 7^th November 1994. The last sighting of her was CCTV doing some shopping in the Spar shop at Crown Street, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire. She was reported missing the next day. Despite searches, no trace was found of her. There was local speculation that she had been unhappy at home and may have run away.

On the 12^th of April 1995 Lindsay Jo Rimer’s body was found by two canal workers in the Rochdale Canal, about a mile upstream from Hebden Bridge. It was weighed down with a boulder. She had been strangled. BBC report here. There were no signs of a sexual assault.

The murder of Lindsay Jo Rimer is very similar to the murder of fourteen year old Caroline Glachan in August 1996. Both were found in a waterway a mile away from home, having disappeared late at night. Both victims were in their early teens.

Over the years, West Yorkshire Police has never given up on the investigation and an appeal for information can be seen here. Two men have been arrested in connection with the murder, but never charged. One was arrested in November 2016 and given police bail.BBC report here. Another was arrested in April 2017 and then released. BBC report here.

Unusually a retired detective from Cleveland Police has criticised the West Yorkshire Police investigation for not considering a suspect he had indicated to the investigation.

Why the authors believe Halliwell should be considered as a suspect:

• There are similarities with the murder of Caroline Glachan, which the authors believe was also perpetrated by Halliwell. (Please see the artists impression of the prime suspect in the Caroline Glachan murder here, which is a very strong likeness to Halliwell).
• When Wiltshire Police searched Halliwell’s home and computer, they found evidence that he enjoyed researching murder, hard-core pornography, including child abuse, violent sex and rape. He was known to have been worried that police were investigating him over allegations involving young girls, although there was no such investigation underway. Wiltshire Police were unable to identify what offences and underage victims Halliwell was referring to. Although both Caroline Glachan and Lindsay Jo Rimer were both in their early teens, it is clear from this that they both fitted Halliwell’s victim preferences for young, slim girls.
• Halliwell enjoyed narrow boating and fishing. He may have used the Rochdale Canal making him familiar with the deposition site. He may also have been fishing there late at night.
• If Halliwell had used the canal in a narrow boat, he may have gone to the local Spar shop for supplies, making him familiar with the abduction point.
• Having assessed the case, Chris is of the opinion that this is the only case we have covered where the abduction involved a narrow boat, not a car. If this is so, then it would explain the skill and care with which the body was concealed, evading detection for five months, despite a large search.
• After five months immersed in water, there was no forensic evidence available from the body, indicating a forensically aware criminal.

Anyone with information about the murder is asked to West Yorkshire Police on 01924 821 441, or 01924 334 604, or text 07786 200805, or call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The two Midlands cases

Janine Downes (Case 7)

Sharon Harper (Case 11)

Janine Downes (Case 7) Wolverhampton

The body of Wolverhampton prostitute Janine Downes was found on the 2^nd of February 1991, dumped behind a hedge on a lay by on the A464 Shifnal to Wolverhampton Road. She had been strangled. Her body was naked from the waist down and some of her clothes were not recovered.

Philip John Smith and Alun Kyte were questioned about the murders, because they had convictions for murdering prostitutes.

Shropshire Star report with more information here.  BBC Report here.

Why the authors believe Halliwell should be considered as a suspect:

• The victim fits Halliwell’s victim preferences and was a prostitute, enticed into a car.
• The circumstances are very similar to the abduction and murder of Becky Godden-Edwards and the deposition site is similar to the one Halliwell used for Sian O’Callaghan.
• Halliwell used prostitutes and may have used them in Wolverhampton, while working or visiting there, or on a fishing or narrowboat holiday. This would give him knowledge of the abduction point.
• The Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal goes into Wolverhampton and the Shropshire Union Canal stops just North of Wolverhampton. The Wyrley and Essington Canal and Birmingham Canals Navigation Main Line Canal meet at Horseley Fields Junction to the East of Wolverhampton. Halliwell may have used both canals for Narrow boating holidays, making him familiar with Wolverhampton.
• The deposition site is 10.6 miles from the Shropshire Union Canal and the direct route to the deposition site from Wolverhampton passes over the Staffordshire and Worcester Canal at Tettenhall New Bridge.
• There is extensive fishing at Shifnal including along both canals. The Shropshire Union Canal is 10.5 miles away from Shifnal and 8.4 miles from the deposition site, the route to both locations from the Shropshire Union Canal is along the A464.
• Halliwell lived in Swindon and in Northamptonshire, which are only two hours by car from Wolverhampton.

In response to an enquiry from the NYE, a spokesperson for West Mercia Police confirmed:

“The case of Janine Downs is still under investigation and we would urge anyone with information to call West Mercia Police on 101. Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

With regards to Christopher John Halliwell, our policy is to neither confirm nor deny the identity of anyone under investigation.”

Sharon Harper (Case 11) Grantham

Barmaid Sharon Harper went missing just after she left her work as a barmaid at the Market Cross pub in Westgate, Grantham at midnight on Saturday the 2^nd of July 1994. Like Julie Jones (Case 20) and Michaela Hague (Case 22), Sharon Harper’s body was found in a car park. Her body was partially concealed with ornamental shrubbery; she had been beaten about the head and strangled. She had sex before she was killed.

Although five people were arrested, no-one was ever charged.

Grantham Journal report with more information here.

Why the authors believe Halliwell should be considered as a suspect:

• Halliwell may have visited Grantham on a narrow boat or fishing holiday, or for work. He could therefore be familiar with the area.
• The victims route home took her along Westgate and Harlaxton Road, which run parallel with the Grantham Canal, and then along Trent Road which crosses the Grantham Canal.
• Police investigated a witness report that a man described in his 30s had been seen arguing with Sharon near the Archways service station on Harlaxton Road Road, which is about half a mile from the point where Trent Road crosses the Grantham Canal. Halliwell was thirty in 1994.
• The deposition point in Earlesfield Lane is about 100 yards from the Grantham Canal. and about a mile from the River Witham which is a well-known fishing location.

NYE appeal for information on Christopher Halliwell.

If you think you can add to our analysis, please contact the NYE using our e mail address: news@nyenquirer.uk. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

5.2: Is Halliwell the “East Lancs Ripper”?

by Chris Clark & Tim Hicks

~~~~~

Introduction

The North Yorks Enquirer (NYE) has been running a series of articles on convicted serial killer Christopher Halliwell, to assess the wider range of crimes he may have committed in North Yorkshire and beyond.

Serial killers prefer to operate in areas they are familiar with and know their way around. It follows from this that to assess other crimes committed by Halliwell, it is necessary to identify where he lived and was familiar with. Then compare his modus operandi to unsolved crimes committed in those areas.

Halliwell lived in Dalbeattie, Scotland, several addresses in Swindon, the Liverpool area and Northampton. He may also have stayed with his father in Huddersfield and York areas, giving him a good knowledge of many northern cities and the areas around them.

Halliwell worked in dozens of jobs, including window cleaner, builder, ground worker, chauffeur, taxi-driver and bin man. His hobbies were narrow-boating and fishing. He travelled widely by car and narrow-boat. Consequently, his geographic knowledge and area of operations was enormous.

The authors have analysed Halliwell’s modus operandi, based on the circumstances of Halliwell’s two known murders (Miss Becky Godden-Edwards (Case 24) and Miss Sian O’Callaghan (Case 28) and his deposition sites at Ramsbury, Wilts. This has been compared to unsolved and undetected crimes in areas he was familiar with. This analysis is summarised below, in tabular format:

All of the cases in this article comply with Halliwell’s modus operandi and victim selection criteria.

Adding to the complexity of this investigation, Halliwell was forensically aware. He changed cars regularly and destroyed forensic evidence whenever possible. The authors believe that whenever possible he deliberately varied his modus operandi, and abducted victims in one force area, then deposited them in another. Thereby complicating the police investigation and making it more difficult for police intelligence analysts to link his crimes.

Because of the size of this investigation, the NYE is covering it in a series of articles:

The NYE Christopher Halliwell Series:

1. The breaking of Detective Superintendent Stephen Fulcher. By Tim Hicks
2. Book review: “Catching a serial killer” by Stephen Fulcher. By Tim Hicks
3. Christopher Halliwell and Peter Sutcliffe compared. By Chris Clark & Tim Hicks
4. Christopher Halliwell how many victims? By Chris Clark & Tim Hicks
5. Christopher Halliwell: The Secret Murders. By Chris Clark & Tim Hicks. Parts 1 – 7.
   • Scotland
   • Is Halliwell the “East Lancs Ripper”?
   • The other Northern and Midlands cases
   • The River Tees and Middlesbrough murders
   • York: Did Halliwell murder Claudia?
   • The Swindon cases
   • Outside Justice. Who murdered Linda Razzell?

The Liverpool/Rainsford/Leigh/Manchester Quadrilateral

This analysis has revealed a series of crimes, which the authors believe may have been committed by Christopher Halliwell. They fall into three distinct groups:

• The murders of Linda Donaldson (Case 4), Maria Christina Requena (Case 6), Julie Finlay (Case 12) and Vera Anderson which have at various times been suspected to be the work of a serial killer dubbed “The East Lancs Ripper” in the press.
• The suspicious disappearance of Helen Sage (Case 17) from Manchester City Centre’s Red Light District.
• The Manchester City Centre murders of Angel Meadows (Case 1) and Julie Jones (Case 20), which for reasons of space will be covered in article 5.3. “The other Northern and Midlands cases”.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and Merseyside Police have never formally linked any of these cases. Murderers Duncan McLuckie and David Smith have been interviewed in connection with the murders of Linda Donaldson and Maria Christina Requena, but not charged.

The Leeds & Liverpool Canal goes from Liverpool, passes close to Rainford, then to Wigan and then on to the Pennington Wharf Marina at Leigh, where it becomes the Bridgewater Canal. The Bridgwater Canal then joins the Rochdale and Ashton canals which are in the City Centre of Manchester. This canal network is contained within the “Liverpool/Rainsford/Leigh/Manchester Quadrilateral”, and contains along it the abduction points, disappearance point and deposition sites from the above cases. These crime scenes are clustered around four points on this canal system the authors believe he may have been familiar with.

Map of the Liverpool/Rainsford/Leigh/Manchester Quadrilateral superimposed on the canal network

Key

L1 Liverpool Red Light District abduction points

Linda Donaldson

Julie Finlay

L2 Rainford By-Pass

Julie Finlay deposition site

L3 Pennington Marina area deposition sites

Linda Donaldson

Maria Christine Requena

L4 Manchester Red Light District

Angel Meadows – Deposition site

Helen Sage – Abduction point

Julie Jones – Abduction point

Julie Jones – Deposition site

Maria Christina Requena – Abduction point

The “East Lancs Ripper” cases.

• Vera Anderson
• Linda Donaldson (Case 4),
• Maria Christina Requena (Case 6)
• Julie Finley (Case 12)

Manchester Evening News report on the “East Lancs Ripper” with more information here. 

Vera Anderson

Mrs Anderson was found in her car, with her throat cut, in Penketh, near Warrington on the 25^th of August 1991. The modus operandi is very different from the other three murders and the authors have eliminated Christopher Halliwell as a suspect.

Linda Donaldson (Case 4) 

Linda Donaldson was a prostitute from Liverpool who was last seen at 11pm on Monday October 17, 1988, by a Merseyside Police vice squad officer who knew her. She was on Canning Street close to Albert Dock waiting for clients. Detectives can only assume in those pre-CCTV days that she got into a car and was driven away to be brutally murdered.

At noon the next day, an elderly couple made the gruesome discovery of Linda’s body in Winwick Lane in Lowton, in a gully close to the field side of the hedge lay Linda’s body. It is just off the motorway and around two miles from Leigh and the Pennington Marina on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. The deposition site is some twenty miles from where Linda was last seen. She had died from multiple stab wounds. Speaking at the time of the murder, GMP Detective Chief Supt Ken Clarke said:

“We are looking for a maniac – a sadistic killer who could strike again. The type of man who could do this to another human being defies description. The mutilation was probably done in a bid to conceal identity.”

The pathologist concluded that the woman was dead before a lot of the injuries had been inflicted, including trying to sever her head from her body. A murder weapon has never been found; nor have Linda’s clothes. When last seen she was wearing a black jacket, black skirt and black ankle boots. The murder scene was not found and detectives believe she was killed somewhere else and the body dumped in the field.

Linda’s body had been washed down before it was abandoned, most likely in a bid to remove any forensic evidence of the murderer. Apart from leaving it behind a hedge, no effort had been made to conceal the remains. A maroon-coloured Ford Granada Mark Two was seen parked at the entrance to the field where the body was found at 5.45am – six hours before the discovery. It was at the same spot an hour later.

Crimewatch UK programme on the murder here.

Maria Christina Requena (Case 6) 

The dismembered body of twenty-six-year-old Manchester prostitute Maria Christina Requena was found in bags by two youngsters fishing on the shores of Pennington Flash off Slag Lane on the 6^th of January 1991. Her body had been cut up with power tools and placed in five bin bags before being thrown into the lake.

Mirror report with more information here.

Julie Finley (Case 12) 

Twenty-three-year-old Liverpool prostitute Julie Finley was abducted in Liverpool and found at midday on Saturday the 6^th of August 1994 naked in carrot field off the St Helens-bound carriageway of the Rainford bypass. She had been strangled. There was no sign of her clothing at the scene.

Julie was last seen at about 11.00pm on the previous night, Friday, 5 August 1994, in Pembroke Place, at the rear of the Liverpool Royal University Teaching Hospital, less than a mile from the Liverpool end of the Leeds and Liverpool Canal. She was witnessed talking to ‘an unknown white man, of average height and build, and aged in his 20s to 30s‘.

A few hours before Julie’s body was discovered, a witness told police he saw someone matching her description arguing with a man at about 12.30am on Saturday, 6 August, 1994 outside the Wheatsheaf Public House, situated only 50 yards from where her body was to be found the following day. The unknown man was attempting to force this young woman into a white Transit van. Police had appealed with regard to a white Transit van which was seen by a passer-by near to the entrance of the field where Julie was found. She was not murdered at the deposition site.

Twenty people have been arrested in connection with this crime over the years, but no-one has been charged.

Liverpool Echo report with more information here.

In response to an enquiry from the NYE, Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Colin Rennison, said:

“It is now 24 years since the tragic murder of Julie in August 1994, and we continue to appeal for any information which can help her family find some closure after all these years.

We are as determined as ever to find the person, or persons, responsible and are still offering a £20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible. If you have information which could help Julie’s family find justice I would urge you to come forward.

We are still keen to speak to a friend of Julie, called Tina, who contacted the investigation team shortly after the murder. Tina told officers that on the night of the murder Julie had said she was going to meet a taxi driver from Prescot. Tina promised to recall the officers she had spoken to, but never phoned back. I would appeal to Tina to search her conscience and recontact us, as she could have vital information which could help Julie’s family in their fight for justice to be done.” 

Anyone with information which could help the investigation team should contact Merseyside Police via its social media desk @MerPolCC, call 101, or @CrimestoppersUK, or anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

Why the authors believe Halliwell should be considered as a suspect in all three murders:

• The abduction of Linda Donaldson crossed force boundaries, with the abduction in the Merseyside Police force area and the deposition in the Greater Manchester Police force area, which is also consistent with Halliwell’s modus operandi. (See Table 2 Column 39).
• All three victims fitted Halliwell’s victim preferences and were prostitutes, enticed into a car.
• Halliwell lived in the Liverpool area, he may have travelled through Liverpool on narrow boat holidays on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, which is situated three miles from the abduction points for Linda Donaldson and Julie Finlay.
• Julie Finlay was witnessed talking to ‘an unknown white man, of average height and build, aged in his 20s to 30s’. Christopher Halliwell was thirty in 1994 and fits this general description.
• Shortly after the murder of Julie Finlay a woman calling herself Tina called police and told them that on the night of her murder, Julie said she was going to meet a taxi driver from Prescot. Halliwell is known to have worked as a taxi driver and Prescot is 6.5 miles from the deposition site at Rainford.
• The taxi-driver from Prescot may have been a regular client of Julie Finlay. Halliwell was a regular client of Becky Godden-Edwards before he murdered her, so this is again consistent with his use of prostitutes and his modus operandi. He also worked as a taxi-driver.
• Halliwell lived in the Liverpool area and travelled widely. It is probable that he knew Manchester. He may have holidayed on the Rochester Canal, which would take him into Manchester City Centre close to the abduction point for Maria Christina Requena.
• Halliwell used prostitutes, so may also have been familiar with all three abduction points from picking up prostitutes while living in Liverpool, visiting Manchester, or being in both cities on a narrowboat holiday.
• The deposition site for Maria Christina Requena’s body at Pennington Flash is within a third of a mile of Pennington Wharf Marina on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, Leigh Branch. The deposition site for Linda Donaldson at Winwick Lane, Lowton is 3.6 miles from Pennington Wharf Marina.
• Halliwell may have gone fishing at Pennington Flash while living in the Liverpool area or on a narrowboat holiday, while moored at Pennington Wharf Marina.
• Halliwell worked at various jobs including bin man. Pennington Flash where Maria Christina Requena’s body was found is about a mile from the Leigh Waste & Recycling Centre on Slag Lane. Linda Donaldson’s body was found about two miles away from it.
• Linda Donaldson’s body had been washed down to remove fibres that could provide forensic evidence. Halliwell burned clothes and discarded seat covers and floor mats from his car after abducting Sian O’Callaghan (Case 29), to destroy forensic evidence. This is entirely consistent with a forensically aware offender, such as Halliwell. (See Table 2, row 40).
• Maria Christina Requena’s body had been dismembered and wrapped in bin bags, which is consistent with the murder of Melanie Hall (Case 15). Again consistent with a forensically aware offender.
• The deposition site for Julie Finlay at Rainford By-Pass is 10.6 miles from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Waddicar, 11.7 miles from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal at Wigan and 13 miles from Liverpool City Centre. Halliwell lived in the Liverpool area, so he may have known the by-pass deposition site, which may have been selected in advance.
• All three deposition sites were in rural areas, which is entirely consistent with Halliwell’s modus operandi.
• Maria Christina Requena’s body had been put into water, which is consistent with the murders of Carol Clark (Case 8), Lindsay Jo Rimer (Case 13) and Caroline Glachan (Case 16).

The disappeared of the “Liverpool, Rainford, Leigh, Manchester Quadrilateral”:

• Georgina Moore
• Pauline Curry
• Helen Sage (Case 17)

 Chris’s research focussed on press reports concerning three suspicious disappearances which are consistent with Halliwell’s modus operandi and took place in the “Liverpool, Rainford, Leigh, Manchester Quadrilateral” that the “East Lancs Ripper” is alleged to have operated in.

This February 2007 Manchester Evening News report raises concerns that three devoted young mothers disappeared mysteriously from Manchester, Wigan and Leigh. The authors have investigated these three cases and our conclusions are as follows:

Georgina Moore and Pauline Currie

Georgina Moore was a divorced mother of two who disappeared from Wigan in 1998.

Pauline Curry was a hairdresser and single parent, who disappeared from Lowton, near Leigh in November 2006.

According to the MEN, both women were still listed as missing in February 2007.  However, in response to an enquiry from the NYE, the GMP Press Office has confirmed that both women were found alive and well.

Helen Sage (Case 17)

Helen Sage was a mother and a prostitute who was last seen in Manchester’s red light district in August 1997.

She was at one time suspected of being the Angel Meadow (Case 1) murder victim, but was eliminated.

GMP have not formally linked her disappearance with murdered prostitute Julie Jones, (Case 19), although it was recognised that there were similarities.

Helen is still classified as missing, although the authors both believe she has been murdered. We put this to GMP and received this response:

“Detective Sergeant Clare Carr, from GMP’s Cold Case Unit, said: “At the time of Helen’s disappearance a number of hypotheses were explored to establish what happened to her. 

As with cases of this nature, this is normal procedure to make sure that every outcome is considered to try and find that person. 

Helen’s disappearance is not currently being treated as murder as there has never been any physical evidence to suggest she was killed. 

Of course, if any new information came to light we would review this.”

Why the authors believe the disappearance of Helen Sage should be re-classified as a murder.

• There was no reason for Helen Sage to disappear.
• She has been missing for twenty-one years and no trace has ever been found of her and despite being a prostitute, she has never come to the attention of the police since her disappearance.
• According to the MEN Helen Sage was a devoted mother with a six-month-old child that she adored. It is highly unusual for mothers to abandon their children and normally an indicator of crime.
• Prostitutes have to get into a car with an unknown man. This left her vulnerable to abduction and then murder at a remote crime scene. It is therefore not possible to detect physical evidence of crime at the pick-up point, because no crime is comitted there. The crime occurs afterwards and consequently the crime scene in these cases is far away from the place the victim was last seen, secluded and undetectable by the police. The absence of any physical evidence does not rule out the possibility of murder.
• The absence of physical evidence does not prevent a disappearance being treated as murder. Sally Anne John (Case 14) disappeared on the 8^th of September 1995, but Wiltshire Police reclassified her disappearance as a murder, as did North Yorkshire Police in the Claudia Lawrence enquiry. There is no physical evidence of crime in either case.
• Helen Sage was a prostitute, which left her more likely to suffer violence than a woman following a different occupation. There must be a much greater presumption of crime in cases where prostitutes suddenly and inexplicably disappear when they are working. North Yorkshire Police (NYP) recently launched a campaign to protect them (very good NYP policy statement here) which explicitly recognises this. Under these circumstances the authors believe there should be a presumption of crime in prostitute disappearances.
• The Helen Sage case is the same as the disappearance of Becky Godden-Edwards, which was only resolved eight years later when Christopher Halliwell led Wiltshire Police to her grave. There was no physical evidence of crime in that case either. The absence of a body or any physical evidence should not be used as the sole elimination criteria to automatically prevent the re-classification of Helen Sage’s disappearance as murder.

Why the authors believe Halliwell should be considered as a suspect in the murder of Helen Sage

• The case is consistent with Halliwell’s modus operandi (See Table 2). The absence of a body or any physical evidence is also consistent with Halliwell’s modus operandi.
• Helen Sage was a prostitute, enticed into a car. The same as the disappearance of Becky Godden-Edwards, which was only resolved eight years later when Halliwell led Detective Superintendent Stephen Fulcher to her grave, following a very skilful interview by Fulcher.
• Halliwell lived in the Liverpool area and travelled widely. Manchester is about an hour’s drive both from Liverpool and Huddersfield (where his father lived).
• Halliwell may have holidayed on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, which connects to the Bridgewater Canal and then to the Rochdale Canal, which goes into Manchester City Centre and the abduction point for Helen Sage.
• Halliwell used prostitutes. He may have been familiar with Helen Sage’s abduction point from picking up prostitutes there while visiting, or on a narrowboat holiday.
• Halliwell attacked prostitute Becky Godden-Edwards and attacked Sian O’Callaghan mistakenly believing her to be a prostitute. He may have targeted prostitutes because they were often not missed or not reported as missing (as in the case of Becky Godden Edwards). If so, then this was a master stroke on Halliwell’s part. It meant that the police may not even be aware that anything is wrong and would not open up a murder enquiry because of a lack of physical evidence. Even if the police are notified, that someone was missing, there would always be doubt that the person had just decided to go missing (thousands of people do this every year). The authors believe this aspect of Halliwell’s modus operandi was a major factor in his ability to go on offending for so many years, without detection.

Some policy implications for investigating suspicious disappearances.

In the article Christopher Halliwell: How many victims, the authors expressed the concern that:

“There is no national guidance or policy from the College of Policing or the National Police Chief’s Council on how to assess the full range of a convicted serial offender’s crime.”

In particular there appears to be no guidance from the College of Policing, the Home Office, the National Crime Agency or the National Police Chief’s Council on when a missing person’s enquiry should be re-classified as a no body murder.

To some extent this suits individual police forces, which have enormous pride in having a high detection-rate for murders. Reclassifying ‘missing persons’ enquiries as murders will adversely affect individual forces major crime figures. So there is institutional resistance to reclassifying missing person’s enquiries to murders. The most infamous example of this occurred when senior officers from the Metropolitan Police would not allow two missing children that were discovered dead, to be re-classified from a missing person’s enquiry to a murder, because it would lower the clear up rates. (See “Babes in the Wood Video” at 18 minutes). This allowed serial killer Ronald Jebson to go on to brutally murder eight-year-old Rosemarie Papper.

The authors believe there is a very strong case for the issuance of clear national guidelines by the College of Policing on when missing person’s investigations should be reclassified as murders.

Christopher Halliwell

Summary

All of these cases are consistent with Halliwell’s modus operandi and took place in areas he was probably familiar with and/or had a reason to visit. He fits the description of the suspect seen talking to Linda Donaldson. He may have been the taxi-driver from Prescot that Julie Finlay had an assignation with. The deposition sites for Maria Christina Requena and Linda Donaldson are on the direct route from Prescot to Pennington Wharf Marina, which passes close to the Rainford by-pass deposition site for Julie Finlay.

Because Halliwell selected prostitutes as his victims, it must be a concern that there are other victims from the Liverpool and Manchester ‘Red Light’ Districts who are listed as missing, or – like Becky Godden-Edwards – have never been reported as missing and of whose disappearance the police unaware.

In response to a media enquiry from the NYE asking GMP to confirm if Halliwell had ever been considered as a suspect in any of these cases, the GMP Press Office stated:

“We never confirm or deny the names of suspects or where they are believed to have lived, in accordance with national policy.”

Appeal for information

Anyone with information on these crimes should contact Merseyside Police (Julie Finlay) details above, or the GMP Cold Case Review Unit (remainder) on 0161 856 5978, or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

If you think you can add to our analysis, please contact the NYE using our email address: news@nyenquirer.uk and typing the word ‘HALLIWELL’ in the Subject-Line. All information will be treated in the strictest confidence.

The NYE would like to thank the GMP and Merseyside Police Press Offices for their help in preparing this article.