Letter To The Camden New Journal
Re Evans & Christie

                                                93c Venner Road,
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                                                London SE26 5HU.
                                                   020 8659 7713
                               E-Mail A_Baron@ABaron.Demon.Co.UK



July 18, 2003

Dear Sir,

Your review of Ludovic Kennedy's book Thirty-Six Murders (July 10) 
contains two errors. It reproduces a photograph of Timothy Evans and 
reports "The terror on the face of Timothy Evans being taken to trial" and 
that Christie was convicted of the murder of one of Evans' victims.

This very well known photograph was actually taken shortly after Evans' 
arrest. He was escorted to London on a train by two police officers after 
walking into a police station and confessing to "disposing" of his wife.

Christie was not convicted of the murder of Mrs Evans, he was not even 
tried for her murder. The only murder Christie was tried for was that of his 
own wife. He did, it is true, confess to the murder of Beryl Evans, but the 
Scott Henderson inquiry concluded that this confession was false. Christie 
had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and his legal team thought 
seven murders sounded slightly madder than six.

Evans was given a posthumous pardon in 1966 because the Brabin inquiry 
concluded that Evans had probably not killed his daughter - for whose 
murder he was tried - but it concluded that he probably had murdered his 
wife.  Many good judges, including the pathologist Keith Simpson, believe 
Evans committed both murders. The author John Eddowes believes he 
attempted to frame Christie. Any honest person who has studied the 
voluminous documentation on the case (which is held at the Public Record 
Office) can only conclude that Evans was far from innocent. After telling 
the police a pack of lies he confessed freely and spontaneously to both 
murders without the slightest pressure being put on him, and after 
confessing said he felt better for it. It was only when he realised he had put 
his head in a noose that he changed his tune.

The Evans case is a perennial favourite of both Mr Kennedy and the anti-
hanging lobby in general, and they have never allowed the plain facts of the 
case to stand in the way of a good story.

Yours Sincerely,
A Baron