Book Reviews - Murders/Suicide at WHF

[Steve_uk]

These were random,frenzied murders and weren't planned,as these type of murders aren't. They're literally carried out on a whim,,thus the sick state of the one whose life came to an end when it was discussed about the futures of the twins.
You don't have to be vengeful to carry out such a tragedy,,just unpredictable,as Sheila was in her state of mind with all her irrational thoughts.
Her doctor,Dr.Ferguson thought her capable of killing her children,,particularly after the turning point in the conversation at dinner that night.

No the thoughts were about the ability of her to project evil onto others as induced by the Devil's child remark of June:by the time of her second hospitalization these thoughts had vanished and she wrote to Ann Eaton how she missed her children. Jeremy must have caught wind of something which is why the twins were doomed. The shots were not random at all but carefully placed to incapacitate Nevill,and I just don't accept Scott Lomax's view that she could hardly miss,when she knew very little about wielding a gun,which is one of the reasons Jeremy preloaded it before he left that evening. The adoption conversation was instigated by Jeremy that Tuesday night to sow discord;Julie tells us this in her statement.

Sheila was tired all week from the party on the Saturday night,from which she was driven home early. In that final telephone call from Auntie Pam June said Sheila was off to bed,and that's exactly where she did go to be woken from slumber in the early hours by a malevolent Jeremy who had already shot dead her children just across the corridor.

[killingeve]

I find it unbelievable that EP and JB's defence did not make more of this reunion and at least obtain a witness statement from Sheila's birth mother given that the event took place only weeks before the murders.

Dr F was asked what effect the reunion might have had on Sheila and he said he didn't know but that the parting may have been painful. 

As part of the appeal in '02 EP obtained the letters sent by Sheila to her birth mother but as I understand it these have never been released to the defence and remain under pii.

It's all so unsatisfactory.  Yet again another person benefits by remaining  .  Sheila's birth mother is hardly likely to come forward voluntarily with anything that might incriminate Sheila as it suits her for JB to carry the can.  Likewise with Colin.

[maggie]

That's right,Maggie. Because of Junes' previous medical history,,I imagine that this episode upset her greatly and may have affected her in such a way as to have set her own brain off-kilter somewhat.
Maybe Jeremy would know if the conversation that evening included the " estranged " mother of Sheila,,,perhaps with mention of even going to Canada with the twins with a view to settling there and making a new life.
Whatever went on that night,,it had been heated until it got out of hand.

It's a possibility lookout but I doubt that Jeremy would know the answer.

[lookout]

No the thoughts were about the ability of her to project evil onto others as induced by the Devil's child remark of June:by the time of her second hospitalization these thoughts had vanished and she wrote to Ann Eaton how she missed her children. Jeremy must have caught wind of something which is why the twins were doomed. The shots were not random at all but carefully placed to incapacitate Nevill,and I just don't accept Scott Lomax's view that she could hardly miss,when she knew very little about wielding a gun,which is one of the reasons Jeremy preloaded it before he left that evening. The adoption conversation was instigated by Jeremy that Tuesday night to sow discord;Julie tells us this in her statement.

Sheila was tired all week from the party on the Saturday night,from which she was driven home early. In that final telephone call from Auntie Pam June said Sheila was off to bed,and that's exactly where she did go to be woken from slumber in the early hours by a malevolent Jeremy who had already shot dead her children just across the corridor.

Those shots to the family were at close quarters,,dithery or not,,nobody could miss. Sheila was more used to handling a rifle than you imagine,having been to shooting expeditions grouse shooting,so she was familiar with them given the amount of shot she fired,knowing full well that the type of rifle doesn't always shoot to kill with one blast. That's why everyone was peppered,to make sure that they were dead.
Anyone can say they're off to bed,but it doesn't mean to say that they're actually getting into it to sleep.
The bed hadn't been slept in at all,only the top cover was depressed as though someone had just lain on top of it enough to make an impression.

[killingeve]

That's right,Maggie. Because of Junes' previous medical history,,I imagine that this episode upset her greatly and may have affected her in such a way as to have set her own brain off-kilter somewhat.
Maybe Jeremy would know if the conversation that evening included the " estranged " mother of Sheila,,,perhaps with mention of even going to Canada with the twins with a view to settling there and making a new life.
Whatever went on that night,,it had been heated until it got out of hand.

I very much doubt a relocation to Canada was on the cards.  At the time of the murders Sheila's birth mother hadn't even told her other children about Sheila's existence   Which rather begs the question of whether she ever had any intention of doing so.  And her husband wasn't very supportive either.  Sheila had no transferable skills, qualifications, money etc so how would she have supported herself in Canada?  Plus her ongoing mental health issues.  Also how would Colin have felt about the twins relocating to Canada?  With an ocean between the pair and the birth mother reluctant to introduce Sheila to the wider family it's difficult to see this reunion as anything other than another bitter blow for Sheila 

[lookout]

I very much doubt a relocation to Canada was on the cards.  At the time of the murders Sheila's birth mother hadn't even told her other children about Sheila's existence   Which rather begs the question of whether she ever had any intention of doing so.  And her husband wasn't very supportive either.  Sheila had no transferable skills, qualifications, money etc so how would she have supported herself in Canada?  Plus her ongoing mental health issues.  Also how would Colin have felt about the twins relocating to Canada?  With an ocean between the pair and the birth mother reluctant to introduce Sheila to the wider family it's difficult to see this reunion as anything other than another bitter blow for Sheila 

It's what I would have thought what Sheila was thinking,NN,,just to get away. Her mind was already in turmoil as we know,,and we also know that going to Canada wasn't a practical solution either,nor an option.
It was just something that I surmised that possibly came up in the conversation,amongst other things. There'd have been a lot of hurtful things said against June,,and possibly Sheilas' own disappointment when Neville wouldn't " back her up ". The man that she leaned on had also let her down,,and that's when things came to a head.
If she herself couldn't have charge of her children,,nobody else was.

[maggie]

I very much doubt a relocation to Canada was on the cards.  At the time of the murders Sheila's birth mother hadn't even told her other children about Sheila's existence   Which rather begs the question of whether she ever had any intention of doing so.  And her husband wasn't very supportive either.  Sheila had no transferable skills, qualifications, money etc so how would she have supported herself in Canada?  Plus her ongoing mental health issues.  Also how would Colin have felt about the twins relocating to Canada?  With an ocean between the pair and the birth mother reluctant to introduce Sheila to the wider family it's difficult to see this reunion as anything other than another bitter blow for Sheila 

Yes, I should imagine because of Sheila's withdrawn and unhappy state, she may very well have believed she could move near to her natural mother in Canada and then everything would be ok.  In reality this was never going to be possible.  She may have built up in her head a happy ever after picture with her natural mother but unfortunately that was 20 odd years too late.  Poor Sheila, more abandonment but we don't know if this was ever mentioned or had any bearing on what happened that night.

[Jane]

I very much doubt a relocation to Canada was on the cards.  At the time of the murders Sheila's birth mother hadn't even told her other children about Sheila's existence   Which rather begs the question of whether she ever had any intention of doing so.  And her husband wasn't very supportive either.  Sheila had no transferable skills, qualifications, money etc so how would she have supported herself in Canada?  Plus her ongoing mental health issues.  Also how would Colin have felt about the twins relocating to Canada?  With an ocean between the pair and the birth mother reluctant to introduce Sheila to the wider family it's difficult to see this reunion as anything other than another bitter blow for Sheila 

It doesn't take a huge leap of imagination to experience a Sheila who felt totally rejected. Her biological mother had rejected her. He hadn't met the expectations of her adopted mother, thus feeling rejected by her. Her husband had found love elsewhere, rejecting her. Her biological mother had rejected her a second time by not offering her and the children a new life in Canada. The adopted father she relied upon for support seemed, on this occasion perhaps, to be withdrawing his support in favour of the adopted mother who had rejected her as the Devil's child, and there may have been the possibility that someone else would have the care of her children.

[lookout]

So many motives.

[maggie]

It doesn't take a huge leap of imagination to experience a Sheila who felt totally rejected. Her biological mother had rejected her. He hadn't met the expectations of her adopted mother, thus feeling rejected by her. Her husband had found love elsewhere, rejecting her. Her biological mother had rejected her a second time by not offering her and the children a new life in Canada. The adopted father she relied upon for support seemed, on this occasion perhaps, to be withdrawing his support in favour of the adopted mother who had rejected her as the Devil's child, and there may have been the possibility that someone else would have the care of her children.

A history of rejection and abandonment, April real or imagined.  It is very possible her natural mother didn't reject her as a baby but had no option but to put her up for adoption.  In 1957 it wasn't just the disgrace of what was seen as an illegitimate or bastard child but also without family support it was nigh on impossible for a single mother to manage.  With no support from the state or childcare, what was she supposed to do?.  However, as mentioned before to Sheila there would have been no excuse, not really, she would have seen herself as not wanted by her mother. 
Of course the mother no doubt mourned for her baby daughter but the grown up girl was a stranger...sadly, that's often the reaction of the mother.

[Jane]

A history of rejection and abandonment, April real or imagined.  It is very possible her natural mother didn't reject her as a baby but had no option but to put her up for adoption.  In 1957 it wasn't just the disgrace of what was seen as an illegitimate or bastard child but also without family support it was nigh on impossible for a single mother to manage.  With no support from the state or childcare, what was she supposed to do?.  However, as mentioned before to Sheila there would have been no excuse, not really, she would have seen herself as not wanted by her mother. 
Of course the mother no doubt mourned for her baby daughter but the grown up girl was a stranger...sadly, that's often the reaction of the mother.

Maggie, I wasn't trying to imply that Christine gave her baby up willingly, only the impression formed by Sheila. I would also suggest that the feeling that she had been rejected by Christine could have been further compounded when June accused her of being the Devil's child. It could have given her the reason for the rejection. It may even have told her she was unworthy of being loved by anyone.

[Steve_uk]

Those shots to the family were at close quarters,,dithery or not,,nobody could miss. Sheila was more used to handling a rifle than you imagine,having been to shooting expeditions grouse shooting,so she was familiar with them given the amount of shot she fired,knowing full well that the type of rifle doesn't always shoot to kill with one blast. That's why everyone was peppered,to make sure that they were dead.
Anyone can say they're off to bed,but it doesn't mean to say that they're actually getting into it to sleep.
The bed hadn't been slept in at all,only the top cover was depressed as though someone had just lain on top of it enough to make an impression.

Of course,because it was a warm Essex Summer's night. Schizophrenics in a state of psychosis don't get all 25 bullets to hit target,and according to Mike June was attacked first which makes sense if the panic button is located in the bedside cabinet. Nevill by necessity couldn't be pelleted with bullets in the bedroom because it was necessary through Jeremy's wicked plan to have made a call in the kitchen.

No mentally ill person could have seriously thought this out if by any chance the Haloperidol medication had worn off,which in any case it hadn't.

[maggie]

Maggie, I wasn't trying to imply that Christine gave her baby up willingly, only the impression formed by Sheila. I would also suggest that the feeling that she had been rejected by Christine could have been further compounded when June accused her of being the Devil's child. It could have given her the reason for the rejection. It may even have told her she was unworthy of being loved by anyone.

No april, I'm agreeing with you just emphasising the situation that a single woman at that time faced    I agree to Sheila it would be rejection which would be compounded by every negative event.

[maggie]

Of course,because it was a warm Essex Summer's night. Schizophrenics in a state of psychosis don't get all 25 bullets to hit target,and according to Mike June was attacked first which makes sense if the panic button is located in the bedside cabinet. Nevill by necessity couldn't be pelleted with bullets in the bedroom because it was necessary through Jeremy's wicked plan to have made a call in the kitchen.

No mentally ill person could have seriously thought this out if by any chance the Haloperidol medication had worn off,which in any case it hadn't.

But steve, if it was Sheila, what would she have to work out.  Sheila didn't know anything about a plan to get her Dad in the kitchen and Mike reckons June was shot first which if it were true may just be coincidental if the panic buttonwas in the cabinet.  Don't really find your argument convincing.

[Steve_uk]

It doesn't take a huge leap of imagination to experience a Sheila who felt totally rejected. Her biological mother had rejected her. He hadn't met the expectations of her adopted mother, thus feeling rejected by her. Her husband had found love elsewhere, rejecting her. Her biological mother had rejected her a second time by not offering her and the children a new life in Canada. The adopted father she relied upon for support seemed, on this occasion perhaps, to be withdrawing his support in favour of the adopted mother who had rejected her as the Devil's child, and there may have been the possibility that someone else would have the care of her children.

Her biological mother had exceeded all expectations when they met at Heathrow Airport and they were going to stay in touch. Dr. Hugh Ferguson wrote that Sheila would not have committed suicide as she had too much to live for. June was trying her hardest that last year to make amends for previous disagreements,which were exaggerated anyway as reported by Ann Eaton in her statement. Nevill was there on the other end of a telephone line,along with his and his wife's money to come to Sheila in due course.

Jeremy had worked all this out with his remark to Doris Foakes that he "wasn't sharing any of my money with Sheila". I suggest that you all look a little further in that direction and you will find the pieces do begin to slot in together.