Was Sheila Caffell set up by her brother Jeremy Bamber?

[chochokeira]

I don't think the relatives had anywhere as good a motive as Jeremy.  Jeremy was struggling to get a couple of grand together to buy a Porsche kit car so he obviously had ideas above his station.  Maybe he got tired waiting and maybe Ralph had other ideas about the estate. 

Sheila's two boys would come of age in time and Jeremy's slice was beginning to diminish every day that passed.

Unconvincing. Jeremy's wealthy eldery grandmother was at death's door and indeed died a few months after the murders. Jeremy was due to inherit from her. Even if he was the grasping murderer you appear to believe him to have been, why would JB take the huge risk of killing his entire immediate family for money when he was about to inherit a lot of money from his grandmother?

[Kaldin]

The wetsuit was Robert Boutflours fantasy.Think he may have been into rubber 

There was a wetsuit somewhere along the line - the police took it.

I remember that Robert Boutflour thought Jeremy had worn it and then took it to Eastbourne - presumably to wash away the evidence in the sea. 

[sandy]

I don't think the relatives had anywhere as good a motive as Jeremy.  Jeremy was struggling to get a couple of grand together to buy a Porsche kit car so he obviously had ideas above his station.  Maybe he got tired waiting and maybe Ralph had other ideas about the estate. 

Sheila's two boys would come of age in time and Jeremy's slice was beginning to diminish every day that passed.

Unconvincing. Jeremy's wealthy eldery grandmother was at death's door and indeed died a few months after the murders. Jeremy was due to inherit from her. Even if he was the grasping murderer you appear to believe him to have been, why would JB take the huge risk of killing his entire immediate family for money when he was about to inherit a lot of money from his grandmother?

He didn't inherit it after all did he?  Looks like gran changed her will.

[andrea]

the boutflours got granny to change her will.

[Kaldin]

I don't think the relatives had anywhere as good a motive as Jeremy.  Jeremy was struggling to get a couple of grand together to buy a Porsche kit car so he obviously had ideas above his station.  Maybe he got tired waiting and maybe Ralph had other ideas about the estate. 

Sheila's two boys would come of age in time and Jeremy's slice was beginning to diminish every day that passed.

Unconvincing. Jeremy's wealthy eldery grandmother was at death's door and indeed died a few months after the murders. Jeremy was due to inherit from her. Even if he was the grasping murderer you appear to believe him to have been, why would JB take the huge risk of killing his entire immediate family for money when he was about to inherit a lot of money from his grandmother?

He didn't inherit it after all did he?  Looks like gran changed her will.

She changed it before he was arrested.

[chochokeira]

Had it rained in the week before the incident? In August, the terrain around farm tracks and fields would be hard/ sandy mud, not soft, unless there had been substantial rain. Since workers were working late that evening on the harvest, recent rain would be unlikely.

It had rained and the terrain was very soft and muddy. That's one reason the family searched for tracks in the mud - tracks which they failed to find.

[Paul]

i read somewhere on this forum that it had rained quite alot considering it was august.

what about forensic evidence paul? what evidence is there apart from a fingerprint linking jb to the murders.

No idea about forensic evidence Andrea. I guess there is no forensic evidence linking anyone to anything is there?

[Paul]

Had it rained in the week before the incident? In August, the terrain around farm tracks and fields would be hard/ sandy mud, not soft, unless there had been substantial rain. Since workers were working late that evening on the harvest, recent rain would be unlikely.

It had rained and the terrain was very soft and muddy. That's one reason the family searched for tracks in the mud - tracks which they failed to find.

Fair enough. Although why they were working on the harvest in such conditions puzzles me. It's hard to combine if there is any moisture and the grain that is harvested would cost a fortune to dry - hence farmers wait until everything is as dry as possible before harvesting.

[andrea]

no idea!!  i do know that the police went to visit jeremy as he was about to shower, the officer took the opportunity to look around the cottage  for evidence as jb was showering, but found nothing.

[chochokeira]

I don't think the relatives had anywhere as good a motive as Jeremy.  Jeremy was struggling to get a couple of grand together to buy a Porsche kit car so he obviously had ideas above his station.  Maybe he got tired waiting and maybe Ralph had other ideas about the estate. 

Sheila's two boys would come of age in time and Jeremy's slice was beginning to diminish every day that passed.

Unconvincing. Jeremy's wealthy eldery grandmother was at death's door and indeed died a few months after the murders. Jeremy was due to inherit from her. Even if he was the grasping murderer you appear to believe him to have been, why would JB take the huge risk of killing his entire immediate family for money when he was about to inherit a lot of money from his grandmother?

He didn't inherit it after all did he?  Looks like gran changed her will.

She changed it before he was arrested.

While I don't doubt that you must be correct, Kaldin, because you're usually quite thorough, there's something that is inconsistent with that claim: I understand that JB did inherit from his grandmother but that he was forced to use that inheritance to fund his ongoing defence costs. That's why I asked, "why would JB put his inheritance at risk?"

[chochokeira]

Had it rained in the week before the incident? In August, the terrain around farm tracks and fields would be hard/ sandy mud, not soft, unless there had been substantial rain. Since workers were working late that evening on the harvest, recent rain would be unlikely.

It had rained and the terrain was very soft and muddy. That's one reason the family searched for tracks in the mud - tracks which they failed to find.

Fair enough. Although why they were working on the harvest in such conditions puzzles me. It's hard to combine if there is any moisture and the grain that is harvested would cost a fortune to dry - hence farmers wait until everything is as dry as possible before harvesting.

What were they harvesting at the time? Nevill had a field of opium poppies, might that crop, if it hadn't already been harvested, rot in very wet conditions?

[Kaldin]

I don't think the relatives had anywhere as good a motive as Jeremy.  Jeremy was struggling to get a couple of grand together to buy a Porsche kit car so he obviously had ideas above his station.  Maybe he got tired waiting and maybe Ralph had other ideas about the estate. 

Sheila's two boys would come of age in time and Jeremy's slice was beginning to diminish every day that passed.

Unconvincing. Jeremy's wealthy eldery grandmother was at death's door and indeed died a few months after the murders. Jeremy was due to inherit from her. Even if he was the grasping murderer you appear to believe him to have been, why would JB take the huge risk of killing his entire immediate family for money when he was about to inherit a lot of money from his grandmother?

He didn't inherit it after all did he?  Looks like gran changed her will.

She changed it before he was arrested.

While I don't doubt that you must be correct, Kaldin, because you're usually quite thorough, there's something that is inconsistent with that claim: I understand that JB did inherit from his grandmother but that he was forced to use that inheritance to fund his ongoing defence costs. That's why I asked, "why would JB put his inheritance at risk?"

His grandmother changed her will before he was arrested. There was a court case involving her estate but I've forgotten the details. He didn't win anyway.

[shonapugs]

Hallo, fellow crime-lovers (!). I've been away from this forum for a couple of days (suprise early foal) and I'm wondering, with all due respect, what is the point of this thread? Isn't it just re-hashed old stuff? Haven't we covered all this, many times? Have we finally ground to a halt? And Simong, if you're out there, can I have a word?

[Paul]

Had it rained in the week before the incident? In August, the terrain around farm tracks and fields would be hard/ sandy mud, not soft, unless there had been substantial rain. Since workers were working late that evening on the harvest, recent rain would be unlikely.

It had rained and the terrain was very soft and muddy. That's one reason the family searched for tracks in the mud - tracks which they failed to find.

Fair enough. Although why they were working on the harvest in such conditions puzzles me. It's hard to combine if there is any moisture and the grain that is harvested would cost a fortune to dry - hence farmers wait until everything is as dry as possible before harvesting.

What were they harvesting at the time? Nevill had a field of opium poppies, might that crop, if it hadn't already been harvested, rot in very wet conditions?

On Jeremy's website, he says that the farm was an arable farm. They would have been harvesting grain crops in August. They would have been working late to get the grain stored. Combining is very difficult in damp conditions - it's pretty pointless as you might as well wait for properly dry conditions.

I have no idea about any fields of poppies.

[chochokeira]

...Boutflour gained as well. In fact the way by  his own admittance wasted the money anyway. Boutflour had as much to gain as Jeremy. Why did he go to all the trouble to implicate Jeremy. He had a vested interest. Yes Jeremy was gobby, which led to his downfall. Dont him make a murderer though. To my mind the family are a dodgy bunch. Can,t remember them crying to much. The money saved them from the S***. Remember there were more than five who would have enjoyed Jeremy taking the wrap. I still think that Sheila did,nt do it.

I'm unconvinced by Boutflour's claim that he wasted the inheritance. If he had done so, the family would not now still be running a holiday home business and they would not still own a farm.