outlandish Theory's

[mike tesko]

Not to mention that June Bamber had moved across that same window as she came around the bed from one side to the other. The rifle was not spotted leaning against that bedroom window until after the arrival of WPC Jeapes at the scene from 7am, onward. One thing is certain, if the anshuzt rifle was the rifle she saw at the main bedroom window from her vantage point in the vicinity of White / Red corner, then Sheila's body could not possibly have already been laying on the bedroom floor with 'that' rifle on her body before the raid team even set foot into the farmhouse. The position of the anshuzt rifle at that stage, leaving it open for Sheila to have been the dead female downstairs, as mentioned in the police message logs, 7.37am, 7.38am, 7.42am and 7.45am...

[mike tesko]

Police had to tamper with one of the badly fragmented bullets (PV/20) by replacing it with another bullet test fired via the anshuzt rifle, so that the police could present the case as a one gun crime...

[Jane]

Jeremy did not tell the police that he thought anybody had been shot, or as the case may be, that anyone had died inside the farmhouse,. Which makes it all the more remarkable, that police took the anshuzt rifle from its resting place against the bedroom window, placed it on Sheila's body once her body was put on the bedroom floor, and staged her death scene, to promote the idea that she had taken her own life. Once police had got props and the body in place, they took photographs. These photographs were never intended to be used in the prosecution of any civilian, but I strongly suspect they were taken just in case any police officer were to be criminally prosecuted over Sheila Caffells death. With her body insitu, and the rifle from the bedroom window fully in her possession, they took a large number of photographs to give the police maximum choice should the need ever arise in the future in defence of any firearm officer, and scenes of crime officer, who might stand accused of killing her. None of the 581 photographs taken in connection with this atrocity were relied upon in the Coroners court process. Only around 223 photographs from this collection of 581 were originally made available to Bambers legal team, with 50 of the latter being made into what became known as 'THE COURT ALBUM', for use in the criminal court system. Of these 50 hand picked prosecution photographs, the following ones all showed various views of Sheila Caffells body, in possession of the anshuzt rifle from its earlier position against the bedroom window, as staged by 'Scenes of Crime officers', after 10.13am, that morning. At around this time, the anshuzt rifle was photographed (23) resting against the bedroom window, in photographs which were taken by PC Bird afterwards (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33) the same anshuzt rifle was on her body, positioned in such a deliberate way as to leave no doubt in the mind of anyone who looked at this collection of 8 consecutively taken photographs, that Sheila Caffell had taken her own life. Why was it necessary for Scenes of Crime to stage Sheila Caffells death scene in this manner? The truth can be found in the police message logs and photographic records, and the false photographic schedules that PC Bird was ordered to compile, and the fact that in the beginning a total of 581 photographs had been taken, but 358 of these had to be withheld from Bamber and his legal team because to supply these would establish that police had shot and killed Sheila Caffell. Scenes of Crime staged Sheila Caffells death scene, intending deliberately to make it appear that she had killed herself, in keeping with messages passed from inside the farmhouse after firearm officers broke in - (7.37am) "The body of one dead male, and one dead female, found upon entry", (7.38am) "One dead male, one dead female", (7.42am) "can someone contact the police surgeon, and Coroners officer, regarding two bodies", (7.45am) can you come into the office, police are dealing with an incident at whf, involving a murder, and a suicide", (8.10am) "after a thorough search, a further three bodies found upstairs, five dead in total".......................................

Mike, if someone told you to wear a waterproof coat and take an umbrella, I guess, without them ever having used the word "RAIN", you'd understand that it was raining. It was implicit.....................AS it was with Jeremy standing outside with the police, regaling them with his father's ALLEGED call, telling them about -embellishing-  the state of Sheila's mental health, and talking about her proficiency with firearms. The implication of what he was saying would have been more than enough, if they'd ever had open minds, to persuade them of what had occurred, the rest being history...................to suggest otherwise, is putting to use one of the "attributes" your trial judge awarded you, that of resourcefulness. You HAVEN'T lied. Jeremy DIDN'T say that anyone had been shot............................but he certainly didn't say they hadn't.

[mike tesko]

Mike, if someone told you to wear a waterproof coat and take an umbrella, I guess, without them ever having used the word "RAIN", you'd understand that it was raining. It was implicit.....................AS it was with Jeremy standing outside with the police, regaling them with his father's ALLEGED call, telling them about -embellishing-  the state of Sheila's mental health, and talking about her proficiency with firearms. The implication of what he was saying would have been more than enough, if they'd ever had open minds, to persuade them of what had occurred, the rest being history...................to suggest otherwise, is putting to use one of the "attributes" your trial judge awarded you, that of resourcefulness. You HAVEN'T lied. Jeremy DIDN'T say that anyone had been shot............................but he certainly didn't say they hadn't.

Yes, but what is a person to do if they receive such a phone call in the middle of the night, and Police start asking them questions? Seems to me that Jeremy didn't provide the police with any information they weren't keen to find out about. He did not tell the police anything that has since been proven to have been a lie. Jeremy certainly never suggested to the police that Sheila had killed herself by use of the anshuzt rifle that was photographed leaning against the bedroom window (23) before it was photographed on her body (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33)...

[Jane]

Yes, but what is a person to do if they receive such a phone call in the middle of the night, and Police start asking them questions? Seems to me that Jeremy didn't provide the police with any information they weren't keen to find out about. He did not tell the police anything that has since been proven to have been a lie. Jeremy certainly never suggested to the police that Sheila had killed herself by use of the anshuzt rifle that was photographed leaning against the bedroom window (23) before it was photographed on her body (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33)...

Mike!!!!! WHAT a novel idea. You seem to be suggesting that, before we answer questions put to us by the police, we give consideration to, what we imagine to be, the answers they want to hear. Other than Sheila's proficiency with firearms -embellishment or error- he told them enough of the truth, something he, himself, believed to be important, for them to form the opinion his use of words suggested.

[mike tesko]

Mike!!!!! WHAT a novel idea. You seem to be suggesting that, before we answer questions put to us by the police, we give consideration to, what we imagine to be, the answers they want to hear. Other than Sheila's proficiency with firearms -embellishment or error- he told them enough of the truth, something he, himself, believed to be important, for them to form the opinion his use of words suggested.

As I say, I don't think he told them anything unusual that anybody else might have told the police in similar circumstances. In so far as he told them that Sheila knew how to handle and shoot the guns at the farm, I believe that Sheila did know how to handle, load, and fire them. It is irrelevant who taught her how to, but I believe June Bamber herself once touched upon this subject whilst speaking with her sister Pamela - she told her that Jeremy had been giving Sheila shooting lessons or something like that. Anyway, Ralph Bamber must have been satisfied that Sheila knew how to handle the weapons and ammunitions kept at the farm, and how to use them safely, otherwise he would never have kept so many of them around the farmhouse. If I am wrong, then what was Ralph Bamber doing keeping all these guns and loads of ammunition laying around inside the farmhouse, with a daugher who was mentally unwell, and two young grand children coming to stay? He must have felt confident that Sheila knew about the guns and the ammunition being kept in the farmhouse environment,  in the knowledge that Sheila knew about the need for safety where this was concerned.

[mike tesko]

Nevertheless, it just seems inappropriate to me, for Ralph Bamber to have all these guns and ammunitions laying around the farmhouse with his daughter suffering with schizophrenia, having thoughts of killing her two children, previously....

[mike tesko]

Another thing which has always interested me, is the conversation Ralph Bamber had with the house cleaner, about him having to keep his eye on those two, with the shooting season coming up?  Cleaner has gone on record as saying that although Ralph did not mention any names, that she somehow knew that Ralph was referring to Jeremy. Well, I disagree with that, I think it more likely to have been two of the relatives who owed Ralph huge sums of money in land and property development deals. What does seem obvious to me is that shortly before his death Ralph had a premonition that something bad was going to happen, or that something bad had already happened, which upset him. The house cleaner had spoken to Ralph on the phone on the evening before his death, and noted that he was a bit off it, as though he had been upset by something or other. Had he got upset about the way the debate involving Sheila and his wife had ended? They were apparently having a discussion concerning the need for Sheila to get some help with looking after her two sons. Jeremy says that when he had returned to the farmhouse at supper time, his parents were talking to Sheila about fostering the children, or getting Sheila some help with looking after them, but that Sheila was not participating in the conversation, just staying quiet. Later that same evening, when June and her sister Pamela were talking on the phone, and June gave the handset to Sheila, aunty Pamela noted how quiet Sheila was, and that when the phone was handed back to June, how Sheila had not said her customary, " good night aunty Pam". June told her sister that Sheila had gone upstairs to bed, adding that she wanted Pamela to have a look at Sheila on the following day, because June said Sheila was acting very strangely. Arrangements were made for June try o visit her sister on the following day with Sheila and the boys. What if Sheila had not gone to bed, and had overheard June talking about her to her sister? If she had did that incident 'light the touch paper' to the tragic events that followed? Whatever the case, there was clearly an unsettling atmosphere in the household on that last evening together. So much so that June Bamber did not go to her weekly Tuesday evening bible class...

[Jane]

As I say, I don't think he told them anything unusual that anybody else might have told the police in similar circumstances. In so far as he told them that Sheila knew how to handle and shoot the guns at the farm, I believe that Sheila did know how to handle, load, and fire them. It is irrelevant who taught her how to, but I believe June Bamber herself once touched upon this subject whilst speaking with her sister Pamela - she told her that Jeremy had been giving Sheila shooting lessons or something like that. Anyway, Ralph Bamber must have been satisfied that Sheila knew how to handle the weapons and ammunitions kept at the farm, and how to use them safely, otherwise he would never have kept so many of them around the farmhouse. If I am wrong, then what was Ralph Bamber doing keeping all these guns and loads of ammunition laying around inside the farmhouse, with a daugher who was mentally unwell, and two young grand children coming to stay? He must have felt confident that Sheila knew about the guns and the ammunition being kept in the farmhouse environment,  in the knowledge that Sheila knew about the need for safety where this was concerned.

What a very strange way of thinking, Mike!!!!  Firstly, everyone who has spoken about it seems to think that Nevill was meticulous about putting guns away. Why are you so certain that he was "satisfied that Sheila knew how to handle the weapons and ammunitions kept at the farm................."? I would say the exact opposite was true. That Sheila had NO interest in firearms and wouldn't have considered touching them. Using them wouldn't have entered her head and reloading would have been way beyond her capabilities. The chances are -as she had no interest in them- she didn't even know where the guns were kept. All of which would have made it perfectly safe, on the rare occasions when she visited the farm, SHOULD Nevill ever have been remiss enough to leave a gun out.

There was a claim made that Jeremy -at a family christening- had tried to show Sheila how to load a gun but she was quite disinterested. Sheila was not the biological daughter of farming stock and had never shown herself as being the hunt'n, shoot'n, and fish'n type. I don't believe she'd have had the faintest idea -or desire- to handle, load and fire a gun.

[Jane]

Another thing which has always interested me, is the conversation Ralph Bamber had with the house cleaner, about him having to keep his eye on those two, with the shooting season coming up?  Cleaner has gone on record as saying that although Ralph did not mention any names, that she somehow knew that Ralph was referring to Jeremy. Well, I disagree with that, I think it more likely to have been two of the relatives who owed Ralph huge sums of money in land and property development deals. What does seem obvious to me is that shortly before his death Ralph had a premonition that something bad was going to happen, or that something bad had already happened, which upset him. The house cleaner had spoken to Ralph on the phone on the evening before his death, and noted that he was a bit off it, as though he had been upset by something or other. Had he got upset about the way the debate involving Sheila and his wife had ended? They were apparently having a discussion concerning the need for Sheila to get some help with looking after her two sons. Jeremy says that when he had returned to the farmhouse at supper time, his parents were talking to Sheila about fostering the children, or getting Sheila some help with looking after them, but that Sheila was not participating in the conversation, just staying quiet. Later that same evening, when June and her sister Pamela were talking on the phone, and June gave the handset to Sheila, aunty Pamela noted how quiet Sheila was, and that when the phone was handed back to June, how Sheila had not said her customary, " good night aunty Pam". June told her sister that Sheila had gone upstairs to bed, adding that she wanted Pamela to have a look at Sheila on the following day, because June said Sheila was acting very strangely. Arrangements were made for June try o visit her sister on the following day with Sheila and the boys. What if Sheila had not gone to bed, and had overheard June talking about her to her sister? If she had did that incident 'light the touch paper' to the tragic events that followed? Whatever the case, there was clearly an unsettling atmosphere in the household on that last evening together. So much so that June Bamber did not go to her weekly Tuesday evening bible class...

I believe you're referring to the farm secretary, not the house keeper. It could have been that Nevill was hacked off because he had to go and bring the last trailer back. I believe June told Pam that she was worried about Sheila who had arrived at the farm silent, since when she'd shown no interest in anything meaning June was having to cope with, not only her regular chores, but those added by Sheila and the boys. Hardly surprising if she ran out of time and decided not to attend the church meeting.

[Steve_uk]

Julie tells us that it was Jeremy who initiated the conversation on adoption round the table,to pick on a weak spot and hope for a row that evening. What he couldn't have known were the exact care arrangements for the twins which pertained in London,where Colin took the lion's share of the responsibility for tending to his sons' needs. It's true that Sheila was at times distressed at the current state of arrangements,as she confided feelingly to Colin's mother, but Colin was the main caregiver and he would never have acceded to June's request. Did Nevill really understand his daughter's illness and did he chide her for her lackadaisical attitude towards her children since her arrival at the White House?

I think by the time of Aunt Pamela's telephone call she was just worn out and incapable of any further activity,which is why she didn't say goodnight,but wearily treaded the stairs to bed.

[Jane]

Julie tells us that it was Jeremy who initiated the conversation on adoption round the table,to pick on a weak spot and hope for a row that evening. What he couldn't have known were the exact care arrangements for the twins which pertained in London,where Colin took the lion's share of the responsibility for tending to his sons' needs. It's true that Sheila was at times distressed at the current state of arrangements,as she confided feelingly to Colin's mother, but Colin was the main caregiver and he would never have acceded to June's request. Did Nevill really understand his daughter's illness and did he chide her for her lackadaisical attitude towards her children since her arrival at the White House?

I think by the time of Aunt Pamela's telephone call she was just worn out and incapable of any further activity,which is why she didn't say goodnight,but wearily treaded the stairs to bed.

Steve, we're not certain what form any conversation took, but of one thing I'm confident. If there had only been a conversation about help with the children, I have no doubt that Sheila would have jumped at it. Girls from backgrounds similar to Sheila's never bring their children up without outside help, in the same way their mothers had outside help in bring them up. I'm not talking Norland nannies but local girls who loved looking after and playing with babies. I'm surprised the Bambers hadn't hired someone for the visit but perhaps they thought Sheila could cope for the few days she'd be there. I think she probably was worn out when she went up to bed. I think she was depressed and depression saps energy.

[mike tesko]

There's no evidence that Sheila actually went upstairs to bed. It does not appear that she woke up, or was awoken up in the middle of the night, either to carry out the shootings, or to be shot...

[John]

I think by the time of Aunt Pamela's telephone call she was just worn out and incapable of any further activity,which is why she didn't say goodnight,but wearily treaded the stairs to bed.

Maybe her night cap had been doctored to make sure she went to sleep.  After all, Julie Mugford did give a statement to police asserting that Jeremy had persuaded her to acquire sleeping tablets for that very purpose.

[John]

There's no evidence that Sheila actually went upstairs to bed. It does not appear that she woke up, or was awoken up in the middle of the night, either to carry out the shootings, or to be shot...

Well she certainly went upstairs to be murdered, sleep or no sleep!