Why only Neville's back was burnt:

[Jane]

Ohhh,a lot of gossip round there I'm sure. Some folk thrive on it.

Well, when trying to prove someone is innocent, I guess destroying the reputations on all those connected to that person requires gossip.

[lookout]

Well, when trying to prove someone is innocent, I guess destroying the reputations on all those connected to that person requires gossip.

I'm afraid it was just that which got JB convicted----gossip/hearsay.

[David1819]

The burn marks are very important.

Bamber agrees they are from the rifle minus the silencer. Which means he could have put the silencer away after using it to commit the massacre. Then decided to burn Neville's back with the rifle minus the silencer.

So is another very strong reason why the silencer was in the box at the back of the gun cupboard. With blood and paint in.

Neville was shot multiple times in the head. Testing to see if he is alive makes no sense

And most importantly if the marks are caused with the rifle muzzle without a silencer, why does it take a forensics expert after 25 years to point it out to him? Surely he would have hinted to his defence counsel at trial to have a closer look? Or at least his first appeal

[Steve_uk]

Neville was shot multiple times in the head. Testing to see if he is alive makes no sense

And most importantly if the marks are caused with the rifle muzzle without a silencer, why does it take a forensics expert after 25 years to point it out to him? Surely he would have hinted to his defence counsel at trial to have a closer look? Or at least his first appeal

It does to this authoritative figure, who had influenced him all his life, and whether Jeremy knew in his heart he couldn't quite bring himself to believe his achievement, so prodded him with some implement to check he was finally gone.

[Jane]

I'm afraid it was just that which got JB convicted----gossip/hearsay.

In your opinion.

[lookout]

In your opinion.

Indeed.

[David1819]

It does to this authoritative figure, who had influenced him all his life, and whether Jeremy knew in his heart he couldn't quite bring himself to believe his achievement, so prodded him with some implement to check he was finally gone.

That is pure speculation in the absence of evidence.

[sherlock]

Neville was shot multiple times in the head. Testing to see if he is alive makes no sense

And most importantly if the marks are caused with the rifle muzzle without a silencer, why does it take a forensics expert after 25 years to point it out to him? Surely he would have hinted to his defence counsel at trial to have a closer look? Or at least his first appeal

I agree 100%. It makes no sense.

On the balance of probability it is more likely than not that he was tortured.

It would be horrific - just try to imagine being burnt like that 3 times.

If someone was burnt like that they would most likely do what they were told.

It fits with the call being abruptly terminated after he had said the "necessary words".

It fits with Jeremy's account of the phone call.

It fits with someone wanting ALL the family dead.

The three burn marks are very strange indeed.

At the moment there is NO other possible explanation for them.

Therefore we simply cannot rule the POSSIBILITY of torture out.

[Steve_uk]

Assuming Nevill was under duress of some sort why would he telephone Jeremy?

[sherlock]

Assuming Nevill was under duress of some sort why would he telephone Jeremy?

The theory is that he was burnt 3 times to force him to phone Jeremy.

This was to lure Jeremy to the farm.

It almost worked - except Jeremy phoned the Police.

Presumably the torturer wanted all the family dead including Jeremy.

Whoever this person was knew there was  2 possibilities.

1) Jeremy would turn up alone and would therefore be killed

2) Jeremy would turn up with the Police and the killer would leave the farm under the cover of darkness.

possibility 2) fits with WPC Jeaves seeing a rifle in the window

possibility 2) fits with the possible sighting of movement in the window

possibility 2) fits with the Police reporting a hunched up man seen leaving shortly after their arrival

If this theory is true then it is highly likely that this person

a) threatened Julie to make her confession

b) was somehow involved in the planting of the silencer

As a theory it fits a lot of known evidence ...

ANYBODY that somehow benefited from Neville and June's estate would have to be on the suspect list if this theory is true.

If it is true then the inheritance would presumably be the motive.

Some of the people who benefited from the inheritance knew the farmhouse and the family well.

Some of these people were very familiar with guns and regularly shooting animals etc.

They may have done it personally or employed a person or persons to do it for them.

[Steve_uk]

This person or persons unknown could have killed Jeremy with the others the previous evening so why go to the palaver of the telephone call, which to my mind smacks far more of establishing Jeremy's alibi than any other scenario one could conjecture.

[sherlock]

This person or persons unknown could have killed Jeremy with the others the previous evening so why go to the palaver of the telephone call, which to my mind smacks far more of establishing Jeremy's alibi than any other scenario one could conjecture.

In the evening everybody would have been awake - including 4 adults.

Very difficult to kill them all without major problems.

It would be much easier when most if not all of them were asleep.

I am not saying this is what happened.

BUT it would explain a few of the unexplained features of this case.

There is NOTHING to rule this theory out.

Therefore it should be considered as a POSSIBILTY.

The only thing we know for sure about this case is there was a very murderous person on the loose that night.

Who that person (or people) was we simply cannot be SURE.

[Steve_uk]

Are you SURE you're not making all this up as you go along..

[sherlock]

Are you SURE you're not making all this up as you go along..

Absolutely SURE.

What holes do you see in the theory then Steve ?

I would love someone to logically state why this theory is not realistically possible.

So far NO ONE can ...

[Steve_uk]

Absolutely SURE.

What holes do you see in the theory then Steve ?

I would love someone to logically state why this theory is not realistically possible.

So far NO ONE can ...

I'm no weapons expert as members already know, but I doubt I would have chosen the Anschutz rifle to kill five people, which proved to be messy. The story about the rabbits is controversial to say the least, and the sights removed suggested pre-planning and not a young woman in psychosis, whose fingerprints would have remained on the rifle as proof she was the shooter.