Found---handwritten suicide notes. Sheila's ?

[lookout]

What actor?

Don Hawkins-------he'd played the part of Stan and Hilda Ogden's son many years ago.

[mike tesko]

The notes came to light as part of the 'COLP' investigation, but not stumbled upon for two decades because they were concealed amongst the cache of documents in my possession. It was me who sent copies of the notes to JB...

[Jan]

The notes came to light as part of the 'COLP' investigation, but not stumbled upon for two decades because they were concealed amongst the cache of documents in my possession. It was me who sent copies of the notes to JB...

So unfortunately we don't have any reference to these notes by EP at all except that the illegible suicide note could refer to these notes or the piece of paper with numbers and please written on it.  So unfortunately no one can prove they were in the house on the night of the murders even if they are proved to be Sheila's writing?  Unless one of the officers admits he found the notes after the murders it makes things a bit difficult.

[mike tesko]

So unfortunately we don't have any reference to these notes by EP at all except that the illegible suicide note could refer to these notes or the piece of paper with numbers and please written on it.  So unfortunately no one can prove they were in the house on the night of the murders even if they are proved to be Sheila's writing?  Unless one of the officers admits he found the notes after the murders it makes things a bit difficult.

There exists ledgers of all documentary evidence obtained as part of the two investigations ('SC/886/85'), and 'SC/786/85') and most of the documents seized by Essex police. The hand written suicide notes including the coded note from the bedside cabinet, and the other handwritten notes from inside the two Bibles in the main bedroom, were part of a file / folder, numbered '75'...

[Caroline]

There exists ledgers of all documentary evidence obtained as part of the two investigations ('SC/886/85'), and 'SC/786/85') and most of the documents seized by Essex police. The hand written suicide notes including the coded note from the bedside cabinet, and the other handwritten notes from inside the two Bibles in the main bedroom, were part of a file / folder, numbered '75'...

I'm glad that you have comfirmed that it was the 'coded' note that was found on the bedside cabinet.

[mike tesko]

I'm glad that you have comfirmed that it was the 'coded' note that was found on the bedside cabinet.

The other hand written notes, were inside the pages of the black covered bible and the blue covered bible. The note which was seized from inside the pages of the blue bible, commenced with ' love one another', whilst the other hand written notes were found in the black covered bible. Originally one of these bibles had the exhibit reference DRH/33, whilst the other had the exhibit reference, DRH/44...

Eventually, both bibles were merged into the same exhibit reference, DRH/44, which enabled the prosecuting authorities to conceal the existence of the black covered bible which contained Sheila's suicide notes. These notes, which came from the missing black covered bible, were originally earmarked ltem No.75, but cops introduced hand swabs by that number (75), when they resubmitted the hand swabs which had originally been item No.17 (but they got rejected at the lab' on the 9th August 1985...

[mike tesko]

PS Adams notes from his COLP interview makes mention of the fact that during conversations he had at the scene with PC Collins and other firearm officers whilst all were present inside the bedroom before they left the scene to retire from duty, that it appeared that both June and Sheila had been bible reading before the inevitable happened. Well, they certainly weren't sharing the same bible - the blue bible belonged to June Bamber, and the black covered bible was being used by Sheila...

Once the nature of the investigation changed, the black bible and Sheila's suicide notes were considered to be surplus to requirements...

[Steve_uk]

PS Adams notes from his COLP interview makes mention of the fact that during conversations he had at the scene with PC Collins and other firearm officers whilst all were present inside the bedroom before they left the scene to retire from duty, that it appeared that both June and Sheila had been bible reading before the inevitable happened. Well, they certainly weren't sharing the same bible - the blue bible belonged to June Bamber, and the black covered bible was being used by Sheila...

Once the nature of the investigation changed, the black bible and Sheila's suicide notes were considered to be surplus to requirements...

I can't see June the traditionalist reading the New English Bible somehow. Maybe she had been reading it to the twins?

[Jan]

PS Adams notes from his COLP interview makes mention of the fact that during conversations he had at the scene with PC Collins and other firearm officers whilst all were present inside the bedroom before they left the scene to retire from duty, that it appeared that both June and Sheila had been bible reading before the inevitable happened. Well, they certainly weren't sharing the same bible - the blue bible belonged to June Bamber, and the black covered bible was being used by Sheila...

Once the nature of the investigation changed, the black bible and Sheila's suicide notes were considered to be surplus to requirements...

I understand you had examples of Sheila's handwriting , did you ever compare the two?

[mike tesko]

I can't see June the traditionalist reading the New English Bible somehow. Maybe she had been reading it to the twins?

What happened to the black covered Bible, and it's contents?

Both Bibles were found in the bedroom, the blue Bible was on the floor to the left of the bed (as viewed from the foot of the bed), the black Bible was originally supposed to have been on top of Sheila's body when her body was on the bed. Now, this is interesting since where was that black covered Bible normally kept? I seem to recollect that according to the house cleaner, that one of these two Bibles was considered to be June Bambers personal Bible, kept in the main bedroom, whilst the other black covered Bible was normally kept downstairs in the kitchen. We know that Sheila was downstairs in the kitchen by reference to the contemporaneously recorded  police message log contents (7.37 and 7.38am), plus her bloodstained undergarment was soaking in a bucket of cold water there in the kitchen. Seems to me that Sheila took the black covered Bible from downstairs in the kitchen where it was normally kept, and took it upstairs with her after she recovered and fled upstairs to the bedroom, and that these handwritten suicide notes were contained within the pages of 'that' Bible...

[mike tesko]

I understand you had examples of Sheila's handwriting , did you ever compare the two?

Yes, I do...

The contents of the handwritten suicide notes were not written by June Bamber, or Ralph Bamber that's a fact. Since, why would June or Ralph be contemplating the authorities and the police arriving at the farm and their photographs appearing in the Sun newspaper? Why would June Bamber be calling her mum, mother and mummy as though she was speaking about two different people?

[Caroline]

Yes, I do...

The contents of the handwritten suicide notes were not written by June Bamber, or Ralph Bamber that's a fact. Since, why would June or Ralph be contemplating the authorities and the police arriving at the farm and their photographs appearing in the Sun newspaper? Why would June Bamber be calling her mum, mother and mummy as though she was speaking about two different people?

Why would a suicide note  talk about someone they have just murdered as though they were alive and not mention others? There is once reference of 'go to our rest', however, that depends on something being made public.

You say they were found in the other bible? Yet Sheila had the blue bible by her side, why wouldn't she choose to die with her note next to her? I don't believe they are suicide notes at all.

[David1819]

Why would a suicide note  talk about someone they have just murdered as though they were alive and not mention others? There is once reference of 'go to our rest', however, that depends on something being made public.

You say they were found in the other bible? Yet Sheila had the blue bible by her side, why wouldn't she choose to die with her note next to her? I don't believe they are suicide notes at all.

She's referring to her biological mother

[lookout]

What happened to the black covered Bible, and it's contents?

Both Bibles were found in the bedroom, the blue Bible was on the floor to the left of the bed (as viewed from the foot of the bed), the black Bible was originally supposed to have been on top of Sheila's body when her body was on the bed. Now, this is interesting since where was that black covered Bible normally kept? I seem to recollect that according to the house cleaner, that one of these two Bibles was considered to be June Bambers personal Bible, kept in the main bedroom, whilst the other black covered Bible was normally kept downstairs in the kitchen. We know that Sheila was downstairs in the kitchen by reference to the contemporaneously recorded  police message log contents (7.37 and 7.38am), plus her bloodstained undergarment was soaking in a bucket of cold water there in the kitchen. Seems to me that Sheila took the black covered Bible from downstairs in the kitchen where it was normally kept, and took it upstairs with her after she recovered and fled upstairs to the bedroom, and that these handwritten suicide notes were contained within the pages of 'that' Bible...

I also have recollections of the black bound Bible. The same one possibly being an older one which contained illustrations and could possibly have been shown to the twins because of the pictures which explained various chapters within it.

[Caroline]

She's referring to her biological mother

The note is supposed to be addressed TO mummy (her biological mother) but REFERS to her 'mother' which is supposed to be June. It doesn't read like a suicide note at all and it wasn't found on the bedside cabinet as suggested by the CT. They aren't 'illegible' because even people here have been able to translate most of them. The only illegible note is the one with letters and numbers, I believe that EP were referring to this note which WAS found on the bedside cabinet. One is being passed off as the other to make them seem more legitimate.

According to Jan, even Jeremy has previously stated that he doesn't think they were found at the scene, nor were they written by Sheila.