What happened - On the night of March 24th 1935 in a peaceful English seaside house, the retired Canadian architect Francis Rattenbury (69) was reading a book about suicide and dozed off in his chair in the drawing room. He was found later that night beaten to death by a wooden mallet. His wife Alma (39) confessed to the crime and was arrested, but when Francis died in hospital four days later Alma's secret lover George Stoner (the 18 year old chauffeur) confessed that he in fact had killed Francis in a jealous rage. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. Alma immediately bought a knife and stabbed herself to death. Three of the wounds striking her heart. The public felt sorry for George and a petition was made to spare his life. More than 320,000 signatures were collected and George was sent to prison for life, and was released just 7 years later to fight in the war. He died in 2000 on the anniversary of Francis' death.
Who do you believe killed Francis Rattenbury?
Alma confessed to her maid that George had attacked Francis, and she confessed to the police 'twice' that she had attacked Francis. The coroner discovered the victim had been struck in the head 3 times, and only one of the blows proved fatal, and the other two had barely scratched the skin. Is it possible that the murderer had a delicate touch?
George went to get the doctor, but the doctor was already on his way to their house. George waited outside the doctor's house all night and slept in the car. He returned to the house quite casually the next morning, just in time to see Alma being taken away by the police. Would a guilty man return to the scene of the crime?
When Francis died 4 days later, George realized that Alma would hang and he confessed to the police that he had killed Francis. Did he feel guilty and did not want Alma to hang for something he did, or was he protecting Alma and willing to die for her?
George told the police he had taken a large dose of cocaine and was not responsible for his actions. Yet a doctor proved the dosage he took would have been lethal to him. Was George exaggerating the dosage, or was he inventing ways to escape the hangman's noose by denying responsibility?
When the police searched outside the house for the murder weapon, Alma tried to stop them. Irene the maid had to lock her inside the house and even held her down to restrain her from interrupting the policemen outside with their work. Did Alma know the location of the bloody mallet and was trying to stop the policemen from finding it?
George said he obtained the mallet from his mother's house earlier that day because he was going to build a sun tent in the garden and he needed to hammer in the pegs. Was this an excuse to retrieve the hammer for the crime, or simply a tool that was needed that day?
Alma had a high profile defence team. The best money could buy. George however had a poor defence team.
When the police first arrived at the scene they found Alma drinking heavily and listening to the gramophone. She became playful, tried to kiss them. She told them George had attacked her husband and offered them a £10 bribe. She then told the police she had attacked Francis. She said he was reading a book about suicide and while they were playing cards they argued and he dared her to kill him and she obliged by grabbing the mallet in the hallway and striking him.
Simple questions throughout the trial were never asked. e.g. If either of the accused was left or right handed because Alma said she was facing Francis when she killed him and that would mean she held the mallet in her right hand because the injuries to his head were on his left side, but George said he was standing behind Francis when he killed him and that would mean he held the mallet in his left hand in order to strike him on the left side of the head. These simple questions were never asked at the trial.
When George was found guilty and sentenced to death. Alma bought a knife and went to a peaceful riverbank. She stabbed herself 6 times and fell into the river. 3 of the wounds pierced her heart. George wept in his cell and wrote a new confession which stated that Alma had killed Francis and he was simply protecting her. Sadly the judge and solicitor did not accept his letter because the trial was over and they assumed the prisoners will naturally say anything to spare their life. The public felt sorry for George. He was later released and never spoke of the event to anyone in public again.
Who do you believe killed Francis? Was it Alma, George, or both of them?
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