Babes in the Wood murders
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It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. (February 2011) |
The Babes in the Wood murders is a name which has been used in the media to refer to several child murder cases in which the bodies of multiple victims were found concealed in woodland. Babes in the Wood, also known as Children of the Wood, is a traditional children's tale.
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[edit] Pine Grove Furnace
On November 24, 1934, three young girls were found dead, wrapped in a blanket, in the woods of South Mountain between Pine Grove Furnace, Pennsylvania, and Huntsdale, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The three girls were twelve-year old Norma Sedgwick, and her two half-sisters Cordelia and Dewilla Noakes. The girls were killed by Elmo Noakes (Norma's stepfather and Cordelia and Dewilla's father) and his niece and lover, Winifred Pierce. Noakes later killed Pierce and himself in a murder-suicide. It is believed that Elmo Noakes suffocated his children because he did not want to see them starve.[1]
[edit] Stanley Park
The remains of two unidentified victims (murdered in 1947) were discovered in Stanley Park, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada on Wednesday, January 14, 1953. The investigation was hampered when the medical examiner concluded that the victims were one male and one female. A DNA test conducted in 1998 proved that both victims were male. As of January 3, 2012, neither of the victims nor any potential suspects have been identified and this case remains unsolved.[2]
[edit] Epping Forest
The bodies of Susan Blatchford (eleven years old), and Gary Hanlon (twelve years old), were discovered in a copse on Lippitts Hill, Epping Forest, south-east England, after they went missing from their homes in Enfield, north London, in March 1970. Thirty years later, Ronald Jebson, already serving a life sentence for the 1974 murder of eight year old Rosemary Papper, confessed to the murders.[3]
[edit] Wild Park
The bodies of two nine year-old girls, Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway were found in Wild Park, Moulsecoomb, north of Brighton, England, in 1986. A local roofer, Russell Bishop, was tried for the rape and strangulation of the two girls, but was acquitted.[4] The case remains open.[5][6] Bishop was convicted in 1990 for the kidnapping and attempted murder of a seven year old girl.
[edit] Watton, Norfolk
Wayland Wood near Watton is the setting of the old English ballad The Babes in the Wood. First published in 1595, it tells the tale of two Norfolk children abandoned and left to die in the woods by their uncle. The legend is depicted on the town sign, which occupies a prominent position in High Street in front of the clock tower. Wayland Wood is a popular dog walking and relaxation spot.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ "New group adopting". Cumberlink.com. 2002-08-19. http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2004/03/10/news/news02.txt. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
- ^ Author (1953-01-14). "Unidentified Boys found Jan 14, 1953 in Vancouver, B.C. in Unidentified Boys 1950-1959 Forum". Icaremissingpersonscoldcases.yuku.com. http://www.icaremissingpersonscoldcases.yuku.com/topic/910. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
- ^ "UK | Violent past of Babes' killer". BBC News. 2000-05-09. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/741866.stm. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
- ^ "UK | England | Southern Counties | Babes in wood families 'find evidence'". BBC News. 2003-09-15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/3111244.stm. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
- ^ "UK | England | Southern Counties | March over 'Babes in Wood' deaths". BBC News. 2006-10-10. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/southern_counties/6036403.stm. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
- ^ "UK | England | Sussex | Police quiz Babes in Wood father". BBC News. 2009-04-07. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/7987429.stm. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
[edit] External links
- Babes in the Woods (Epping Forest case) from The Malefactor's Register
