Murder of Anne Noblett

 

On December 30, 1957, 17-year-old Anne Noblett went to dancing classes and rock and roll lessons at the Lourdes Hall in Harpenden, England.  It was just after 6 p.m. when she left to go home alone. She had gotten off of the bus at Cherry Tree Corner, Marshalls Heath, near Wheathampstead, and began her walk home. Another local girl passed by her as she was walking on the lane and this was the last time anyone saw her. She never made it to her home which was only a quarter of a mile away. 

No one had known what had happened to the teenager for a month. During that time there were inquires and searches for the girl. Her last bus ride was even reconstructed in order to help find the girl. Searches with hundreds of volunteers were done, but she still could not be found. It could have been that someone she knew offered to give a ride or someone abducted the girl.

On January 31, 1958, Anne's body would be found in dense woodland in Rose Grove Woods in Horn Hill by brothers and their dog. This area was seven miles away from her home. Her items were found nearby her body. It's believed that her body had been there for at most 2 weeks. 

It is believed that Anne was murdered within hours of her disappearance. Even though her body was clothed there was evidence that she had been redressed likely meaning she had been sexually assaulted. She was then strangled to death. Someone then deep froze her body as the temperatures were mild and there was no possibility of it happening naturally. They then carried her body to where it was found. 

Oddly enough if they had carried her only a few dozen more yards she would have been hidden better. The area she was laid on was considered a relatively open area of wood. There was also a disused cart tract near where her body was found that was inaccessible to cars and the closest tracks were half a mile away. Whoever carried her had to of been strong enough to carry her as there was no evidence of dragging.

Police searched all deep freezing machinery within a 30-mile radius of where her body was found. Farmhouses, buildings, outhouses, and factories were all searched.  There was no evidence of any of them had been used for her body. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Defrosting Cold Cases

The Daily Telegraph January 7, 1958

Evening Sentinel January 7, 1958

The Guardian January 23, 1958

The Guardian February 3, 1958

The Birmingham Post and Birmingham Post July 14, 1958

Watford Observer January 30, 2002
The Comet December 21, 2017

BBC April 29, 2018