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

Murder of Auli Kyllikki Saari

 

Auli Kyllikki Saari(back right) with her sisters

On May 17, 1953, 17-year-old Auli Kyllikki Saari was cycling to her home in Isojoki, Finland from a prayer meeting in Merikarvia. On this particular day, she stated that she was tired, and others found this unusual. She stated that she was going to attend another prayer meeting at Kortteenkylä village schoolhouse. At 6pm she left on her bike and rode 40 minutes to the prayer meeting.

Maiju, a friend of Kyllikki, also attended this meeting. The two would ride home together at 10 p.m. and at 10:30 the two would separate at an intersection. Maiju noted that her friend seemed apprehensive and depressed. When they had gotten to where they needed to separate she seemed nervous to go on alone stating, "Probably it goes now as it has before. Bye then, Maiju." 

A man named Tie-Jaska saw her a mile further from where she and her friend separated. After this, no one saw Kyllikki alive again. She did not arrive home and her family assumed that she stayed the night with Maiju. When she didn't arrive home two days later they assumed she was staying with someone in Isojoki to be closer to work. They would find out she didn't show up to work and didn't see her. She would be reported missing two days after she disappeared.

In the weeks after her disappearance witnesses stated that there was a suspicious cream-hues car with a bike in a nearby storage compartment. Others state that they have heard cries and sobs for help neat the lake in Karrankaja. No one knew what had happened to Kyllikki until October 11, 1953. Her body would be pulled from a bog. 

The bog was close by to where Kyllikki was last seen and it was obvious she had been killed. She had been pushed down with a pine branch into the bog. She was nude from the waist down and her jacket was wrapped around her head.  She had either been suffocated or died from blunt force trauma to her head. It's unknown if she had been sexually assaulted or not.

The pine branch used to push her and keep her in the bog was freshly cut. It had been sharpened by someone who was left-handed. Her shoe, scarf, and a man's sock were also found there. Items of hers were missing though, her wristwatch, red cloth purse, and hymn book were never found.

Kyllikki wasn't one to go out to dances or entertainments. It's believed that she did not have a boyfriend as she didn't tell anyone about having one. She had told an older female friend she had no interest in men and didn't want to get married.

The person who killed Kyllikki had to of been strong. Alli, her older sister, said that Kyllikki was strong and had good arm strength. Not only that, but the person must have carried the girl a distance to the bog, dig, and then refill the grave. Which would have taken some strength to do.

There were several suspects in the crime, but no ones been convicted in the girls murder.

SOURCES:
Wikipedia

Mysteries Unsolved

History of Yesterday

Unsolved Murder of Daniel "Danny" Woods Jr.

 

In July of 1954 12-year-old Daniel "Danny" Wood Jr. left his home in South Gray, Maine. He was planning on fishing with his friends. His friend only lived a mile down the road. Later he phoned from the Gray Center and told his Mom of his plans that day. He said he was going to Lewiston and help a man with door-to-door calls for 50 cents per hour. She warned her son not to get into a car with a stranger. He then responded everything was alright and to see her later. This was the last time she heard from her son. 

A search for the boy began. 16 states were notified of his disappearance and to be on the lookout for him. His family had to be careful with the male in case a ransom letter came. People called in many tips on where the boy was, but none of them were true. 

It wasn't till nine days after his disappearance fishermen found his body in Little Androscoggin River. He was nude severely beaten, and it was unknown if it was a sex crime. His clothes were found hidden beneath a rock at the end of a secluded lane and his glasses and belt were tossed into a tree. It could be possible the killer was familiar with the area. 

Danny had been severely beaten by his killer. There was a shoelace on one wrist showing his hands had been bound. His skull bore seven wounds about four inches long the weapon used was never found. It's unknown where the crime scene of the murder was as there was no evidence it had happened there. It's believed the killer tossed him in after Danny died. 

They did have a suspect named Herman Barmore. Police asked if he about Daniel, but he stated anything he knew was going to the grave with him. He had served a life sentence for the murder of another boy named Peter Gorman in 1955. He initially said it was an accident he shot the boy, and then he redacted saying the Sheriff offered a deal. He was convicted of the murder. He would only serve 11 years as he died in prison in 1966. He denied killing either boy though. 

SOURCES:
Maine State Police 
Find A Grave
The Owosso-Argus Press
Ludington Daily News
Google Groups 
Lewiston Daily Sun