On June 25, 1949, a grim discovery in a quiet part of London changes the lives of many forever. A coal man finds the decomposed body of Beryl Evans at 10 Rillington Place, concealed in a washhouse at the back of the building. The shocking find sets off a chain of events that captures the British public’s imagination and fear.
Beryl, a young mother, had been missing since November of the previous year. Her husband, Timothy Evans, a simple man with limited education, had already been arrested and charged with her murder in January 1950. During the trial, Evans is portrayed as a volatile and untrustworthy character. Despite his claims of innocence and suggestions that the true culprit was their downstairs neighbor, John Christie, the jury finds Evans guilty.
What no one knows at this point is that Christie, a former Special Constable, is a serial killer who has already taken the lives of several women. Christie’s calm demeanor and respectable facade allow him to evade suspicion in Beryl’s murder. The chilling truth comes to light only years later, after multiple deaths at his hands, leading to Christie’s eventual capture and conviction.
This case remains one of the most infamous miscarriages of justice in British history. Timothy Evans is posthumously pardoned in 1966, after Christie’s crimes come to light, and the case prompts significant legal reforms in the United Kingdom.
Story Source: “The Murders, Myths and Reality of 10 Rillington Place” by Tom Rob Smith, CrimeCon UK 2021 talk.
