The Generation Why Podcast

The A6 Murder. August 23rd, 1961. Bedfordshire, UK. A couple parks off road in Dorney Reach to spend time together. It is late in the evening. A man with a gun will get their attention by tapping a window with his .38 Enfield revolver. For hours the gunman, who holds a scarf over much of his face, talks with them then has them go on a drive. Finally, in a cockney accent, he says that he is tired and wants a kip (a nap). It is after the car pulls off near Deadman's Hill that things go from bad to worse. He shoots the man. Killing him. Then he rapes the woman. Just when it seems like he may be leaving, he turns, and fires off seven shots. The woman is hit with five bullets and will pretend to be dead in a bid to survive. The gunman drives away. Police will identify two suspects. The first was Peter Alphon. The second, James Hanratty. Witnesses provide two different identikits matching both men. Figuring out which of the men were responsible for this crime was no easy task. And some believe that the wrong man was hanged. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.