Case 182

Freda Burnell & Florence Little

*** Content Warning: child victim, child sexual assault ***

On February 5 1921, eight-year-old Freda Burnell went missing in the small coal-mining town of Abertillery, Wales. The unusual disappearance reached a tragic conclusion when her bound and beaten body was found dumped inside a sack in an alleyway.

Suspicions were immediately cast on 15-year-old Harold Jones, who’d had a run-in with Freda shortly before her disappearance. But locals weren’t convinced – Harold had a solid alibi for the time of the murder.

When 11-year-old Florence Little disappeared from the same town five months later, the community was once again shocked. Was Harold Jones responsible for yet another murder? Or did the authorities have it wrong, as the residents of Abertillery adamantly insisted?

CREDITS

 

Casefile Presents

 

EPISODE:

Research & writing – Jessica Forsayeth

Creative direction – Milly Raso

Narration – Anonymous Host

 

MUSIC:

‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com

Audio production – Mike Migas 

Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn

 

OTHER:

Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska

 

PREMIUM

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RESOURCES

 

WEBSITES

The Hammersmith Murders

 

NEWS ARTICLES

Strangled 9-year-old girl – The Manchester Guardian

A name revealed at a seance – The Manchester Guardian

Abertillery mystery – The Manchester Guardian

Murder charge resumed – The Times

Second child murder at Abertillery – The Manchester Guardian

Boy murderer’s desire to kill – The Manchester Guardian

Boy enigma is in a new crime tangle – Times Herald

Abertillery inquest verdict – The Manchester Guardian

The murdered Welsh girl – The Manchester Guardian

Harold Jones sent for trial – The Manchester Guardian

The Welsh murder – The Manchester Guardian

Allegations against a witness – The Manchester Guardian

Boy’s second murder charge – The Observer

Abertillery murder – The Times

Hundreds attend unveiling of new graves for murdered Freda Burnell and Florence Little – South Wales Argus

Muriel Drinkwater murder: Harold Jones ruled out – BBC Wales

 

BOOKS

A desire to kill: The mystery of Harold Jones – Kevin Banks

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