Transcription
[music] [music] Today we are going to look at a case from the first part of the 20th century. So sit back as we go to England.
Mona Lillian Tinsley was born on the 14th of November 1926 in the town of Newonont Trent in the county of Nottingham Shere in England. She was one of seven children born to Mr. Wilfried and Mrs. Lillian Tinsley. At the time, Newarkon Trent was a lively market town where trade and travel along the great north road kept it connected to larger cities. The market square remained the heart of local life. Surrounded by longestablished shops [music] and overlooked by the ruins of Newark Castle, Mona grew into a bright and lively child. And when she was old enough, she attended the Guild Hall Street Methodist School. By 1937, she was 10 years old. And although small for her age, she was a child full of energy and good humor. As well as primary school, Mona attended the local Sunday school where the teachers were pleased with her enthusiasm, good manners, and willingness to help others.
On the 5th of January 1937, Mona went to school as usual, and when classes ended, she said goodbye to her friends [music] and started to walk home. This was something that she had done alone many times before and usually took her around 20 minutes. However, on this day, she never arrived. As the afternoon wore on, her parents grew increasingly worried. It was not like Mona to stay out without telling them. Mr. and Mrs. Tinsley began visiting the homes of Mona's friends, hoping that she might have gone to play and lost track of time. [music] At each house they called on, however, they were met with the same response. No one had seen her. [music] As the hours passed and their daughter had still not come home, their worry grew by the evening, feeling something was seriously wrong, they finally went to the police to report her missing.
The following morning, a major search operation was organized, and police officers were joined by around 600 local volunteers who scoured the area, searching vacant buildings and going doortodoor, asking people if they had seen anything. Authorities also dragged the nearby canals and rivers, but found no sign of the missing child. The police made public appeals, but the first real lead came from an 11-year-old boy named William Henry Placket, who lived next door to the Tinsley family. He told police that he had seen Mona near the Newick bus depot with a man. His description was limited, [music] but it was enough for officers to make inquiries at the bus station.
At the same time, another local resident [music] named Miss Annie Herd contacted the police. She told officers that her daughter attended the same school as Mona. And on the previous afternoon, [music] she had seen a man standing in the doorway across from the school entrance. Mrs. Herd said that she recognized him immediately as Mr. [music] and Mrs. Tinsley's former lodger. Another neighbor also told officers that she had noticed a man loitering near the entrance of the school on Guild Hall Streets.
In the afternoon that Mona went missing, a bus conductor named Charles Revel was an important witness. He told officers that on the 5th of January, a man and a girl matching Mona's description had boarded his 4:45 p.m. bus from Newick to Redford. He said that they both got off the bus in Grove Street in Rford and that the man had purchased a return ticket for himself, but only a one-way ticket for the girl. His statement was supported by a passenger named Mr. Stanley [music] Betts, who had also been traveling on the bus and who stated that he too had seen a man with a young girl.
When the police spoke to Mona's parents and described the man seen with their daughter, Mrs. Tinsley said that by the description, he sounded very much like a former lodger of theirs named Frederick Hudson, who had stayed with them in 1935. Mrs. Tinsley explained that he had been introduced to them by her sister, Mrs. Edith Grimes, with whom Mr. Hudson had previously lodged when living in Sheffield. However, she said that she did not believe that it could really be him, as he had always seemed polite and unassuming during his stay. Mrs. Tinsley added that his time with them had been brief, as they had asked him to leave after a few weeks, as he failed to pay his rent, but she emphasized that he had departed on friendly terms and said that despite his short stay, her children had grown fond of him and affectionately referred to him as Uncle Fred. She told officers that she could not imagine him doing anything to harm Mona.
Following this, the police went to the home of Mrs. Tinsley's sister, Mrs. Edith Grimes, who told them that Mr. Frederick Hudson's real name was Frederick Nodder, and that he had used a false name as he was subject to an affiliation order. This was a legal requirement, obliging him to provide financial support for a child who he had fathered. According to Mrs. Grimes, Mr. Doda was a rough, heavy drinking man with poor hygiene, few friends, and a history [music] of unstable work as a lorry driver and a car mechanic around Rford. Mrs. Grimes claimed that she had not seen Mr. Nodder for some time and did not know where he lived. But when the police spoke to her neighbors, they contradicted her story and told officers that a man matching Mr. Nod's description had visited her house shortly after Christmas.
Following up on this, the police conducted inquiries at various garages and holage depots throughout Rretford. Their investigation paid off. They found out where Mr. Nodder was employed, and his employer, a local holage company, provided his current residential address. He was living at a house named Peace Haven on Smith Road in the nearby village of Hatton. At around 11:00 on the night of Thursday, the 7th of January, an officer was sent to keep an eye on the property. Not long after, he saw Frederick Nodder walking towards his house. The officer approached him and explained that the police were making inquiries into the disappearance of a young girl named Mona Tinsley, who had failed to return home from school 2 days earlier. The officer then showed Mr. Noder a photograph of the missing child, but he firmly denied any knowledge of her disappearance, insisting that he knew nothing about it. When asked to account for his movements on the 5th of January, the day Mona vanished, Mr. Nodder offered a vague and unsatisfactory explanation, avoiding any clear details about where he had been or whom he had seen. Despite his repeated denials, Mr. Nodder was taken into custody [music] and escorted to the Newark Police Station for further questioning. There, he was interviewed by the chief constable, who carefully reviewed the available evidence before contacting the director of public prosecution to seek authorization for formal charges. After receiving the necessary approval, Mr. Mr. Nod was charged with the abduction of Mona Tinsley.
The police searched Mr. Nod's property on Sme Roads in the village of Hatton and found several key pieces of evidence. Near a water tank at the back of the house, they found [music] a handkerchief that was identified as belonging to Mona. And inside the house, they found scraps of paper with a child's handwriting and drawings. They also found child's fingerprints on the kitchen table. Mr. The nod, however, continued to insist that he had nothing to do with the young girl's disappearance. Despite these denials, the police were increasingly convinced that Mona was dead and expanded their search into the surrounding countryside. Again, hundreds of volunteers joined the efforts alongside police officers and tracking dogs, and together they walked through the [music] fields and looked in the hedros, waterways, and ditches. Newspapers nationwide printed Mona's photograph and description, urging anyone with information to come forward in the hope of uncovering even the smallest clue to her fate.
After 3 weeks with no progress, [music] the Chief Constable of Newark, Mr. Harry Barnes, called for the help of Scotland Yard. On the 25th of January, Chief Inspector Leonard Berts and Detective Sergeant Scarden arrived in Hatton and oversaw a detailed search of every building, drain, and pond. within three miles of Mr. Nod's house. It was one of the most extensive searches in British history. Yet, it [music] produced no trace of the child. Before returning to London, Chief Inspector Berts told local officers that he believed Mona's body had likely been placed in the River idol and may have been carried out to sea. He also advised that every possible lead should continue to be followed, [music] that all surrounding waterways, farms, and isolated properties should be revisited, as something might yet be uncovered. In the weeks that followed, the search for the young girl continued relentlessly with divers repeatedly searching the river idol. Despite their careful and thorough efforts, no trace of Mona could be found. Her parents grew increasingly anxious and distraught, [music] watching hopelessly as each day passed without news. The local community also watched closely, sharing in the concern and sadness surrounding the disappearance.
After police had requested any information from the public, a well-known medium named Mrs. Estella Roberts came forward to offer her assistance in locating Mona. She did this on the condition that her involvement remained a secret. She told officers that if they required her help, they must send her some of the clothing that Mona had recently worn. [music] So, with the agreement of Mona's parents, the authorities allowed Mrs. Roberts to assist. Following this, Mrs. Roberts stated that the child was dead. She described [music] a house that was bordered by a water-filled ditch and claimed that Mona had spent some time copying something out of a book. These details were correct, but the child's drawings that have [music] been found at the home of Frederick Nodder had not yet been released to the public or the press. Mrs. Roberts also said that Mona had been strangled in an upstairs bedroom, [music] placed in a sack, and carried to a river beyond the fields behind the house. She told officers with certainty, [music] "You will find the child's body there."
Although no body had been found [music] and the actual fate of Mona had not yet been resolved, on the 9th of March 1937, Frederick Nod stood trial at Birmingham asis before Mr. Justice [music] Swift. He faced multiple charges. The abduction of Mona Tinsley, taking her by fraud with the intent to deprive her father of her custody, luring and enticing her into his possession, and unlawfully [music] stealing and carrying away a child against her father's wishes. The prosecution was led by Norman Burkettz. [music] While the defense was headed by Morris Healey, the prosecution opened by describing the disappearance of Mona Tinsley on Tuesday the 5th of January 1937. They said that Mona was a pupil at the Guild Hall Street Methodist School in Newark. And after the school day finished, she had started to walk home alone as she usually did. However, on that day, she never arrived, and her parents had not seen her since. The prosecution then outlined Mrs. N's connection to the Tinsley family, stating that Mr. and Mrs. Tinsley had known him for around three years and that Mona and her brothers and sisters, [music] referred to him as Uncle Fred. Mr. Burkit then stated that on the day of the young girl's disappearance, Mr. Nod was seen traveling with a child on a bus going from Newark to Redford and that he had purchased a one-way ticket for the child and a return ticket for himself.
Mrs. Maggie Simpson, who was Mr. N's next door neighbor testified for the prosecution. She told the court that on the morning of Tuesday the 5th of January, Mr. Nod had asked her if he could borrow a spade and a fork and then spent the morning working in his garden. She said that she did not see him after that. But at around 5:00 p.m., she noticed that the lights were on in his kitchen and said that she also noticed that the lights had been turned off an hour later, another lady named Miss Dorine Jan, who worked at a house two doors down from where Mr. Nod lived, told the court that at noon on Wednesday the 6th of January, she saw a young girl standing at Mr. Nod's back door. She said that the child looked to be about 8 or 9 years old and was wearing a pale blue dress. She said that after seeing the photograph of Mona, she thought that the child could have been her.
Chief Conipal Harry Barnes testified [music] that when he spoke to Mr. Noder on the evening of the 7th of January, Mr. Noder denied any knowledge of Mona's disappearance and provided a statement detailing his movements that day. But later on the 9th of January, he admitted that he had seen Mona, that she had asked him to take her to visit her aunt, Mrs. Edith Grimes, who lived in Sheffield. The chief constible added that Mr. [music] Nodter had said that he reluctantly agreed to her request.
Defendant Frederick Nodder chose not to give testimony in his own defense. Instead, [music] his barristister, Mr. Morris Healey, spoke on his behalf and repeated Mr. Nod's account that Mona had spent just a single night in his house, [music] and the next morning he had given her two shillings along with written and spoken [music] instructions of how to reach her aunt's house in Sheffield. Mr. Healey said that his client had not seen the young girl afterwards and [music] urged the jury not to assume the worst, suggesting that Mona might still be alive and that her disappearance should not be taken as proof of her death.
When the trial ended, the jury took only 16 minutes to reach a verdict. They found Frederick Nodder guilty of abducting Mona Tinsley in his closing address. [music] Mr. Justice Swift turned towards the defendant and said, "What had happened to the missing child and whatever became of her only you know, but you remained silent." Then looking straight ahead, he sentenced Frederick Nodder to 7 years imprisonment to be served in Lincoln prison.
On the 6th of June 1937, almost 5 months after Mona had vanished, a family boating on the river idol near the town of Bortry saw something unusual near the riverbank. When they went closer to their horror, they realized that it was a body of a child. The head and shoulders were embedded in the muddy riverbeds while the lower part of the body floated above the surface. It appeared that pieces of wood and metal had been used to keep the body submerged, and on the bank nearby lay a decaying sack that seemed to have been used to carry it. Police were called, and the following day, divers searched the area, finding a small coat and a child's Wellington boots. [music] The discovery was about 8 mi from Hatton, the village where Frederick Nodder had been living. The body was taken to a nearby inn where Mona's father, Mr. Wilfried Tinsley identified the clothing as his daughters. A post-mortem examination later confirmed that Mona had been strangled and was already dead when she had entered the water. Decomposition and the effects of immersion made it impossible to determine further forensic details such as whether she had been violated.
Mona's funeral took place on the 10th of June 1937 at her local Methodist church where she had faithfully attended Sunday school. [music] The service was attended by family and friends and members of the community who all gathered to pay [music] their respects to the young girl whose life had ended so tragically. Several hundred people lined the streets [music] standing in silence as her coffin was carried from the church to Newick Cemetery. Flowers were laid by mourners along the routes and many in the crowd were visibly moved reflecting the deep sense of loss felt throughout the town.
Following this, Frederick Nodder was charged with murder. The second trial opened on the 2nd of November 1937 at the court in Nottingham, drawing intense public interest. [music] Once again, the prosecution was led by the distinguished barrista, Mr. Norman Burketts. While the defense was again headed by Mr. Morris Healey, both men had faced each other earlier in the abduction proceedings, but this time [music] the stakes were far higher. Mr. Nodder now stood accused of murder. From the outsets, Mr. Healey made it clear that the defense would maintain Mr. Nod's innocence. He argued that there was no rational motive for his client to have killed the girl and stressed that Mr. Nod had admitted putting the child on the bus in order that she could see her aunt in Sheffield, but he had no reason or desire to harm her. The defense put forward the theory that Mona may have encountered another person after parting company with Mr. nod and that this unknown individual could have been responsible for her death. Mr. Healey then reiterated [music] that there were no direct witnesses, no confession or any physical evidence that placed Mr. Nodder at the scene of a murder. However, Mr. Burkett for the prosecution insisted that all the evidence pointed to no one else but the defendant. [music]
Unlike the first trial, this time Frederick Nodder decided to give evidence in his own defense. He repeated the same story that he had said at the time of his arrest in January 1937, insisting that he had last seen Mona when he left her [music] in the town of Works after putting her on a bus bound for Sheffield, where she was meant to visit her aunts. He told the court that he had not seen her again and denied any involvement in her disappearance or death. When questioned by both prosecution and defense, he maintained that an unknown person must have harmed the child after she had left his care on the 6th of January. The prosecution worked to dismantle this account. [music] One of their key witnesses was the bus conductor, Mr. Charles Revel, who recalled seeing Mr. Noder with Mona on his bus on the 5th of January and confirmed that Mr. Nod had purchased a return ticket for himself, but only a one-way fair for the child. [music] To the prosecution, this detail was telling, suggesting that Mr. Nodder had never intended for Mona to make the return journey. Expert testimony came from the distinguished pathologist, Sir Bernard Spilsbury, whose evidence made clear the manner of Mona's death. [music] He explained that she had been strangled from behind with a cord or bootlace which had been drawn tightly around her neck until she had lost consciousness. He said that the marks on her neck and the deep bite wounds on her tongue indicated that she had struggled desperately during the attack.
The trial lasted only 2 days and the jury deliberated for just over an hour before finding Mr. Nod guilty of murder. [music] He showed little emotion and maintained a calm, detached demeanor, although there was a faint, almost resigned smile on his face as the verdict was pronounced. When asked if he wished to say anything before sentence was passed, he replied in a quiet voice, "I shall go out of this court with a clear conscience." Frederick Nodder was then sentenced to death. [music]
He never admitted to murdering Mona Tinsley, and he maintained his innocence throughout. His defense team attempted to overturn his death sentence, arguing that the evidence used to convict him was entirely circumstantial and insufficient to prove his guilt beyond doubts. The defense further claimed that there were mitigating factors and inconsistencies in the case that warranted reconsideration. The appeal was heard on the 13th of December 1937, but after the review, but was denied. The appeal court confirmed that the evidence presented at the trial had been sufficient to uphold the conviction, leaving the original sentence intact. [music]
17 days later on the 30th of December 1937, Frederick Nodder was hanged at Lincoln Prison. Hello everyone and thank you so much for listening. As usual, please leave any comments or feedback you may have and I hope to see you all again in the next brief case.