An infamous cold case

There has been much written about the case at Dore Core in the 1900s. I have studied this case in detail myself and analysed the evidence. Below I have set out some facts of the case.
Facts:
1. Dore Court was surrounded on three sides by water. Only the route to the East was passable during the night of 30th June, though the waters admittedly subsided somewhat by morning, making other routes passable.
2. There is no clear motive for any occupant in the House to have murdered the little girl, least of all the main suspect Ann Luker, who apparently adored the child.
3. Colonel Herncastle must have had good reasons for avoiding reporting the little girl’s disappearance to the Police Station just up the road, and to have seen the detectives in Hereford rather than the Constable to hand. His claim that he did not trust the Constable to conduct proper enquiries is open to many interpretations. Besides, he is known not to get on well with the Constable, probably because of the young man’s over-familiarity with his servants, especially Ann Luker.
4. The Constable is the only person in the village whose nocturnal wanderings would not excite suspicion.
5. The Constable is known as a rough, brutish sort.

Conclusion:
Nothing is more likely than that the Constable, out of spite towards Colonel Herncastle, killed the child in this particularly brutal way.

Solving cases with fingerprints

The terrible deed at Dore Court has become an infamous cold case but it did not have to join the ranks of unsolved murders. Many a case has been solved using fingerprints. It seems incredible that even as far back as 1853 it was possible to use new advances in forensics to catch the perpetrators of heinous crimes. Much of this is due to the work of Sir William Hersche. More information can be found about this in a blog about the history of forensics. Click here for more.

Ferrets, dogs and other fur!

I have found some very interesting information in my search of cold cases and the facts that surround them but none more interesting than the use that was made of animals in forensics many years ago. In the 1900s there were no sophisticated laboratories carrying out complex analysis of evidence but this was compensated at least inpart by the unbelievable use of animals. In the case of the disappearance of little Penelope Herncastle in 1910 there were footprints, suspects and tracks that could have been used to solve this cold case. I'm sure you would me interested to read more about it.