The Green Bicycle Murder: Ronald Light, 1920 by Mark John Maguire

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 14. 05. 2019
  • In 1919 Britain was gripped by the murder of a 21 year old young woman called Bella Wright. Various witnesses saw her in the company of a man on a green bicycle. Police eventually traced the owner of this bicycle and in spite of damning evidence against him he was found not guilty. A confession made to a Chief Superintendent Bowley was later discovered and this had been withheld from the public... Known ever since as "The Green Bicycle Murder", there has long been a consensus that Ronald Light - quite literally - got away with murder.
    A number of people have asked if they can help support my channel - I don't have any adverts on my channel (and don't intend to) but if anyone wishes to help defray the expenses of making these videos in some small way, they can buy me a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/MarkJohn...

Komentáře • 617

  • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
    @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před rokem +11

    A number of people have asked if they can help support my channel - I don't have any adverts on my channel (and don't intend to) but if anyone wishes to help defray the expenses of making these videos in some small way, they can buy me a cup of coffee! www.buymeacoffee.com/MarkJohnMaguire

  • @StoneHighland
    @StoneHighland Před 3 lety +133

    Having a privileged upbringing, money and the best defence lawyer still gets you off to this day.
    So sorry to Bella and her family for the injustice. RIP

    • @mattnolan5527
      @mattnolan5527 Před 3 lety +2

      it was a accidental discharge

    • @rmonson5002
      @rmonson5002 Před 3 lety +20

      @@mattnolan5527 Riiiiight. Because he's not a liar! Give me a break.

    • @mattnolan5527
      @mattnolan5527 Před 3 lety +1

      @@rmonson5002 look at the evidence you halfwit

  • @KR-ue1gd
    @KR-ue1gd Před rokem +26

    I recall being in Bella's position at least three times as a young woman. Some guy in the woods, or on the street, takes up talking to you, and you try to be polite but distant, answering in monosyllables and then letting your eyes slide away, but he won't be dissuaded. Then he starts "walking with" you, and you angle your body away and look for excuses to part ways, and try to find a public area with witnesses. He wants to "walk you home", and you say "no, thanks" and "I'm good" and "I'm meeting my boyfriend, actually", because you don't want him to know where you live. And the whole time he's smiling and acting friendly, even pretending to be hurt that you're not being nice to him (as if you owe niceness to a harasser, but you DO try to be polite because you're afraid of violence). The scariest thing is that you never know if you are talking with a harmless man of no social awareness, or a predator.
    For Bella's sake, I wish she'd turned around and walked right back into her uncle's house. Or that her Aunt and Uncle had called her in when they saw that guy show up and greet her. Sure, it would have been "rude", but it's better to be rude to an innocent man than to politely put yourself in the power of a wicked man.

    • @beaulieuc8910
      @beaulieuc8910 Před rokem +8

      I am a female cyclist and I have had men trying to help me and men 'trying to walk with me'. I carry a personal alarm with me too. I have even had lone policemen approaching me too. I don't think all men are bad but many don't realise that them approaching us can make us scared. Once I had enough and a man approached me while I was at an isolated train station alone and I screamed at him and told him to go away, and I spotted a couple in a car and stayed by them and told them that man approached me. He did go away a bit shocked and he didn't like it when I found a couple to stay by..You can ring the police if a man harrasses you and won't leave you alone.

    • @CmfunkS197
      @CmfunkS197 Před rokem +1

      @@beaulieuc8910 🎭 🥱

    • @buschovski1
      @buschovski1 Před 10 měsíci +2

      oh god, I can feel your fear right now. Its a terrible fear. Im glad that youre safe

    • @lcopywriter5102
      @lcopywriter5102 Před 7 měsíci +1

      That's one compensation to growing old. The men leave you alone. But then you have to worry about your daughters.

  • @lanialost1320
    @lanialost1320 Před 3 lety +33

    I'm an expat Brit in USA, moving here in my late 20s, after many years of a first-class English schooling and university. I have never got used to how mangled, casual and inane the English language has been made in my new home, becoming worse and worse as the years go by, and it is so painful being subjected to this. How I love this channel to remind me of the immense talent at writing and narration that still exists in my homeland, and that humans do not need any ad infinitum music soundtrack in the background to enhance a story -- Mark's voice ably does that.

    • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
      @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před 3 lety +6

      Thank you very much - I am flattered!

    • @nancybeveridgetaylor3256
      @nancybeveridgetaylor3256 Před 2 lety +3

      I love listening to this channel. 🥰

    • @TREVASLARK
      @TREVASLARK Před 2 lety +8

      Agreed ! I am an American, but live abroad, and am no longer young. Believe me, the British people I 've known (educated ones, of couse) have always been much more articulate than the (educated) Americans. The English spoken in America has probably been "dumbed down" over time out of a sort of necessity to accomodate the enormous mix of peoples who immigrated there .....simplified English being the lowest common denominator.
      Later, with mass media and social media, we have really seen the English language take a nose dive. It is appalling to hear, "Uhhh.. .ummm ...yeah.....you know....so........" appear in nearly every sentence a teenager utters, but the most horrific of all is "like !" When did THAT start ?
      This narrator is indeed a gem. I adore listening to his voice: lovely pronunciation, choice of words, and modulation. The content is also excellent. I just wish we could send him off to schools around the U.S. to give presentations and show people what English should sound like - especially in narration !!!

    • @ArsenaMcIntire
      @ArsenaMcIntire Před 8 měsíci +3

      I'm a hillbilly from west virginia and I have to agree with you. Listen to this gentleman is so refreshing

    • @primdaisy8900
      @primdaisy8900 Před 5 měsíci +2

      How sad, you are most welcome to leave the United States. We have a history of sending the British on their way back across the pond.

  • @rosemaryfranzese317
    @rosemaryfranzese317 Před 2 lety +54

    There may have been another reason to add to the four you mentioned. Back in the 1970s an elderly friend of my family who had served in the First World War told us that after the war there were many murders, often of a domestic nature but many demobbed soldiers got away with it with unless the crimes were too brutal. There was considerable sympathy toward returning soldiers. I believe Light was guilty, did make the confession but was still partially lying, the gunshot wound was no accident unless a terrified Bella had tried to grab the gun to get it away from Light, but I doubt it. I agree with your reasoning, Light was furious at being rejected.

    • @beccifinley9313
      @beccifinley9313 Před rokem +3

      Yes but he clearly committed crimes before the war. So it's not like the war made him the way he was it may have made him worse but he was clearly unstable before. The trouble he got in as a soldier should make him even more unsympathetic.

  • @Nettsinthewoods
    @Nettsinthewoods Před 3 lety +94

    Light was seriously one bad egg with issues against women. How gullible people were then, they thought a gentleman wasn’t capable of beastly behaviour. Excellent video. Thank you

    • @sabrinatscha2554
      @sabrinatscha2554 Před 3 lety +10

      They were likely still suspicious of him. It’s just that they didn’t have enough evidence to put him away. That’s the point of having a trial. If you can’t prove it then you can’t throw someone in jail or execute them. It’s actually a pretty good policy. I think he did it but who knows, in all honesty. There have been more shocking revelations about convicted “murderers“ who turned out to be innocent.

    • @nomadpurple6154
      @nomadpurple6154 Před 2 lety +2

      @@sabrinatscha2554 There have been far more people who have got away with murder and other serious crimes than the rare wrongly convicted.
      It's weak juries that unleash the evil back out into the world to reoffend.

    • @jeynjohnstone5917
      @jeynjohnstone5917 Před rokem +2

      I was thinking the same thing.

    • @dolinaj1
      @dolinaj1 Před rokem

      Light was a pedophile and sex pest.

    • @gandydancer9710
      @gandydancer9710 Před 5 měsíci

      @@sabrinatscha2554 I don't know what you're talking about. They had more than enough evidence to convict him. But incompetent prosecutors and dullard juries are a thing.

  • @talmadge1926
    @talmadge1926 Před 3 lety +66

    Thankyou for this intriguing story. Beautifully spoken, calmly told and without dramatic effects.

    • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
      @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před 3 lety +8

      Thank you - I am glad it meets with your approval.

    • @emmalinabradbury8724
      @emmalinabradbury8724 Před 2 lety +4

      What you have said, calm, and all the better for not having the dramatic effects, just beautifully spoken and researched..

  • @pamelacorbett8774
    @pamelacorbett8774 Před 3 lety +170

    She should never have been allowed to go home alone with a stranger hanging around.

    • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
      @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před 3 lety +40

      Yes indeed, Pamela - I am sure the uncle and cousins must have greatly regretted this in the years following...

    • @missingsara8079
      @missingsara8079 Před 3 lety +2

      They Got Away With Murder and

    • @TheCelticSelkie.
      @TheCelticSelkie. Před 3 lety +18

      But he made it look as though he had left until he was on her way again. At least the uncle was able to get a description of him, little good as it did in court.
      His past offenses should have been brought up in court. Maybe then justice would have been done.

    • @ria1636
      @ria1636 Před 3 lety +20

      @Pennie P You're the one being glib with that response!

    • @cassandraharper1632
      @cassandraharper1632 Před 3 lety +17

      People in this time period were more trusting of people at this time, than now.

  • @kcbarbo78
    @kcbarbo78 Před 3 lety +23

    The cases in this series are fascinating, but it’s truly astonishing that some of these defendants were acquitted, including this guy.

  • @jacwindsor5552
    @jacwindsor5552 Před rokem +13

    i am a rural cyclist and that woman could have been me. When I have a puncture I often get males offering to help. Even if I am feeling tired and just walk I get the 'helpful men'. I always carry a personal alarm and whistle when I go on my bicycle in the countryside and I now carry a body cam. It is horrible to think that there are men out there who just want to attack us.

    • @CmfunkS197
      @CmfunkS197 Před rokem +2

      Yes some men help, for your sake I hope they don’t offer to help you in the future. I’m sure you’ll get it figured out with your whistle and camera. Gday!

    • @johnhoney5089
      @johnhoney5089 Před 11 měsíci

      ​@@CmfunkS197To be fair, a lot of known serial killers initially pretend to help their victims to lure them in.
      Even the world's deadliest serial killer, Pedro Lopez, lured in most of his victims through this exact method.
      Lopez has been linked to at least 110 murders, & he admitted to killing 300.

  • @nrgltwrkr2225
    @nrgltwrkr2225 Před 3 lety +27

    What a surprise - I have recently discovered the best You Tube channel out there! These are so well-written and narrated, that I feel as though I have been transported back in time to the era of the murder. I have started at the first episode and I am thoroughly enjoying every single one. Thank you so much for your attention to detail, your golden voice, and your dedication to finding and bringing these wonderful historical "murderers" to light once again. Love the intro and music as well.

  • @TheBeautifulWindsofAragon
    @TheBeautifulWindsofAragon Před 3 lety +152

    How very odd that the uncle didn't react that a man had stayed and waited for Bella during her visit. That ought to have set off warning signals.

    • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
      @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před 3 lety +52

      How he must have regretted that!

    • @talenttrading
      @talenttrading Před 3 lety +41

      It was a different world. Society hadn't totally crumbled yet.

    • @susiefoxy8130
      @susiefoxy8130 Před 3 lety +23

      16.50...photo of Bellas uncle shows he only had one leg, so was probably not able to chase after a bicycle

    • @Tsumami__
      @Tsumami__ Před 3 lety +12

      If anything that would make him appear less menacing. If he’s willing to sit outside her family members home and wait for her like he had some sort of familiarity with her it makes him come off as less threatening. That or maybe he was just stupid.

    • @firstlast1278
      @firstlast1278 Před 3 lety +4

      This may come as a shock to you but some people are really fucking ignorant/stupid.

  • @onefeather2
    @onefeather2 Před 3 lety +46

    Love old murder mysteries and the old pictures of the places and people. Well done in telling the story, and a great voice for doing so.

    • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
      @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před 3 lety +5

      Thank you, I'm delighted you like it!

    • @sdeee3842
      @sdeee3842 Před 3 lety +3

      I know what you mean but l don’t like the idea of some who get away with it!

  • @JustAGalOnTheGo
    @JustAGalOnTheGo Před 3 lety +28

    I absolutely believe that he was guilty of shooting her. I do not believe his “confession” distancing himself with some contrived accidental shooting. I do think that she was very uncomfortable with him and would not have stopped with him, particularly to look at a gun, in the dark. I think his narcissism wanted someone to know that he got away with murder.

  •  Před 3 lety +5

    Once more Mr Maguire present the suggestion of a murderer without bias. Brilliant Mr Maguire, absolutely brilliant.

  • @sandrabradstreet
    @sandrabradstreet Před 4 lety +100

    Another absolute gem! You obviously put it lot of thought and work into these lovely programmes, making this my favourite channel

  • @brianandrewstuart
    @brianandrewstuart Před 3 lety +77

    Another brilliant narration. The man with the golden voice !

  • @blorac9869
    @blorac9869 Před 3 lety +8

    Last one to see the victim is always, mostly! TYVM! Excellently done!

  • @lizziego4825
    @lizziego4825 Před 3 lety +35

    How could he not know her name,when he called her name "Bella"?
    His motive must be for thrill or curiousity,like some serial killers.

    • @tapsars7911
      @tapsars7911 Před 3 lety +10

      This thought came to my mind too . How did he know that her name was Bella ??

    • @thorbjornlejon4935
      @thorbjornlejon4935 Před 2 lety +1

      He guessed it? 😂

  • @thejudgmentalcat
    @thejudgmentalcat Před 3 lety +23

    You, sir, are criminally undersubbed. I'm helping you along because I love your content and narration. ❤

  • @susannaude8514
    @susannaude8514 Před 3 lety +9

    So glad I found this gem! Very well written and presented. Thank you. Now...for the rest of the stories...

  • @SusanaXpeace2u
    @SusanaXpeace2u Před 3 lety +32

    Sir Edward Marshall Hall seems to have defended ALL the bad guys...........

    • @Divergent_Integral
      @Divergent_Integral Před 3 lety +5

      @@nrgltwrkr2225 Everyone deserves a good or even excellent defense in a criminal trial. To Marshall Hall's credit, he also defended many people who most likely were innocent, or whose guilt was at least somewhat diminished by mitigating circumstances (such as the prostitute Marie Hermann, who killed an abusive customer).

    • @lisamichelle8413
      @lisamichelle8413 Před 3 lety +3

      NO KIDDING 🙄

    • @heleneermens5205
      @heleneermens5205 Před 2 lety +1

      My thought exactly....

    • @nomadpurple6154
      @nomadpurple6154 Před 2 lety +1

      @@Divergent_Integral Everyone deserves a defence.
      A competent defence. But there is no right to a good defence - some lawyers work to this principle :)

    • @carlam7807
      @carlam7807 Před 19 dny

      I mean he was a lawyer😂😂 And don’t many good guys or girls get charged with murder/rape etc. I mean who else was he going to represent?😂

  • @jas8173
    @jas8173 Před 2 lety +7

    Such a compelling story teller. Thank you, as ever, Mr. Maguire, 🙏🏼

  • @stephaniesealy9375
    @stephaniesealy9375 Před 3 lety +66

    I had never heard this story. Wonderfully narrated by a great voice!

  • @yes0r787
    @yes0r787 Před 3 lety +5

    My goodness,
    what a sad and creepy tale.

  • @primadonna4535
    @primadonna4535 Před 3 lety +4

    No dramatic music - just pure and excellent narrative 💓

  • @gtw4546
    @gtw4546 Před 3 lety +19

    He confessed to a police officer to gloat that he'd pulled the wool over the eyes of the judge and jury. He knew he couldn't be tried again.

  • @saxongreen78
    @saxongreen78 Před 2 lety +9

    Light's priors were atrocious - how they were suppressed during the trial is a great travesty.

    • @normanpearson8753
      @normanpearson8753 Před 18 dny +1

      Maybe deference to breeding?Things were different , then.....but...so different? Strange

  • @rhomo
    @rhomo Před 4 lety +57

    So happy to have stumbled onto this channel...fantastic and fascinating case!

  • @maureencurryhbhgg6202
    @maureencurryhbhgg6202 Před 2 lety +3

    Another gem of a video Love photos and the sketches in previous ones

  • @Carcod1
    @Carcod1 Před 3 lety +11

    Can I just say to all those who despise defence lawyers such as Marshall Hall - a lawyer swears to defend his client to the best of his ability no matter what his/her feelings are towards the defendant.

  • @fizzao1342
    @fizzao1342 Před 4 lety +21

    Yikes! I didn’t know anything about Light’s criminal background. Very shady indeed!

  • @suwaidajalal
    @suwaidajalal Před 4 lety +47

    Of course he did it! It's the simplest explanation and one that makes sense of all the evidence. I hated the convolutions that tried to give another explanation. From what you say about his past just gives it more oomph. From what we know about criminals now, Light is most likely culprit. Once again, thank you for all the effort you put in these videos! They are such a pleasure!

  • @derekstocker6661
    @derekstocker6661 Před 3 lety +12

    Yet another great account of an historical murder.
    This has given far more detail than any other documentary I have seen, so very well done.
    RIP Bella.

  • @user-xl1po9jb8h
    @user-xl1po9jb8h Před 10 měsíci +3

    My mum recently passed away and after reading a book she left about our family I have learnt this poor young lady is one of my descendents

  • @karaamundson3964
    @karaamundson3964 Před 3 lety +5

    What a strange and monstrous man.

  • @mjstow
    @mjstow Před 2 lety +2

    If Mr Maguire ever runs out of material, I'm sure we'd all enjoy his fascinating perspectives on those who didn't get away with it.

  • @justme-tj3jt
    @justme-tj3jt Před 7 měsíci +5

    As soon as I heard he had Hall as his lawyer I already knew the outcome. Poor Bella. A life cut short with so much promise.

  • @JudeNance
    @JudeNance Před 3 lety +3

    I could listen to the narrator by the hour. Thank you so much.

  • @outlawJosieFox
    @outlawJosieFox Před 3 lety +31

    I was wondering how the crow died but I now think that he shot the crow in order to make the police think that it was an accidental shooting by someone else. The girl must have been killed before the crow, however, since it walked through the blood ! Guilty!

    • @diamondleigh7280
      @diamondleigh7280 Před 3 lety +1

      Yu could be on to something here 😏

    • @diamondleigh7280
      @diamondleigh7280 Před 3 lety +2

      It was like he just shot Bella for nothing, I don't understand his motive.... He took nothing, didn't rape her.... He just followed her only to kill her... Mind-blowing....

    • @TheKateO13
      @TheKateO13 Před 2 lety +3

      @@diamondleigh7280 it's called control. Extreme case, but it happens.

    • @planetkori
      @planetkori Před rokem

      Mentally disturbed obviously but it seems to me highly unlikely that that Light would have lingered around the scene of the crime to shoot a pigeon or crow just to bolster his alibi.

    • @jademoon5103
      @jademoon5103 Před rokem +1

      He just wanted to

  • @carolmccartney7607
    @carolmccartney7607 Před 2 lety +11

    You are a marvelous storyteller. I wish that some other podcasters of notorious crimes would learn some forms of speaking techniques from you.

  • @rhianevans21
    @rhianevans21 Před 5 lety +36

    Great job - another rivetting case!

  • @skeeterradar
    @skeeterradar Před 3 lety +14

    So nice to watch a well made and presented account. Methodical, detailed, well-paced and narrated by a clear and natural voice with a minimal music background. Such a refreshing departure from the overbearing dramatic narration and needlessly loud music of most vids of this kind. keep up the good work!

  • @carmt7328
    @carmt7328 Před 2 lety +3

    Best narrative voice I’ve ever heard these episodes are the best hooked x

  • @daisy13joyce
    @daisy13joyce Před 3 lety +25

    Of course he did it, he just had a clever barrister. Unfortunately this often happens. Poor girl.

    • @lanialost1320
      @lanialost1320 Před 3 lety

      Clever in a deviant sense .... and without scruples, with a love for money and fame. Hall would have known his client was guilty, and that this murder was the culmination of his client's many other prior sordid activities that may also have involved rape and murder.

    • @esmeephillips5888
      @esmeephillips5888 Před rokem +1

      Unfortunately some people reach opposite conclusions to yours, especially after hearing more evidence than a one hour video can supply, and after listening to the judge's summing up as well as the prisoner's defence... but what do they know compared with a YT viewer a century after the event?

  • @jackie0604oxon
    @jackie0604oxon Před rokem +4

    I grew up just over a mile from the murder location and knew about this as a child. Opinion back then was overwhelmingly that Light got away with murder. I cycled past Bella's home countless times but never knew that was her family home, it had a thatched roof back in the 70s and 80s.

  • @allandavis8201
    @allandavis8201 Před 3 lety +21

    I totally agree with your summing up, and I think that had the jury known of his real history the verdict would have been guilty, or at least manslaughter (if that was an option in that era), although why would he have carried a revolver unless he was intent on some nefarious activity. 😀🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿👍

  • @vinnyvincent2862
    @vinnyvincent2862 Před 3 lety +16

    Possibly One of The earliest cases of Stalking ! ( Great Research) Good Work! .

    • @karljunge
      @karljunge Před 3 lety +1

      Earliest recorded murder after stalking incident. Im sure stalking is as old at dating concept.

    • @vinnyvincent2862
      @vinnyvincent2862 Před 3 lety

      @@karljunge I was referring to the term stalking not the act 😁

  • @tapsars7911
    @tapsars7911 Před 3 lety +21

    I really find it astounding that the uncle or the cousin's husband did not offer to escort her home . Also , if Light did not know her then how did he address her as 'Bella' ??

    • @fraseredk7433
      @fraseredk7433 Před 2 lety +1

      Uncle had a pegleg

    • @Urm0mz
      @Urm0mz Před 2 lety

      @@fraseredk7433 so? Rape/murder is worse

    • @Woodman-Spare-that-tree
      @Woodman-Spare-that-tree Před rokem +2

      He knew her name because he had insisted on accompanying her for a couple of miles before she managed to temporarily shake him off.

    • @suereeves5994
      @suereeves5994 Před rokem +1

      He always insisted that he said 'hello, I thought you'd gone the other way'

  • @sacellum2377
    @sacellum2377 Před 3 lety +9

    Extremely well written and narrated series, fascinating!

  • @tony5oos
    @tony5oos Před 3 lety +4

    An excellent presentation of a murder case and the view that class and privilege , can affect the plea if presented in the right way will
    determine the outcome.

  • @WildWestGal
    @WildWestGal Před 3 lety +14

    Another great presentation! I just love the sketches you do for the storyboard, Mr. Maquire! I wonder if the Prosecutor drove home the point of Light destroying all evidence, especially going to the trouble of filing off the serial numbers on the bike! That's a great deal of detail work, more like panic, trying not to get caught.
    And more glaringly, Light's story about how the gun went off would have caused her to be shot at close range at waist level with powder burns; not in the cheek with no powder burns and estimated by the coroner to be at a 4-5 foot distance. And the jury also dismissed the testimony of the young girls? Mr. Prosecutor wherefore art thou??? ... and another wealthy sociopathic pedophile goes free from murder.

    • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
      @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před 3 lety +5

      Thank you, you are very kind. You raise interesting points - and far too little of the available evidence went to the jury. An unhappy end.

  • @johnkennedy2635
    @johnkennedy2635 Před 2 lety +14

    I would just like to tell you that your stories are absolutely amazing full of intrigue and facts and flawlessly narrated, Thank you so much for sharing these truly awesome cases with us all, please carry on your marvellous work as you’re doing a fantastic job.
    One last thing, what do you think about the dead crow and it’s significance to this story? Or did I miss something? Again many thanks.

    • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
      @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před 2 lety +4

      Many thanks, John - I have always thought the dead crow was simply a coincidence. I live in the country and I find a dead bird/rabbit/bird in the garden on many days - even a dead badger one day! Marshall Hall used the fact of the crow to suggest that Bella's death was due to a tragic shooting accident. It introduced a whisper of doubt into the case, which is always useful in a capital case! As I understand it, the crow had not been shot - although I am not aware that a full autopsy was conducted on the bird!

  • @timpedder6046
    @timpedder6046 Před 2 lety +15

    Another great entry in a fascinating series. I must say that the doctors in a lot of the cases you cover seem very incompetent, in this case missing what must have been a significant head wound caused by a large caliber revolver fired at close range.
    One wonders how many murder victims were never even identified as such with this level of medical ineptitude....

  • @sarahshipman3382
    @sarahshipman3382 Před 4 lety +23

    New subscriber.Thanks for giving different theories of murder,then giving a good summary of who you think the murderer was. I too am binge watching.

    • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
      @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před 4 lety +1

      Thank you, Sarah - I'm delighted you like them!

    • @neilhobson3624
      @neilhobson3624 Před 3 lety +1

      Me too Sarah. I’m watching them all again. I’m British but I certainly don’t speak as well as Mark Ha Ha. 👍👍

  • @katie195
    @katie195 Před 3 lety +11

    Me as well. Well articulated presentation - soothing voice - measured - well written - marvelous stories.... 👍🏻

  • @shaunswift2738
    @shaunswift2738 Před 3 lety +4

    Very well narrated.

  • @cathywilliams101
    @cathywilliams101 Před 5 lety +27

    Nicely put together vid. Ronald Light really did get away with it.

  • @philbunston9663
    @philbunston9663 Před 3 lety +5

    Thank goodness - no background music /

  • @maxlebow7373
    @maxlebow7373 Před 3 lety +4

    Sir, you are a great storyteller. Well written and interesting. Well done.

  • @emmcee662
    @emmcee662 Před 3 lety +2

    Poor Bella - it’s so creepy the way the man on the bicycle is described, stalking her

  • @marymary5494
    @marymary5494 Před 3 lety +4

    Poor Bella. Excellent narration, thank you. 👌💕

  • @viviandean2656
    @viviandean2656 Před 3 lety +15

    This is a most interesting case told by a most excellent story teller. How did the killer, I wonder, stay under the radar? Was he able to control his impulses the rest of his life? It would seem so. Having been rebuffed earlier that day intensified his fury to the point of murder. At the end he simply had to show someone his victory over the charges, especially someone in law enforcement. He was unable to keep from telling. His pathology is very intriguing. All in all, this is the most interesting case of all.

    • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
      @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před 3 lety +8

      Thank you, Vivian - yes, it is intriguing. To an extent, such people are usually kept track of by the police. It is common in reading the police files from this period, to see notes referring to "x is now living on the south coast at xx. I am informed that he is living with a woman there who..." etc. A couple of years after his acquittal, Light was charged with failing to give his correct name while staying at a hotel with a woman... It was hardly an unusual occurrence for unmarried couples to use false names, of course, but the fact he was charged with it, suggests 1) they were watching him, an d 2) prepared to use any misdemeanour against him that they could!

    • @mikedee1771
      @mikedee1771 Před rokem +3

      There is an excellent book on this case by C Wendy East. It seems that Light was a sex offender known to the police. This information was not allowed as evidence in his trial.

    • @elliepascoe5954
      @elliepascoe5954 Před rokem

      @@TheyGotAwayWithMurder One wonders.... Did he ever kill again? He shows all the signs of a serial killer...Chilling thought.

  • @mrsbluesky8415
    @mrsbluesky8415 Před rokem +5

    It’s galling to hear these murderers living to a ripe old age with no real consequences. Just going along w life like the rest of us. Where’s the justice ?

  • @paultracey8857
    @paultracey8857 Před 4 lety +56

    Excellent. No doubt he was guilty of many other things too.

    • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
      @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před 4 lety +9

      I'm inclined to think so also!

    • @martincook318
      @martincook318 Před 3 lety +8

      I too think that he was Guilty and in those days no one could be tried for a crime to which he or she was acquitted and the two Questions are if he didn't do it who did and what became of the Murder whepam

    • @gailjarvis2592
      @gailjarvis2592 Před 3 lety +3

      Pedophiles are repeat offenders. They quit when they die. - I have known aged ones that I dealt with in my career in psychiatry. I'll never forget one: so dapper, elegantly spoken and wealthy to boot. A charmer. He was regaling a whole group of individuals when I met him. A "silver-haired fox" in tweeds: very handsome and sharp - and very old. - No one knew that he had come to visit the office of his parole officer.

  • @bobstevens9040
    @bobstevens9040 Před 3 lety +5

    If Light had had a puncture like he said then the cops could have verified this as they found the bike and both its wheels

  • @Bildgesmythe
    @Bildgesmythe Před 3 lety +6

    He was guilty of so much, and got away with it all.

  • @MarciaBaker1205
    @MarciaBaker1205 Před 3 lety +11

    Marshal Hall was a brilliant attorney but helped many killers get not guilty verdicts. I would hate that on my conscious. You did a great job on this story & the old photos are awesome. 😊

  • @judyrosey
    @judyrosey Před 3 lety +8

    BEAUTIFULLY written....

  • @Mancheguache
    @Mancheguache Před 3 lety +5

    superbly done

  • @vissitorsteve
    @vissitorsteve Před 3 lety +2

    A wonderful telling of the story. Thank you.

  • @baldytimsreviews8204
    @baldytimsreviews8204 Před 3 lety +29

    18.50 mins...he had a punchure that he mended. You can’t fix a puncture on an old bike without a spanner and yet he told Bella he didn’t have one!??

    • @diamondleigh7280
      @diamondleigh7280 Před 3 lety +4

      Next time you put in the minutes and seconds on the video, write in the clock dots like 18:50 then ppl can go straight to the minutes you're speaking of in the video 😉... Hope this helps 💕

    • @kitiyana
      @kitiyana Před 3 lety

      Good point !

    • @colinallan1962
      @colinallan1962 Před 3 lety +2

      Tyre levers not spanners.

    • @grantjohnston5817
      @grantjohnston5817 Před 3 lety +4

      Yes you can...leave the wheel on and just de mount the tire!

  • @nickycatton7882
    @nickycatton7882 Před 3 lety +8

    New to this channel and now subscribing! Thank you for such an interesting and sad story - what a horrible creepy man, he was definitely guilty!

  • @sheilamacpherson4948
    @sheilamacpherson4948 Před 3 lety +21

    Killed by her own courtesy. Didn't want to make the man uncomfortable.

    • @bettythebutcher
      @bettythebutcher Před 3 lety +7

      Well, let's not take away his accountability; he killed her, not courtesy. But it is a good reminder to trust one's gut, and to be assertive, firm, and fast when it comes to setting boundaries and escaping uneasy circumstances.

    • @MsDormy
      @MsDormy Před 3 lety +2

      I love your name Betty! Good point, about setting boundaries. I was brought up in the old fashioned way, never saying boo to a goose, and feeling violated when people overstep. My daughter, needless to say, is encouraged to affirm her own boundaries. Poor Bella.

    • @mangot589
      @mangot589 Před 3 lety +2

      Always believe that tingle. We have it for a reason. 🤷‍♀️. We want to be polite, but....

    • @stevenschnepp576
      @stevenschnepp576 Před 3 lety

      I can't imagine her being firm with him would have ended much better.

    • @bettythebutcher
      @bettythebutcher Před 3 lety +3

      @@MsDormy Thank you for the compliment MsDormy :) Yes I think there is a lot of social pressure to not make waves, even today; I'm susceptible to it too. I'm glad you've encouraged/educated your daughter to help her break through these patterns!

  • @Stripeyperch
    @Stripeyperch Před 2 lety +5

    The fact that Sir Edward Hall should receive a knighthood for assisting in seeing so many guilty men walk free is an absolute scandal he should have been linched as a co conspirator.

    • @esmeephillips5888
      @esmeephillips5888 Před rokem +3

      You don't really get fundamental principles of English jurisprudence, do you?

  • @andrewmontgomery7909
    @andrewmontgomery7909 Před 3 lety +3

    Mr J Maguire is a brilliant story teller i have only found this amazing voice ,because I wanted some history on a murder in 1918 in kidwelly Wales, Mr Maguire puts it in a way you feel he's actually a reporter in the days the crimes were committed, very talented

  • @toddbonin6926
    @toddbonin6926 Před 3 lety +2

    Very well written and produced. A fascinating but sad story.

  • @jasonmaccoul
    @jasonmaccoul Před 3 lety +2

    I somehow stumbled upon this channel which I find to be better than anything on TV or elsewhere.

  • @whitemonkey7932
    @whitemonkey7932 Před 3 lety +2

    Wonderfull...though I am sure I have already listened, that delivery never fails to enthral. Thankyou.

  • @addie_is_me
    @addie_is_me Před 3 lety +7

    Not looking too closely he sounded alright, when you looked more closely, aye-yi-yi. I believe there was no confession. You do not get one so you can lock it up before trial unless you are in, "The Postman Always Rings Twice," I am sorry she did not go back to her uncle's house when she discovered this man waiting for her. Always trust your gut!

  • @zukosmom3780
    @zukosmom3780 Před 2 lety +1

    You have the best stories. I love that it’s set in the past

  • @ScooterZn
    @ScooterZn Před 3 lety +2

    The commentator and narrator is good, I could listen to him for days. Very well researched.

  • @sandic3892
    @sandic3892 Před 3 lety +6

    Yeah I think he got away with murder for sure. It's true what they say, even back then, money talks and bull sh-t walks! So glad I found this channel. No one could tell these stories as well.

  • @brett3025
    @brett3025 Před 3 lety +3

    I’m truly enjoying this program. Thank you.

  • @sallykohorst8803
    @sallykohorst8803 Před rokem +3

    Another great story i will be listening too. Thank you!

  • @MultiHumptyDumpty
    @MultiHumptyDumpty Před 3 lety +4

    Great voice and narration - lovely to listen to and very very commanding - not to mention a very compelling story

  • @tobyeperkins5301
    @tobyeperkins5301 Před 2 lety +1

    It is truly disturbing how many people got away with murder due to the defense barrister Hall. No justice in his cases have you presented.

  • @cdeford
    @cdeford Před 2 lety +3

    I wonder if Edward Marshall Hall ever had sleepless nights over enabling so many murderers to go free.

  • @garyc39
    @garyc39 Před 3 lety +6

    A person never really gets away with murder.He has to live with it for the rest of his life.

    • @TheBeautifulWindsofAragon
      @TheBeautifulWindsofAragon Před 3 lety +11

      Unfortunately, that only goes for people that have the ability to feel guilt. Too much evidence around that this is not true for everyone.

    • @TheyGotAwayWithMurder
      @TheyGotAwayWithMurder  Před 3 lety +1

      I believe you are right, Gary - none of the people I have written about in these essays have ever managed to fully escape the consequences of their actions - perhaps one or two were outwardly unrepentant (Madeleine Smith springs to mind) but my impression is that they all seemed to be stalked by the terrible secret they could not share with another soul...

    • @TheBeautifulWindsofAragon
      @TheBeautifulWindsofAragon Před 3 lety +3

      @@TheyGotAwayWithMurder If that's true, there is some comfort (if one can use that word in this context) in that, that evil deeds in some way or other haunts the people committing them. I just wonder how much of that was connected to social stigma, and not people regretting or feeling guilty for their acts?

    • @robertgiles9124
      @robertgiles9124 Před 2 lety +1

      We also have to live with trite cliches too. Its like murder of the Language. smh

  • @Trampas8
    @Trampas8 Před 2 lety +2

    So well written and narrated; many thanks.

  • @katesleuth1156
    @katesleuth1156 Před rokem +4

    Where was he going that day on his bike? Red flags started to go up for me when he met her outside the uncle’s house. It wasn’t like a love smitten 15 yr. old, this man was clearly much older than her, which is creepy.

  • @tammyandersonparker3068
    @tammyandersonparker3068 Před 3 lety +3

    Great writing and narration 👍🏽👍🏽

  • @addie_is_me
    @addie_is_me Před 3 lety +3

    If the jury was not allowed to know of his past crimes, then they only really had the green bike and type of gun. That’s bad, but in comparison to what his attorney could paint of him an officer in France, a teacher...

  • @cricket8438
    @cricket8438 Před 4 lety +7

    Wonderful channel. Extremely interesting.
    Thank you. 😊😊

  • @TREVASLARK
    @TREVASLARK Před 2 lety +10

    Mr. Maguire, I must really thank you. I'd bought a book of the "Green Bicycle Murder" some time ago. It was extremely detailed - too much so, in fact. It provided several hypotheses about how Bella came to be shot, besides that of being killed deliberately by Mr. Light. It gave drawings of the trajectory of the bullet, pictures of the surrounding area, and offered the idea that it could have been Mr. Light, or even a local hunter who shot her accidentally.
    All very interesting, but far too confusing.
    You have whittled this story down nicely, and the jury is in, for me at least :
    Mr. Light shot her.
    He was probably a bit narcissistic and mentally unstable, and given to tantrums. He may not have meant to kill her, but he shot at her as she walked away (that would explain the odd angle of the bullet's trajectory) simply because he was........excuse the expression..... p.o.'d because she rejected him.

  • @michaelknapp8961
    @michaelknapp8961 Před 3 lety +7

    If the cops didn’t become aware of him, I believe strongly he would have done it again. I’m a lay person that’s read a lot of books on serial killers and this guy fits a lot of characteristics. I bet he thought about killing a stranger over and over again in his head just waiting and hoping an opportunity would arise. He saw her on her bike and decided this was the one and went ahead with it. I thought it was interesting that he confessed to the cop. He couldn’t just leave it alone and go on with his life. He had to say something. This is the ultimate gratification. This was an interesting case. They should have brought up his past criminal history in court. It was very relevant. The guy was clearly guilty.

    • @sophieseeker929
      @sophieseeker929 Před 3 lety

      Michael Knapp there were mentioned incidents ca very young girls PED OPH ILE . Its also his profile.

    • @Nikki_the_G
      @Nikki_the_G Před 3 lety

      Could have been his 20th murder for all we know. But he killed someone with a million witnesses so he actually sounds pretty stupid, criminally speaking. Murder was so much easier to get away with back then and he didn't even bother to hide his identity. I guess he was that secure in his privilage. And he was right, in the end.

    • @michaelknapp8961
      @michaelknapp8961 Před 3 lety

      @@dougtaylor2803 why would you say that?

  • @scottlewisparsons9551
    @scottlewisparsons9551 Před 3 lety +4

    Thank you for another great video. I am a new subscriber and have now watched three videos on this very wet winter’s day in Sydney, Australia. Very interesting and...sort of...enjoyable.

  • @LuckyLucky-xp2sz
    @LuckyLucky-xp2sz Před 3 lety +7

    Awwww I really really love this British accent and reading. It gives me some familial kind of experience. So soothing. Thank you very much for this.

  • @kleedhamhobby
    @kleedhamhobby Před 3 lety +10

    I grew up in the area concerned with this case, and frequently cycled myself along the roads concerned. And I have a more direct connection with it - my Grandfather owned a green bicycle, and, in the aftermath to this case, when police had publicized the fact that they were seeking 'the man with the green bicycle', my grandfather found that he could not ride his bicycle without being remarked and shouted at, so he hid his bicycle away until publicity about the case blew over. By the way, Stoughton is pronounced stow-ton, not staw-ton.

    • @MsDormy
      @MsDormy Před 3 lety +3

      It’s amazing that we get your own recollections added to Mr Maguire‘s thoughtful documentary, even after all these years. I can imagine the stigma your granddad suffered on the account of his bicycle. What a story! Thank you for sharing :-)

  • @Shannon-rq2hc
    @Shannon-rq2hc Před 3 lety +2

    So happy I found this amazing channel. Thank you 🙏🏻