Huddersfield: The Murder of Dorothy Wood

Explicit content warning

10/22/18 • 25 min

In May 1996, ninety-four year old Dorothy Wood said goodnight to her care worker who had come by to get her ready for bed. Profoundly deaf and crippled by arthritis, Dorothy struggled to complete even the most simplest of household tasks, but she was adamant she would keep her independence. The following morning when family friends arrived to help her out of bed and get her breakfast, they found that someone had broken into the house and Dorothy had been murdered. It would not take long for police to hone in on a suspect, but would they have the right man?

Following each episode of Katherine Kelly's brand new TV series Murdertown, Benjamin Fitton from They Walk Among Us unpicks a new case from each location. Watch Murdertown exclusively on Crime+Investigation in the UK every Monday at 9pm from 3rd September and then straight after listen to a brand new story right here with the Murdertown podcast. You can get in touch using #Murdertown on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Crime+Investigation's Murdertown podcast is hosted by Benjamin Fitton, written by Anna Priestland, produced by Sam Pearson and Chloe Frost, and edited by James Collopy.

SOURCES

GENERAL

https://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/who-killed-dorothy-wood-crime-14184036

CAUGHT 1998

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/235721.stm

CLEARED

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/experts-unique-earprint-evidence-overturned-as-courts-clear-man-of-murder-74963.html’

https://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/murder-spinster-stays-mystery-5092265

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1452346/Expert-evidence-flaws-clear-earprint-killer.html

EVIDENCE

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/jan/23/ukcrime1

https://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/new-look-dorothys-murder-case-5063931

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1364060/Prisoners-to-appeal-as-unique-earprint-evidence-is-discredited.html

COURT OF APPEALS

http://netk.net.au/UK/Dallagher.asp

FREED AFTER 7 YEARS

https://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/cleared-murder-after-seven-years-5092262

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/judge-frees-earprint-murder-case-man-1-2540588

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/man-convicted-on-ear-prints-is-freed-185827.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crime+Investigation's Murdertown podcast is hosted by Benjamin Fitton, written by Anna Priestland, produced by Sam Pearson and Chloe Frost, and edited by James Collopy.

SOURCES

GENERAL

https://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/who-killed-dorothy-wood-crime-14184036

CAUGHT 1998

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/235721.stm

CLEARED

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/experts-unique-earprint-evidence-overturned-as-courts-clear-man-of-murder-74963.html’

https://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/murder-spinster-stays-mystery-5092265

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1452346/Expert-evidence-flaws-clear-earprint-killer.html

EVIDENCE

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/jan/23/ukcrime1

https://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/new-look-dorothys-murder-case-5063931

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1364060/Prisoners-to-appeal-as-unique-earprint-evidence-is-discredited.html

COURT OF APPEALS

http://netk.net.au/UK/Dallagher.asp

FREED AFTER 7 YEARS

https://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/cleared-murder-after-seven-years-5092262

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/judge-frees-earprint-murder-case-man-1-2540588

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/man-convicted-on-ear-prints-is-freed-185827.html

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Watford: The Murder Of Gary Bennett

Early one February morning in 2010, local Watford refuse worker Gary Bennett was woken up just before 5 am with a nudge from his mum. He put on his work gear and walked out the door. Later that morning two schoolboys found Gary’s savagely beaten body in a local park. But how had Gary gotten there? He had not ridden his bike as he usually did, It wasn’t even on his route to work. Over the next few months, Hertfordshire Police would hone in on one man, but would they ever get all the answers?

Crime+Investigation's Murdertown podcast is hosted by Benjamin Fitton, written by Anna Priestland, produced by Sam Pearson and Chloe Frost, and edited by James Collopy.

SOURCES

Photos - https://www.heart.co.uk/watfordhemel/news/local/watford-bin-man-murder/gary-bennett-murder-8/

Timeline - http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/nostalgia/gary_bennett_murder_trial/

CCTV footage - http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/video/97230/?page=4

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/5025312.Breaking_news__Man_s_body_found_in_park

https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/5028744.Murder_victim_worked_for_Watford_Borough_Council/

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/5063462.Man_arrested_in_Gary_Bennett_murder_investigation/

http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/5068145.Man_charged_with_Gary_Bennett_murder/

DNA evidence - https://www.forensicconnect.com/2010/10/12/blood-samples-produced-identical-dna-match-to-that-of-aldenham-country-park-murder-victim-gary-bennett/

http://www.thetottenhamindependent.co.uk/news/5071702.Murder_suspect_worked_alongside_alleged_victim/

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/5056357.Police_offer_reward_for_information_about_Gary_Bennett_s_murder/

http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/8435967.murder-suspect-julian-felisi-spoke-about-large-quantities-of-cash-carried-by-alleged-aldenham-country-park-victim-gary-bennett/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/8700469.stm

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Tyne and Wear: The Merry Widow of Windy Nook

In 1955, the small Tyne-On-Wear village of Windy Nook was like many other towns trying to build themselves back up to former glory days. The quarries were long closed, and many of the young residents had moved on to nearby cities like Sunderland or Newcastle in search of work.

Mary and John Knowles had lived in their cottage in Windy Nook since they first married. When John died of suspected Tuberculosis at 76, no one thought twice. Mary would find comfort in someone close to her, a man who could fill the void of John, but it would be short lived as he would also die shortly after.

Over the following two years, the townsfolk of Windy Nook began suspecting that something wasn’t right. Something wasn’t adding up.

Crime+Investigation's Murdertown podcast is hosted by Benjamin Fitton, written by Anna Priestland, produced by Sam Pearson and Chloe Frost, and edited by James Collopy.

SOURCES

A collection of British Newspaper Archives:

https://web.archive.org/web/20120928102916/http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/features/columnists/memories/darlington/3861932.Brassed_off_by_the_cold_and_back_again/

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001542/19571209/012/0001

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001542/19571202/053/0004

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002077/19571202/002/0001

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19571212/177/0024

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19571209/009/0003

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000560/19571202/015/0003

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000651/19571212/012/0001

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002077/19580210/024/0004

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002134/19580211/389/0017