John Christie's Victim's
See also - John Christie's STORY.
Ruth Fuerst:
Christie's first victim was Ruth, 21, a munitions worker who worked part time as a prostitute in order to make some extra cash. On 24th August 1943, while his wife Ethel was away visiting family, Christie bought Ruth back to his home for sex, during which he strangled her. He then hid her body under the living room floorboards before burying her in the back the garden, where she remained until police discovered her skeletal remains.
Muriel Amelia Eady:
Muriel Amelia Eady, 31, was a colleague of Christie's at a radio factory, where he worked after leaving the special police force. She had been suffering from bronchitis and Christie told her he had a special homemade remedy which would help her. On 7th October 1944, again whilst Ethel was visiting family, Christie invited Muriel to his home where she was told to inhale the special remedy from a jar he had set up with a tube and mouthpiece attached. At first all she was inhaled was Friars Balsam, but then Christie added domestic gas to the mix via a second tube. When she fell unconscious Christie raped her, strangling her as he did so, he then buried her in the garden alongside Ruth Fuerst.
Beryl and Geraldine Evans:
Beryl Evans, 20, lived with her husband Timothy, 25 and their 13 month old daughter Geraldine, in the top floor flat of 10 Rillington Place. They were Christie's neighbours. Late 1949, Timothy told police his wife was dead but an initial search of the home failed to determine anything A second search, which included the out houses, led to the grim discovery of Beryl and Geraldine's bodies in the wash house. Beryl had been 16 weeks pregnant. Timothy told police he believed Christie had performed a botched abortion on Beryl leading to her death, he didn't know Geraldine was dead too until police told him. (They had actually both been strangled and wrapped in a table cloth) For whatever reason Timothy confessed to killing them himself, he later retracted his statement but it made little difference. Christie denied having any involvement and testified at Timothy's trial that the Evans' marriage had been a physically and mentally violent one. Timothy was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. However, after his arrest in 1953 Christie confessed to killing Beryl but denied killing Geraldine. In 2003, Timothy Evans was exonerated from killing his family. However, it was bitter sweet since Timothy was hanged 50 years previously as punishment for the murders. Timothy Evans and the unborn baby are another two victims of Christie's, whose death could have been prevented had the police searched the property correctly, along with the rest of Christie's following victims....
Ethel Christie:
Ethel, 54, Christie's wife, fell foul of her husband on 14th December 1952. The pair had been arguing a lot and were generally just not getting on. Ethel was beginning to tire of her husband, who by this point was unemployed. He had obviously had enough of her too because that night he strangled her in bed (she wasn't raped) before hiding her body under the living room floorboards, where he had temporarily put Ruth Fuerst. People started to questions Ethel's whereabouts so Christie made up stories of how she had gone to stay with relatives and to those relatives he wrote to them explaining that he was writing on Ethel's behalf because her rheumatoid was fairing up so she couldn't write for herself. Although they were suspicious, nobody looked into it further.
Rita Nelson:
Rita Nelson, 25, was Christie's 6th Victim. Having discovered she was pregnant, Rita made "arrangements" for Christie to take care of her situation by performing an illegal abortion. When she arrived at his flat Christie used the same gassing technique he had used on Muriel Eady. As soon as Rita was unconscious Christie strangled her as he raped her. Her body was hidden in an alcove in the kitchen.
Kathleen Maloney:
Katherine Maloney was no stranger to Christie, he had paid for her services before. In early 1953 Christie learned that Katherine was looking for a place to live. He invited her to 10 Rillington Place on the pretence of viewing the flat above his. Its unsure how he went about it but somehow Christie managed to render Katherine unconscious via his gassing glass technique he'd used on the others. True to his MO, Christie strangled Katherine whilst he raped her. He hid her in the alcove alongside Rita Nelson.
Hectorina MacLennan:
Hectorina MacLennan was Christie's final Victim. She and her boyfriend , Alex Baker, had gotten to know Christie quite well and the three of them would often meet up together. On March 6th 1953, Christie convinced Hectorina to come to his flat alone. Once she was inside he proceeded to rape and strangle her, just as he had done to his other victims. When her boyfriend enquired whether Christie had seen her, he denied knowing anything and continued to act concerned for her whereabouts, all the time knowing she was hidden in the alcove in his kitchen with Katherine Maloney and Rita Nelson.
See also - John Christie's STORY.