Recently, a newspaper report stated that a man of 91 had confessed to Canadian authorities that he was responsible for a murder way back, just after WW2. He had emigrated to Canada in 1951. He was now living in a care home, but had no memory of his alleged victim`s name or precisely when it had occurred. Scotland Yard were informed and a search of unsolved murders in Soho, London, produced the case of 26 year old Margaret Cook, who had been shot by a man in an alleyway in Carnaby Street in November 1946. The files revealed that she had argued with a man who was carrying a firearm, and shouted that he was armed. A former Policeman approached but was told by the man that it was none of his business. Then a shot was heard and the woman collapsed. Some passers-by chased the man but he managed to elude them by Oxford Circus Tube Station. A description was distributed and within days, a construction worker from Scotland was named as a possible suspect. However, this lead fizzled out.
Margaret Cook had been working as a dancer and singer at The Blue Lagoon nightclub but it was said by Police that in reality she was a prostitute, hailing from Bradford. Her maiden name was Willis and had married a Bradford labourer named Joe Cook. She had a criminal record of delinquency and had been sent to a borstal unit - in the USA, this would be called Juvenile Hall - and that she had left her husband within a year and moved down to London.
The old man claimed that she was giving him a verbal volley and that she had also conned him out of money. He was shown a line up of photographs and he correctly identified Margaret Cook. He was now diagnosed with cancer and it seemed he wanted to clear his conscience. British authorities are said to be applying for his extradition, but he has not been named, quite rightly, as he has not been charged with any crime. Will it go through? Only time will tell.
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