This unsolved murder is one that is being re-examined with the latest advances in forensic technology by the newly set up Murder Review Group. This savage and horrific murder took place in broad daylight in a congested area, on June 6th 1991. The victim was 43 year old businesswoman Ruth Penelope Bell, a married woman with two children, from Denham in Buckinghamshire.
Born in February 1948, she helped start up a successful catering agency based in Kilburn, North London. On June 6th, she left her home, telling workmen who were doing jobs on her house, that she was off to an appointment. This appointment was not noted in her diary. Later she was found stabbed to death in her car in Perivale, Greenford, in West London. She had been stabbed FIFTY times! Another unusual occurence was that she drew just over £8,000 from an account, yet this was not noted in any of her record books, despite the fact that she was very meticulous. Witnesses came forward saying that they had seen her in the car with another man, mouthing the words "Help me!" yet they did nothing. Others told how she drove very slowly with her hazard warning lights flashing, causing a traffic build-up, but yet again, nobody did anything. Then a forensic report stated that the passenger had stabbed her from his seat but had to have gotten out of the car and walked around to the drivers door, to carry on the attack. Yet again, no person intervened!
Theories have sprung up that she was being blackmailed, this accounting for the money withdrawal and not keeping a record. If this was a pay-off gone badly, then what reason was there for the frenzied attack? Another theory was that she was meeting a secret lover. This has been dismissed by her husband and friends. One man has claimed that he was to become her lover but was surprisingly tight-lipped about his supposed involvement with her, to Police. This has led to his claim being dismissed.
So what does the attack on Mrs Bell tell us? For such a frenzied attack and so many wounds, the assailant would have to be well known to her, and the attack says immense rage was being directed against her and the killer literally wanted to obliterate her. Nobody knows any person wielding such anger and venom towards her. That leaves a mentally disturbed person. Somebody like Robert Napper. He lived not far away from the scene, and he had already committed three KNOWN murders; Rachel Nickell and Samantha & Jazmine Bissett. Rachel Nickell - the woman Paul Britton and Keith Pedder were so sure had been murdered by Colin Stagg. DCS Mick Banks had believed that Napper was the Green Chain Rapist and the murderer of the Bissetts and Rachel. Who was right? Napper has been interviewed over this murder and two other similiar cases. Time will tell if he is a modern Jack the Ripper.
Having read all the accounts in the public domain of this awful murder, I am struck that, given the frenzied nature of the attack,the likelyhood is a stranger, possibly paranoid schizophrenic, was the culprit. I'm not convinced that Penny did know her murderer.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe she was being blackmailed because she withdrew £8500 from her joint account and not a savings, business or personal account. The sizeable withdrawal would gain the immediate attention from the joint account holders and that would lead to questions and thereafter, should she confess, it defeated the whole object of paying a blackmailer.
One possible scenario is that, whilst Penny was in stationary traffic, the murderer may have spotted her whilst crossing the road in front of her car and decided that she was his target. At this, he would have opened the car door, taking Penny by surprise, and threatened her with a knife/ sharp object. The murderer may also have been in quite an advanced state of a paranoid delusion. I will assume that he would have forced Penny to drive until he got to a point where the car could be parked. This would have placed the murderer back in full control.
The pointers to it being an attack by a mentally ill person are the location, the prolonged frenzied nature of the attack and particularly the use of knife or sharp object. The M.O, the lack of regard for the location and time of day or even the awareness of these facts has to point to somebody who is not thinking about the consequence of their actions. I am convinced that the murderer is a paranoid schizophrenic that is local to the borough.
Hi Mr B, many thanks for your comments on the Penny Bell murder. This is the sort of debate I like to try and encourage, and your comments are very welcome. Everybody has their own scenarios and I spend much time discussing psychological aspects of cases with my wife whom had worked as a medical secretary to a consultant psychiatrist for ten years. Would you like me to put your thoughts up as an additional post on the Bell murder? This will only be with your permission. Thank you, Daryl
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DeleteMr W, as an aside, not far from the murder scene, is the river Brent. It can be easily accessed across the field and is where a possible clean up and removal of top could have taken place. The assailant would not look out of place without a top on if the weather was bright and sunny. A further aside is that St Bernadettes Hospital is a direct walk from Greenford Broadway. A check on traffic reports would determine whether or not it would be feasible that Penny turned off the A40 and was driving alongside it to avoid the possible hold up.
ReplyDeleteAll I am offering up is an alternative scenario and the possibilities that lead me to think why Penny would be on that road at that time.
Sometimes, especially in these types of cases, too much effort and attention is wasted on the salacious possibilities and other scenarios are dismissed.
Again, thanks for your reply. This puts more information on possible scenarios, as I do not known the area of the murder at all. Many thanks, as it gives me much more to contemplate. Daryl
Deletei believe penny knew her killer. napper could not get into her car without being seen by another motorist. there was wallpaper sample on the console between the seats, as if penny was showing it to someone. she mentioned to the builders that she had an appointment at 950am.
ReplyDeleteHi Lee, many thanks for your comments on the the murder of Penny. My apologies for not responding sooner as I have been offline for three months due to technical difficulties. Another reader has given me two other possible scenarios for what happened, and yours is most welcome. this is something I enjoy as you then have to think and speculate much wider. I still think Napper is a good suspect due to the horrific overkill, and only when he is firmly and positively ruled out, will I change my view that he is a good suspect, but only a suspect. I also believe he is a good one for the murder of Jean bradley. Thanks again, Daryl
ReplyDeleteWolfie, I see why Napper could be suspected but the MO, victims and locale are too different. Napper raped or sexually assaulted as part of his MO. Given the Plumstead rapes were in 1989, Penny Bell was murdered without any sign of sexual assault in 1991 and then Napper goes on to attempt rape and sexually assault in March 1992 before murdering Rachel Nickell on Wimbledon common. Jean Bradleys murder was in April 1993, again without any sexual motive, and then Samantha Bisset and her daughter are murdered in a sexually motivated attack in November 1993. The three main pointers of Nappers reality are physical control, sexual control and he developed the murder aspect after Plumstead as a way of punishing his victims as he blamed them for his actions. Nappers victims were all young. Penny and Jean were 43 and 47 respectively. In the West London stabbings, I firmly believe the perpetrator to be young, a paranoid schizophrenic and local to the area. In witness statements for both victims, they describe the murderer as having a wiry build with shoulder length hair. This is not a description that matches Napper.
ReplyDeleteHello again, Mr B, I really do like your insights into this case, as I do try to encourage differing views. I have had a couple of different scenarios from other viewers, and there is one who has done a lot of research into Napper`s background, and is convinced that not only did he kill Jean & Penny but also puts him in the frame for at least four others. This can only be speculation and only can the truth be known by positive evidence but it makes us think. We must not get caught up in the "Criminal Minds" scene, where all offenders behave textbook. Ridgway did not kill most of the prostitutes he went with, Ramirez did not kill all his victims, Bobby Joe Long let a victim live, which led to his downfall. My point is that Napper is a good suspect, but we can all be wrong. Hopefully, one day the truth will out. Respect Daryl
Deletepenny bells husband alistair lived with a man before he married penny. some detectives on the case speculated it was his ex lover that killed penny.
DeleteHello Lee, many thanks for your email. This is something that has not made it into the public domain. It certainly puts a perspective on the case, but some may argue that gay men are only violent to other men. An intriguing clue. Thank you, Lee. Regards, Daryl
ReplyDeletei agree gay men are not violent to women. i have a real crime case file on the penny bell case.
ReplyDeleteHello again, Lee, if you want to share more of what you know, feel free and I will put it up. No doubt you have read the various comments from other readers. It`s good to spark debate. Regards, Daryl
ReplyDeletei have done research on robert napper. i dont think his MO fits penny bell or jean bradley as both women were not sexually assaulted. he was also suspected of killing claire tiltman, but a man named colin ash smith was charged with her murder.
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