This still unsolved murder was a notorious case that garnered national headlines. What made it sickening was that the victim, Marie Wilks, 22, was seven months pregnant. She was beaten and had her throat cut. The man convicted of the crime, was released six years later, after it was discovered that Police had withheld evidence from the defence, and that there was no proper evidence linking him to the crime. The case was supposed to have gone under a forensic review in 2008, hoping that advances in forensic technology may provide clues to the killer.
Mrs Wilks was driving home to her family home after visiting her husband at a Territorial Army Camp. The date was 18th June 1988. She inadvertently found herself going onto the M50 motorway, where her car broke down. With her was her 11 year old sister, and her 13 month old baby. She had to walk some distance along the hard shoulder to an emergency phone, and was dealing with the operator when she stopped talking. Her young sister eventually got out of the car, picking up the baby and then walked along the hard shoulder to look for her. What is astonishing is that the sight of a very young girl carrying a baby along the motorway, did not cause any concern for the hundreds of drivers who passed her! She was picked up by Police. A search was organised using men, dogs and a helicopter, when the body was found. Police issued a photofit of a blonde or light haired man seen nearby. One person thought it resembled Edward Owen Browning, a nightclub bouncer.
Eddie Browning was arrested on 25th June at a social club in Pentre. Three days later he was put on an ID parade, and the next day charged with the murder of Mrs Wilks. He went on trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court on 3rd October 1989, and convicted on 10th November. He said he had travelled up to Scotland and did not use the M50. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Naturally, the national media reported him as "The terror of the valleys." Well, many doormen have extremely violent reputations, and do carry it over into their private lives. But does this make them killers? It was reported that Brownings` wife was also seven months pregnant at the time. Eddie Browning lodged an appeal that was rejected in May 1991. But exactly three years later, it was allowed and he was released, receiving more than £600,000 in compensation. The appeal was allowed because Police had not given full disclosure of evidence. Four days before Browning was arrested, a Police Inspector, Peter Clarke was said to have remembered details from being on that motorway at the time, under hypnosis. The details did not match the car owned by Browning. His car was a Renault Hatchback, with plastic bumpers and registration number C754VAD. Inspector Clarke said it was a silver grey, non-metallic saloon, chrome bumpers and registration C856HFK. Certainly no match there. The case fell apart at the Court of Appeal.
Some years later, a man claimed that Browning had "confessed" to him that he had committed the murder. That particular man was facing a charge at the time of attacking Browning with an iron bar. Saying "he told me he did it" is not proof. There is no corroboration or evidence to support it, and as he was facing a charge......
Twenty eight years on, this case is still unresolved. Will it get continued rolling reviews which cold cases get? Hopefully, some day, the family of Mrs Wilks get closure.
Hi Suzie, I too, remember it when it happened and all the media lining up to condemn this man as the thug of South Wales, but cannot recall if any aploogies were issued by these newspapers for getting it all wrong. Obviously they will call the convicted for everything but when that person is ruled innocent by the Court of Appeal, there should be apologies by the media. Hypnosis is not a precise way to remember things and the details did not match Brownings` car. Maybe one day there will be closure. Regards Daryl
ReplyDeleteYou just contradicted yourself. You said hypnosis is not a precise way to remember things. Which it isn't of course. But then you said his (the witness) details did not match Browning's car. Well, they wouldn't would they, you just said hypnosis is unreliable. The police were mental to ever employ such nonsense...and it ultimately allowed Browning to get acquitted on a technicality when, it would seem by circumstantial evidence, he is almost certainly guilty of this grotesque crime. He even confessed to a mate he had done it, for heaven's sake!
ReplyDeleteHi Vordman, the copper Clarke`s details did not match Brownings car, so it does not stand up, simple as that, and yes it is unreliable, and that evidence proved it. If it sounds contradictory, so be it, but I know what I meant. And as for confessing to his mate, the guy was facing a serious charge, and you cannot say that somebody will never say anything to get off a charge and probably a spell inside, because they do. What corroboration was there for this confession? Remember when John Bindon was on remand and somebody said "Cor blimey guv, he told me he did it!" I knew that would never stand up without corroboration and it didn`t. On the other hand, a court believed Damien Daley claiming Michael Stone "confessed" to him, through the pipes of a cell but nobody talks about the man who made a claim about Stone and then withdrew it. No explanation why. Was it because he was not being offered the deal he expected? Thanks for your comments.
ReplyDeleteHi Wolfie, the police did a bad thing in in feeding Clarke details, no denying that. I think they were convinced of Browning's guilt and just wanted a bit extra to get them over the finishing line. He did however get some things right, the colour and make of the car, if not the model. But no one was ever going to get the reg number right, not from the briefest of glimpses from a speeding car. I think there are serious questions concerning Browning's innocence. I more or less come from the area and travel these roads regularly. Browning said when leaving the Rhondda he continued along the M4, over the (old) Severn Bridge and then up the M5. No one. Absolutely no one would take this route if driving North from the Rhondda. It's a no-brainer. You'd come off at Newport and go up through Monmouth on the A40 and then the M50 from Ross to the M5 just south of Worcester. It saves 30 miles! Dual carriageway all the way. On a pleasant Saturday evening it would take an hour on a clear road to get to the Ledbury/Gloucester junction at Bromsberrow. That puts Browning there at the time of the murder. He didn't go over the Severn Bridge, that was a lie. The camera mounted there never recorded his car passing. He also has blonde hair. Witnesses saw a blond-haired man. The majority of people in Britain have mousey hair. Striking blonde hair on a man is rare, less than 2% of the population I'm told. Browning was also proficient with a flick knife (yeah, nice guy!) something verified by many who knew him. And before leaving his home he had argued with his wife. Which kind of suggests he would have been in a foul mood. It's true nothing forensic regarding Marie Wilkes was found in his car. But he didn't fall under suspicion for days later. Plenty of time to undertake the mother of all spring cleans. And I still think the confession is relevant. His "mate" attacked him with an iron bar, which I think would be my reaction if a friend confessed to me they had slit the throat of a young woman 7 months pregnant. All adds up to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading.
Hi Vordman, sorry for not responding sooner as I have been offline since before xmas! Nice input for the case. I welcome any views with a scenario with what could have happened but I cannot say he is the killer as he was cleared by the Appeal Court - our glorious libel laws - but you know that area. I do not, coming from the Wirral. So you have a timeline and a very good grasp of details about Browning and his supposed route. A good arguement. Respectfully Daryl
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