The Unsolved Murder of George Black

Another delve into the unsolved casebook, concerns an audacious robbery and murder where the killer showed himself to witnesses in the most bizarre way.  The victim was Bank Manager George Black, head of Lloyds Bank, located in Broad Walk in Bristol.  It  was on Friday January 7th 1949 that a very smartly dressed young man wearing spectacles entered the bank.  This seemingly pleasant young man told Mr Black he was waiting for an acquaintance to show up, and that he would politely wait until his arrival, and he sat down.  He said the name of the person he was waiting for was Murray.  By 3pm, he started to write a note to the "Mr Murray" which read "See you Monday.  Missed you today. Joe".  But there was a customer in the bank, John Rowe, who was uneasy about the man sat waiting.  He felt there was something wrong about him and he may have been planning something.  Mr Rowe left the bank and dialled 999, telling Police about the man and believing something was about happen.

    At 3.30pm, a man ran out of the bank and jumped into a car.  Mr Rowe was waiting outside, and seeing the man race to this car, he ran over and leapt onto the running board in an attempt to stop him.  The driver punched Mr Rowe, to get him off the car.  He ran to a phone and again dialled 999.  When the Police arrived, they found George Black dead inside the bank.  Tills had been rifled and a haul of £1,430 taken.  John Rowe gave Police a description of the young man and details about the car.  It was an Austin 16 and its registration was JHY 812, but Police were never able to trace either.  Nine months later, another bank robbery took place, with the manager being shot to death.  This occurred in a small town called Alston, near Penrith.  The gunman however, did not escape.  He was cornered by Police, so he took his own life.  He was identified as a 25 year old former Army officer named Charles Corbett Kennedy.  Was he the man who killed George Black?