The Murder of Ivy Virgin

Ivy Virgin was a happily married woman with a family, but she also enjoyed an active social life with her circle of friends.  She lived in Boston in Lincolnshire, and on November 19th 1970, she did her usual routine of chores, such as preparing packed lunches for her son and husband, going out, coming back home and preparing tea then off out again with her friends.  She would then come home late in the evening, but that day was turn to fatal for the 57 year old.  She was returning to her home in Jubilee Avenue, when her husband heard a noise and scratching at the front door.  He opened it to find his wife covered in blood and bleeding heavily.  Her husband desperately tried to stem the blood flow, whilst her son raced to a telephone to call for an ambulance.  It was 11.30pm.

    The ambulance rushed her to the Pilgrim Hospital but she died at 1.00am.  This was now murder.  The questions were; who had committed it?  And why?  Five hours later, at 6.00am a Home Office Pathologist carried out an autopsy.  Present was a scientific officer from Forensics and four detectives.   The Pathologist stated the injuries were ghastly, and inflicted in a clubbing motion.  Then something was spotted in an x-ray.  Embedded in her shoulder was the tip of a knife.  A great deal of people were questioned over the killing, but the case ran cold.  But not for too long.....

    The following year, 1971, during the summertime, a shoplifter was arrested.  In his possession was a knife with the tip missing.  His address was in Jubilee Avenue.  This immediately connected with the Police, who had the knife sent to the Forensics laboratory In Nottingham.  The knife and the tip were a perfect match.  Police now knew they had the killer of Ivy Virgin.  The shoplifter was 15 year old Ray Baxter, who confessed when presented with the knife evidence.  Baxter it turned out, was a peeping tom, who liked to watch courting couples and looking through house windows.  He was about to approach the windows of the Virgin household, when Ivy caught him.  Baxter responded by producing a knife and wildly stabbing and slashing at the defenceless woman.  Because he was a juvenile, he was ordered to be detained for an unspecified period, but he was deemed fit for release whilst in his twenties.  Baxter responded to this kind and civilised gesture by going out and violently raping a woman.  This put him back inside for many years.  I wonder if the parole board still think their decision was right?