SEARCH FOR MURDERER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22316, 29 April 1947, Page 6

SEARCH FOR MURDERER

WIDESPREAD INQUIRIES CRIME WELL PLANNED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 23. Dozens of persons who think that between 5.45 p.m. and 7.45 p.m. on Monday last they saw a person answering the description of Mr. Francis Roy Wilkins, aged 47. garage proprietor, who was murdered and robbed in Wellington during this p-riod, or who think they saw a car similar to his at. (he time stated, have communicated with the police. It will take a considerable amount of investigation to establish whether it was actually Mr. Wilkins and his car which the informants saw, and to get such information as is proved reliable into its correct relationship with the movements of Mr. Wilkins or whoever had his car. His light blue felt hat was found on the foreshore at Evans Bay on Saturday night, close to where the body was washed up. Presumably the hat was thrown off the retaining wall at the same time as the body, or was on Mr. Wiikins' head. The hat appeared to have been in the water for several days until the sea. as in the case of the body, brought it ashore. The crime appears to have been committed with such rapidity as to leave little doubt that it was carefully planned.