STRANGULATION VERDICT ON MARIE WEST

Grey River Argus, 24 April 1948, Page 5

STRANGULATION VERDICT ON MARIE WEST

MEDICAL EVIDENCE SUGGESTS SUICIDE

P.A. WELLINGTON, April 23. Finding that Marie Emily West died by strangulation, on or-about. July 7, last year, Deputy-Coroner R. M. Morgan said that, on the evidence'before him at the inquest to-day, he could not hold that the deceased, committed suicide by self strangulation.

“There is no evidence as to whether the strangulation was self caused or otherwise,” he said. Evidence had been given by two pathologists that inferences to be drawn from the conaition in which the body was found and from the strangulation cord and the manner- in which it was tied were such that they preferred the assumption of self strangulation, but neither would exclude the possibility of homicidal strangulation. Detective-Inspector J. Bruce Young, represented the police, and Mr W. E. Leicester watched the interests of the West family. Mr R. M'. Morgan, Deputy Coronerresumed to-day the inquest on Marie Emily West, ..aged 17 i, who disappeared from her home on the evening of July 7, 1947, and her body was later found on the slopes of Mount Victoria. About forty witnesses are being called. The inspector in charge of the detective branch of the Central Police Station, .Mr J. B. Young, ;i appeared for the police and Mr W. E. Leicester watched the proceedings on behalf of ‘the West family. “I would like to say that. The police investigations, which have been very thorough, have proved that the moral character of the deceased was excellent,” said Inspector Young. Photographs of the body taken as it was lying on Mount Victoria were produced by Sergeant J. Colclough, also prints showing details of a cord encircling the neck of the corpse and a white mark of the base of the skull. The body had been almost entirely covered by branches or scrub. Mr Leicester asked if it -was not correct that there was to the east of where the body was lying and further up the town belt a well-de-fined path with access to Falliser Road at one end and Marjoribanks Street at the other. Witness agreed that there was a path. Lynda Marcia West, mother of deceased, said the last time she saw Marie alive was about 7.35 p.m. on July 7. Marie left home at 13 . McIntyre Avenue, to meet a friend, Cynthia Barrett, at Courtenay Place at 7.40 p.m. The girls were going to attend a Catholic Youth Movement meeting. Her husband had been working overtime at his employment in Adelaide Road. Pier son, Terence, had been out and had not returned home at about 10 p.m. Mr West came home about 9.20 p.m. Both he and witness had retired to bed shortly after his return, the other children, Jean, Elizabeth and Peter, having gone to bed earlier. “About 10.30 p.m.” said witness, “I noticed a light reflecting in the sitting room and thought it was the light in the kitchen and that Marie had arrived back home. I then went to sleep and did not wake up until 6.45 next morning. My husband, when he brought me a cup. of tea, said he did not think Terry had returned home the night before. I got up and found Terry was in bed. The next thing my daughter Elizabeth told me Marie had not returned home. I had a look in her bedroom and found her bed had not been slept in. The others told me not to worry as Marie had probably stayed the night somewhere after, possibly, feeling sick. “My husband left for his work at 7.40 a.m. Although I knew Marie was supposed to have met Cynthia the night previously I did not make any inquiries of her, nor did I ask any of the family to do so. I asked Jean to ring Abbott’s laboratories, where Marie was employed. Cynthia lives at 6 Doctors’ Common, which is adjacent to Mclntyre Avenue.” Witness proceeded to describe the clothes Marie had been wearing w-hen she left the hotise. When it was discovered that Marie had not returned home or turned up at work, her sister Jean went to the home of Cynthia Barrett. There she learnt that Marie had not met Cynthia the night before. Marie’s father was informed of this by telephone at his place of employment and it was decided that he should report the girl’s disappearance to the police, which he did next day.” Witness said Marie was quite happy at home and there was no reason for her to run away. She had had no affairs with men and had always been quite straightforward with her parents. Her associates were all boys and girls around her own age. Marie was a bright, haopy girl. Though she would sbmetimes sit quietly and read, she was never despondent. She was quick-temper-ed, but got on well with her family and there were never any disputes with her.

One evening during the washing of the dishes there was a slight argument. Her father spoke to her and she ran into the bathroom, receiving a “black eye” as she did so through hitting her head against the bathroom door. The “black eye” was not caused by her father. Marie was inclined to romance sometimes, particularly about boys. She said one night she had been to a party when she had only been to the pictures and a dance with Cynthia Barrett. Marie was highly strung but not hysterical. In February, 1947, she was operated on for appendicitis, and afterwards she was all right for a while, but sometimes complained of pains in the head.

Witness added: I knew Marie was not the type of girl to run away with anyone or to go in a car with a strange person. If anyone attempted to molest Marie she would struggle fiercely against it. She was fond of going to dances on Saturday night, but was never late home.

Witness said the name “Joe” had occasionaly been mentioned in the house by Marie. She knew that the police had received an anonymous message in which that name had been used. On the evening of July 7 Marie was running a bit late for keeping her appointment with Cynthia Barrett. Witness understood she had had an upset at her place I of employment on the Monday. She did not have any row or upset witli the family prior to leaving home. Witness had never heard Marie say she had reason to leave home. Her ■condition at no time would indicate 1 that she had suicidal tendencies. Witness was sure she had not taken her life. Mrs Wiest said her son Terence had arrived home from J Force on the previous, day. He brought presents for all the family, including Marie. There was a particularly happy family atmosphere at the time. Marie was the moving spirit in any celebrations. She was a normal girl at all times and had a fun-loving temperament. Witness told Mr Leicester of the sports in which Marie had participated. She was allowed out to dances or pictures on Friday nights but, apart from meetings at the Cathode Youth Movement, she was not in the habit of going out on other nights. I Mr Leicester: Are you satisfied that

she had no serious attachment for any man? Witness: Quite satisfied. I was very alarmed, r knew it had been her intention to go out with Cynthia Barrett. No inquiries were made from the Barretts until the afternoon of July 8. Cynthia leaves for her work early in the morning, and I knew she would not be there. I had never been to Cynthia’s home. Mrs Barrett was seen when inquiries were subsequently made. She said Cynthia came home about 8.10 and said that Marie had not met her. To Mr Leicester, witness said it was about 1.40 p.m. that she learned from Mrs Barrett that. Marie had not met Cvnthia. FATHER’S EVIDENCE

The second witness was William George West, father of the deceased. He said that tne last time ne nau seen his daughter, Mar:.?, alive, was about 7.40 on the morning of July 7 last. He did not return home tnat day. until about 9 p.m., and when he rose at 6.30 next morning, his daughter. Elizabeth told him Marie nad not returned home the previous evening. At that time he had no reason to suppose anything serious had happened to his daughter. He informed his wife about Marie not coming home. Witness said that the deceased had been ill off and on since she had an operation on her appendix in February of that year. He had reported Marie’s disappearance to the ponce on the afternoon of July 8. Witness said there was still no trace of Marie when he returned from work at five p.m. on July 8, and, after again discussing the matter with his family, he came to a conclusion, which he suosequently expressed, that they would never see Marie again. Witness said that he had no speciiic reason for saying this. He diu not thins Marie was the type* of girl who would run away with another person. The witnes said that he had not made any personal inquiries about Marie’s disappearance. He thought that she may* have been‘taken away from Hawker Street by somebody in a car whom she might nave known. He had no specific reason for thinking this. .. x me witness then gave evidence to the effect that he had identnied the body at the Wellington Morgue on October 6, 1947, as being that of his daughter Marie. He also had identinea .a watch taken from the body as that, which Marie' had been wearing on the night of her disappearance. The witness said that he remembered when the police reported having received an anonymous telephone message that Marie had gone ofi. with “Joe,” described' as a member of the J Force, but the name Joe was commonly used by Marie at home when referring to people she knew Witness said that he had never done anything that w’ouiu cause Mane to wish to leave home. Her condition .never suggested that she naa suiciaai tendencies. To Mr Leicester, the witness said that, from the rear of his house where it abutted on the Town Belt to the place where the body was found —about sixty yards—there was dense scrub, and no one would normally go through it. He had always rejected any theory that Marie might nave gone off with someone. He was satisfied that Marie had no special friend of the name of Joe.

SISTER’SEViDENCE Jean Francis West, sister of the deceased, said in evidence that she had never heard her sister mention being friendly with a boy named Joe, and she had. no idea what the .message could have referred to. Witness descirbed an incident which, she stated, occurred about eight months before Marie had disappeared. She said that her fattier had struck Marie with his hand as the result of some cheek, and, as a consequence, Marie had a black eye. Witness said that the incident was a most unusual one As far as she knew, Marie was perfect!-’ happy, and had formed no attachment whatsoever..

Terence John West, aged nineteen, and a brother of the deceased, said that he had gone to Japan in June, 1946, and he arrived home on July 6,. 1947. On July 7, he left home about ten p.m., returning at one a.m. the next morning. His mother told him in the morning that she was worried as Marie had not come home.

Doctor Suggests Self Strangulation

Doctor J. O. Mercer, .pathologist, of the Wellington Public Hospital, desert oed the postmortem on October 6. A double and twisted length of string was, found round the neck, knotted towards the tront. ft was a complicated knot which did not slip, even when a heavy , weight was hung by it for a long time. The circular loop of string was. three inches in diameter —too small to go round the neck of a person of the dead girl’s build while she was alive without causing strangulation. The loose ends were four and a half inches and fhree inches in length. One appeared to have been cut.

.after giving detailed medical evidence Dy Mercer outlined the following conclusions: —- Death occurred about three months before the body was found. The body had lam undisturbed where it was found all that time. The body was found in a position which would not have been voluntarily taken up—it had been placed there. The cause of death was strangulation by string. The double granny knot would have been difficult to tie. The deceased could herself have done it as easily as anyone else. In his opinion findings were more reasonably explained by self-strangulation. The short ends indicated interference with the string after death. There were no broken bones.

To Mr Leicester (for the West family) witness said that in forming his opinion of self-strangulation, in the absence of neck tissues, he was drawing his inferences more from the manner in which the string was tied, and from the string itself. He could not entirely exclude that the string could have been placed there by someone else. His opinion that the string was cut was formed at the time that he did the post-mortem examination, and it had heen fortified by tests carried out by Dominion laboratories. ANOTHER DOCTOR INFERS SUICIDE Doctor F. P. Lynch, pathologist, said that he had examined the cord and other post-mortem exhibits, and the evidence, and he favoured the theory of self-strangulation put forward by Dr Mercer. Self-strangula-tion was often the result of a gesture savouring of exhibitionism. In some such cases, unconsciousness so quickly supervened that a sham became a reality. To Mr Leicester: He said that selfstrangulation in this case was purely an inference, based not only on medical, but on other considerations. There was the factor that there was a substantial evidence of absence of sexual assault. On the material available, he did not feel that homicidal

strangulation could be ruled out. But he preferred the other view.

Charles William Brandt, scientist on the staff of the Dominion Laboratory, said he examined the strangulation string. He carried out tests on similar string. It. was improbable that the ncose had carried the full weight of the bodv. To Mr Young: He said he was satisfied that tension had been anplied on the even ends after the knot had been tied. The end of the twine bore the appearance of having been cut after starngulation. Dorothy Helen Warr said she had known deceased since November. 1946. As they walked along Hawker Street on one occasion, the deceased said to her: “One day I will walk down this street, and I might not come back, and Mum will be sorry”. There was no conversation leading up to Marie’s remark. . It would have heen made one night about the end of February, 1947. Witness said she gathered that Marie had some words with her mother, adding that girls of 16 and their mothers did not always see eye to eye. Arron William O’Brien. Railway Workshops employee, said the deceased had told him, in June, that “she was not getting a fail’ pop at home", and she. was thinking or leaving. '

To Mr Leicester: Witness said the , complaint. ’ seemed to.be that, she . thought they were getting her to. domere than others of the. family did. Evidence of police investigations was given by several officers. Mr Leicester called two relatives, who testified to the happy conditions and relations in the West home. Addressing the Coroner, Mr Leices- . ter said he hoped the Coroner would . have the greatest hesitation before ■ he considered visiting the unfortunate West family with an additional burden—that of a finding that their daughter had committed suicide. The only evidence that might support this ( lay in the evidence of two doctors arid Mr Brandt. Neither doctor ex- ; eluded the possibility of homicidal . strangulation. , , “With respect, the verdict -mould , be open", he said. “Any suicide finding would carry an implication that, her parents were so unnatural as to . stand by through all the hue and cry ■ knowing where the body was”.