MURDERER BETRAYED HIMSELF BY WEARING CLEAN CLOTHES

Wanganui Chronicle, 23 December 1949, Page 5

MURDERER BETRAYED HIMSELF BY WEARING CLEAN CLOTHES

LONDON, D«c. 21.—The keen observation by a Scotland Yard detec-tive-inspector was responsible for the conviction of Daniel Raven, 23, whose appeal against sentence of death for the murder of his father-in-law, Leopold Goodman, has been dismissed by the Court of Criminal Appeal. Early on the night of October 10, Raven, with his wife’s parents, visited Mrs Raven in the nursing home where she had given birth to a boy four days earlier. They then returned to Goodman’s home in Gardens, and Raven left after a few minutes to go to his own home a short distance away.

Shortly afterwards a relative discovered the battered and bleeding bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Goodman in their living room, and summoned the police. Raven was also summoned, and when he arrived he was inter viewed by Inspector Diller. The inspector noted that Raven was wearing a freshly-pressed suit and clean linen. This was unusual, as linen worn in London for even a single day usually shows signs of soiling. The inspector thereupon telephoned to the nursing home, and found that when Raven visited his wife only an hour or two earlier he had been wearing a different suit and tie.

He then obtained Raven’s keys from him and, going to his house, found a suit, partly burned, stuffed into th*boiler stove. This clothing was found to be stained with blood, which was subsequently shown to be of the same rare group as that of Mr. and Mrs. Goodman. At the trial Mr. Justice Cassels specially commended Inspector Diller for his observation and promptitude in obtaining this important evidence.— Special N.Z.P.A. Correspondent.