Berkshire- The Mysterious Murder of Vera Holland

At around 6pm on Thursday the 14th of November 1996, 47 year old Vera Holland from Shinfield in Berkshire disappeared during what should have been a five minute walk to the local KFC. Two days later, her body was found dumped in a fly tip by the side of road. She had been beaten, strangled, and finally, in a bid to dispose of her body, set fire to. 28 years later, who killed Vera Holland, still remains a mystery.  SUPPORT THE SHOW PATREON www.patreon.com/theoutlinespodcast PAYPAL DONATION [email protected] iTunes itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-o…ast/id1325180386 Instagram @theoutlinespodcast   Sources Used https://youtu.be/474cJNOjQjk?si=6U9xvuRp2I8me4yT Monday 18th November 1996,  Reading Evening Post, pg 1 Wednesday 20th November 1996,  Reading Evening Post, pg 3 Thursday 21st November 1996, Reading Evening Post, pg 1&3  Friday 22nd November 1996,  Reading Evening Post, pg 7 Monday 25th November 1996,  Reading Evening Post, pg 1&3  Tuesday 17th December 1996, Reading Evening Post Thursday 19th December 1996, Reading Evening Post, pg 3 Tuesday 4th February 1997, Reading Evening Post, pg 1 13th February 1997, Reading Evening Post Wednesday 24th February 1997, Reading Evening Post, pg 3 Thursday 25th February 1997, Reading Evening Post pg 1 & 3 Wednesday 12th March 1997, Reading Evening Post, pg 3 Monday 23rd June 1997, Reading Evening Post, pg 3 Wednesday 23rd July 1997, Reading Evening Post, pg 5 Friday 17th October 1997, Reading Evening Post, pg 1&3 https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/14882976.vera-holland-was-found-dead-20-years-ago/  https://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/news/14908226.vera-holland-murder-police-review-case-into-callous-killing-of-mum-in-1996/  https://www.bracknellnews.co.uk/news/14908226.vera-holland-murder-police-review-case-into-callous-killing-of-mum-in-1996/  https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/people-come-forward-information-20-12512965.amp 

This episode was first released on Patreon in January 2023.  This is part 2 of my look into the 1993 murder of David Watkins. Today I look deeper into the life of the man accused of the murder, Andrew Everson, and how a 2003 change to the law made it possible for him to be retried for the crime, twenty five years after he had first been acquitted of David’s murder.   Tiernan Coyle's paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665910720300918 2nd December, 2020, Forensic Science International Reports

This episode was first released on Patreon in January 2023. I look forward to returning with some new cases soon.  Just after 9 pm on the 14th of January 1993, 30 year old delivery driver and small time drug dealer David Watkins was shot and killed in a remote area on the outskirts of Reading. Despite a man being arrested and taken to trial, it would take 25 years before David's murderer would finally be brought to justice. 

Please enjoy this previously Patreon exclusive episode of Outlines. I'll hopefully be back properly soon.  On the evening of the 9th of July 1982, 27 year old artist Keith Church was killed during a street knifing attack on the High Road in Hoddesdon. Hertfordshire. Despite the public nature of the incident- it occurred just meters from a police station, no one has ever been charged with Keith's murder. 

This case was previously released on Patreon in September 2022. As Patreon is on hold until after my maternity leave, if you are enjoying the bonus episodes then please consider donating via [email protected] on Paypal. I can’t stress enough how much your contributions help towards ongoing show costs at the moment.  On March 29th 1967, 14 year old Ruth Bradbury was shot and killed while walking through woodland close to her family's countryside home near the villages of Crowthorne and Finchampstead in Berkshire. Despite evidence that the area around where she was found had been used for target practice, no one ever came forward to claim responsibility and to this day, no one knows whether it was accident or malicious intent, which saw Ruth's life cut short. 

This case was previously released on Patreon in March 2022. As Patreon is on hold until after my maternity leave, if you enjoy these bonus episodes and wish to donate you can do so by giving to [email protected] via Paypal.  Today’s episode recounts the case of 21 year old mother Karen Hales from Ipswich in Suffolk who was repeatedly stabbed and then set on fire in front of her 18 month old daughter sometime around 4:30pm on Sunday November 21st 1993. Despite anniversary appeals and continued media interest in Karen’s case, there have been few suspects and police have remained unable to answer the question: who would want to kill a woman with no known enemies?

Today's episode was previously released on Patreon in July 2022. As Patreon is on hold until after my maternity leave, if you enjoy these bonus episodes and wish to donate you can do so by giving to [email protected] via Paypal.  Today's episode is part 3 of 3. In the early hours of September 23rd, the body of a woman in her twenties was discovered in the dunes of Great Yarmouth's South Beach. Initially known as Mrs Hood, the woman had been staying with her young daughter at a local boarding house. Subsequent investigations however, revealed that Mrs Hood was not who she seemed to be. But who was she really? And what part did a man named Herbert John Bennett, who would later be hanged for the crime, have to do with her murder? iTunes itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-o…ast/id1325180386 Website www.theoutlinespodcast.com Instagram @theoutlinespodcast

Today's episode was previously released on Patreon in June 2022. As Patreon is on hold until after my maternity leave, if you enjoy these bonus episodes and wish to donate you can do so by giving to [email protected] via Paypal.  Today's episode is part 2 of 3. In the early hours of September 23rd, the body of a woman in her twenties was discovered in the dunes of Great Yarmouth's South Beach. Initially known as Mrs Hood, the woman had been staying with her young daughter at a local boarding house. Subsequent investigations however, revealed that Mrs Hood was not who she seemed to be. But who was she really? And what part did a man named Herbert John Bennett, who would later be hanged for the crime, have to do with her murder? iTunes itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-o…ast/id1325180386 Website www.theoutlinespodcast.com Instagram @theoutlinespodcast

Today's episode was previously released on Patreon in May 2022. As Patreon is on hold until after my maternity leave. If you enjoy these bonus episodes and wish to donate you can do so by giving to [email protected] via Paypal.  Today's episode is a case told in three parts. In the early hours of September 23rd 1900, the body of a woman in her twenties was discovered in the dunes of Great Yarmouth's South Beach. Initially known as Mrs Hood, the woman had been staying with her young daughter at a local boarding house. Subsequent investigations however, revealed that Mrs Hood was not who she seemed to be. But who was she really? And what part did a man named Herbert John Bennett, who would later be hanged for the crime, have to do with her murder?  iTunes itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-o…ast/id1325180386 Website www.theoutlinespodcast.com Instagram @theoutlinespodcast  

This is a bonus episode, first released as a Patreon exclusive in January 2022. For those who were wondering where I've been- the short story is that I'm pregnant, (due in July if all goes well), panicked about being able to afford a baby and since the morning sickness eased I've been focusing on paid work. Sadly I've had to pause Patreon as of this month and am going to release the episodes which were once available there onto the main feed over the coming weeks. If you enjoy these episodes please consider donating via Paypal to [email protected]. You'll help pay to keep the podcast fully available online while I'm away and any extra will go towards easing my fear that I'm woefully underprepared for what is to come! On the 27th of August 1974 a gruesome discovery was made not far from the small Norfolk village of Cockley Cley. Hidden under a light brown plastic dust cover which bore the marking NCR, there lay the body of a woman. Her arms were tied behind her back, her legs bent at the knee, but worst of all, her head had been sawn off and was nowhere to be found. Despite the use of isotopic analysis to identify the kinds of environments the woman might have been exposed to during her life, as of 2022, her identity and even the cause of her death remain a mystery. iTunes itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-o…ast/id1325180386 Website www.theoutlinespodcast.com Instagram @theoutlinespodcast