Rettendon Murders

[jackj13]

Not sure if anybody else takes an interest in this case but has always fascinated me.

One of those found guilty Jack Whomes is set to be released from prison.

'Essex Boys': Triple killer Jack Whomes to be released from jail

Jack Whomes was jailed for the execution of three men on isolated farmland in December 1995.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

I read the books years ago, & know a couple of bouncers who worked 'on the doors' around Basildon back then.
Everyone's got their own opinion of what happened, probably never find out the actual truth?.

 

[jackj13]

I read the books years ago, & know a couple of bouncers who worked 'on the doors' around Basildon back then.
Everyone's got their own opinion of what happened, probably never find out the actual truth?.

I completely agree. Seems there were so many people that could have/wanted to do it I don't think the actual truth will ever come out.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I am sad enough to have read a little about this case.

I love all the 'in the know' posts on YouTube etc.

 

[Benfleet A1]

I know the recovery driver who picked the Range Rover up from the track. All three of them were still in it and had to be removed at South Woodham Ferrers police station.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I know the recovery driver who picked the Range Rover up from the track. All three of them were still in it and had to be removed at South Woodham Ferrers police station.

So no tip?

 

[rigsby]

There are some really good vids about this case called Crime Scene to Courtroom.....Covers everything including who said what in court.

The most alarming thing for me was when police done a review on the case several years later. A Chief Superintendent in Essex Police states that he received a phone call at 06:30 hrs from a high ranking officer in the drug squad who told him about the 3 dead men in the range rover. The first 999 call from the farmers who discovered the range was after 08:00......Whoops.

The lead detective stated he did not know the identity of the men in Range Rover until the autopsy that evening. After the farmers the first people they interview that day was Paul Betts and his wife (parents of Leah)......You might ask yourself why would he do that because how could he have known the connection.....This was all before the deceased families had been informed.

 

[RobM]

Not the best time to be released.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

There are some really good vids about this case called Crime Scene to Courtroom.....Covers everything including who said what in court.
The most alarming thing for me was when police done a review on the case several years later. A Chief Superintendent in Essex Police states that he received a phone call at 06:30 hrs from a high ranking officer in the drug squad who told him about the 3 dead men in the range rover. The first 999 call from the farmers who discovered the range was after 08:00......Whoops.
The lead detective stated he did not know the identity of the men in Range Rover until the autopsy that evening. After the farmers the first people they interview that day was Paul Betts and his wife (parents of Leah)......You might ask yourself why would he do that because how could he have known the connection.....This was all before the deceased families had been informed.

What i know for a fact is that the Chief Superintendent who received the initial call, was flying to NY later that day with his family for a holiday.
He passed the investigation over to the late I.D, within an hour or so.
I've no idea re the times of the phone calls or the other info stated.
Years ago, somehow Bernard O' Mahoney got all the pics taken of the body's still in the Range Rover & also laid out on the slabs in the morgue.
They were viewable on the Essex Boys Site, although taken off couple of years later. They were grim viewing believe me!.
Who-ever killed them didn't mess about, especially with Tucker & Rolfe. How that person was able to sleep that night, i've no idea?.
FWIW that Chief Superintendent was asked in his opinion around 10 years ago, whether those charged for the murders were actually guilty of them. He said they were.
Last year (?) there was another posting on here about the murders. I mentioned that i know 2 brothers who were having a quick pint in The Travellers Joy in Rayleigh, after work around 5.30 ish. They remembered the 5 of them coming in the pub, simply because of the size of Tucker & Tate.
Obviously that proves nothing, but an hour or so later, 3 of them were dead.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Years ago, somehow Bernard O' Mahoney got all the pics taken of the body's still in the Range Rover & also laid out on the slabs in the morgue.
They were viewable on the Essex Boys Site, although taken off couple of years later. They were grim viewing believe me!.

I stumbled across them. Grim viewing indeed.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

As I stated in another post about this, they relied too much on super grass Darren Nicholls. He got some charges dropped, a new identity and a new life, but he was known as the biggest b s talker in Essex. His story didn't make sense, but they wanted convictions so bad as it was a high profile case.

 

[Chalky]

There are some really good vids about this case called Crime Scene to Courtroom.....Covers everything including who said what in court.

The most alarming thing for me was when police done a review on the case several years later. A Chief Superintendent in Essex Police states that he received a phone call at 06:30 hrs from a high ranking officer in the drug squad who told him about the 3 dead men in the range rover. The first 999 call from the farmers who discovered the range was after 08:00......Whoops.

The lead detective stated he did not know the identity of the men in Range Rover until the autopsy that evening. After the farmers the first people they interview that day was Paul Betts and his wife (parents of Leah)......You might ask yourself why would he do that because how could he have known the connection.....This was all before the deceased families had been informed.

Yep. I brought this up in the other thread where we talked about the essex boys a couple weeks back. That there was a lot of well...'shuffling' of facts when it came to phone records back then.

Im guessing in your last paragraph Rigsby that you (like my old man) think Paul Betts was underlooked? Believe me, your not alone in that opinion. As stated in my attached post below, Its very close to me. I live in Mayland and the village up the road (latchingdon) is where Leah Betts lived. I can see the place from my window. A lot of stories from familys my way make for very interesting listening..

I think it's because no one believes the current people charged for the crime actually done it.

I have real close affinity with it all because one of my best mates from childhood dad was one of the original detectives that worked on the case, and I also lived in the village next to the one where Leah Betts died from an overdose of the Essex boy's supply.

My mates dad still to this day does not believe the guys in prison are actually guilty (guilty of being petty criminals of course) there is still so many loose ends with the case, a member of his team wrote a book on it and basically the whole squad have always been unsatisfied with the verdict.

The main reason the verdict was concluded was because of mobile phone records, but it's still disputed today. The tech back then was in early development really and was not reliable at all. The old bailey practically played it safe and went for the easy coup of blaming it on petty criminals (my personal opinion)

Still, makes for a good chat at the end of the day. Shame they have milked these films and dramatised it to the max. Because when its all said and done, they were horrible bastards who ruined lives.

 

[rigsby]

What i know for a fact is that the Chief Superintendent who received the initial call, was flying to NY later that day with his family for a holiday.
He passed the investigation over to the late I.D, within an hour or so.
I've no idea re the times of the phone calls or the other info stated.
Years ago, somehow Bernard O' Mahoney got all the pics taken of the body's still in the Range Rover & also laid out on the slabs in the morgue.
They were viewable on the Essex Boys Site, although taken off couple of years later. They were grim viewing believe me!.
Who-ever killed them didn't mess about, especially with Tucker & Rolfe. How that person was able to sleep that night, i've no idea?.
FWIW that Chief Superintendent was asked in his opinion around 10 years ago, whether those charged for the murders were actually guilty of them. He said they were.
Last year (?) there was another posting on here about the murders. I mentioned that i know 2 brothers who were having a quick pint in The Travellers Joy in Rayleigh, after work around 5.30 ish. They remembered the 5 of them coming in the pub, simply because of the size of Tucker & Tate.
Obviously that proves nothing, but an hour or so later, 3 of them were dead.

The guy who took over the investigation was close to retirement. 3 dead men in Range, says to any copper worth his salt, big case. Possibly the one that will define my career.

Whats the first thing he does that morning....Keeps a promise to his daughter and goes round her house to do bit of DIY electrics for a couple of hours. Whilst the snow melts away along with all the footprint and blood splatter evidence.

As for the Travellers joy I have always heard the same rumour. In court Darren Nicholls claimed they met at the Half way House on the A127. He and Whomes went straight to Rettendon. He says they then drove back to the Travellers after the murders. Yet Steel and Whomes lived in Great Bentley and Suffolk. Surely you would have another car in Danbury rather than Rayleigh. Seeing as the new road wasn't open in 1995, that meant they had to drive back past the murder scene in the getaway car 50/60 minutes later. Unless they went the long way via Brentwood

Also the barman from the Carpenters Arms made a statement to police that Craig Rolfe came in the pub that night with another man and had one drink at around 20:00hrs...One hour after he was supposedly shot. If you were going from the A127 to Rettendon and meeting someone, then the Carpenters arms would surely be a better choice than the Travellers (Hungry Horse) certainly less people to see you changing out of bloodied overalls and placing gun shaped bags from one car to another.

I have seen the photos and the whole scene is staged. Benfleet Al mentions they winched the car up onto a truck. Did they taped the bodies in place? If not the would have fallen forward and ruined any meaningful investigation of from which angle and in what order they were shot.

Its Bamber all over again and i'm pretty sure i know why.

 

[rigsby]

Yep. I brought this up in the other thread where we talked about the essex boys a couple weeks back. That there was a lot of well...'shuffling' of facts when it came to phone records back then.

Im guessing in your last paragraph Rigsby that you (like my old man) think Paul Betts was underlooked? Believe me, your not alone in that opinion. As stated in my attached post below, Its very close to me. I live in Mayland and the village up the road (latchingdon) is where Leah Betts lived. I can see the place from my window. A lot of stories from familys my way make for very interesting listening..

Having listened to Paul Betts and his wives interview, there statements and times don't match and again some red flags jump out at me. Sadly their son who was 11 at the time has turned out to be a wrong'un with sex offence convictions.

 

[Chalky]

Having listened to Paul Betts and his wives interview, there statements and times don't match and again some red flags jump out at me. Sadly their son who was 11 at the time has turned out to be a wrong'un with sex offence convictions.

Correct, on numerous occasions as well. Heard recently that he was running a pub, not sure if he still is cause the press found out and plastered it everywhere. Not really the PR you want for your business.

I have found the crime to courtroom youtube channel, looking to binge. But haven't a clue where to start? So much content, what videos do you recommend?


*EDIT* Just done a bit of digging and Paul Betts died just before christmas of motor neurons disease.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

The guy who took over the investigation was close to retirement. 3 dead men in Range, says to any copper worth his salt, big case. Possibly the one that will define my career.
Whats the first thing he does that morning....Keeps a promise to his daughter and goes round her house to do bit of DIY electrics for a couple of hours. Whilst the snow melts away along with all the footprint and blood splatter evidence.

As i said that was I.D, the rest of the supposed story i haven't a clue.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

In O'Mahoneys book, he said they were great friends, yet if you read other peoples recollections, they had no time for him?.
And on the night of their murders, he say's he was in the area, staying at the nearby Rettendon Lodge Motel?.
Co-incidences are a weird thing in life, he claims they were mates, yet others say quite the different. C.L said he was a bu***hItter.

 

[Chalky]

In O'Mahoneys book, he said they were great friends, yet if you read other peoples recollections, they had no time for him?.
And on the night of their murders, he say's he was in the area, staying at the nearby Rettendon Lodge Motel?.
Co-incidences are a weird thing in life, he claims they were mates, yet others say quite the different. C.L said he was a bu***hItter.

There has always been something very off with regards to Bernard O'Mahoney, knows far too much about the minor intricacies and nuances of the case. Also constantly contradicts himself.

I remember watching the 'Danny Dyer: Deadliest men' episode with him. They pull up to the very spot where the Range was found and oh my word Bernards face is a picture and a half, looks like he has seen a ghost.

 

[rigsby]

Correct, on numerous occasions as well. Heard recently that he was running a pub, not sure if he still is cause the press found out and plastered it everywhere. Not really the PR you want for your business.

I have found the crime to courtroom youtube channel, looking to binge. But haven't a clue where to start? So much content, what videos do you recommend?


*EDIT* Just done a bit of digging and Paul Betts died just before christmas of motor neurons disease.

Thats the one. Just try a few of the shorter ones to get a flavour, one is about 7 hrs......The ones about the actual shooting are good. Take note at what time of night some shots were heard (nearer midnight than 7).

Then listen to Paul Betts statement where he says he was testing the 4 wheel drive on his car around the back lanes near Bicknacre around 23:30 hrs on his way back from Chelmsford.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

O'Mahoney said he was one of their gang after the murders. But then distanced himself years later, but said he had dealings or incidents with them. Some Basildon faces I know said he was never part of their gang. They said Tucker, Tate and Rolfe was the gang. They said those 3 had dealings with many criminals. About the closest person to become one of their gang was Nipper Ellis, but he fell in and out with them too much, normally due to Tucker and Tate's mad drug binges, when they would do something bad to him.