Vera May Glasspool was a tall, pretty fifteen-year-old who originally lived with her parents and eight siblings in Baybridge, Owslebury, Winchester, England. She worked as a scullery maid at the nearby Longwood House, and stayed there in the servants’ quarters for most of the week, though she was allowed to walk back to visit her family on Tuesdays and Sundays.
One Tuesday afternoon, July 10th, 1917, Vera set out for home as usual, but on this particular day, she never made it there. A thorough search of the surrounding area was conducted, and on July 11th, Vera’s body was found in a grove of trees between Longwood House and Baybridge. She had a single stab wound beneath her jaw, and her clothing was covered in blood. She had also been strangled with the sleeve of her coat.
Most of the suspicion around the murder centered on the nearby army camp at Hazeley Down. Another servant at Longwood House, who was a friend of Vera’s, told police that she and Vera had met a group of soldiers from there a couple of days before the slaying and that Vera had told them she would meet them on Tuesday.
Despite this solid lead and a substantial reward for information leading to an arrest, no charges were ever brought, and no suspects were ever named. The mysterious murder of the fifteen-year-old girl remains unsolved, more than a century later.
Crime Immemorial 