Thirty-four-year-old Josephine Berrington was a magistrate at Epsom Magistrates’ Court in Wallington, Surrey, England. She had divorced her husband Gary six years previously, though the pair was still on good terms; Gary had custody of the couple’s two children, aged eight and ten, who had regular visits with their mother.
In the spring of 1994, Josephine had gone on leave from her job for a few months due to “personal problems,” and had just moved into a new flat on Abinger Close. According to a later statement by her ex-husband, Josephine had moved specifically to get away from a woman who had allegedly threatened to kill her.
Whether this woman was the culprit or not, it is a fact that someone did indeed kill Josephine Berrington in her flat only days after her move.
On April 1st, 1994, Gary became concerned when Josephine didn’t come to pick up their daughter as planned, and he went to the Abinger Close flat to see what was wrong. Once inside, he found to his horror that his ex-wife was lying naked and face-down on the bed. She had been strangled to death, and her killer had then attempted to set her body on fire in order to conceal evidence, an attempt that was ultimately unsuccessful.
During the investigation, police discovered that Josephine had had quite an active sex life since her divorce, and had a diary containing the names of dozens of women and details of their sexual encounters. There was also bondage gear found in her apartment. It is unknown whether her involvement in the BDSM lifestyle had anything to do with her death, however.
A neighbor reported that they had heard a scream issuing from Josephine’s flat at around three a.m. on April 1st, suggesting that this was close to the time of death.
A few months after the crime, a thirty-two-year-old male electrical engineer was arrested in connection with the murder but was released without charge due to lack of evidence.
The case remains open but is currently inactive.
Crime Immemorial 