Derby Road, a unassuming thoroughfare lined with modest homes and local businesses in the quiet village of Kegworth, Leicestershire, England, was the epicenter of community commerce. It was here, at number 10, that seventy-four-year-old Alfred Bowler ran his small shop, serving neighbors with everyday essentials. Bowler, a widower known for his hardworking nature, had built a life of quiet reliability in the village. Little did the residents know that on a crisp autumn afternoon, this tranquility would be pierced by an act of senseless violence.
The attack occurred on Saturday, November 27th, 1965, sometime between lunchtime and early afternoon. A lone man entered Bowler’s shop, his intentions quickly turning sinister as he made a grab for the till. Alfred Bowler, ever the vigilant shopkeeper, intervened in a desperate struggle to protect his livelihood. In the chaos, the assailant pulled a kitchen knife and plunged it into Bowler’s stomach. The wound was deep and severe, but Bowler managed to scare off his attacker, who fled empty-handed into the streets of Kegworth.
Bleeding profusely, Bowler staggered to a nearby phone and called for help. He was rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary, where doctors fought to save him. For twenty-three agonizing days, the elderly man clung to life, his condition fluctuating as infection set in. On December 20th, 1965, Alfred Bowler succumbed to his injuries.
Leicestershire Constabulary launched an immediate and vigorous investigation, headed by Superintendent Douglas Glen of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Detectives theorized the attacker might have been a transient, possibly a long-distance truck driver passing through the area—a common sight near the village’s proximity to major roads.
In a novel appeal, police distributed posters to transport cafes across the country, urging drivers who had hitched rides into or out of Kegworth on November 27th—or who had driven past Bowler’s shop between one p.m. and six p.m.—to come forward. Forensic teams scoured the scene and tested fifteen knives submitted by the public for blood traces, but all came back negative.
Eyewitness accounts were scarce; the shop was empty at the time, and the village’s small size meant few strangers went unnoticed. Yet, no solid leads emerged. By January 1966, just weeks after Bowler’s death, detectives were still combing for clues, with Glen publicly stating the case remained a top priority. A year later, in late 1966, frustration mounted as police speculated that “someone is shielding the killer,” pointing fingers at possible relatives or acquaintances who might harbor the suspect out of loyalty or fear.
Despite exhaustive efforts by investigators, the murder of Alfred Bowler remains unsolved as of October 2025, six decades after it occurred.
Crime Immemorial 