Crime Immemorial

Seventy-year-old widow Edna Kilbride was the epitome of a devoted community member. Living alone in her home in Parkway Vale, Leeds, England, she filled her days with simple joys: knitting, tending to her small garden, and lending a hand to neighbors in need. Friends and family described her as “kindly” and “generous,” always ready with a cup of tea or a listening ear. Her son, Peter, a detective with a nearby police force, often visited, as did her other son David and his wife Linda. Financial strains had occasionally tested family bonds, with Edna providing loans to her children, but those close to her insisted such matters never soured their relationships.

On December 29th, 1990, Edna’s routine appeared unremarkable. She had plans to attend a social gathering at the nearby Seacroft Working Men’s Club that evening, a regular outing for the sociable pensioner. Little did anyone know, it would be the last time her world aligned with the ordinary.

The timeline of Edna’s final hours paints a picture of normalcy interrupted by sinister intent. Her son Peter stopped by her bungalow around midday, spending quality time with his mother before departing at approximately six-thirty p.m. Edna, dressed neatly in a clean white blouse, seemed in good spirits and reiterated her plans for the club.

She never arrived. Concern rippled through the club when Edna failed to show; members whispered about her uncharacteristic absence. At eight thirty p.m., a mysterious phone call came in from a woman claiming to be a friend. The caller insisted Edna was fine, but merely delayed while visiting her son. The deception was chilling: Edna was already dead.

The next morning, December 30th, 1990, Peter, David, and Linda returned to the bungalow, their worry mounting after the previous night’s no-show. What they uncovered would haunt them forever. Edna lay on the bedroom floor, her body cold from the previous day’s assault. She had been strangled, her face bearing the marks of a violent struggle: bruises and a single dot of blood inside one nostril. A pillow had been placed over her face, as if to conceal the brutality.

Bloodstains marred her false teeth and the mattress, evidence of a fierce fight. Yet, oddly, her face and clothing had been meticulously cleaned, suggesting the perpetrator attempted to erase their traces. In her right hand, unnaturally turned palm-up post-mortem, Edna clutched a pen, as though she’d been writing in her final moments. Nearby, on a packet of tights, was a scrawled partial surname: the last name of one of her friends. Police later theorized this “dying message” was a cruel fabrication by the killer, who knew Edna well enough to mimic her left-handed writing habits (she was actually right-handed) and stage the pen for dramatic effect.

Forensic experts noted the intruder’s familiarity with the home: no forced entry, and the attack appeared opportunistic yet personal. Edna’s purse and valuables were untouched, ruling out a straightforward robbery. The motive was unknown, but the intimacy of the staging pointed to someone from her inner circle.

West Yorkshire Police launched an immediate investigation, with Peter’s role as a detective adding layers of scrutiny. The family came under intense questioning, fueled by prior financial transactions: Edna had loaned money to Peter and David, and tensions had simmered. Both brothers, as well as David’s wife Linda, were arrested within days, enduring nine agonizing months of detention and interrogation.

Ultimately, lack of evidence led to their release without charges. The case file grew thick with witness statements, door-to-door inquiries, and forensic reports, but leads evaporated. The anonymous phone call yielded no trace; the caller’s voice was unidentifiable, and the line traced to a public payphone.

By 1996, six years after the murder, renewed hope flickered. Advances in forensic science prompted a case review. Detectives uncovered additional clothing items at the scene, overlooked in the initial sweep, and submitted them for analysis. Detective Inspector Ronnie Burks, leading the revival, publicly appealed for tips, emphasizing the staged note as a red herring likely planted by someone protective of the killer.

Edna’s murder endures as one of Leeds’ most perplexing unsolved homicides. Recent Freedom of Information requests to West Yorkshire Police confirm it remains open, but as of 2025, no arrests have been made.