Forty-one-year-old John Lennon, who obviously shared his name with the famous Beatle, worked as a paint sprayer and was originally from Ireland. In the late 1980s, he seemed somewhat adrift in life, not really having a permanent address and usually seen wandering around Forest Gate in East London, England. He was also known to be … More John Lennon

Twenty-three-year-old Rachel Applethwaite made her living as a sex worker, and lived with her boyfriend at a hotel on Earls Court, London. She was known to be somewhat aggressive and argumentative, and she and her partner were often witnessed fighting, usually about money. She was also a suspected alcoholic. On Saturday, January 24th, 1987, Rachel … More Rachel Applethwaite

Fifty-one-year-old mother of two Julie Perigo lived in a one-bedroom council flat in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England. She had formerly been a stripper, but by 1986, was making her living as a sex worker. On May 16th, 1986, she told a friend that she was scheduled to meet a client at lunchtime. This was … More Julie Perigo

Edna and Alice Rowley were stepsisters, aged seventy-seven and eighty-seven respectively, and had spent more than fifty years running a corner shop on Greswolde Road in Sparkhill, Birmingham, England. They lived in a flat adjoining the shop and were a beloved fixture in the neighborhood. Two days before Christmas of 1987, a neighbor became concerned … More Alice and Edna Rowley

Thirty-six-year-old Helen Gormley was a teacher who lived in Towcester, Northamptonshire, England with her husband and their six-year-old daughter. On October 30th, 1986, Helen’s husband left the family home at twelve-thirty p.m. to take their daughter to the movies in Milton Keynes. Helen stayed behind at their residence, but when he brought the child home … More Helen Gormley

Twenty-six-year-old Sandra Court was a popular, friendly young woman who had been working as an insurance clerk at Ambassador Life in Bournemouth, England. She had just announced that she would be leaving that job, however, and taking a position as a nanny in Mallorca, Spain, a life change she was tremendously excited about. On May … More Sandra Court

Fifty-eight-year-old widow Margaret Greenwood suffered from polio, and lived alone in a house in Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, England. On Bonfire Night—November 5th, 1985—it’s believed that two young men came to her door pretending to be collecting money for the celebration, a tradition known as “a penny for the Guy.” However, these individuals then proceeded … More Margaret Greenwood

Thirty-two-year-old Josephine Mary Budworth, who usually went by her middle name, lived with her husband Terry and their six children in a house on Hindley Walk in Speke, Liverpool, England. She was also twenty weeks pregnant with another child. In the early morning hours of April 22nd, 1985, Terry was out, and the rest of … More Mary, Mark, and Leslie Budworth

Joan Macan was an extraordinary woman, having served as a French resistance fighter during World War II and helping more than eighty Allied airmen escape across enemy lines. Later on, she became quite well-known as a dog breeder as well as a judge for the prestigious Crufts dog show. Thursday, May 5th, 1988 was the … More Joan Macan

Forty-five-year-old Anthony Littler was an executive officer at Customs and Excise in East Finchley, London. He was described as a gentle man with no enemies, who lived alone and largely kept to himself. At a little past midnight on May 1st, 1984, Anthony was returning home from a night out in the city center and … More Anthony Littler