10 Rillington Place : Why Did Evans Confess To The Murders?

Why Did Evans Confess To The Murders?

What I could not understand about this film is why Timothy Evans actually made a WRITTEN statement to the police confessing to the murders of both his wife and baby? Surely he knew that by confessing, he was condemning himself to the rope?

Anybody else bemused by Evans's confession?



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Re: Why Did Evans Confess To The Murders?

Think he was just in shock and felt he had nothing to live for. But yeah it was strange

Re: Why Did Evans Confess To The Murders?

People often make confessions in situations like this. He'd seen his wife die, just discovered his daughter was dead, that he'd been duped by Christie. His life must have seemed in ruins, and he was very suggestable. Also, if you listen to the 'confession' the policeman reads out to him before asking him to sign it, it starts, "She was incurring one debt after another." Does that sound like something Evans would say? It does however sound very much like something a police officer would write!

Many miscarriages of justice centre around confessions like this. And not only in big cases. There was a case locally where a youth was accused of shop lifting, taken to the police station, charged, made a full confession, and as he was being sent to a cell, searched, whereupon they found the receipt for these shoplifted goods! Like Evans he had a low IQ.

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Re: Why Did Evans Confess To The Murders?

One of the more incredible cases of apparently false confessions was that of the "Norfolk Four" in Virginia in the 1990s. After a hideous murder, a neighbor of the victim was interrogated for hours and police told him his DNA was found on the victim, and the only way to avoid execution was to confess. In fact, his DNA did not match that which was found on the victim, and he was convinced he should name his "accomplice" and he did. That man's DNA also was not a match, but he'd confessed before that became clear. A string of further "accomplices" were named, one of whom could prove he was in another state celebrating his birthday at the time. Four men confessed and were convicted, though their confessions did not match the evidence, and the DNA matched none of them. The actual perpetrator also committed other crimes and is in prison (and insists he acted alone in this crime, which matches all the forensics), but the Four spent years in prison and must still register as sex offenders, though there is no evidence they ever hurt anyone.


I have seen enough to know I have seen too much. -- ALOTO

Re: Why Did Evans Confess To The Murders?

If you think that it couldn't happen today, just do a Google search for this: "detective falsified dna evidence." Its quite interesting what comes up.

Re: Why Did Evans Confess To The Murders?

Professor Keith Simpson was the forensic scientist dealing with the case. Evans was only tried and convicted for the murder of his daughter Geraldine. Simpson believed that Christie murdered the child and Evans killed his wife. His evidence showed that Beryl hadn't been killed in the same way as the other women that were Christie's victims. Evans was pardoned because he hadn't killed Geraldine. He allegedly confessed in writing - but was illiterate.
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