Karl Hulten

Case record: Karl Hulten

Background

Karl Hulten was born in Sweden in 1922. His family emigrated to the United States and grew up in Massachusetts. After leaving school he worked as a grocery clerk, driver and mechanic.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Hulten joined the United States Army. He was trained as a paratrooper and in 1944 he was sent to England to take part in the D-Day invasion of Europe. Hulten did not like the idea and deserted, taking with him a large military truck.

Elizabeth Jones met Karl Hulten in a tea shop on 3 October 1944. She had been born in Neath, Wales in 1926 and had been sent to an approved school after she was considered to be “beyond parental control.”

The offence

Hulten and Elizabeth Jones spent a short period together while committing a string of violent crimes in 1944.

On their first date after meeting, Hulten and Jones used Hulten’s truck to knock a young girl from her bike and steal her handbag.

The following day they gave a lift to a woman carrying two heavy suitcases. After stopping the car, Hulten attacked the woman with an iron bar and then dumped her body in a river.

On 6 October the couple hailed a hire car on Hammersmith Broadway. When they reached a deserted stretch of road, they asked the taxi driver to stop. Hulten shot the driver in the head and stole his money and car.

They spent the stolen money at White City dog track. Jones then told Hulten she would like a fur coat.

On 8 October they parked the stolen hire car outside Berkeley Hotel while they waited for a woman to emerge wearing a fur coat. Jones chose a white ermine coat worn by a woman leaving the hotel. Hulten attacked the woman, but before he could get the coat a policeman arrived. Hulten managed to escape and drive off in his car.

Investigation

The case drew public interest in the “GI gangster” and his striptease dancer partner.

A description of the stolen taxi and its registration number, “RD 8955”, was circulated to all police stations.

The Remington automatic used to kill George Edward Heath was found in Hulten’s trouser pocket after his arrest.

Arrest

On the Sunday evening, 8 October, Hulten and Jones spent most of the night driving around in the Ford and parked the car behind an air-raid shelter at about 7.30am. Around ten past eight, the car was found by a policeman on the beat, PC William Walters. Walters telephoned Hammersmith police station, and he was soon joined by Inspector Read and a sergeant in a police car. Because the car had been carefully parked, the police felt there was a chance that the culprit may come back.

At 9pm, they saw Hulten get into the car. Inspector Read ran over and grabbed him by the arm. With help from the other officers, Hulten was dragged from the car and searched.

When taken to Hammersmith police station, Hulten told them he was “2nd Lt Richard Allen, 501 Parachute Regiment, US Army.” He was taken to the American CID headquarters in Piccadilly, where he was interviewed by “an American CID officer, Lt Robert Earl de Mott” at 3am.

Hulten stated that he had found the car abandoned near Newbury and said he had spent the Friday with Elizabeth Jones. He elaborated this story at the American CID headquarters.

The police took a statement from Elizabeth Jones after she was picked up. Later, the police interviewed Jones again at King Street, and this time she confessed and implicated Hulten.

Trial

Hulten and Elizabeth Jones appeared before Mr Justice Charles at the Old Bailey on Tuesday 16 January 1945. Their trial took six days.

They were found guilty of murdering taxi driver George Edward Heath and were sentenced to death. Elizabeth Jones, “aka Georgina Grayson,” took the sentence badly and had to be dragged screaming to the cells.

Hulten and Jones both appealed, but these appeals were dismissed in February.

Sentencing

Hulten was sentenced to death and was executed on 8 March 1945.

Jones’s sentence was affected by a reprieve. Two days before she was due to go to the gallows, Jones was reprieved.

Appeals

Hulten and Elizabeth Jones both appealed. The appeals were dismissed in February. Jones was reprieved two days before she was due to go to the gallows.

Outcome

Karl Hulten was hanged at Pentonville Prison on 8 March 1945 by Alberth Pierrepoint.

Elizabeth Jones was reprieved and was released in May 1954. Another passage also described Jones as serving nine years and being released on licence in January 1954.

Her subsequent fate was described as unknown, and her reprieve caused controversy.

Aftermath

George Edward Heath was found dead after the crimes. The body was found later that morning at about 9am by a fireman returning home from the night shift. Items thrown out of the car window were found earlier by an electrician’s apprentice.

Hulten sold Heath’s watch for £5 and sold a couple of other items they had taken for eight shillings.

A police beat-watch and arrest took place after the car was found by PC William Walters.

A film titled “Chicago Joe and the Showgirl” was made in 1990, based on the story, directed by Bernard Rose, written by David Yallop, and starring Emily Lloyd, Kiefer Sutherland, and Patsy Kensit.

Graffiti reading “SHE SHOULD HANG” was written in several places in Jones’s home town.

Other details

Elizabeth Jones used the stage name Georgina Grayson and was introduced to Hulten by Len Bexley on 3 October 1944. Hulten called himself “Ricky” and told Jones he was a lieutenant in the American Army, but Hulten was described as being a Private and absent without leave from his paratroop regiment for six weeks.

Jones had lost her job in the spring of 1944 and lived on her separation allowance. In January 1943 she moved to London and worked as a barmaid, usherette and waitress before becoming a striptease dancer. When she was sixteen she married a soldier ten years older than her; he had lost his temper with her and hit her on their wedding day, after which she left him.

During the crimes, Hulten and Jones rifled the pockets of George Heath while driving. Some letters, cheque book, photos and coupons were thrown out of the window. Heath died within fifteen minutes of being shot. They drove toward Staines, dumped his body in a ditch, drove back to London, abandoned the car in a cinema car park, and wiped it clean of fingerprints. They then ate at the Black and White cafe and returned to Jones’ room.

Hulten’s date with death occurred five days after his twenty-third birthday.