Elizabeth Jones

Case record: Elizabeth Jones

Background

Elizabeth Jones was born in Neath, Wales, in 1926. At the age of thirteen, she ran away from home and was eventually sent to an approved school because she was considered to be "beyond parental control." When she was sixteen, she married a soldier ten years older than her; he hit her on their wedding day, and she left him.

In January 1943, Jones moved to London and worked in a variety of jobs as barmaid, usherette and waitress. She then became a striptease dancer using the stage name Georgina Grayson. In the spring of 1944, she lost her job and only had her separation allowance from her husband to live on.

The offence

The killing was later known as the "cleft chin murder" because the murder victim, a taxi driver, had a cleft chin. It occurred as part of a string of crimes during 1944. The case was referred to in George Orwell's essay "Decline of the English Murder".

On 3 October 1944, an eighteen-year-old Welsh waitress called Elizabeth Jones met an American army deserter called Karl Hulten in a tea shop. Their friendship lasted six days.

During that time, they knocked over and killed a nurse cycling along a country lane and robbed her. They then picked up a hitchhiker, knocked her unconscious, robbed her, and threw her into a river to drown; though she survived. They finally murdered a taxi driver named George Edward Heath.

After the murder of Heath, they robbed Heath of £8 and spent it at the races the next day.

During the events leading to Heath’s killing, they followed a cab out to Cricklewood, forced the taxi to stop, and threatened the driver with a gun. The fact that the taxi had a passenger in the back unnerved Hulten and they fled back towards Marble Arch.

In the Edgware Road, they picked up a young girl trying to get to Paddington to catch a train to Reading. They offered to run her there. Faking a flat tyre near Runnymede Park, they got the girl to turn her back on Hulten, who hit her with an iron bar and half-strangled her. They rifled her pockets and dumped her by the edge of a stream. This attack netted them about five shillings.

They returned to King Street and stayed there until 3pm, when Hulten left arranging to meet Jones later that evening. At about 11pm, they tried again to rob a taxi. They hailed a Ford V8 private hire car in Hammersmith Road driven by 34-year-old George Heath. He agreed to take them to Chiswick roundabout. Once the car stopped, Hulten shot Heath in the back; the bullet lodged in his spine, paralysing him. Heath was moved into the passenger seat and Hulten started driving. While Heath suffered, Elizabeth searched his pockets and found Heath's wallet, watch, cigarette case, loose change and other items; some letters, cheque book, photos and coupons were thrown out of the window. Heath died from his wound within fifteen minutes.

They drove out towards Staines, dumped Heath's body in a ditch, and drove back to London. They abandoned the car in a cinema car park after wiping it clean of fingerprints. They ate at the Black and White cafe, then returned to Jones's room.

The body was found later that morning at about 9am by a fireman returning home from the night shift. The items thrown out of the car window had been found earlier by an electrician's apprentice.

The proceeds from the crime were recorded as 95p, a silver pencil and cigarette case.

Investigation

On 7 October 1944, a 34-year-old London taxi driver, George Edward Heath, was shot dead at Staines. Some tyre tracks on a grass verge near the body were made by Heath’s Ford V8 car.

Several days later, a police officer spotted the car parked in Fulham Palace Road in London. An American army officer emerged from a nearby house and entered the parked car. He was arrested by the police officer and later questioned by the American Army Criminal Investigation Department.

Initially, he gave his name as Richard John Allen, but correctly gave his real name of Private Gustav Hulten. He was stated to be absent without leave and in procession of a stolen pistol. He claimed he had spent the night of the murder with his girlfriend Georgina Grayson.

George Heath’s death and the investigation identified the murder victim and the missing car. A description of the car and its registration number, RD 8955, was circulated to all police stations.

On the Sunday evening, 8 October, they spent most of the night driving around in the Ford and parked the car behind an air-raid shelter at about 7.30am. At about ten past eight, the car was found by PC William Walters, on the beat. Walters telephoned Hammersmith police station. Inspector Read and a sergeant joined him in a police car. As the car had been carefully parked, the police believed the culprit might come back. All three waited, keeping watch on the car.

At 9pm, they saw Hulten get into the car. Inspector Read ran over and grabbed him by the arm. With the help of the other officers, Hulten was dragged from the car and searched. The Remington automatic used to kill Heath was found in his trouser pocket. He was taken to Hammersmith police station.

Hulten told the police he was 2nd Lt Richard Allen, 501 Parachute Regiment, US Army. A law passed in 1944 required that no American serviceman should be tried in a British court. An American CID officer, Lt Robert Earl de Mott, interviewed Hulten at 3am. The officer established Hulten’s true identity and that he was a deserter.

Hulten told authorities that he had found the car abandoned near Newbury. He was taken to the American CID headquarters in Piccadilly, where he elaborated his story and told them he had spent the Friday with Elizabeth Jones. She was picked up the next morning, and the police took a statement from her before releasing her.

That evening, the police interviewed Jones again at King Street. She confessed and implicated Hulten, saying he had led her astray.

The US authorities waived its rights on the Visiting Forces Act, allowing Hulten to be tried in a British court.

Arrest

Hulten was arrested when a police officer spotted the car parked in Fulham Palace Road in London and an American army officer emerged from a nearby house and entered the parked car.

During the later police watch, PC William Walters found the car at about ten past eight. Inspector Read and a sergeant joined him. At 9pm, after Hulten got into the car, Inspector Read grabbed him by the arm, and the officers dragged Hulten from the car and searched him, finding the Remington automatic used to kill Heath in his trouser pocket.

Jones was picked up the next morning after Hulten told American CID he had spent the Friday with Elizabeth Jones.

Trial

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

The prosecutions case was presented by Mr L.A. Bryne. Hulten was defended by Mr J. Maud, and Jones was defended by Mr J.D. Casswell. Mrs Lloyd Lane also represented Jones.

Both were found guilty of murdering Heath and were sentenced to death. Elizabeth Jones took the sentence badly and had to be dragged screaming to the cells.

They both appealed, but the appeals were dismissed in February.

Two days before Jones was due to go to the gallows, Jones was reprieved.

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

During questioning, Jones stated that Hulten shot the taxi driver and told her to go through his pockets looking for money. Hulten continued to deny the shooting. Jones had earlier confided to a friend: "If you had seen what I have seen, you would not be able to sleep ...". The friend informed the police of Jones’s remarks. During the trial, they implicated each other.

Sentencing

After their six-day trial at the Old Bailey on Tuesday 16 January 1945, both Hulten and Jones were found guilty and sentenced to death.

Jones was reprieved two days before she was due to go to the gallows.

Appeals

Both Jones and Hulten appealed, and their appeals were dismissed in February.

Outcome

After being sentenced to death, Jones’s sentence was later commuted to life in prison. She was released under licence in January 1954, when she was aged 27 years old. Her subsequent fate is unknown.

Hulten was hanged at Pentonville Prison on 8 March 1945.

The case became known as the "Cleft Chin" murder, as the murder victim had a cleft chin.

Aftermath

The reprieve caused controversy, as many people considered the crimes cowardly, and in war-torn England where everyone was pulling together, they were seen as almost treasonous. "SHE SHOULD HANG" was graffitied in several places in Jones's home town.

A film, 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.

The case also received the nickname 'The Cleft Chin' murder because the murder victim had a cleft chin. Because one suspect was an American serviceman, it was noted he could have been courts-martialled by the Americans; instead, they waived their rights under the Visiting Forces Act and he was tried with his accomplice in a British Criminal Court.

Other details

Jones was also referred to as Elizabeth Maud Jones and as Georgina Grayson.

Hulten was described as an American army deserter. He was initially identified as 2nd Lt Richard Allen, 501 Parachute Regiment, US Army, and as a private named Gustav Hulten.

It was stated that their date with death occurred just five days after his twenty-third birthday for Hulten.

In relation to Heath’s killing, tyre tracks on a grass verge were noted, and the car’s registration number was given as RD 8955.

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