Police Describe Finding Of Woman's Body

Chronicle (Levin), 13 July 1948, Page 6

Police Describe Finding Of Woman's Body

Press Aasociation)

• (Per .

CHRISTCHURCH, July 12. The case for theCrown was conciuded this afternoon on the charge against William Alhertus Ivan Stuck, aged 40, butcher, that/ he murdered Bertha Bessie Amy t>ay, at Paparua. oix May 14. Stuck pleaded not guilty and was conunitted hy Mr. r. F. Reid, S.M., to the Supreme Court for trial. Six witnesses gave evidence today making a total of 50 in the three daya' hearing. The inquest into the death of Bertha Bessie Amy Day which 'was coziducted at the same tiufe as the hearing of tne cliarge of murder, was adjourired sine die. * » Dr. A. B. Pearson, pathologist at the Christchurch Pubiic Jtiospital, said tie was present when tlie police uncovered the body of a woxnan at Paparua on May 15. " On Monday, May 17, 1 conducted a post-mortem examination on the body," said Dr. Pearson.' "I was assisted by Dr. Stewart. 1 found the cause of death to be shock due to laceration and destruction of the brain caused by a gunshot discharge. 1 was handed clothing belonging, to accused but iny invesligations on them are not quite conipleted. I was also handed .wo mutton cloths with what appeared io be. . bloodstains on them but my examination of them is not completed?' ' To Mr. Hay, witness said: "I conlirui my r'eport that the woman was noi pregnant and there were no signs o+' -in, v recent pregnancy. " SeniorrDetective P. S. Brad.v said that at 11.50 a.in. on Saturday, May 15, he went to Paparua aecompanied hy Detective Thomson and Constabie Sefton. "I was shown bjoodstains and broken dentures, " he said. "1 found more bloodstams on and under a{;fence. Beliind a gorse bush and hanging on tlie lower branches I saw a woman's hairnet and a woman's comb. There was approximateJy two acres of dense gorse and broom here. The soil had been dis tui bed recently by rabbits and the ground was saturated as if someoae liad lain there and bled freely. From this sp.ot a trail could.be seen leading ou.t 10(5 feet and terminating at a t'roshly-dug mound of earth. The last •50 or 40 feet of this trail were coveren with fresh sandy soil and it appeared as something bleedi'ng had been dragged along this trial. Tlie mound had the appearance of soineone digging out a rabbit burrow. Detective Thomson and Constabie .Sefton uncovered the top of this mound. ' ' They had dug. only ahout oue fooi wlien they uncovered a bare knee," continued witness. "A green coat was next found. On looking underneath the coat I saw the hands of a woman crossed on her chest. She was wearing a wedding ring on her left hand and a gold signet ring in the shape of a horseshoe, on her right hand. "We stopped digging and I imuiediately coiamunicated- the news of our tind to my superior officers. Some time later the Coroner (the l'ate Mr. H; I'. Lawry), Dr. Pearson, Superinteiident, ') 'Neill, I nspector Holmes, Sergeant Keartou and other members of tlie police lorce amyed. We dug roulid the body and considerably .widened and leugtliened tlie hole whieh would the.i be inuch larger than wlien the boclv • nas put in. Soil had to be removed from the eyes, mouth, nose and liair beiore the features could be seen for no covering had been placed on the body before tlie soil was thrown in. . Tlie body was removed to the morgue and tlie police searchcd the gorse for a possiblp weapou. _ " At the back of the gorse were several footprints made by a teonian wearin.e" high-heeled shoes. They tvere ' cpiite fresh and appeared to have been made

by shoes similar- to one- found on the body. Near the footprints some body iiad started to dig a hole with a shovei. ' ' A few days ago I went back to this spot with the shovei (producod) and found it' corresponded in size and curvature with the clods and with cuts left in the ground. " At 11.15 p.ni. on Saturday, Alay 15, I saw the witness, Alrs. Jean Smith, 'at the detective oftice. At 11.3U p.m,, afteishe had been to the morgue and identilied the body as that of her sis'ter, in company with Detective Ashby 1 intervieAved her -as to her knowledge of accused and her sister. Further inquiries were made by the detective stall' and as the resiilts of thoso, at 3.3U a.m. on Surulay, May 10, 1 sent a teleprinter uiossuge to the Wellington police asking.thein to liave the Hinemoa luet- on arrival in WelJingt-Qii harbour and a sear'-h made for accused." Witness said that on the afternoon of May 17, aecompanied by Inspcc.tor Holmes and Senior Sergeant Kclly. arms advisorv oflicer, :he went to the place where the body .was found. ' ' Th'e position in which the gun was likely to be carried iyas discussed aud also the possihility. of^findiug something which would. cause the gun to discharge accidentally. The f epee was carefully examined but no recent scrafehing was found," said -Senior Detective Brady. ''The fence was carefully examinedi and the only things that could have released the trigger qf the gun wero the barhs. A harhed wire was the top wire only and was fairly slack. Thi other wires \vei> not .particularly ta'ut. The discharge of gpn was gone intCt from every possible angie and we could' see no way in which it could acciden'j ally discharge at that fence. ' ' To Mr. Hay witness said.he oxamined the partly-diig hole on .Tuly 7 to comjiare marks with the shovei. - That closed the case for the Crowil and Mr. Hay said he would call no evidence.