The case of writer Helen Bailey

He does look a pretty laid back sort of guy.
It'll be interesting to see what sort of evidence the police have. I don't think they even announced how she died yet.

froggy wrote:He does look a pretty laid back sort of guy.
It'll be interesting to see what sort of evidence the police have. I don't think they even announced how she died yet.

I'm sure the post-mortem was scheduled for today but be a while before they disclose anything I would of thought.

He might of confessed whilst under arrest I suppose.

But I suppose again all that will come out when he goes to court....

Andrew wrote:... didn't people used to say similar things about Ted Bundy as well.

Speculation on my behalf - but she was going to leave him and he couldn't handle it. They argued. He snapped, killed her and panicked.

Prior to that he probably never even had so much as a parking ticket.  

I don`t think there`s any comparison with Ted Bundy though Andrew. Your speculation could be right and it was something that happened in the heat of the moment, like a domestic gone wrong (not like Ted Bundy who planned all his).

Reminds me of the words to Bohemian Rhapsody "Mama, just killed a man, put a gun against his head, pulled the trigger, he was dead" - as though life is changed for ever in a split second of rage.

Anyway I`m starting to speculate as well and shouldn`t till we know more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-36825094

http://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2016-07-19/helen-baileys-partner-appears-in-court-charged-with-her-murder/

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1461200/partner-of-novelist-helen-bailey-in-court-charged-with-murder-after-cops-discover-her-body/

Snipped:

Father of two Mr Stewart found his first wife Diane collapsed in the garden of their home after she suffered a fatal brain aneurysm.

.... They might want to look into that one again.

Sort of reminds me of this case in which I watched a documentary about some time ago..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Webster_(murderer)

I've heard of quite a few cases like that - mainly in America - where the death of a first spouse was thought at the time to have no suspicious circumstances but then turned out to be quite the opposite when a new partner went the same way.

Of course we don't know if this will be of any relevance to this case.

Andrew wrote:Sort of reminds me of this case in which I watched a documentary about some time ago..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Webster_(murderer)

They made a tv film about Malcolm Webster's exploits. It was called "The Widower" with Reece Shearsmith. I watched it twice but never realised it could actually be based on a true story.

bluebell wrote:

Andrew wrote:Sort of reminds me of this case in which I watched a documentary about some time ago..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Webster_(murderer)

They made a tv film about Malcolm Webster's exploits.   It was called "The Widower" with Reece Shearsmith.  I watched it twice but never realised it could actually be based on a true story.  

Yes - remember watching that programme. In fact come to think of it, it may of been that and not a documentary that I saw on it.

Crikey, I am shocked at what is coming out here. Seems he (IStewart) drugged her for months with his sleeping pills before smothering her. The police found she'd been googling "Why do I keep falling asleep" !!

Wealthy woman it appears, so evil, evil man. imo

I know. It's horrific. Poor woman.

He'll never see the light of day again. And rightly so.

(well I suppose he will from the prison yard, but you get my point)

And since he is pleading not guilty to all charges all the dreadful details are going to come out. I'll be interested in his Defence.

He told police that Joe and Nick 'did it' according to an earlier report I read on Sky...

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/helen-bailey-murder-trial-day-12435557

Updates from day 2.

Thanks Andrew. Very interesting reading about the analysis of the hair samples.....

chrissie wrote:Thanks Andrew. Very interesting reading about the analysis of the hair samples.....

That's what I thought chrissie. Do we know if they still have some hair samples from PdL....? There was some talk of them being destroyed, then of GA (Portuguese police) still having hold of these.
Such advances being made in these areas.

bluebell wrote:

chrissie wrote:Thanks Andrew. Very interesting reading about the analysis of the hair samples.....

That's what I thought chrissie.  Do we know if they still have some hair samples from PdL....?   There was some talk of them being destroyed, then of GA  (Portuguese police) still having hold of these.    
Such advances being made in these areas.

Not sure bluebell, I heard they had been destroyed. It just reminded me of G mentioning the haircuts in his blog!

chrissie wrote:

bluebell wrote:

chrissie wrote:Thanks Andrew. Very interesting reading about the analysis of the hair samples.....

That's what I thought chrissie.  Do we know if they still have some hair samples from PdL....?   There was some talk of them being destroyed, then of GA  (Portuguese police) still having hold of these.    
Such advances being made in these areas.

Not sure bluebell, I heard they had been destroyed.  It just reminded me of G mentioning the haircuts in his blog!

Anyone else remember this? So long ago but I thought some hair samples had been kept? Hoping for advancement in forensics even though there weren't roots to the hairs?
Am I quite mixed up here?

bluebell wrote:

chrissie wrote:

bluebell wrote:

chrissie wrote:Thanks Andrew. Very interesting reading about the analysis of the hair samples.....

That's what I thought chrissie.  Do we know if they still have some hair samples from PdL....?   There was some talk of them being destroyed, then of GA  (Portuguese police) still having hold of these.    
Such advances being made in these areas.

Not sure bluebell, I heard they had been destroyed.  It just reminded me of G mentioning the haircuts in his blog!

Anyone else remember this?    So long ago but I thought some hair samples had been kept?   Hoping for advancement in forensics even though there weren't roots to the hairs?    
Am I quite mixed up here?

The hair samples are being stored in the University in Coimbra (Portugal) bluebell, this has been mentioned by Adiren. I'm sure I posted a while ago.

http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/528865/Madeleine-McCann-human-hairs-hunt-Portugal

costello wrote:

bluebell wrote:

chrissie wrote:

bluebell wrote:

chrissie wrote:Thanks Andrew. Very interesting reading about the analysis of the hair samples.....

That's what I thought chrissie.  Do we know if they still have some hair samples from PdL....?   There was some talk of them being destroyed, then of GA  (Portuguese police) still having hold of these.    
Such advances being made in these areas.

Not sure bluebell, I heard they had been destroyed.  It just reminded me of G mentioning the haircuts in his blog!

Anyone else remember this?    So long ago but I thought some hair samples had been kept?   Hoping for advancement in forensics even though there weren't roots to the hairs?    
Am I quite mixed up here?

The hair samples are being stored in the University in Coimbra (Portugal) bluebell, this has been mentioned by Adiren. I'm sure I posted a while ago.

Sorry costello time's winged chariot et al, I forgot, thank you for the reminder. Reassuring to know they have been kept.

@ bluebell

Apologies our posts crossed, I have now inserted a link in my above post.

Just catching up - interesting stuff re: hair analysis on this case and the drugs etc.

No wonder why Gerry had to sod off back to Rothley and collect an old strand of hair.

Andrew wrote:Just catching up - interesting stuff re: hair analysis on this case and the drugs etc.

No wonder why Gerry had to sod off back to Rothley and collect an old strand of hair.

http://www.gerrymccannsblogs.co.uk/DAYS_1_to_50.htm

Just on the notorious twins haircut reference in the blog, this was made by GM on Day 23, 26 May. This was only 3 weeks after the disappearance, so cutting hair at this point would not have removed any drug traces in the hair shaft as these would still be very close to the scalp.

How long was the twins' hair that summer? About 2-3 inches? A child's hair grows at about a quarter of an inch per month. That's a good 8 months before any drug traces would reach the end of the hair.

So unless they were shaved that summer, which they weren't (see airport pictures of them returning home), any traces that existed would still be in the hair at September 2007.

Of course, this doesn't matter as long as the hairs were not tested. I am sure the McCanns would have taken great steps to avoid this (one of the reasons for the flight home?). Do we know if any of the hairs recovered were from the twins?

Do we know of any haircuts late on in the holiday or after they returned home?

Either way, the haircuts mentioned in the blog are irrelevant to this issue - far too early. So why mention them? I'm certain there would have been another, alternative but valid, reason. It's just too much of a random thing to say.

Thoughts?