Murder of Una Crown
Una Crown | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1926 or 1927 England |
| Died | 12/ (aged 86) Wisbech, England |
| Cause of death | Murder by stabbing |
Una Crown (1926/1927 – 12/13 January 2013) was an 86-year-old widow who was murdered in her bungalow in Wisbech in Cambridgeshire, England, in 2013. Her death was initially treated as unsuspicious but a post-mortem examination on her burned body concluded that she had died from stab wounds to her neck and chest. At least one suspect was arrested but no individuals were charged. The brutality of the case and admission of police failure in the murder investigation gave the case national attention. The case remains unsolved.
Background
Crown was a retired postmistress who lived alone in Wisbech. She had no children. Her husband Jack Roland Crown died in 2009.
Described as "very security-conscious", Crown lived on the outskirts of Wisbech near Elgood's Brewery. She was last seen on 11 January, and spoke to a friend on the telephone at 5 pm on 12 January.
Murder investigation
On 13 January 2013, Crown was found dead in the hallway of her bungalow in Magazine Lane, Wisbech, by her nephew-in-law John Payne. She was found surrounded by blood and burned newspaper; her body was burned but the fire had not spread to the rest of the house and had self-extinguished. Crown had been robbed of her wedding ring, front door key, and £40, and her clothing had been burned, apparently to destroy evidence.
Two attending police officers concluded the death was not suspicious, as they had thought she had accidentally set herself on fire via the stove, which she tried to put out with a tea towel, and had then died from a heart attack. The police investigation concluded that "two slits to her throat" had most likely been torn by pressure from the scarf as her body fell to the floor. A post-mortem on 15 January, however, found that Crown had been stabbed to death and a murder investigation was launched. Because of the police's initial conclusion Crown's house had not been treated as a murder investigation crime scene, and evidence including a key had been washed.
Crown's funeral was held at King's Lynn Crematorium on 25 February 2013. In April 2013, Dainius Stelmokas admitted to burgling Crown's home on 4 April and stealing a number of electronic items. The same month, a reconstruction and appeal was made by Crimewatch.
On 17 June 2014, two men were arrested in connection to Crown's death but were released without charge. In March 2023, a reward of up to £20,000 was offered by Crimestoppers for any information leading to a conviction. The same month the case was featured again on Crimewatch.
Review of police behaviour
A review found that "flawed decisions" were made by police when they failed to realise they were dealing with a murder scene. The two officers first on the scene were found to have "breached the standards of professional behaviour". The coroner condemned the "bungling" of the investigation.
Eliza Bibby
Nearly one decade to the day after Crown's murder, the body of 47-year-old Eliza Bibby was found at her bungalow in Wisbech on 10 January 2023. On 25 January one suspect, Mark Coleman, was found dead in prison. On 2 February, the inquest revealed she had been stabbed in the neck, similarly to how Crown had been killed. A third person was arrested on 3 March. One man was charged with murder and another was given bail. Cambridgeshire Constabulary launched a probe for possible links regarding the "striking similarities" between the two deaths; the police re-appealed for information into Crown's murder.
In October 2023, 47-year-old Jamie Boughen was found guilty of the murder of Eliza Bibby. He was sentenced to life with a minimum term of 22 years.