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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Dead man's 1970 murder confession | Dead man's 1970 murder confession |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| An elderly man who recently died of cancer left a confession to a murder unsolved for almost 38 years. | |
| Harvey Richardson, 78, left nine sides of A5 paper detailing the strangulation of 19-year-old Lorraine Jacob in Liverpool in September 1970. | Harvey Richardson, 78, left nine sides of A5 paper detailing the strangulation of 19-year-old Lorraine Jacob in Liverpool in September 1970. |
| Her death remained a mystery until the letter was found in Richardson's home in Aspull, near Wigan. | |
| Merseyside Police are working with forensic and handwriting experts to corroborate the confession. | |
| Det Supt Ian Kemble, leading the investigation, said the letter was detailed and quite old with yellow staining. | |
| I don't think it is something that has been written in the last five or six years Det Supt Ian Kemble | |
| But, crucially, it does not give any firm indication the Richardson wrote it, he added. | |
| Mr Kemble said: "The confession isn't dated, it's not signed, so how do we know he wrote it? | |
| "Well, we don't know that until we have expert evidence. | |
| He added: "I don't think it is something that has been written in the last five or six years." | |
| Miss Jacob was last seen walking alone in Liverpool along Pilgrim Street towards Hardman Street late at night on 1 September 1970. | Miss Jacob was last seen walking alone in Liverpool along Pilgrim Street towards Hardman Street late at night on 1 September 1970. |
| Her body was found early the following day by refuse workers in a back alley behind a building in Rodney Street. Some of her clothing was missing. | Her body was found early the following day by refuse workers in a back alley behind a building in Rodney Street. Some of her clothing was missing. |
| Hospice death | |
| Merseyside Police announced on 18 February that they were reopening the case following the death of the pensioner. | Merseyside Police announced on 18 February that they were reopening the case following the death of the pensioner. |
| He died of cancer in a hospice in Wigan on 9 February. | He died of cancer in a hospice in Wigan on 9 February. |
| In addition to the note, decorators at the property found an airgun, an item of clothing and newspaper cuttings about the killing. | |
| Richardson is believed to have lived in Huskisson Street, Liverpool, and worked in a restaurant, possibly called The Mariners, at the time of the murder. | Richardson is believed to have lived in Huskisson Street, Liverpool, and worked in a restaurant, possibly called The Mariners, at the time of the murder. |
| Detectives have also released a photograph of Richardson when he was aged 36, four years before Lorraine was killed. |