Episode 107: Passing Notes PT 1

On today’s episode, the first part of a two-parter, Paul and Kate travel to 1975 England where a young heiress is kidnapped. When the ransom instructions prove increasingly difficult, the case takes a drastic crazy turn. 

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Sources:

“The Black Panther: Great Crimes and Trials of the Twentieth Century” (BBC)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGzOTwUqW_s

“Life Means Life: Jailed Forever: True Stories of Britain’s Most Evil Killers” by Nick Appleyard (2009)

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Life_Means_Life/6imcEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

“Horrific case of teen kidnapped and left to die beneath Kidsgrove beauty spot” by Dave Knapper and Julia Banim (Stoke Sentinel) 2024.

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/horrific-case-teen-kidnapped-left-9098782 

“40 years on: The tragic story of Lesley Whittle remembered”

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2015/01/16/40-years-on-the-tragic-story-of-lesley-whittle-remembered/

“Lesley Whittle: The murder that 'horrified' the public 40 years ago” by David Lumb (BBC) 2015.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-30800357

“Black Panther's kidnap and murder of heiress Lesley Whittle whose body was found in Bathpool Park drain” by Hayley Parker (Stoke on Trent Live) 2021.

 https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/45-years-on-kidnap-murder-3741128

“ATV Today: 16.01.1975: Shooting of security guard Gerald Smith” (MACE)

https://www.macearchive.org/films/atv-today-16011975-shooting-security-guard-gerald-smith

“How 'Black Panther' Donald Neilson terrorised the Midlands and snuffed out the life of a 17-year-old girl” (Birmingham Mail)

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/how-black-panther-donald-neilson-21806897

“TEEN MURDER : What happened to Lesley Whittle and who killed her?” by Amelia Beltrao, Catherine Micallef and Daniel Nuttman (The Sun) 2024.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/16386423/what-happened-to-lesley-whittle/

“Arms issued as police link gunman with Post Office killings” by Harry Tromans and Robert Lowe (Birmingham Evening Mail) 1975.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-evening-mail/111849029/ 

“The Black Panther” by Annie Duffield (Postal Museum) 2019.

https://www.postalmuseum.org/blog/the-black-panther/

“Legacy of Black Panther Murders” (BBC) 2010

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-16243850

“1975: Kidnapped heiress found strangled” (BBC)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/7/newsid_2516000/2516085.stm

“Police say Heiress Died from Shock” (Associated Press) 1975.

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1873&dat=19750310&id=E9AhAAAAIBAJ&pg=2881,3660456

Dorothy Whittle obituary (Legacy)

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/dorothy-whittle-obituary?id=41189932

“About Us” (Whittles)

https://www.whittlecoach.co.uk/About-us

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Episode 106: Razor’s Edge