Research during the Huntsman enquiry into the death of pensioner Flo Evans, who lived a short distance from Cooper’s house, identified that Flo’s late husband possessed a number of shotguns. Inquiries revealed that they had not been handed down to other family members and yet they could not be found at her home. It is suspected that they also had been stolen at some time. During the Dixons and Huntsman enquiries, a number of shotguns were found concealed or abandoned at various locations in the general area of Milford Haven and the geographical area of Cooper’s offending. Some were hidden in black bin bags (as was the gun under Cooper’s duck run). Of particular interest was the discovery two weeks after the Milford Haven rape and robbery of a sawn-off pump action Winchester shotgun in a hedge in Freystrop, together with a cartridge belt and ammunition. This shotgun still remains unidentified.
AMMUNITION
Various types and rounds of shotgun ammunition were recovered from rooms within Scoveston Park but on examination it couldn’t be confirmed that they contained wadding similar to that which was found in the bodies of the victims. No spent cartridges were found at the various scenes that could be linked to the shotgun injuries. Officers spent days at Scoveston Park sifting mounds of burnt debris by hand as well as using powerful magnets to detect metal cartridge heads, but to no avail. On the coastal path no spent cartridges were recovered in the immediate vicinity of the bodies. However, scientists identified that wadding found in the Dixons’ bodies had probably come from an Italian made cartridge (Maionchi/SMI/Martignoni) and were of a No.5 shot size. During Operation Huntsman, a number of boxes of shotgun cartridges were recovered from Cooper’s home at the same location as the concealed shotgun under the duck run. These were found in cardboard boxes that related to Baikal and Maionchi makes. These contained various size cartridges and makes including Eley and Maionchi. Also, an old Eley ICI cartridge with cardboard casing was found with apparent brown staining on casing. Huntsman enquiries identified that Cooper had held a shotgun certificate back in the early 1980s. Again it was noted that during the Sardis robbery for which Cooper had been jailed, two Maionchi cartridges were discarded near the address. Furthermore, after the rape at Milford Haven a shotgun cartridge belt together with the shotgun was found in a hedge at Freystrop. This belt contained Maionchi cartridges as well as old Pembroke County cartridges. This is the make that Cooper bought when he possessed a shotgun certificate.
ROPES
During the post-mortem of Helen Thomas, a piece of knotted rope was discovered amongst her burnt clothing. In addition a skirt appeared to have been used as a gag or blindfold, but unfortunately it had subsequently been lost. It was suspected that she had been tied up as part of a robbery that had gone wrong and that Richard Thomas had been shot dead in the outbuildings and dragged, on a blanket, into the house. This blanket had been tied with the remnants of orange bailer twine. Different samples of bailer twine appear to have been recovered from various locations within Scoveston Park. As a matter of interest during searches at Scoveston Fort in 1998, remnants of bailer twine were found in various rooms within the Fort complex. Peter Dixon was found on the coastal path with his hands tied behind his back. The rope that was examined by the FSS was also submitted to knot expert Geoffrey Budworth to compare against the knots found on the Scoveston rope. Images of Gwenda Dixon’s body indicated that one of her hands was positioned to the rear of her back. Could it be that she was also tied up but the offender removed the rope from the scene? When Cooper’s home was searched during the Huntsman enquiry sixty sections of rope were recovered. During examinations some of them had what could be classified as ‘handcuff contrivances’ with obvious restraints present. Both the sawn-off shotgun and threaded tool, discarded during the Sardis robbery, had ropes attached for use as lanyards. Also recovered was a longer section of similar rope. The victim of the robbery had rope tied around her wrists that according to examinations was not dissimilar in nature to other ropes recovered at Sardis. Our researches revealed that there were a number of ‘tie up’ robberies in the Milford Haven, Neyland and Sardis areas, where vulnerable females were restrained by ropes before property was stolen. The offender then removed some of the ropes from the scene. Our experts concluded that the existence of various knots in all the significant ropes should warrant further examination because of the complexity of some of the knots.
KEYS
During the original Scoveston investigation, one of the lines of enquiry was that a set of keys belonging to Richard Thomas’ Rover car had been stolen. When police arrived, the car was parked in the yard with the doors open and the keys missing. This fuelled a belief that he had arrived home and had disturbed the offender during the robbery. During the search various sets of keys were recovered including one found behind the larder in the kitchen at Scoveston. This key has been ‘connected in some way’ to the Rover car. On this key, which is still in police possession, there appears to be a serial number visible that would normally be hidden by the plastic key fob. It would appear that this number had not been considered for further analysis. During the examination of Cooper’s home a set of Leyland / Rover car keys were recovered. These have been shown to a mechanic who worked on Richard Thomas’ Rover car who described them as being of similar description. Another set of keys also contained one that was similar in all aspects to one used on a Rover car. Unfortunately, of course, Richard Thomas’ Rover car was disposed of some years ago prior to 1998. The searches for Operation Huntsman resulted in excess of five hundred keys being recovered on Cooper’s property, mainly hidden in his cesspit, several of which have been matched to the burglary scenes. One key has been forensically matched to Norton farm, which was owned by Richard Thomas in 1985. Another key recovered from Cooper’s home was linked to the burglary in Freystrop in October 1985 where keys, chequebook and card were stolen. The card was used at the NatWest cashpoint in Haverfordwest the following Sunday at 7.45 a.m. This was identical to how Peter Dixon’s cashcard was used at the same service till just after 7 a.m., days after his murder.
CLOTHING
Obviously there was a lack of information available from the murder enquiries regarding the suspect’s clothing. However, the artist’s impression, as compiled by the witnesses who saw the man using the cashpoint card, indicated he was wearing a pair of dark shorts and walking boots. During the Huntsman enquiry, a pair of olive green shorts was recovered from Cooper’s home. These appeared to be dirty and old with some staining. The description of the suspect in some of the ‘tie-up’ robberies was of a man wearing a balaclava and gloves. This matched the description of the offender in the Milford Haven rape. Similar items were discarded during the Sardis robbery. During the search of Scoveston Fort, in one of the turret rooms, officers found a piece of old brown leather boot with eyelets. It looked as though an attempt had been made to dispose of it. A shotgun was also found during the Huntsman searches in a bin bag at St Brides. The bag also contained a very distinctive fleece jacket. This fleece had never been examined or publicised in order to find the owner, which in turn may then identify who the shotgun belonged to.
JEWELLERY
Richard and Helen Thomas were reclusive with no close family and it was therefore impossible to establish what property had been stolen from Scoveston Park. Enquiries did reveal, however, that shotguns were missing from the property but their make and model was not known. Some jewellery items were found in the fire debris outside and it was concluded that other items of value might have been stolen. It was established that Peter Dixon’s wedding ring had been stolen, as well as his wallet and cashpoint cards. Significantly, it was ascertained back in 1989, that a man identified as a one J Cooper sold a man’s wedding ring at a jewellers in Pembroke Dock, a few days after the Dixons’ disappearance. The searches in Huntsman resulted in significant quantities of jewellery being found in fields and along a warren of hedgerows surrounding Cooper’s home. Jewellery was even found in his attic, some of which had been burnt. Jewellery that was not identified
by the victims of crime was returned to the Cooper family. Some of it still remained with the police however because the owners couldn’t be traced, indicating that it was probably stolen property.
SEXUAL ELEMENTS
An important line of enquiry in the Thomas murders was established during the post-mortem examinations. An anal swab from Richard Thomas was found to contain the presence of semen. A sighting of him with a fat man in a land rover on the day of the fire was scrutinised by police, and the suggestion that Richard might have been homosexual was extensively investigated but never confirmed. Experts were convinced that there had been a sexual element in the murder of Gwenda Dixon. They believed her bra had been moved before she was shot and all her lower garments had also been removed. Injuries were also observed on her inner thigh. Pages from two pornographic magazines were also recovered on the coastal path, not at the scene but in the vicinity; this appeared to be more than just a coincidence. A pornographic magazine was also found in Scoveston Fort during the Huntsman searches. Nearby was property from a robbery for which Cooper had been convicted. In the Milford Haven attack the offender tried to rob the children of valuables before one was raped and another sexually assaulted. This attack occurred just six months before the Sardis robbery for which Cooper was convicted. The two scenes were just a short distance apart and the victims’ descriptions of the attacker were similar. For us this was hugely significant.
FORENSIC EXHIBITS
During the Scoveston Park enquiry, various forensic exhibits were recovered during the post-mortem including blood and hair. Blood grouping techniques were very limited at the time and significant problems were encountered in establishing the origin of certain blood samples not taken from the bodies. A pool of blood was located within an outbuilding as well as wadding. Various interpretations were made as to the sequence of events that had occurred that night. No grouping profile was raised from Helen Thomas. Several of these exhibits were still stored in the laboratories at the Forensic Science Service. The presence of sperm heads within the anal swab taken from Richard Thomas had been evaluated, but since only one slide was left from this sample, the decision to re-examine this had been deferred until DNA techniques were sufficiently sensitive to ensure success in raising a suitable profile. During the Dixons enquiry in 1989, the same problems were encountered in establishing a standard DNA profile for the deceased couple. In accordance with crime scene investigative procedures in 1989, various tapings were taken from both bodies; in effect a strip of sticky tape is pressed on to any significant surfaces to collect microscopic debris. Particular attention was paid to Gwenda Dixon because of the suspected sexual element to the murder. No speculative DNA swabs were taken from the surface of their bodies, as would be the case today. During Huntsman, Cooper had refused to give a blood sample hence a sample of his head hair was taken and used to develop a DNA profile. The Mitochondrial DNA technique was used to develop this sample to link it to discarded exhibits during the Sardis robbery, including the balaclava and gloves. We believed that in order to progress the enquiry it would be essential that DNA profiles of all four victims and Cooper were developed to the standard modern specification.
MISCELLANEOUS EXHIBITS
The Scoveston Park scene had produced several exhibits that were initially submitted to the Forensic Science Service to confirm or discount presence of accelerant. The exhibits included the samples of debris that had been sifted to locate any spent ammunition. A significant item was a blanket suspected of being used by the offender to drag the body of Richard Thomas from the outbuilding into the house itself. Part of this blanket was recovered on the landing as well as some remnants outside the house. It was established that the fire officers had removed Richard’s body from the half landing and taken it outside before it was realised that he had been murdered. The recovery of a button in the outbuildings led the enquiry team to believe that there had been a scuffle between Richard Thomas and his attacker. Richard’s jacket had a button missing even though the button found was different to other buttons on the jacket. These items could be of significance because they had possibly come into contact with the offender. However, because of fire damage and their deterioration some detailed decisions would have to be made on what would be sent for further examination.
During the Dixons enquiry, general samples of tapings were taken from the bodies as well as surrounding soil and vegetation. The scene was concealed with broken branches and it was noted that the force required to break them would potentially result in DNA, or even blood being deposited on the branches if the offender grazed or cut himself. Fibres may also have been left. Items from the rucksack belonging to the Dixons were strewn in the area, again indicating that the offender had rooted through looking for valuables and supporting the theory that a robbery had occurred. A number of items initially returned to Tim Dixon, Peter’s son had been recovered for further more sensitive DNA techniques in 2001. This prompted police to recover further items from the Dixon family in 2006. These items were subjected to fingerprinting and at least one mark of value was developed on a camera instruction booklet that has been entered on the National Finger Print database (NAFIS) and on the Serious Crimes Cache. With the advent of digital photography, this is another area where potential marks left back in 1989 could now be cleaned up, enhanced, and searched on the databases. Also found on the crime scene was a crumpled up cashpoint receipt relating to Peter Dixon’s account dated a few days prior to his death. Tim Dixon said that his father would have taken out cash and placed the receipt in his wallet. Since the wallet and cash cards were stolen there was every possibility that the offender may have handled this receipt while he searched the wallet. This has been subjected to various fingerprint treatments but with negative result. Various fibres were also recovered including a thick white fibre. Significantly there was a connection between white fibres and the various burglaries of which Cooper was convicted. White cloth had also been found at various points of entry at the properties and under Cooper’s duck run with the shotgun and ammunition.
The artist’s impression of the man using the stolen cash point card in Haverfordwest indicated a specific type of bicycle. During Huntsman, a ‘sit up and beg’ bike was recovered from Flo Evans’ address at Thornhill Farm. Even though Florence Evans had died in February 1989, this bicycle had been left at the property. It had been subjected to fingerprint analysis and two marks had been located on the underside of the handlebars. It had been documented that Cooper had been a friend and visitor to Flo Evans and her husband Artie prior to their deaths. An investigation into another tie-up robbery in 1994 identified that the victim had also been burgled in February 1989. It had been noted by police at this time that bicycle tracks were found in the field at the rear of the property. This was again at a time when Florence Evans’ home would have been vacant due to her death and her bike would have been easily accessible. This would also have been the case in June 1989 when the Dixons were murdered. It should be noted that Thornhill Farm backs onto the scene of the Sardis robbery.
During a search of Cooper’s home an old common prayer book was located which was examined by an antiques dealer who stated it was Victorian and would have belonged to a ‘well to do’ woman. It was known that on the day of her death Helen Thomas had attended church and so her prayer book would have been readily accessible in the house. This item had since been returned to Mrs Cooper at her request. A building trowel was recovered during the Huntsman searches at Cooper’s address. This trowel, on closer examination, had the initials ‘RST’ engraved on it. Richard Skeel Thomas perhaps?
There was a wealth of information, data and material that had to be assessed in order to present it as admissible evidence in court. It was important that we were able to determine fact from fiction. Experience has shown me that important and serious crime investigations attract legend and myth, and cops are the worst for exaggerating. Some of this myth and legend can attach itself to investigations and influence decision-making. I need
ed to send out a clear message to the team that this would not happen on my investigation. The television room at Fishguard Port office became our briefing room; I would bring the cakes and biscuits and discuss the case. One Friday afternoon as I munched, I set out the ground rules: “We deal only in evidence and fact, we don’t do myth and legend. When we have identified and isolated the relevant material and information I want to know who will stand in a court of law and give it as evidence, if we cannot identify this person, it isn’t evidence, simple.”
For instance it was suggested that Cooper, whilst in custody for the Sardis robbery, had taunted the investigation team regarding the murders. There was no evidence whatsoever to support this claim. It was also said that he had asked for a book and circled page numbers corresponding to Peter Dixon’s PIN for his NatWest card; this again was nonsense. The trowel recovered from Cooper’s house with the initials RST engraved on it (Richard Skeel Thomas) was a red herring. It was the manufacturer’s name and it was stamped on and not engraved. A main line of enquiry for the original Scoveston Park murder team was the sighting of a blue Ford Cortina seen parked opposite the entrance to Scoveston Park. This sighting was included in an appeal that offered £25,000 for information linked to its owner and the murder. No-one ever came forward with such information and the owner of the vehicle on the night was never traced. During the Huntsman investigation it was suggested that the vehicle belonged to the Cooper family and had been parked in a lay-by opposite the entrance whilst its occupants had a heated argument. During this argument it was suggested that one of the occupants saw John Cooper walking out of the lane leading to Scoveston Park. This would have been significant if true; alas it was not. The vehicle did belong to the Cooper family, which was interesting in itself because they had never come forward despite the significant publicity, but the sighting was myth. It made us aware of how important it was to only deal in fact.
The Pembrokeshire Murders: Catching the Bullseye Killer Page 8