Good Evening,
Firstly, I want to say thank you for such an amazing forum and to all the members for their incredible contribution. I have been a guest (or a lurker) since 2013 and learnt so much about the case from this place. Believe there were members called John, myster and scipio who were just incredible and provided so much factual evidence that made me realise how guilty Jeremy Bamber is.
Anyway back to WHF. Even though Bamber is 100% guilty there are two things that I can’t get my head around and wondered if any of you could help shed some light based on your opinion :
1.. What order, including chronological order of bullets, do you think the murders/ shootings took place?[/b] 25 bullets would have meant two seperate reloads (unless killer was wearing an ammo belt) and I don’t think the numbers add up. I am sure the killer fired single shots at some victims then come back later to add more after everyone was dead to make it look like a frenzy. Thoughts?
2. Why was the idea of a hitman never properly explored? Julie’s statement was so factually detailed and correct that surely this should have been investigated further. Wasn’t there a chance that he just lied about Mcdonald name but the idea of a hitman was a plausible one. Another person involved perhaps? For me 25 shots fired, all directly hit plus the fact that the killer overpowered a big Nevill points to a skilled assassin which I’m not sure Jeremy was. It would also make the phone call more plausible whereby Jeremy would receive a call from Hitman they end call then before he leaves he removes it from hook. This would then explain the cut off Jeremy experiences and allowed him to call out to police and Julie rather than be faced with an open line as his lie exposed him too.
Any thoughts/ views would be welcome.
Good day Inspector Gadget
1) We can build a picture of the scene from the shell casings and pathologists report. But as you can imagine, the actual chronological sequence of shootings remains a subject of heated debate. Were the twins shot first? If not, neither of them appeared to stir during the commotion as they were found in their beds, one of them still sucking his thumb. Or did Jeremy save them till last as a sick bargaining chip to keep Sheila compliant?
Certainly it did not go wholly according to plan and he could not finish either June or Nevill before requiring to reload. An injured Nevill then either barged or stole past him trying to get downstairs.
There is a drawing somewhere on these pages, detailing where the spent cartridges were found.
2) Good question, I don't think Jeremy seriously considered hiring a hitman for that night's work, he told Julie about matty mcdonald in an effort to put some distance between the man she loved and the monster who killed 5 members of his family.
Where would this farmer have found such a hitman, a stranger willing to kill 5 people incl 2 kids whilst using cunning, to make it appear as a murder-suicide? It would have been a technical hit that required great care. And at what price? Jeremy wasn't going to be cash rich until after the killings. More than one person would surely have known about it as it required making enquiries to find this hitman prepared for that particular gruesome nights work. And if this individual were to slip up and get caught? Inevitable JB could then expect to be handed over.
No, It was important that Jeremy himself staged the scene of deranged murder suicide, there was too much at stake to allow a stranger to do it. Once McDonald provided his alibi, no evidence of a hitman has ever come to light in the 35 years since.
