Letter confessing to Lorraine Jacob unsolved murder in 1970

Feb 28 2008 by Liza Williams, Liverpool Daily Post

A LETTER confessing to the unsolved murder of Lorraine Jacob, in Liverpool’s Rodney Street, has been found in the house of a man suspected of the killing, police revealed yesterday .

Murder squad detectives have re-opened the case of Miss Jacob, unsolved for almost 40 years, after finding clues at the Wigan home of Harvey Richardson, 77, who died this month after suffering from cancer.

Detectives have now revealed one of the items was an unsigned, nine-page confession note, which is currently being analysed by handwriting experts and a forensic team.

The 19-year-old’s body was found at around 8am on September 2, 1970, by council binmen in a small entry at the back of the Young Women's Christian Association, in Rodney Street. She had been strangled.

The case was reopened after decorators found clues in the house in Aspull, Wigan, including the note, an item of clothing, an air pistol and newspaper cuttings about the murder.

Yesterday, Det Supt Ian Kemble, of Merseyside police, said: “One thing I can say about the note is that it is very detailed and appears to be old.

“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.

“I don’t think it is something that has been written in the last five or six years.”

Police are now appealing to anybody who may have associated with Richardson and have released a photograph from 1966, as he would have looked at the time of the murder. He is thought to have lived on Huskisson Street, in Toxteth, in 1970 and might have been studying languages in the city. He may have worked at a restaurant called The Mariners.

Police also revealed that a press cutting about the unsolved murder of hitchhiker Jackie Ansell-Lamb, 18, whose body was discovered in Mere, Cheshire, in 1970 was among the findings in Richardson's home.

But Mr Kemble denied “categorically” suggestions there was any evidence linking Richardson to the killing.

Saying that it was unknown how many people could be responsible for the mother-of-two’s death, Mr Kemble added: “For nearly 38 years, the family of Lorraine Jacob have had to live with the fact that the person who murdered Lorraine has never been caught.

“The family still need closure and will only rest when they know who was responsible for her death.

“We are actively pursuing this latest line of inquiry and I would urge anyone who may have information which could further this investigation to call us as soon as possible.”

Results from current forensic tests are expected in approximately five weeks.

Anyone who has any information can contact the incident room on 0151 777 8660, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

lizawilliams@dailypost.co.uk