John Reginald Halliday Christie - one of Britain’s worst serial killers.

John Reginald Halliday Christie - one of Britain’s worst serial killers.

55 year old John Christie and his wife, 54 year old Ethel, rented rooms at 10 Rillington Place in the Notting Hill area of London. He was an insignificant man, 5’ 8 1/2” tall, bald and bespectacled, who was nicknamed "Reggie no dick" by local children. 

He had a criminal record stretching back some years and had served sentences for theft and assault. During World War II he served as a special constable in the War Reserve Police, helping to enforce the blackout.

Christie murdered at least seven women whose remains were recovered and could be identified. His known victims were Austrian born 21 year old Ruth Margarete Fuerst on the 24th of August 1943, whom he had consensual sex with and then strangled her and buried her in the garden. Her skull rose to the surface and so Christie picked it up and threw it into a bombed out house. 

His next victim was 30 year old Muriel Amelia Eady whom he strangled on the 7th of October 1944. 

Christie admitted at trial to the murder of 19 year old Beryl Evans (Timothy Evans’ wife) on the 8th of November 1949, possibly while performing an abortion on her. 55 year old Ethel Christie (Christie's own wife) was strangled on the 14th of December 1952.

 After murdering Ethel he sold her watch, wedding ring and some furniture. His next victims were 25 year old Rita Elizabeth Nelson on the 29th of January 1953, 26 year old Kathleen Maloney in February 1953, and 26 year old Hectorina MacLennan, on the 6th of March 1953. 

Most of these women he had lured to the house where he had gassed and strangled them. 

It is thought he indulged in sex acts with them after he had rendered them unconscious, before burying or hiding their bodies around the house and in the garden. Ethel Christie had only been strangled and there was no sign of recent intercourse.  

His standard method was to induce the victim to inhale coal gas which was highly toxic through Friar’s Balsam which masked the odour.  Once unconscious he strangled them with a ligature, typically a stocking or a rope.

By Spring 1953, with the property somewhat crowded with corpses, Christie decided to move and sublet the property to a Mr. and Mrs. Reilly who quickly noticed a foul smell in the kitchen.  However the owner of the property did not allow sub-letting and evicted the Reilly’s.  He did allow Mr. Beresford Brown who also rented rooms at 10 Rillington Place to use Christie’s kitchen.  Mr. Brown wanted to put up a shelf for his radio and was also concerned about the smell and when he investigated it, discovered three of the women's bodies hidden in an alcove off the kitchen which had been wallpapered over. As one can imagine, this discovery made headline news. 

Christie was living rough, wandering the streets before being apprehended by PC Thomas Ledger on London's Putney embankment on the 31st of March, 1953.  He gave his name as John Waddington but Ledger did not believe him and made him take his hat off, revealing his bald head.  He was arrested and taken to Putney police station.  Under questioning, Christie admitted to the murders of everyone except Geraldine Evans and seemed to be working on the theory of "the more the merrier," probably in the hope of being found guilty but insane. 

He came to trial at the Old Bailey on June 22nd, 1953 before Mr. Justice Finnemore on the single charge of murdering his wife, Ethel.  On Tuesday the 22nd he gave evidence on his own behalf and it was reported that he testified “I think I killed Mrs. Evans.”  Equally he always denied killing the Evans’ baby, Geraldine and had originally denied killing Beryl at Evans’ trial.  His counsel, Derek Curtis Bennett, offered the expected defence of insanity. The jury took just under an hour and a half to reject this and reach a guilty verdict after a three day trial.  Christie did not appeal.

While Christie was in the condemned cell an inquiry was going on in relation to Timothy Evans who had been hanged in 1950 for the murder of his daughter Geraldine.  Mr. George Roberts, M.P. had asked for this inquiry and had sought an assurance from the Home Secretary that Christie would not be executed before parliament had chance to debate the outcome of the inquiry before the execution was carried out but this was not forthcoming.

Three weeks later, Christie stood under the same beam as Timothy Evans had done and at 9.00 a.m. on the morning of Wednesday, the 15th of July 1953, was also to be hanged by Albert Pierrepoint, who this time was assisted by Herbert Smith.

  Christie weighed 149 lbs. and was given a drop of 7’ 4”, causing fracture/dislocation of the 3rd and 4th cervical vertebrae.  Some 200 people had gathered to see the notices of execution posted on the main gates.