When the landlord came to collect the rent at 44 Duke Street, Mayfair, London, on Wednesday, December 13th, 1944, he found the tenant lying dead on the floor.
Described as a very popular prostitute, which meant that she was also an affluent one, Mrs. Evelyn Hatton, 44, had been strangled three days before she was found. The motive, police believed, was robbery rather than sexual. Her handbag was empty and there was no cash in the flat, leading to the supposition that she was targeted for her money.
By who? The theory was that her killer was an American serviceman who only visited her to rob her.