The case began on September 8th, 1965, when six-year-old Margaret Reynolds disappeared from near her home in Aston, Birmingham. Then on December 30th, five-year-old Diane Tift vanished from a street in Bloxwich on the outskirts of Walsall. Two weeks later their bodies were found on Cannock Chase.
More than 20 months went by and no clue to the killer had been found. Then on Saturday August 19th, 1967, at about 2 p.m. seven-year-old Christine Ann Darby went out to play with two young boys near her home in Camden Street, Walsall, Staffordshire. She was wearing a pair of old blue jeans, with a white T-shirt and black plimsolls, as she skipped happily along the road with her companions.
At 2.20 p.m., the trio called at the home of another friend in nearby Corporation Street, hoping he could join them, but he was just getting ready to go to the cinema.
A few minutes later a grey car stopped near the children as they wandered back to Camden Street, and the driver asked them the way to Caldmore Green. He pronounced it “Karmer Green,” which was the local pronunciation, proving he was familiar with the area.
This was to become an important clue…