Left - the diagram of the ground floor of 10 Rillington Place that was used at Christie’s trial. The manuscript annotation “gas pipe” indicates the location of a disused fitting which Christie claimed to have unplugged and utilised as the source of gas with which to poison his last three victims, however, Dr Camps found that this fitting was “blocked up and appeared to show no evidence of recent interference” – there was, however, a missing gas burner on the stove and several differing lengths of red ½” bore rubber tubing were found as was a bulldog clip (such as Christie claimed he had used to control gas flow from the tubing). A square glass jar was amongst other articles subsequently found by police in the garden and may have been part of the makeshift inhalant device supposedly used to subdue Muriel Eady in October 1944.

The manhole cover shown in front of the bay window is one of three which local police are thought to have investigated following Evans’s first confession at Merthyr Tydfil; it was however apparent that this cover had not been disturbed for some time. Another can be seen in the back yard but this drain was evidently far too shallow ever to have accommodated a human body. The third was a larger, main sewer manhole in the centre of the road with an extremely heavy cast iron cover that took three officers to lift, which consequently contradicted Evans’s earlier assertion that he alone had opened it and concealed his wife’s body within.

The National Archives (CRIM 1/2116)

“ELIZABETH THE SECOND, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith, To all to whom these Presents shall come Greeting!

WHEREAS Timothy John Evans at the Central Criminal Court on the thirteenth day of January, 1950, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death;

NOW KNOW YE that We in consideration of some circumstances humbly represented unto Us, are Graciously pleased to extend Our Grace and Mercy and to grant him Our Free Pardon in respect of the said conviction; and We do hereby command all Justices and others whom it may concern that they take due notice hereof; And for so doing this shall be a sufficient Warrant.

Given at Our Court at St James’s the 18th day of October, 1966, in the -- year of Our reign.

(signed: Roy Jenkins).

BY HER MAJESTY’S COMMAND”

Above - a copy of Christie’s certificate of birth indicating that he was born on Saturday, 8 April 1899 not 1898 as was and is often reported, even by sources where accuracy might be expected. The anomaly is probably explained by the fact that Christie lied about his age, as many did, to join the army in 1916 and so felt obliged to continue with that date thereafter. The birth was registered on 19 May 1899 by his mother. The place of birth was the family home at Black Boy House, Turner Lane, Shibden, near Halifax in West Yorkshire, England.

Having been born on 8 April 1899 and put to death by hanging on 15 July 1953, it is apparent that Christie’s age at the time of his death was actually 54 years and not 55 as usually reported and referred to in official documents (e.g. see below).

Above - in a bizarre twist, the deaths of both Christie himself and that of his wife, Ethel, are recorded in the same volume of the register of deaths for the months July, August and September 1953. Although it is known that Ethel died at the hands of her husband on 14 December 1952, her mortal remains were not discovered until 25 March 1953 when the house at 10 Rillington Place started to be effectively dismantled by police. The registration district was the then Royal Borough of Kensington. The registration may have been further delayed by the extensive forensic pathology procedures and legal proceedings in hand at the time. Christie’s own death was, of course, by hanging on 15 July 1953 at H M Prison Pentonville which is in the London Borough of Islington. As noted above, Christie will have been aged 54 not 55 at the time of his death.