Murder Case

Some when in the early hours of June 29th, 1860, in road hill house, a small village in Wiltshire, Francis Saville Kent, a child of just three years was taken from his bed and murdered. His throat had been deeply slit, he had stab wounds to the chest and hands, and there were also signs he had been smothered, the actual cause of death. Although the police were first thrown off by the fact the drawing room window had been left open, they soon realised that the cold hearted culprit was one of the family members or staff who slept in the room on that fatal night.

There were as few as 6 people in the house that night, Mr Samuel Kent and his wife Mary Anne, Saville’s half siblings; Constance (16) and William (14) and finally Saville’s nursemaid who slept in the neighbouring bed to Saville; Elizabeth Gough. His nurse maid was initially arrested, as police couldn’t believe that she could have slept through the kidnap. How could someone sleep through a child being taken? With little physical evidence against her Elizabeth Gough was set free. The case was then handed over to Scotland yard’s finest Jack Whicher, from the offset he believed it was the older sister Constance who committed the barbaric act, and with evidence against her pilling up, the courts gave Whicher a warrant for her arrest. However after examination at the court she was released, and Whichers perfect reputation was destroyed. It wasn’t until 5 years after the crime was committed that Constance confessed to a Reverend what she had done. Constance wss then convicted and spent the following 20 years in prison, however was the right person convicted, could a small 16 year old commit a murder all by herself? Was it actually Constance?

Constance Kent was convicted and sentenced for the crime due to her confession, this is why it is highly probably that Constance was the murderer, why would you confess and most likely face the gallows if it wasn’t you? five years had passed, she had most likely got away with the crime, yet she still confessed to a priest, maybe she’d taken to religion and realised she could be forgiven by god if she admitted it, she could have been trying to clear her sins. I however don’t agree with the idea of it being just Constance who committed the murder, yes she may have played the part in the boy’s death, but what if it was just as an accomplice and she then confessed to spare her younger brother from prison. In Kate Sommerscales book she makes it quite obvious that Mr Whicher believes it to be both siblings (Constance and William) who committed the murder, it’s quite a believable theory; Constance, a small 16 year old most likely couldn’t carry and kill a nearly four year olde all by herself, maybe the siblings conspired together to kill, William could have been the muscle and Constance would have held open the doors, put the blankets back down on