Murder & homicide · 1961 · 1960s

The A6 Murder (James Hanratty)

In August 1961 Michael Gregsten was shot dead and Valerie Storie raped and shot, leaving her paralysed, in a lay-by on the A6 at Deadman's Hill, Bedfordshire. James Hanratty was convicted and hanged in 1962 in one of Britain's longest capital trials. DNA testing in 2002 was said to confirm guilt, but campaigners still dispute the verdict.

This summary is written in our own words from published historical sources. Map locations are approximate. Every case in the archive is at least ten years old.