The Byfleet Murder & Mutilation

THE BYFLEET MURDER & MUTILATION is modern-day investigation by Mark Starr of the unsolved murder-mutilation of a 67-year-old retired carpenter, George Chuter, in his kitchen, in the village of Byfleet, County of Surrey, U.K., on January 12, 1888. In Volume 1 of the series "A Trail of Blood," Starr first researches every factual detail about this crime that was known in 1888 to the police, to the coroner and to the press. The police never named a suspect. The coroner and the inquest...
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THE BYFLEET MURDER & MUTILATION is modern-day investigation by Mark Starr of the unsolved murder-mutilation of a 67-year-old retired carpenter, George Chuter, in his kitchen, in the village of Byfleet, County of Surrey, U.K., on January 12, 1888. In Volume 1 of the series "A Trail of Blood," Starr first researches every factual detail about this crime that was known in 1888 to the police, to the coroner and to the press. The police never named a suspect. The coroner and the inquest jury ruled: "Wilful murder by a person or persons unknown." The press urged a reward be offered for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrator(s)--but the Home Office refused. A private reward of 100 pounds, raised by townsfolk of Byfleet, produced no results. The motive for the crime was never credibly established by the police, or at the inquest, with crime scene evidence. Groundless speculation was rife. Now, Starr uncovers three new pieces of critical evidence from 1888 that still survive in Byfleet today--evidence that was never known to the Surrey Constabulary, or to the Coroner of the Inquest. This evidence is cryptic. Starr deciphers its meaning. The evidence indicates the crime was committed by a hermetic, homicidal religious cult comprised of three killers who worked in concert. They murdered and mutilated George Chuter--a random victim with no personal connection to the cult killers. They obtained their chosen victim's blood for use in their occult, sacrificial rituals. Volume 1 of "A Trail of Blood" will be soon followed by Volume 2--in which Starr will present a large quantity of additional evidence pertaining to the Byfleet Murder & Mutilation--including physical evidence that still survives in Byfleet today. All this additional evidence in Volume 2 corroborates the evidence that Starr presented in Volume 1. Starr will also display trophy photographs taken by the three killers. These 19th Century photographs will display the killers in Byfleet, surrounded by occult symbols identifying the royal deity whom they worshipped. This new evidence raises the possibility this ritualistic murder may have been linked to other unsolved 19th Century crimes committed elsewhere.