Timothy Evans
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Timothy John Evans (November 20, 1924 - March 9, 1950) was a young man, possibly mentally retarded, who was hanged in England in 1950 for the murder of his young daughter.
Evans was a native of Merthyr Tydfil in south Wales. On September 20, 1947 he married Beryl Susanna Thorley and at Easter 1948 he moved to the top-floor flat at 10 Rillington Place, North Kensington. Their daughter Geraldine was born on October 10, 1948. In October 1949, Mrs. Evans was pregnant again but wanted an abortion, which was illegal at the time. A neighbour living in the ground floor flat, John Reginald Halliday Christie offered to procure an abortion.
Evans came home on November 8 to find his wife dead. Christie threatened to implicate Evans unless he co-operated. Evans decided to go back to South Wales, and Christie claimed to know a couple in East Acton who could take care of his baby. Evans returned to his aunt but two weeks later, went to the police to confess to killing his wife. The bodies of his wife and baby daughter were found at 10 Rillington Place. Evans made several contradictory statements, and when tried for murder, Christie gave evidence against him. Evans attempted to implicate Christie unsuccessfully, was convicted, and was hanged after his appeal was dismissed.
It was later discovered that the murders were committed by Christie, who was a serial killer. Christie was hanged in 1953 for the murder of his wife; a quick inquiry found no reason to doubt Evans' guilt. Journalist Ludovic Kennedy and Barrister Michael Eddowes fought to clear Evans' name and he was granted a posthumous pardon in 1966. The outcry over the Evans' case contributed to the abolition of the death penalty in the UK.