What the identified source records
The Unsolved Murders index lists Margaret Paterson at 170 Hessle Road, Hull, and states that she died from head injuries on Sunday 16 June 1940. That provides a name, date, address and a starting point for further research. [source]
What the listing does not establish
Inclusion in a secondary unsolved-case database does not itself establish that a murder occurred. We have not verified a contemporary inquest verdict, criminal charge, trial or conviction for this entry. This page therefore records an unresolved historical death; it does not identify a killer or assert that any named person committed an offence.
Building the evidence
The next useful documents are the death registration, inquest report and local newspaper coverage around June 1940. These should establish whether 170 Hessle Road was her residence or the incident address, the medical findings, and how the death was classified at the time. A directory or electoral record may help confirm the household, but cannot on its own establish the circumstances of death.
Follow the sequence
The timeline
- 16 June 1940
Date of death recorded in the secondary index. [source]
- Research remains open
No inquest or criminal court outcome has been verified for this entry.
The next chapter of research
What remains to be established
- Obtain contemporary inquest and newspaper records before describing the death as murder.
- Verify whether the address is a residence, incident location or both.
- Establish age, family, occupation and burial from reliable records.
These questions are part of the account. We will revise this page when reliable records resolve them.
Sources & references
Links identify the material used and the next places to look. Indexed newspaper text can contain OCR errors; full original pages should be checked before adding further details.
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