John Reginald Halliday Christie

John Reginald Haliday Christie, was an ex-special constable, a sex killer and psychopath. He gained his sexual gratification through rape, murder, and necrophilia. He would make his victims unconscious, and then strangle them while performing necrophilia. 

He actually admitted strangling one of his victims during intercourse. Although, baby Geraldine Evans was clearly disposed of as a screaming baby, who, without a mother would arouse suspicion. In the 1940s and 1950s this man killed at least five prostitutes, his wife, a female lodger and her baby daughter. He also kept a collection of clipped pubic hairs, some of which did not match any of his known victims. Christie was not a popular man, seemingly respectable but not liked. As a teenager he had been nicknamed "Reggie No Dick" because of his sexual inadequacy.

1943, The first known victim was Ruth Fuerst, a 21-year-old Austrian factory worker who supplemented her income by engaging in prostitution. Christie met Fuerst while she was looking for clients in a snack bar in Ladbroke Grove. Christie invited Fuerst to his home to engage in sex Afterwards, Christie impulsively strangled her on his bed with a length of rope. He stored Fuerst's body beneath the floorboards of his living room, then buried it in the back garden the following evening.

8th November 1944, next victim was his neighbour 32-year-old Murial Eady. he invited to his home saying he would be able to cure a recurring chest ailment with a special inhaler he had built. The inhaler actually contained carbon monoxide. Once she was unconscious he strangled her while at the same time, raping her, she died during the process. joined Fuerst, buried in the back garden.

April 1948 the top floor flat at 10, Rillington Place was empty, the new lodgers were Timothy John Evans, a 24-year-old van driver, and his wife Beryl (20), and their baby daughter Geraldine. 

8th November 1948, Beryl found she was pregnant again, and with Timothy Evans struggling to hold down a job, Christie suggested an abortion, that he could help with, abortion was illegal in the UK at this time. 

As a result of his incompetent intervention Beryl died. Christie then persuaded Evans that her death had resulted from septic poisoning, from the various other abortion remedies that she had tried up until that point, and convinced him not to go to the police. Instead, he was sent alone to stay with his mother's sister in Wales, with Christie claiming that he had found a young couple willing to look after baby Geraldine.

30th November 1949 Timothy Evans was in Wales, he walked into a police station and confessed to putting his wife's dead body down a drain. After a search at Rillington place police found not only Beryl, but, also baby Geraldine, Evans was arrested, then changing his story and accusing Christie of the gruesome murders. 

January 1950, Christie was the chief prosecution witness at the murder trial of Evans, he denied any knowledge of the deaths of Beryl and the baby. Evans was found guilty.

9th March 1950, Timothy Evans was hanged.

12th December 1952, Two years later Christie killed his wife and buried her under the floorboards of his ground floor flat.

19th January 1953 Christie's next victim was 25-year-old Rita Nelson, a pregnant prostitute who was persuaded by Christie that he could assist her with a termination, she suffered the same fate as Beryl Evans. Her body was placed in an alcove that existed behind a cupboard in the kitchen.

February 1953. 26-year-old Kathleen Maloney, another prostitute, was gassed, strangled and raped. She joined Nelson, in the alcove behind the cupboard.

Christie's final victim was 26-year-old Hectorina McLennan, who was similarly gassed, strangled and raped, then stashed in the alcove. Christie then papered over the cupboard that concealed the alcove, but could do very little about the increasingly bad odor coming from the three decomposing bodies

20th March 1953, Christie left 10, Rillington place leaving the new occupier to trace the origins of the awful smell in the flat. After investigations by Mr. Brown (the new tenant) police, and a pathologist, the kitchen cupboard was found to contain the human remain of three women. Under the floor was Mrs. Christie, and in the garden two further bodies.

31st March 1953 John Reginald Haliday Christie was arrested . While in custody Christie made detailed confessions to six of the killings. 

22nd June 1953 Confessing to the murder of Beryl Evans at his trial at the Old Bailey, he continued to deny the murder of baby Geraldine Evans. His plea of not guilty on the grounds of insanity was rejected. The trial lasting 4 days, the jury took just 80 minutes to find him guilty.

15th July 1953 Christie was hanged at Pentonville prison by Albert Pierrpoint, it is alleged that Christie complained that the rope itched, with Pierrpoint saying "It won't bother you for long".

When police searched Rillington Place they found that Christie had kept pubic hair from victims, as trophies, BUT, there were some that were never identified? Were there more victims?

18th October 1966 justice was finally done when Timothy Evans was granted a posthumous pardon.

<< Back