CANNOCK CHASE MURDERS: RAYMOND MORRIS'S DARK LEGACY ENDS IN PRISON DEATH IN PRESTON

In a development that has brought closure to one of Britain’s most infamous criminal cases, Raymond Morris, the man linked to the chilling Cannock Chase murders, passed away behind bars at HMP Preston. Morris, who was 84 years old at the time of his death, had spent nearly half a century incarcerated for the brutal rape and murder of a young girl in 1967, a crime that shocked the nation and led to one of the most extensive police investigations in British history.

Details emerging from the Ministry of Justice reveal that the taxpayer-funded funeral for Morris cost a total of £2,686. This expenditure included a modest floral tribute valued at £15, along with various arrangements necessary for his final rites. The costs covered funeral arrangements, which involved legal guidance, certification, and registration procedures, amounting to £1,165. Additionally, the process of transferring Morris to the room of repose, including hygienic preservation treatments, cost £285. The cremation itself was facilitated with a coffin priced at £285, and a hearse was provided to transport his remains to Charnock Richard Crematorium, which incurred a fee of £185. The crematorium charges added up to £751, bringing the total funeral expenses to this figure.

Morris, originally from Walsall, died in March of the previous year while serving a life sentence at HMP Preston. His death followed a diagnosis of leukemia, which he had been battling for several years. The former engineer had been transferred from HMP Wymott, where he had been held for many years. His death marked the end of a notorious chapter in British criminal history, as Morris was the prime suspect in the Cannock Chase murders, a series of heinous crimes committed in Staffordshire during the 1960s.

The crimes Morris was associated with involved the abduction, sexual assault, and strangulation of three young girls—Christine Darby, aged seven, in 1967, and Margaret Reynolds, aged six, along with Diane Tift, aged five, in 1965. All three victims were found dumped within a few miles of each other along the A34 road on Cannock Chase, a location that became infamous due to the brutal nature of the murders. The bodies of Reynolds and Tift were discovered in a ditch at Mansty Gully, while Christine Darby’s body was found only a mile away, under brushwood. The investigation into these murders became one of the largest in British history, involving over 150 detectives, who visited 39,000 homes, interviewed 80,000 individuals, and examined more than a million vehicle records, including every Austin A55 and A60 in the Midlands.

Raymond Morris, a man with a background as an engineer and a life marked by violence and suspicion, was finally arrested in November 1968 after a young girl, Margaret Aulton, narrowly escaped an attempted abduction by a man in a green and white Ford Corsair. The vehicle was traced back to Morris, leading to his arrest. During the investigation, police uncovered pornographic photographs of a young girl, later identified as Morris’s wife’s niece, which further implicated him. Morris was charged with the murder of Christine Darby, as well as other related offenses, including indecent assault and attempted abduction.

His trial at Staffordshire Assizes resulted in a conviction for the murder and rape of Christine Darby, with Morris receiving a life sentence. Despite this, he remained the prime suspect in the deaths of Reynolds and Tift, though he was never formally convicted for those crimes. The case was further complicated by police misconduct allegations and the discovery that Morris’s brother had previously expressed suspicions about his involvement in the other murders, though no evidence was available at the time.

Throughout his incarceration, Morris made several attempts to seek parole and overturn his conviction, claiming innocence and challenging police conduct. However, these efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, and in 2010, the Court of Appeal upheld the principle that life sentences for the most heinous crimes should mean life. Morris’s death last year marked the conclusion of a long and dark chapter in British criminal history, ending a saga that had captivated and horrified the public for decades.

Commenting on the funeral expenses, Maureen Freeman, a retired police officer involved in the case, questioned the appropriateness of taxpayer money being spent on Morris’s funeral, especially the floral tribute. The Ministry of Justice responded that the funeral arrangements, including the floral tribute, were considered reasonable and in line with official guidelines, which allow for contributions of up to £3,000 for prisoners’ funerals in cases of death in custody. The response emphasized that such expenses are deemed moral and decent, provided the prisoner’s family does not have pre-paid plans or other financial support from government agencies.

The tragic case of Raymond Morris and the Cannock Chase murders remains a stark reminder of one of Britain’s most notorious criminal episodes, with Morris’s death closing a chapter that spanned over five decades of investigation, trial, and public fascination.