William Richards

William Richards was found dead in an outhouse by his cottage with head injuries. His body had been covered up with hay, the cottage locked up and the key taken.

He had lived in a lonely cottage at Llanfrechfa between Pontypool and Newport.

His body was discovered after his neighbour became uneasy after not seeing William Richards for some time and had gone to search for him.

He had not been seen since the Thursday night, 21 April 1921.

His body was discovered in a shed with his head battered in. It was thought that his injuries were probably caused by an iron bar that was later found or a shovel. His body was not fully dressed and so it was thought that he had been attacked either just before retiring to rest or having just got up.

The drawers in his bedroom had been forced open and the police thought that his assailant was after some kind of document and not necessarily after money.

An English lever silver watch was noted as being missing amongst other items. It had a silver dial and gold figures and was inscribed with the number 28625.

Later, in December 1921 the police said that they knew that the watch had changed hands recently and thought that it was then in Monmouthshire or Glamorgan.

William Richards had been  a churchwarden.