Rosalind Richards

Rosalind Richards and Rodney Pellow were shot dead in bed. 

It was thought they had been shot by a jealous boyriend, however, the main suspect later killed himself and the coroner could not name a murderer and so it is still technically unsolved.

Rosalind Richards and Rodney Pellow had been in Rosalind Richards's blue and white caravan overlooking Gillan Bay near Manaccan in Cornwall.

Rosalind Richards and Rodney Pellow were described as having been close friends for only 48 hours, having met on Christmas Day when Rosalind Richards took part in the village's traditional swim in the sea after which Rodney Pellow struck up a conversation with her in the local pub. It was heard that he had scarcely let her out of his sight from then on.

Rosalind Richards had been a part-time barmaid at the New Inn and was known as Roz. She had rented the caravan that she and Rodney Pellow were murdered in.

Rodney Pellow had been a farm manager and a father of two and had lived at Tregisky far, cottages in Coverack. but was awaiting a divorce from his wife and had been living with his parents at the time.

It was noted that the only occupant of the caravan left still alive was Sooty, Rosalind Richards's black kitten.

It was thought that they had been shot by a local 61-year-old man that had previously been seeing her. It was said that he had found them in bed with another couple during a Boxung Night party in her caravan and that she and others had laughed at him. The man was said to have then left, but to have returned a few hours later to find Rosalind Richards and Rodney Pellow still in bed together, the other couple having left.

He was sid to have then shot them and then reloaded his gun and shot them both in the head. 

Their bodies were found by a 5-year-old boy that used to call on Rosalind Richards for sweets that she gave him each day. 

It was then heard that the man gassed himself in his car ten weeks later after it was said that police were closing in on him. 

The 62-year-old man had been a retired marine engineer. He had lived in a luxurious house in Manaccan with his 44-year-old second-wife and had met Rosalind Richards after she became a daily help at his house, and soon after her 16th birthday they were said to have started having an affiar. 

Although talk started in the village, the man's wife was said to have suspected nothing. 

Rosalind Richards's best friend said that she met the man two weeks before the shooting, and told him:

And the man was said to have replied:

However, it was said that far from forgetting her, the man gave Rosalind Richards gold earings for a Christmas present. However, Rosalind Richards met Rodney Pellow on christmas morning after the sea swim at Coverack.

The inquest heard that the man and his wife were invited to the party at the caravan, but declined to go. The man's wife said:

However, it was said that the party on the Boxing Day night took a different turn after Rosalind Richards and Rodney Pellow, along with another couple, a 20-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl, ended up in bed together in a foursome. 

The 20-year-old man said that 62-year-old man then came into the caravan and switched on the light and said:

The 20-year-old man then said:

The 20-year-old man said that he challeneged the 62-year-old man in February of murdering the pair, but said that he told him that he had seen Rosalind Richards in bed with someone else before and that his supposed guilt was just gossip. 

The 62-year-old man continued to deny his guilt in two suicide notes to his wife.

His first suicide attempt had been on 7 January 1984 when he took an overdose of drugs from which he recovered after ten days in hoospital . In his note he said:

He also asked to be remembered to his four children by his first wife in Canada. 

However, it was heard that as the police built up forensic evidence, that the 62-year-old man and his wife had an argument and he left home to live in their holiday bungalow at Coverack. 

On 7 March 1984 the Director of Public Prosecutions authorised a murder charge agsint the mana nd two days later he was found dead in his fume filled caravanette. He had left another note that read:

Home Office experts later said that forensice evidence linked the man to the killings and that the cartridges used in the murder were similar to those found at his house.