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William Smith

Age: 56

Sex: male

Date: 25 Oct 1986

Place: Mirfield Memorial Park, Wakefield

William Smith was killed whilst walking along an unlit pathway by Mirfield Memorial Park and the Calder and Hebble Canal at around 10.30pm on 25 October 1986.

His body was later found in the canal at the foot of an embankment in some shallow water at 2am, 200 yards from his home in Parkfield Crescent, Mirfield.

He had been hit over the head with a wrench and asphyxiated with a ligature. However, the police refused to say what the ligature was.

The police said that his murder appeared to be motiveless.

William Smith had worked as a customer liaison executive for the Yorkshire Weekly Newspaper Group in Dewsbury.

On the day of his murder he had just returned from a holiday in Jersey.

He had gone out at 10pm to walk his dog.

He had lived in Mirfield with his wife and two teenage sons and was described as a quiet man. He was also known as Bill Smith.

A foot-long metal wrench was found which was thought to have been the murder weapon and the police said that they were trying to establish its origin.

The wrench was said to have had a blue shaft with 'Record 14' on one side and 'drop forged steel', on the other. 

The police said:

It is not an everyday DIY tool. Somebody may recognise it or may have once owned it. I want to hear from you.

The police said that it was possible that the murderer might have been bitten by William Smith's Labrador dog, and could have had bloodstained clothing. It was noted that William Smith's dog, called Deefa, had had marks on its face, suggesting that he could have been in contact with the murderer.

During the investigation, the police handed out 10,000 leaflets appealing for information.


*map pointers are rough estimates based on known location details as per Place field above.

see www.westyorkshire.police.uk

see West Yorkshire Police

see Examiner

see Halifax Evening Courier - Tuesday 28 October 1986

see Halifax Evening Courier - Wednesday 29 October 1986

see Dundee Evening Telegraph - Monday 27 October 1986

see Derby Daily Telegraph - Tuesday 05 August 1986

see Wolverhampton Express and Star - Monday 27 October 1986

see Newcastle Journal - Monday 27 October 1986

see Aberdeen Evening Express - Monday 27 October 1986

see Halifax Evening Courier - Thursday 30 October 1986