unsolved-murders.co.uk
Unsolved Murders
Tags

Roger Vincent Greenman

Age: 2

Sex: male

Date: 8 Dec 1947

Place: 47 Moorend Crescent, Cheltenham

Roger Vincent Greenman died from what were described as 'terrible injuries' on 8 December 1947.

However, an open verdict was returned at his inquest stating that 'The injuries were not natural. There is no evidence of neglect by the parents'. The coroner said that there was no certain evidence as to how Roger Greenman's injuries were sustained.

His parents said that he fell about five times.

His cause of death was given as being due to intercranial haemorrhage, causing compression of the brain and rupture of the liver with haemorrhage.

It was said that what finally killed Roger Greenman were two haemorrhages, one on the front of the brain and another, a rebound haemorrhage, at the back of the head, which was said would have occurred a few hours before his death. It was said that his head injuries could have been caused by a severe blow such as might have resulted from a fall.

A Home Office expert said that Roger Greenman's organs had bled dry. It was said that his liver injuries might have been caused by a kick or by a crush in an accident.

A professor that examined Roger Greenman's body said that his injuries included several prominent ones on the lower part of his spine and also a black eye which he said had been caused shortly before his death and that he also had five ruptures of his liver.

He said, 'In children the only condition I have seen it in is by kicking, but if this child fell from a height on to a pointed object it might have caused the injury'.

Roger Greenman lived with his parents who lodged with a man at 47 Moorend Crescent, Cheltenham.

Roger Greenman's mother said that they had a row at dinnertime with the landlord who she said dragged her into the passage where Roger Greenman fell over.

She said that when she returned from work the following day, she noticed that Roger Greenman's eyes were 'queer' and so she rushed him to the doctor, but he was dead.

Roger Greenman's mother and a schoolgirl both said that they had never seen the landlord strike Roger Greenman.

However, the landlord said that after the struggle in the passage where Roger Greenman fell, Roger Greenman's mother took Roger Greenman upstairs and punched him.

The professor said, 'There was no evidence as far as feed and cleanliness were concerned, or neglect', adding that Roger Greenman was a well-cared for child.


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

see www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk

see Western Mail - Saturday 17 January 1948

see Gloucestershire Echo - Friday 16 January 1948