Susan Michelmore

The body of Susan Michelmore was exhumed after it was thought she might have been poisoned.

She died on 4 March 1962 but was later exhumed on 13 September 1962 after a prisoner in Exeter jail made a statement to the police saying that her death had not been due to natural causes.

She had lived in Burton Street, Brixham and had been widowed three times. At the time of her death she had been crippled with arthritis and bedridden. She was said to have once been a familiar figure in the town, walking about with the aid of crutches to the clifftop to visit friends.

Following her death she was buried at St Mary's churchyard in Brixham.

Her body was exhumed at dawn on the morning of 13 September 1962 in the belief that she might have been poisoned and two scientific experts took away soil samples for tests at the Bristol forensic laboratory.

One of her three sons said that at the time he thought she had died from coronary thrombosis.

At her inquest in November 1962, one of her son's said:

But was stopped by the Coroner who said that it would be better if he said no more.

He was later quoted as having said:

When he was questioned by the press, he said:

Adding that he put a pillow over her face when she was in 'agonies of pain'.

The police said that the papers in the case had been placed before the Director of Public Prosecutions, but that no proceedings had taken place.

The inquest concluded that she died from natural causes, coronary thrombosis.