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stations along the route to see if he had refuelled. They even speculated that he might have had a secret cache of petrol and searched the route for it. William Watt remained the main suspect until the Smart family murder just a few miles away when the police realized that there was a serial killer on the loose. At Manuel's trial, the defence argued that Watt had committed these murders.
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Smart was known to have withdrawn from his bank on New Year's Eve were found to be missing from his residence. Manuel used these same banknotes to pay for drinks in several east-end
Glasgow pubs. After the police arrested his father, Peter Manuel confessed to eight of these murders (but not that of Dunn) and provided incriminating information only the perpetrator could have known.
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was suggested to him that the killer might have come off the Irish boat train he said that he had an Irish accent, and Manuel had a
Scottish accent. Manuel definitely did attend a job interview in Newcastle two days before this murder, but it is not clear that he hung around in the area; he could have just gone home to Scotland.
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Although many police officers who were familiar with Manuel suspected him of carrying out these murders, they were unable to prove his guilt until shortly after they had searched the Smarts' residence. They retraced the Smarts' movements in the hours before their murder when seven £5 banknotes Peter
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The legal system came close to a miscarriage of justice in Watt's case. Watt would very likely have been hanged if convicted. The evidence of these two witnesses is still not easy to explain even now. However, one possible explanation is that the ferryman was a fantasist who had already seen Watt's
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golf course in the
Calderwood area, raped, and bludgeoned her to death with a length of iron. Although the police questioned him about the murder, and he confessed to it two years later, Manuel escaped arrest when his father gave him an alibi. He was charged with this murder in 1958, but the case was
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His defence in relation to the Smart killings contained some highly implausible claims, e.g. that Peter Smart had gone on a spree and killed his family and then himself, and that Peter Smart had been a friend of his who had given him keys to the Smart house. On 11 July 1958, Manuel was hanged on the
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which had recently arrived at
Newcastle station. Two witnesses who spoke to the killer picked out Manuel at an identity parade, but these identifications are not always decisive (see the Watt case above). One of these witnesses initially said that the apparent killer had a local accent, but when it
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next to the hotel where Watt had stayed, looking for a murder weapon and bloodstained clothing, but the weapon was in another stretch of water further south. It was established that the level of petrol in Watt's car had not fallen during his alleged overnight drive, so the police questioned petrol
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on 17 September 1956. At the time of the murders, Manuel was out on bail for housebreaking at a nearby colliery, and officers in charge of the manhunt for the Watts' killer suspected him. However, for a time the main suspect was Marion's husband, William, who had been on a fishing holiday in
524:, admitted that Manuel conducted his defence "with a skill that is quite remarkable," the killer was unable to convince the jury of his innocence and was found guilty of all charges against him, except for that of murdering Anne Kneilands, which had been dropped due to lack of evidence.
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into the
Uddingston home of a family named McMunn on 4 January that year. Manuel was sleeping at the time of the police's arrival; as an officer named Andrew Stuart recited the arrest warrant to his (Manuel's) father, Manuel became verbally abusive. Informed he was to be taken to
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on 28 December 1957. Manuel stalked, raped and strangled her, and then buried her in a nearby field. He would later lead officers to the spot where he had disposed of her body. As with Dunn's murder twenty days earlier, Cooke's disappearance was not initially connected to Manuel.
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that Peter Smart had kept for a holiday, took the family car, and dumped it nearby. Manuel gave a lift in this car to a police officer investigating
Isabelle Cooke's disappearance, even telling him that he felt that the police were not looking in the right places.
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Around the time of his trial and execution, some newspapers published claims that Manuel was responsible for several other unsolved murders from the 1950s. However, the evidence for this is tenuous at best, and in some cases he was in prison at the time.
395:. William Watt was arrested and held on remand in Barlinnie Prison, then released two months later after the police realized that they could not make the case against him stick, and the ferryman seemed confused about what type of car he had driven.
520:. In a move that astounded many present, he sacked his lawyers and conducted his defence by himself. At one point, William Watt was called as a witness. Recently injured in a road accident, he appeared on a stretcher. Although the judge,
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and southern
Scotland between 1956 and his arrest in January 1958, and is believed to have murdered two more. Prior to his arrest, the media nicknamed the unidentified killer "the Beast of Birkenshaw". Manuel was hanged at
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This verdict has been accepted in many accounts of the case, but some doubts have been expressed. There are a few indications that the murderer might have been a local person, or he might have come off an Irish
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police station for further questioning, Manuel replied: "You haven't found anything yet. You can't take me!" Shortly thereafter, he voluntarily left his home in the company of the officers.
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picture in the papers although he claimed that he had not. The other witness admitted that he did not get a clear look at Watt but identified him based on the way he held his cigarette.
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As panic of the epidemic of murders spread, Lanarkshire police were reinforced by detectives and officers from the
Glasgow CID. On 14 January 1958, police arrived at the Manuels'
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The police did not find any serious motive which might have led Watt to murder his family although it emerged that he had a number of affairs during his marriage. Police
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Manuel was convicted in 1958 of the murders of seven people. One case against him was thrown out of court; another, committed in
England, was attributed to him.
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but was suspected of driving around 90 miles through the night, faking a break-in to his own house, murdering his family, and driving back. The ferryman on the
329:. During his childhood, Manuel was bullied. By the age of ten, he was known to the local police as a petty thief. At the age of 16, he committed a string of
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claimed to have seen him on the ferry during the night (although this was not the most direct route), and a motorist claimed to have passed him on
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home in the early hours of 1 January 1958. After the murders, Manuel stayed in their house for nearly a week, eating leftovers from their
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argued that the authorities colluded to ensure Manuel was hanged. Manuel had been arrested only eight days after the City of
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At 11:10 that evening, Manuel was formally charged with murdering the Smart family and with breaking into the McMunn residence.
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taxi driver named Sydney Dunn, on 8 December 1957 while looking for work in Newcastle. Dunn's body was found on moorlands in
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concluded Manuel had murdered Dunn after a button found in Dunn's taxi was matched to one of his jackets.
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1133:'Hanging With Frank' (video showing UK execution protocol at the old gallows in Barlinnie Prison)
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National Archives of Scotland Website (June 2008) The Mind of a Killer – the Peter Manuel Case
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Inside Manhunter: Interviews with stars William Petersen, Brian Cox, Joan Allen and Tom Noonan
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Peter Manuel was the only modern figure in the Chamber of Horrors section of the now-defunct
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Nicol Chapter 46 "The Cook and Smart Charges," Chapter 47 "Manuel's Evidence – An Appraisal"
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370:: Manuel shot Marion, her daughter Vivienne, and her sister Margaret dead in their home in
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532:. His last words are reported to have been: "Turn up the radio, and I'll go quietly".
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613:, Peter Manuel makes an appearance as a secondary character self-named "Sheriff Pete".
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took over the case, leading to calls for the creation of a national police force. A
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982:"The Long Drop by Denise Mina review – meet Scotland's worst serial killer"
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Manuel was tried for these murders in a sensational trial at the Glasgow
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337:. In 1955, he successfully conducted his own defence on a rape charge at
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formally charging him both with the murder of the Smart family and with
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955:"ITV commissions three part true crime drama Muncie (working title)"
700:(ebook ed.). Mainstream Publishing ebooks. pp. Chapter 8.
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meal and even feeding the family cat. He then stole some brand new
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followed Manuel on to the Barlinnie gallows in December 1960, and
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Manuel was the third-to-last criminal to be executed in Scotland.
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BBC News Website (April 2008) Call to examine 50s killer case
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Marion Watt (45), Vivienne Watt (16) and Margaret Brown (41)
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soon after, by which time Manuel had already returned to
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before migrating back to Scotland in 1932, this time to
284:(13 March 1927 – 11 July 1958) was an American-Scottish
731:"'...and Sydney Dunn I slew' | the Northern Echo"
288:who was convicted of murdering seven people across
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417:: Manuel is believed to have shot and killed a
1047:Glasgow's Black Heart: A City's Life of Crime
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461:Peter (45), Doris (42) and Michael Smart (10)
309:Peter Manuel was born to Scottish parents in
670:List of serial killers in the United Kingdom
1210:American people convicted of sexual assault
626:based on the case. Manuel was portrayed by
333:that resulted in his serving nine years in
16:American-Scottish serial killer (1927–1958)
1220:British people convicted of sexual assault
1185:20th-century executions of American people
364:dropped because of insufficient evidence.
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694:MacLeod, Hector; McLeod, Malcolm (2010).
76:Learn how and when to remove this message
251:2 January 1956 – 1 January 1958
39:This article includes a list of general
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620:commissioned a three-part drama called
463:: Manuel shot the Smarts dead in their
19:For the Sri Lankan cricket umpire, see
1255:People executed by Scotland by hanging
1250:People convicted of murder by Scotland
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1036:Manuel: Scotland's First Serial Killer
880:Nicol Chapter 55 "The Final Reckoning"
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448:: Cooke disappeared after leaving her
391:. Both witnesses picked him out of a
1235:Executed people from New York (state)
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1028:MacLeod, Hector and McLeod, Malcolm
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1275:Scottish people convicted of murder
1180:20th-century executions by Scotland
1096:. London: Robinson Publishing Ltd.
1015:Edinburgh Wax Museum Guidebook 1980
891:"Serial killer's voice to be heard"
747:Nicol Chapter 22 "Sidney John Dunn"
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1170:1958 murders in the United Kingdom
1160:1957 murders in the United Kingdom
1155:1956 murders in the United Kingdom
45:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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1280:Scottish people convicted of rape
1205:American people convicted of rape
1128:Serial killer's voice to be heard
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1094:The Murder Guide to Great Britain
933:. Baker Street, London: Quercus.
638:) plays Detective William Muncie.
1225:Executed American serial killers
1075:Chronicle of 20th Century Murder
961:. ITV Press Centre. 14 June 2016
720:Nicol Chapter 18 "Who Saw Watt?"
566:was eventually created in 2013.
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1230:Executed British serial killers
1215:American people executed abroad
1190:20th-century Scottish criminals
1175:20th-century American criminals
1067:Cited works and further reading
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592:loosely based his portrayal of
578:portrays Manuel in Season 4 of
556:Inside the Mind of a Psychopath
528:gallows at Barlinnie Prison by
359:Kneilands at the (now removed)
1270:Scottish murderers of children
1200:American murderers of children
1195:American emigrants to Scotland
1077:. Wiltshire: Select Editions.
1053:Scotland's Hanged 1946 to 1963
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733:. 21 July 2011. Archived from
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1265:People from North Lanarkshire
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980:Ross, Peter (1 March 2017).
564:single Scottish police force
551:, Aberdeen, in August 1963.
355:: On 2 January 1956, Manuel
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1030:Peter Manuel, Serial Killer
697:Peter Manuel, Serial Killer
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282:Peter Thomas Anthony Manuel
114:Peter Thomas Anthony Manuel
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929:Dead Men and Broken Hearts
607:Dead Men and Broken Hearts
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1038:(with an introduction by
616:In 2016, the broadcaster
554:In 2009, a BBC programme
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925:Russell, Craig (2012).
182:The Beast of Birkenshaw
60:more precise citations.
644:based her 2017 novel,
313:; the family moved to
737:on 18 September 2023.
498:breaking and entering
339:Airdrie Sheriff Court
21:Peter Manuel (umpire)
1092:Lane, Brian (1991).
1073:Lane, Brian (1995).
910:Cox, Brian (2013) .
653:Edinburgh Wax Museum
173:Execution by hanging
1260:People from Detroit
990:. London, England.
899:. 16 February 2009.
512:Trial and execution
446:Isabelle Cooke (17)
419:Newcastle upon Tyne
353:Anne Kneilands (17)
247:Span of crimes
169:Cause of death
154:HM Prison Barlinnie
896:BBC Radio Scotland
549:Craiginches Prison
545:Henry John Burnett
1084:978-0-425-14649-1
1061:978-1-5262-0114-0
1045:Skelton, Douglas
940:978-0-85738-184-2
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104:Mugshot of Manuel
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404:Crinan Canal
397:
367:
366:
352:
351:
348:
308:
281:
280:
148:(1958-07-11)
146:11 July 1958
92:Peter Manuel
72:
66:January 2022
63:
44:
1165:1958 deaths
1150:1927 births
642:Denise Mina
580:Murder Maps
530:Harry Allen
427:Lanarkshire
376:Lanarkshire
327:Lanarkshire
290:Lanarkshire
58:introducing
1144:Categories
676:References
657:Royal Mile
602:on Manuel.
570:In fiction
518:High Court
490:Birkenshaw
465:Uddingston
439:boat train
381:Ardrishaig
323:Birkenshaw
305:Early life
120:1927-03-13
41:references
996:0261-3077
599:Manhunter
590:Brian Cox
586:and UKTV.
503:Bellshill
473:banknotes
965:6 August
664:See also
636:Shetland
469:Hogmanay
372:Burnside
319:Michigan
260:Scotland
191:Executed
162:Scotland
132:New York
1055:(2016)
1023:Sources
655:on the
584:Netflix
400:frogmen
357:stalked
345:Murders
315:Detroit
295:Glasgow
256:Country
238:Victims
233:Details
158:Glasgow
54:improve
1100:
1081:
1059:
1001:16 May
994:
937:
914:(DVD).
856:
833:
810:
787:
764:
704:
630:, and
480:Arrest
43:, but
681:Notes
1098:ISBN
1079:ISBN
1057:ISBN
1003:2017
992:ISSN
967:2016
935:ISBN
854:ISBN
831:ISBN
808:ISBN
785:ISBN
762:ISBN
702:ISBN
213:Rape
143:Died
110:Born
959:ITV
618:ITV
605:In
582:on
560:CID
297:'s
1146::
984:.
957:.
893:.
374:,
341:.
325:,
317:,
241:7+
160:,
156:,
134:,
130:,
1106:.
1087:.
1042:)
1005:.
969:.
943:.
710:.
659:.
634:(
122:)
118:(
79:)
73:(
68:)
64:(
50:.
23:.
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