SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

I was researching something in the British newspaper archives when I came across what I assume to be a murder/suicide story in the Birmingham Post of 15 November 1972 which I'd never heard about before-

Police who found a solicitor's body in the Leeds Liverpool canal at Rodley went to his home to tell his wife and found her battered to death, it was disclosed in Leeds yesterday. They recovered the body of Frank Richard Myers from the canal near Leeds, then found his wife's body at their home in Clarence Road, Horsforth.

That's the only account of the incident I can find, which may be due to there being no Yorkshire Evening post for that period. Does anyone know any further detail or remember the incident? I'm surprised anyone was able to drown themselves in the canal at Rodley as it's generally not that deep!

Not a lot of help this is his probate

In November 1972 I was a detective constable in Ireland Wood CID in Leeds. Our boundary was conterminous with Horsforth in the West Riding. Horsforth might as well have been on the dark side of the moon. I've no memory of this sad episode.

Strange that his wifes death is not listed in the same quarter ,looking at marriage records he was married to Pauline or Enid ??

Hi uncle mick,

I have no knowledge of the case. At the time of the tragedies, in 1972, I was a patrol sergeant at Dewsbury Road Police Station. I have checked Ancestry records and found some relevant information:

Frank Richard Myers was born on 5/9/1927 and died on 13/11/1972 at Horsforth. I could not find a place of birth for him, or any birth or baptism records.

I wondered if Frank Richard Myers was Jewish, as ‘Myers’ is a Jewish name.

Enid Elizabeth Hudson (M. Myers) was born on 14/9/1925 at Bradford and died on 13/11/1972 at Horsforth.

The couple married in the quarter Oct/Nov/Dec 1953 at Bradford, but I could not find an exact date or any banns records.

Both probate dates were in 1974 - Richard on 25/6/1974 and Enid on 9/12/1974.

Both deaths were recorded in Oct/Nov/Dec 1972 in the Wharfedale District.

There are several Family Trees for the couple in Ancestry but, as usual, some contain wrong information and a lot of information is copied from other Family Trees.

The deaths date - 13/11/1972 was a Monday.

I think that the only way to get further information would be to check newspaper records or get information from the Coroner's Office, National Archives or the West Yorkshire Archives. I doubt that the original West Yorkshire Constabulary (later in 1974 - West Yorkshire Police) will still have records of the events.

Ian

Thanks Ian, found a birth for Frank Richard Myers & deaths for both of them