The chilling unsolved murder of a woman whose body was found stuffed inside a tree
The cold case remains a mystery decades later
AN unsolved British murder has plagued the nightmares of children for decades.
In 1943, the body of a woman was found stuffed inside a hollow tree – and the case has since run cold.
Even though the victim has never been officially identified, the horrific story has haunted generations.
As sinister graffiti continues to spring up across Birmingham and Worcestershire, here’s everything we know about the chilling case…
What’s the evidence?
In 1943, four boys were playing in the Hagley Woods, Worcestershire.
After deciding to climb a tree, they stumbled across the grisly remains of a woman inside the hollow wych elm.
Even though the boys made a pact not to tell anyone about the discovery, the youngest was so traumatised that he had to confide in his parents.
Tommy Willetts’ parents rang the police, who were quick to arrive on the scene.
When the body was examined, experts estimated that the victim was a woman, who was around 35 years old.
The coroners consider that the victim had been dead for around 18 months.
Even though there were signs of struggle on the body, they believe that she was murdered after by asphyxiation, when taffeta was stuffed into her mouth.
Months after the crime, graffiti began appearing in the region, which posed the question: “Who put Bella down the wych elm?”
Who was the victim?
After examining the body, experts estimated that the woman was approximately five foot tall, with mousy brown hair and irregular teeth in the lower jaw.
Pathologist Professor James Webster claimed that the victim was “still warm” when she was hidden in the tree.
Even though they have dental records and know a bit about the woman’s appearance, police have never been able to identify the body.
There have been multiple theories about how the victim could be.
As police explored the theory that a secret spy could have committed the crime, they took Czech-born Gestapo agent Josef Jakobs in for questioning.
According to , after arresting Jakobs, officers found a picture of German actress Clara Baurele in his pockets.
Investigators considered the possibility of Clara’s name being short for Clarabella, which would explain why “Bella” was named in graffiti.
Another theory that’s passed through generations is that ‘Bella’ was killed for being involved in black magic.
Just like in other witch-related cases, the bones of the victim were scattered around in a ritualistic way.
In 1944, a tip-off was given to police by a Birmingham prostitute.
The woman claimed that her fellow street-walker friend Bella had gone missing three years previously, after working on the Hagley road.
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Who did it?
Press reports in 1953 from the Wolverhampton Express and Star explore the idea that the victim could have been targeted by a German spy ring.
This was supported by a similar theory by writer Donald McCormick in 1968, after he claimed that Bella was a Nazi spy called Clarabella.
Another suspect was considered in 1953 when Una Mossop told investigators that her cousin Jack had confessed to the crime.
Jack Mossop allegedly admitted that he put his friend van Ralt’s date into the tree when she passed out from drunkenness.
After complaining that a woman was haunting him in his dreams, Jack was put into a mental hospital in Stafford, where he passed away.
Critics question Una’s claims, as she only came forward to police ten years after her cousin’s death.
Two years ago, a user claimed that they had found an old diary entry from their grandpa.
On one of the pages, the words “I PUT BELLA IN THE WYCH ELM” were scrawled in maniacal writing – but could he have been the culprit?
Over 73 years after the body was uncovered, the same question remains: “Who put Bella in the wych elm?”
Decades on, the mystery is still as fascinating and chilling as ever, with many calling on the police to re-consider the evidence or to carry out some DNA tests.