Dark Room

Bodies in Wood Identified

It was confirmed last night by Hampshire police that the two bodies discovered in Ardingly Woods near Winchester on Thursday have been identified as Leo Wallader, 35, of Downton Court, Ashwell, Guildford, and Meg Harris, 34, of Shoebury Terrace, Hammersmith, London. Police are treating their deaths as murder.

Information about the identity of the two victims came from Leo's father. Sir Anthony Wallader, 69, who is angry about what he calls police apathy over the affair. "I identified my son's body on Saturday morning," he claims, "but have had no contact with the Hampshire police since. They tell me my son and his girlfriend were murdered some two weeks ago, yet there is no urgency to the inquiries. I have been contacted by Meg's mother, who lives in Wiltshire, and she is as upset by the police lethargy as I am. We feel it may have something to do with the fact that both sets of parents live outside the County. If this was a Surrey police investigation I would have more confidence."

It is no secret that Leo Wallader was engaged to Jane Kingsley, daughter of Adam Kingsley of Hellingdon Hall, Hampshire, Chairman of FranchiseHoldings, but the wedding was canceled when Leo announced he wanted to marry Jane's friend Meg Harris.

Subsequently, Miss Kingsley was involved in a mysterious car crash on a disused airfield. Police believe this to have been a failed suicide attempt. Despite her testing positive for alcohol when she was rescued from her car, Hampshire police have still failed to charge Miss Kingsley with any offense.

Jane Kingsley's first husband, Russell Landy, was clubbed to death ten years ago with a sledgehammer but his murderer was never found. Hampshire police refused to comment on how Leo Wallader and Meg Harris died, but Sir Anthony said both victims had been brutally bludgeoned. "It was terrible to see," he said. "I dread to think how Mrs. Harris feels."

"We have very little to go on at this stage," said Det. Supt. Cheever of Hampshire police, "but we are pursuing every lead we have. I am sorry Sir Anthony feels as he does but I can assure him we are leaving no stone unturned to discover his son's killer."

Supt. Cheever said he could not confirm that a sledgehammer had been used to murder the couple. "The bodies lay undiscovered for some ten days," he said, "and it is always difficult in those circumstances to be precise about how and when the victims died."

The Times-28th June