275. First Suspect: The Murder of Carl Bridgewater

Our True Crime Podcast

On the afternoon of September 19th, 1978, Carl Bridgewater, 13, hopped on his bike and started his paper route. In fifteen minutes, he arrived at Yew Tree Farmhouse, owned by Mary Poole, 79, and Fred Jones, 75, who were roommates at the farm. Both were elderly and answering the door often took them a long time. So, Carl was instructed to leave the paper in a basket outside. But if the door was open, he was supposed to take the paper inside and deliver it to them directly. However, Mary and Fred were away on this particular day. They’d gone out on a visit. Carl noticed the door was open, so he stepped inside the house to deliver the paper, as he was supposed to.
Around 5:30 p.m., a friend of the cousins stopped by. The door was open; he walked in and found Carl Bridgewater’s dead body on a settee in the sitting room. Was it a robbery gone wrong?
Four men were charged with the murder of Carl Bridgewater after police obtained a false confession. Three of the men would serve eighteen years in prison before having their convictions overturned. The fourth unfortunately died in 1981.
So, who killed Carl Bridgewater?
Join Jen and Cam as they discuss "First Suspect: The Murder of Carl Bridgewater."
A huge thank you to Sleep Creme for sponsoring this episode. Order your bottle today at sleepcreme.com. Use the code OTCPODCAST (all one word) at checkout to save twenty bucks on the first order!
Thank you to our team:
Written and researched by Lauretta Allen
Listener Discretion by Edward October from https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8626939889451216631/4595841251905335617
Executive Producer Nico Vitesse of Thehttps://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/8626939889451216631/4595841251905335617
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgewater_Four
https://liedetectortest.uk/west-midlands-polygraph-examiner-reviews-carl-bridgewater-murder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZosbREHbYac&ab_channel=AbsoluteCrime
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjmoOhNcCL4&ab_channel=DavidBoothroyd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9xtDrd6tg8&ab_channel=BlackcountryhistoryhunterBCHH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvC0yNYaw4o&ab_channel=CushtyTV
https://www.newspapers.com/image/259582813/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/260839419/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/848327599/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/848327302/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZosbREHbYac&ab_channel=AbsoluteCrimehttps://www.newspapers.com/image/848327302/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/858158013/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/260127783/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22https://www.newspapers.com/image/858158127/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/806899017/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22 (1979 trial)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/988102863/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/858487108/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22https://www.newspapers.com/image/858487108/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/811977193/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22
https://www.newspapers.com/image/858471453/?match=1&terms=%22Carl%20Bridgewater%22
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/208740791/carl-bridgewater (good pics of him)
https://www.expressandstar.com/news/crime/2022/11/17/carl-suspect-seeking-to-get-separate-murder-conviction-quashed/
https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/crime/2024/06/10/carl-bridgewater-murder--book-battle-in-new-court-twist/
https://www.newspapers.com/image/858164060/?match=1&terms=Hubert%20Wilkeshttps://www.newspapers.com/image/858246961/?match=1&clipping_id=151213517https://www.newspapers.com/image/859290227/?match=1&clipping_id=151213680https://www.newspapers.com/image/859337397/?match=1&terms=Hubert%20Wilkes%20Spencer
https://www.newspapers.com/image/859317465/?match=1&terms=Hubert%20Wilkes%20Spencer
https://www.newspapers.com/image/790233368/?match=1&terms=Hubert%20Wilkes%20Spencer (article by Paul Foote, who went on to write a book)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/859334686/?match=1&terms=Hubert%20Wilkes%20Spencer (Spencer gives account on motive)
https://www.newspapers.com/image/790222861/?match=1&terms=Hubert%20Wilkes%20Spencer
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1996-02-28/debates/31365f62-fe88-4688-a9be-3be9630f4ffd/BridgewaterFourhttps://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1996-02-28/debates/31365f62-fe88-4688-a9be-3be9630f4ffd/BridgewaterFour
https://www.newspapers.com/image/858161360/?match=1&terms=Carl%20Bridgewater%20alibi
https://www.newspapers.com/image/908492870/?match=1&terms=Carl%20Bridgewater%20alibi