In 1967 I moved into a large house with 15 other undergraduate girls. I was the only sophomore let in because I had moved in with a junior. The house had a large kitchen and one bedroom off the kitchen. The rest of us were upstairs on the second and third floor. Jane Britton, a senior, lived in that room off the kitchen. I would often come down in the morning and find Jane smoking her French cigarettes. She seemed everything I didn’t feel I was–sophisticated, bohemian, aloof(at least to me!) and brilliant.
In January 1969 Jane was murdered in the apartment she lived in after graduating from Radcliffe in 1967. It was a dreadful crime, very unusual for Cambridge, and many theories were put forward. Jane studied anthropology, and rumors abounded that it was a ritual murder connected with her studies. Everyone assumed someone who knew her had murdered her. It went unsolved until last week.
Last week detectives tied her murder, nearly fifty years later, to a now deceased serial rapist murderer using DNA from his brother. All the rumors which often seemed to implicate Jane in her own death were put to rest. She was a victim of a senseless crime by a stranger who broke into her apartment. I grieve, of course, as I remember her again. But I am relieved that it was no one she knew, that it wasn’t connected to her work, and that the detectives were persistent for all this time. I will always remember her sitting in that kitchen, self possessed, smoking her Gauloises.
Saved By Words 
Oh, this is a sad story Elizabeth. Glad to know it is finally solved.
LikeLike
Oh my gosh, that is absolutely incredible!
LikeLike
That’s very sad and frightening
LikeLike
It’s always a shame when humanity loses people like her who could have contributed so much good, especially to such acts of senseless violence. ☹️
LikeLike
She was really brilliant and was killed for no reason.
LikeLike
That’s the scariest part, that any of us could be minding our own merry business and be injured or killed for no good reason at all. I feel like it’s easier to swallow when there’s at least some sensible reason behind it. What is wrong with us humans? 😦
LikeLike
Age old question.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is really tragic when life is cut off at such a young age. It is good the mystery was solved, but so long ! Her family must have suffered the uncertainty.
LikeLike
Yes. Only her brother is still alive, but he said he too was relieved.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is a very sad experience for you to go through Elizabeth…
LikeLike
It troubled me for many years.
LikeLike
An experience of that nature is very difficult to come to terms with…
LikeLike
How very tragic, Elizabeth. I lost a friend this week and they suspect foul play. It being South Africa, the murderer is unlikely to be caught which makes it that much worse.
LikeLike
I am so sorry. It was awful not knowing about Jane, so I can empathize with your pain.
LikeLike