Case Description
Shortly after dawn on October 12th, 1905, the body of an unidentified woman was discovered beside a dirt track near Prinny Lane.
Initial reports suggested robbery, though investigators quickly noted unusual details at the scene, including a white rose carefully placed near the victim.
Detective Sergeant Edmund Cryer would later describe the scene as “disturbingly deliberate.”
Timeline Of Events
4:03 AM
Local labourer Joseph Shaw discovers the body beside the lane and alerts police.
4:35 AM
Police Constable Walter Hargreaves is sent to fetch Edmund Cryer.
4:55 AM
Edmund Cryer arrives at the scene accompanied by Lancashire Constabulary.
7:40 AM
The first witness statements are collected from nearby residents.
Persons Connected To The Case
Edmund Cryer
Lead investigator assigned to the Prinny Lane murder.
Joseph Shaw
The labourer who first discovered the victim.
Police Constable Walter Hargreaves
One of the first police constables at the scene of the crime.
Location Photographs
Prinny Lane
The isolated dirt path where the body was discovered.
Surrounding Woodland
Dense woodland beside the lane searched during the investigation.
Evidence & Recovered Materials
White Rose
Found positioned near the body.
Cryer's Notes
Handwritten observations recorded during the first examination.