Alfred Rouse

Alfred Rouse
Alfred Arthur Rouse c. 1930
Born	(1894-04-06)6 April 1894 London, England
Died	10 March 1931(1931-03-10) (aged 36) Bedford Gaol Bedford, England
Cause of death	Execution by hanging
Other names	The Blazing Car Murderer
Occupation	Commercial traveller
Criminal charge	Murder
Criminal penalty	Death
Criminal status	Executed 10 March 1931
Spouse(s)	Lily May Rouse née Watkins
Conviction(s)	Murder

Alfred Arthur Rouse (6 April 1894 – 10 March 1931) was a British murderer known as the Blazing Car Murderer who was convicted and subsequently hanged at Bedford Gaol for the November 1930 murder of an unknown man in Hardingstone, Northamptonshire in a murder case which became known as the "Blazing Car Murder".

This murder case became known as "the Blazing Car Murder" due to the fact Rouse, seeking to fabricate his own death, burned to death an unknown hitchhiker whom he had rendered unconscious inside his car.

The "Blazing Car Murder" is notable because the identity of the victim has never been established, resulting in Rouse being tried, convicted and executed for the murder of an unknown man. Despite recent DNA testing, the identity of the victim still remains unknown.

Alfred Rouse was born in Milkwood Roard, Herne Hill, London, on 6 April 1894, one of three children born to an English father and an Irish mother. His father, Walter, was a hosier, whereas his mother was reportedly an actress who would desert her husband and children in 1900. Following his wife's leaving the household, Rouse's father had little time for his children; consequently, Rouse and his two siblings were largely raised by an aunt on his father's side. Alfred was known as a well-behaved child; he and his siblings attended a local council school where he was regarded as a bright and athletic student. A member of the Church of England, Rouse would later become a sacristan at St Saviour's Church in Stoke Newington.

Upon leaving school at age 14, Rouse worked briefly as an office boy for an estate agent, then found more secure employment at a textile manufacturing firm. He worked at this firm for five years before training as a carpenter. He did not abandon his education; attending numerous evening classes to further his education. He also learned to sing, and to play various musical instruments, becoming a proficient pianist, violinist, and mandolinist. Due to his exceptional baritone, Rouse regularly sang at these evening classes. In 1909, Rouse obtained employment at a West End furniture manufacturer. Shortly thereafter, he became acquainted with a young clerk named Lily May Watkins, whom he first met at a local dance and with whom he began a relationship.