Lady in the Lake trial
| Gordon Park | |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 January 1944 |
| Died | 25 January 2010 (aged 66) HM Prison Garth, Leyland, Lancashire |
| Occupation | Retired teacher |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Spouse(s) | First – Carol Ann Park, 'The Lady in the Lake' Second – Catherine Park Third – Jenny Park |
| Children | Vanessa (adopted) Jeremy (mother – Carol) Rachael (mother – Carol) |
| Conviction(s) | Murder |
The Lady in the Lake trial was a 2005 murder case in which Gordon Park (25 January 1944 – 25 January 2010) a retired teacher from Leece, near Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England, was jailed for life for the murder of his first wife, Carol Ann Park, in 1976.
Carol Park went missing on 17 July 1976, and was never seen alive again by her family. In 1997, her body was discovered by divers in Coniston Water and Gordon was arrested on suspicion of murder. Reputedly he said 'oh dear', after being informed they had found her body. The charges were subsequently dropped but in 2004 Gordon was arrested again and found guilty of his wife's murder. The trial judge sentenced him to life imprisonment and recommended that he should serve a minimum of 15 years before being considered for parole. He was held at Garth prison, Leyland, Preston. In December 2007 he lodged an appeal against his conviction which was dismissed in November 2008. On 25 January 2010, he was found hanged in his cell, and pronounced dead at the scene.
The details of the murder are sketchy. Carol was killed due to blunt trauma to her face by means of some instrument, alleged in court to have been an ice axe. She was then bound with rope, using complex knots, weighed down with rocks and lead pipes and thrown overboard from a boat on Coniston Water. The body landed on an underwater ledge where it was later found by amateur divers. Had it been dropped a few metres further from the shore, it would have sunk to the much deeper bottom and probably never have been discovered.
There was a great deal of controversy surrounding the case. Gordon received much support from his family and friends and maintained his innocence. There was a large amount of local interest in the trial as shown by the sales of the local paper, the North-West Evening Mail. Some claimed that much of the evidence against him could be discounted and there were vigils and petitions in attempts to free Gordon from prison and clear his name. The case featured prominently in the book No Smoke: The Shocking Truth About British Justice which outlined seven cases the author believed to be examples of innocent people being convicted of murder.
Prior to her disappearance, according to her friends, Carol was feeling depressed. She had talked of tracing her biological parents, as she was adopted. On 17 July 1976, she went missing. Gordon claimed that she had left home for another man, and Carol had left their home in Leece twice before. It was for this reason, Gordon claimed, that he did not report her missing for six weeks. Carol was said to time her periods away from home to coincide with the school holidays. Gordon claimed that it wasn't until she didn't return in time to take up her job as a primary school teacher in September (the start of the school term) that he realised that there was a problem. At this time he reported her missing via his solicitor, and her family was informed. On the day she vanished, the family had been due to visit Blackpool on a day trip. However, Carol said she felt unwell and wanted to remain behind in bed. She was never seen alive again by her family. Gordon claimed he returned home to find Carol had left the house, leaving behind her wedding ring, and that there was no sign of a struggle. A missing persons enquiry was launched, but nothing came of it. This missing persons report was subsequently lost, and it was implied by some that it was because both Gordon and a senior police commander (who, by the time the article was published, had died) involved in the case were freemasons. This was rebutted by Sandra Lean, who, in No Smoke, claimed that Gordon had never been a freemason. At the time, police told Gordon that, should a body be found, he would be the main suspect.
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