Brighton trunk murders

Unsolved June Murder

On 17 June 1934, a plywood trunk containing the dismembered torso of a woman was discovered at the left luggage office of Brighton railway station by William Joseph Vinnicombe, who had investigated a smell. Metropolitan Police Chief Inspector Robert Donaldson opened the trunk. A subsequent search of other stations led to the discovery of the victim's legs in a suitcase at King's Cross railway station. Her head and arms were never found. The press dubbed her "The Girl with the Pretty Feet" due to the condition of her feet.

A post-mortem conducted by Sir Bernard Spilsbury estimated the victim was about 25 years old and five months pregnant. Neither the victim nor her killer was ever identified. Chief Inspector Donaldson suspected a local abortionist referred to as Massiah, based on the pathology findings, and had him covertly watched. According to the account, an officer who confronted Massiah was shown a list of prominent names, after which the surveillance was called off by a senior officer. Massiah later moved to London, where a woman died during an abortion he performed, though he was not prosecuted. He remained on the General Medical Register until 1952. Spilsbury's post-mortem found no evidence of interference with the pregnancy.

In 2020, the BBC One documentary *Dark Land: Hunting the Killers* suggested a named individual, later found by inquest to have killed his wife in a separate case, could have been the murderer of this unidentified woman.

Violette Kaye and Toni Mancini

The investigation into the unidentified victim led police to discover a second trunk murder. The victim was Violette Kaye, aged 42, a dancer and sex worker who lived with Toni Mancini, aged 26, in Brighton from September 1933. Following an argument on 10 May 1934, Kaye was never seen alive again; Mancini told friends she had gone to Paris and arranged for a telegram to be sent in her name. Mancini moved to new lodgings, transporting a trunk containing Kaye's body, which he kept covered at the foot of his bed.

Police searching the area in connection with the unsolved case discovered Kaye's remains at Mancini's lodgings. Mancini was arrested in southeast London on 17 July 1934. His trial opened in December 1934 at Lewes Assizes, with James Dale Cassells and Quintin Hogg prosecuting and Norman Birkett for the defence. The prosecution presented handwriting evidence linking Mancini to the telegram and witness testimony regarding a false alibi request and boasts about assaulting Kaye. The defence challenged the forensic evidence and Spilsbury's testimony, and argued Kaye could have been killed elsewhere. After two and a quarter hours' deliberation, the jury returned a verdict of not guilty.

In 1976, Mancini confessed to a News of the World journalist that he had struck Kaye with a hammer during an argument, killing her. A prosecution for perjury was considered but rejected due to lack of corroborating evidence.