Hi

My name's Emma Gill and George Kelly's my late Great Uncle. He was my Grandma's brother. I am doing a lot of research at the moment into the case. I have just discovered this website and have read some of the members' comments regarding my Uncle Georgie. I am sure I can rely on the knowledge and warmth of all you scoucers with this most importantly if any of you know of any details of the case being made into a film etc.

There is an awful lot that I do know, privately within my family and I wish sometimes it were known publicly of the mental torment and heartbreak endured to my great grandparents and grandparents and great uncles during the trial and after Uncle Georgie's execution. To this day we still carry the scars and heartache in many different ways.

I know there is still a lot of interest in the Cameo Cinema Murder in Liverpool. I don't live in the City but am up there regularly and follow the Mighty Reds all the time. Fingers crossed with Barca next month!!

I look forward to hearing from anyone who has any thoughts.

All the best.

Emma Gill

A little bit before my time, but I read the book a few years ago by Barry Shortall.

Very interesting imho.

Hi

My name's Emma Gill and George Kelly's my late Great Uncle. He was my Grandma's brother. I am doing a lot of research at the moment into the case. I have just discovered this website and have read some of the members' comments regarding my Uncle Georgie. I am sure I can rely on the knowledge and warmth of all you scoucers with this most importantly if any of you know of any details of the case being made into a film etc.

There is an awful lot that I do know, privately within my family and I wish sometimes it were known publicly of the mental torment and heartbreak endured to my great grandparents and grandparents and great uncles during the trial and after Uncle Georgie's execution. To this day we still carry the scars and heartache in many different ways.

I know there is still a lot of interest in the Cameo Cinema Murder in Liverpool. I don't live in the City but am up there regularly and follow the Mighty Reds all the time. Fingers crossed with Barca next month!!

I look forward to hearing from anyone who has any thoughts.

All the best.

Emma Gill

Perhaps if you approach Tom Slemen and ask him you may get a few leads

Perhaps if you approach Tom Slemen and ask him you may get a few leads

I thought Tom Slemen was involved with myths and legends that are hard to prove.
Whereas the Cameo Murders really did happen and 2 books have been published.

I thought Tom Slemen was involved with myths and legends that are hard to prove.
Whereas the Cameo Murders really did happen and 2 books have been published.

George Skely, author of The Cameo Conspiracy is the man to contact, he's even been kind enough to post how to get in touch with him here (http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/messageboards/page.cfm?objectid=11479396&method=full&siteid=50061).

Hi all

I received an email recently from George Skelly, author the Cameo Conspiracy, telling me that the screenplay of his version of the Cameo story is now with movie producers, and the film's development is going ahead.

Emma, knowing that George's father, James Skelly, was a friend of the wrongfully convicted and hanged George Kelly, I am sure that the film portrayal will help to set the record right about what happened at the Cameo theatre and in the aftermath.

Best regards

Chris

I thought Tom Slemen was involved with myths and legends that are hard to prove.
Whereas the Cameo Murders really did happen and 2 books have been published.


Not entirely Phil, Tom also investigates local crime and murders - he has covered Madge Kirby murder,The Cameo and is currently ( Hes been writing it for aggggeeeeessssssss) as book about a new Ripper Suspect

Hi all

I received the following email from George Skelly who corrects me on a couple of points in my last post.

Chris

********

Hi Chris,

thanks for your email and for explaining matters on Yo Liverpool website.

A few "amendments" which I don't mind you putting on the site :-

(a)I no longer live at Portland Court so correspondent ("PhilipG"?) has got it wrong!

(b)Mr Slemen, to my knowledge has not done any research on the Cameo Murders nor published any new or original material or book. He has simply regurgitated, in local press articles, the material I, and Shortall, uncovered. Indeed in a magazine article ("Taxi Talk") a few years ago, he actually maintained that Kelly was the Cameo killer!

(c)Sorry Chris, but James Skelly was not my father, he was my eldest brother by 18 years!

Hope you are well - carry on with the poetry - it's very good.

Kind Regards,

George.

Hi all

I received the following email from George Skelly who corrects me on a couple of points in my last post.

Chris

********

Hi Chris,

thanks for your email and for explaining matters on Yo Liverpool website.

A few "amendments" which I don't mind you putting on the site :-

(a)I no longer live at Portland Court so correspondent ("PhilipG"?) has got it wrong!

(b)Mr Slemen, to my knowledge has not done any research on the Cameo Murders nor published any new or original material or book. He has simply regurgitated, in local press articles, the material I, and Shortall, uncovered. Indeed in a magazine article ("Taxi Talk") a few years ago, he actually maintained that Kelly was the Cameo killer!

(c)Sorry Chris, but James Skelly was not my father, he was my eldest brother by 18 years!

Hope you are well - carry on with the poetry - it's very good.

Kind Regards,

George.


Not me George!

I haven't heard of Portland Court (or you, for that matter).

Do please check what you're saying when you're naming somebody.

Hi all

I received the following email from George Skelly who corrects me on a couple of points in my last post.

Chris

********

Hi Chris,

thanks for your email and for explaining matters on Yo Liverpool website.

A few "amendments" which I don't mind you putting on the site :-

(a)I no longer live at Portland Court so correspondent ("PhilipG"?) has got it wrong!

(b)Mr Slemen, to my knowledge has not done any research on the Cameo Murders nor published any new or original material or book. He has simply regurgitated, in local press articles, the material I, and Shortall, uncovered. Indeed in a magazine article ("Taxi Talk") a few years ago, he actually maintained that Kelly was the Cameo killer!

(c)Sorry Chris, but James Skelly was not my father, he was my eldest brother by 18 years!

Hope you are well - carry on with the poetry - it's very good.

Kind Regards,

George.

Not me George!

I never said that Tom Slemen had published anything regarding the cameo murders,or did i say that Tom maintained that the murderer was Kelly - all i said was ask Tom Slemen he might have a few points for you to the poster of this thread.
I have been a member of Toms forum and i know that he use to have a large Murder and local crime section on his forum and that the Cameo murders was disscussed heavily on one thread - just trying to point in a friendly direction to the poster as i know that the people that visit Toms site and Tom himself have a vast knowledge of local issues far reaching than any published book.

All I've said on this thread is the following:

Quote:
"I thought Tom Slemen was involved with myths and legends that are hard to prove.
Whereas the Cameo Murders really did happen and 2 books have been published."

I've never heard of George Skelly, and have no idea why he mentioned my name.

But haven't I already said that?

All I've said on this thread is the following:

Quote:
"I thought Tom Slemen was involved with myths and legends that are hard to prove.
Whereas the Cameo Murders really did happen and 2 books have been published."

I've never heard of George Skelly, and have no idea why he mentioned my name.

But haven't I already said that?

Hello Philip and Emmanuel

Sorry for the mixup, guys. It was in fact SteH who gave a link to an old message on icLiverpool giving contact information for George Skelly, author of The Cameo Conspiracy, but George says the information is not current. It so happened that you, Philip G, were quoted in the same post of SteH's which led to the mixup. George is unfamiliar with this forum and it was an honest mistake, sorry! Anyway, George has sent the following. We do note, Philip, that you also had said, "I thought Tom Slemen was involved with myths and legends that are hard to prove. Whereas the Cameo Murders really did happen and 2 books have been published." Absolutely true. Emmanuel, granted that Tom Slemen has a forum on which crime history has been discussed. George Skelly simply wishes to point out that Mr Slemen is not an expert on the Cameo case.

Chris,

not being a member of your forum I would be grateful if you could post this email.

It seems I have upset your correspondent "PhilipG". On closer scrutiny the remarks which I attributed to him, to which I made my "amendments", were by "Emmanuel Goldstein" and "StephH".

"PhilipG", however, states that I should check before "naming" people. In my defence may I point out that when I mentioned his "name" it was not his full name (which I do not know) and is, I presume, either an abbreviation or a pseudonym. Secondly, I did put a question mark after his "name" to indicate that I was asking if it was he. Quite different from "naming" somebody as such.

As for Mr Slemen, of whom one of your correspondents asserts has much more local knowledge than that contained in a published book - that may apply in general to many people. I don't profess to be knowledgeable in the least about ghosts or the supernatural (mainly because I do not believe in either). I do however feel that your correspondent should appreciate that the "published book", The Cameo Conspiracy, was the result of at least 40 years intimate knowledge and ongoing research.

Kind regards,

George Skelly

Ironically, what I was implying was that either of the two books would be a better source of information than Tom Slemen on the Cameo case.
But I didn't know the names of the authors.
But I'm less inclined to read them now that I know one of the authors throws names about without checking his facts.
It's no excuse to say he put in a question mark and assumes that "PhilipG" is some sort of alias.
George Skelly says he doesn't know my full name, but a lot of people on this forum do, and if Mr Skelly had known my full name I suspect he would have used it.

Dearest George:)

You say in your mail posted here through a third party

"As for Mr Slemen, of whom one of your correspondents asserts has much more local knowledge than that contained in a published book - that may apply in general to many people. I don't profess to be knowledgeable in the least about ghosts or the supernatural (mainly because I do not believe in either). I do however feel that your correspondent should appreciate that the "published book", The Cameo Conspiracy, was the result of at least 40 years intimate knowledge and ongoing research."

I really wish you would read my posts and understand them before spouting stuff through a third party..as i did not say the things you are pertaining in your mail!

I said....

" just trying to point in a friendly direction to the poster as i know that the people that visit Toms site and Tom himself have a vast knowledge of local issues far reaching than any published book."

so george as you can see all i said was that THE PEOPLE that visit toms site and TOM himself have a vast knowledge of LOCAL ISSUES far reaching than ANY published book.....perhaps you can see now the word ANY published book,and the words LOCAL ISSUES so please stop fretting as i never singled your book out,please get a grip of your paranoia.

Hopefully Emma Gill will be able to gleam some local information that she is looking for from either this site or Toms site..after all i didnt know that there was a Monopoly on the cameo case or knowledge of the case.:)

Someone on here raises an interesting point and I'd like to expand on it with a question -

Can anyone provide an example of Mr. Slemen discovering any unique, verifiable and substantial information about any of the criminal cases which he has "investigated" which cannot be otherwise ascertained via any pre-existing published material ?

AP

Someone on here raises an interesting point and I'd like to expand on it with a question -

Can anyone provide an example of Mr. Slemen discovering any unique, verifiable and substantial information about any of the criminal cases which he has "investigated" which cannot be otherwise ascertained via any pre-existing published material ?

AP

Welcome AntiPathos.

A very good question. :handclap:

What Wavertree street was the Cameo?

I forgot which street but I remember lemen's article In the South Liverpool Merseymart.

What Wavertree street was the Cameo?

I forgot which street but I remember lemen's article In the South Liverpool Merseymart.

The corner of Webster Road & Bird Street.
Off Smithdown Road.
There's new housing there now.

Ahhhh Webster Road I know.

I thought that was Edge Hill though since It's past Earl Road?

Someone on here raises an interesting point and I'd like to expand on it with a question -

Can anyone provide an example of Mr. Slemen discovering any unique, verifiable and substantial information about any of the criminal cases which he has "investigated" which cannot be otherwise ascertained via any pre-existing published material ?

AP

welcome AntiPathos

That is a very reasonable question to ask, im sure if you visited Toms forum and asked him in his " Ask Tom " section he might be able to answer it for you? I cant answer that one but he reckons that he has a new ripper suspect that has not been mentioned in the suspect mix before - guess we will have to wait till his book is published i guess:)

PhilipG/Emmanuel Goldstein,

Thanks for the welcome fellas.

As far as asking him on his forum what he has demonstrably achieved in respect of moving on any unsolved/contentious criminal cases, this might be pointless. I have heard that anything remotely challenging to answer is promptly deleted. I've seen his site and one could be forgiven for imagining that the TS Forum is strictly for his peculiar band of personal nuthuggers and oddball sycophants but 'difficult' posts have been made on that board and swiftly plucked off the Truth Tree and left to rot in Slemen's deletion bin. It's not in his interests to have his regular board viewers exposed to any trace of critical thinking after all...

And as for his Ripper bandwagonning, Mr George would be an apt person to comment on that. Although the inactivity regarding his 'theory' on the Casebook website says alot.

If you hadn't guessed, I posed my original question after having recently read Slemen's treatment of the Cameo Cinema Murders. AFAICR, not a thing of interest which he wrote could not have been gleaned from Mr. George Skelly's book. And anything else which he has imagined to have happened was without a mite of evidence.

His Ripper book, if it ever sees the light of day, will be the first time he has ever typed a substantial work of any kind. Perhaps that's why it's so far taken him twelve years (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20010422/ai_n14526641) to not produce. After all his specialism lies in the rather less illustrious direction of constructing short pieces of laughable nonsense for the intellectually infirm.

AP

PhilipG/Emmanuel Goldstein,

Thanks for the welcome fellas.

As far as asking him on his forum what he has demonstrably achieved in respect of moving on any unsolved/contentious criminal cases, this might be pointless. I have heard that anything remotely challenging to answer is promptly deleted. I've seen his site and one could be forgiven for imagining that the TS Forum is strictly for his peculiar band of personal nuthuggers and oddball sycophants but 'difficult' posts have been made on that board and swiftly plucked off the Truth Tree and left to rot in Slemen's deletion bin. It's not in his interests to have his regular board viewers exposed to any trace of critical thinking after all...

And as for his Ripper bandwagonning, Mr George would be an apt person to comment on that. Although the inactivity regarding his 'theory' on the Casebook website says alot.

If you hadn't guessed, I posed my original question after having recently read Slemen's treatment of the Cameo Cinema Murders. AFAICR, not a thing of interest which he wrote could not have been gleaned from Mr. George Skelly's book. And anything else which he has imagined to have happened was without a mite of evidence.

His Ripper book, if it ever sees the light of day, will be the first time he has ever typed a substantial work of any kind. Perhaps that's why it's so far taken him twelve years (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4161/is_20010422/ai_n14526641) to not produce. After all his specialism lies in the rather less illustrious direction of constructing short pieces of laughable nonsense for the intellectually infirm.

AP


AP

Do a Search in this group for Slemen and you'll find some interesting posts.
He obviously has his admirers and non-admirers.
Regarding myself as a local historian I'm always willing to give my sources (which TS never gives), and always try to deal in facts.
But I don't write about ghosts and ghoulies simply because I'm a non-believer.

The other day someone rang in to Billy Butler's radio prog and asked him about an upcoming film based on the Cameo murders. The caller said something like "it's a certificate 18, with US and British actors and will be out in the Autumn". After I heard it my Insightful Question of the Day was that I wasn't sure sure if this caller was asking Billy or telling him (think about it). Something didn't seem right anyway and so I did some digging: there's no Cameo film registered with the BBFC and nothing showing up on IMDB. So, does anyone know anything about it ? Or is a better searcher than I am !

AP.

There is a film of the cameo case in production.... I believe...

Hi all

I understand that from a recent email from George Skelly, author of The Cameo Conspiracy, that a movie of his book is still in the works.

Chris

Dinnae just say that without the palava mate ?

Yeh yer rite mate. Just thought I'd add a bit o' palaver tho. :Colorz_Grey_PDT_16: :celb (6):

Seeing as they were both mates of me dars... I don't see the point... honestly...

Hello Mark R.

Great to see you here. I believe you will know me from the Casebook: Jack the Ripper website. Contemporary views of people involved in famous cases are always interesting. I found George Skelly's The Cameo Conspiracy to be quite persuasive, although I have recently read Richard Whittington-Egan's assessment that the alleged gunman, George Kelly--whom he had met--was the "Little Caesar of Lime Street." It still doesn't mean of course that Kelly did the double murders of the manager and assistant manager at the Cameo Cinema in Wavertree on March 19, 1949 but RWE's characterization of Kelly gives one pause for thought.

Chris

Chris, have you ever read Barry Shortall's book on the Cameo murders? This seems to imply that Kelly was innnocent but Connolly was guilty.

Chris, have you ever read Barry Shortall's book on the Cameo murders? This seems to imply that Kelly was innnocent but Connolly was guilty.

Hi Steve

No I have not read the Shortall book. Connolly and Kelly of course contended they did not even know each other. If Shortall is right that Connolly was involved in the Cameo murders, why didn't he turn in the gunman instead of contending, as I believe his counsel argued at his second trial, that Kelly did the murders -- a story that he later recanted?

Chris

Hi Steve

No I have not read the Shortall book. Connolly and Kelly of course contended they did not even know each other. If Shortall is right that Connolly was involved in the Cameo murders, why didn't he turn in the gunman instead of contending, as I believe his counsel argued at his second trial, that Kelly did the murders -- a story that he later recanted?

Chris

Shortall states that if the testimonies of the witnesses were true then Connolly could have planned the robbery. He also has letters from an MP who was trying to get the case re-opened on behalf of the Kelly family in his appendices. The letters say that as Connolly wont make a statement on what he knows, there'd be no chance of getting things re-opened.

There's no real explanation in the book as to why, given that Connolly changed his plea to guilty, he didnt go on to name the gunman.

I'm fully with Skelly on this one anyway, I cant see why Connolly would maintain his innocence till his death 45 years after the event if he was guilty -surely at some point he would have confessed all to put the Kelly family's minds at rest.

Shortall states that if the testimonies of the witnesses were true then Connolly could have planned the robbery. He also has letters from an MP who was trying to get the case re-opened on behalf of the Kelly family in his appendices. The letters say that as Connolly wont make a statement on what he knows, there'd be no chance of getting things re-opened.

There's no real explanation in the book as to why, given that Connolly changed his plea to guilty, he didnt go on to name the gunman.

I'm fully with Skelly on this one anyway, I cant see why Connolly would maintain his innocence till his death 45 years after the event if he was guilty -surely at some point he would have confessed all to put the Kelly family's minds at rest.

Hello Steve

I received the following information from George Skelly which might clarify some things from his perspective.

In George's opinion, Richard Whittington-Egan has not written any worthwhile account of the Cameo case. In his book Liverpool Roundabout he simply recounts Balmer's now totally discredited scenario, and states that he briefly met Kelly in the Big House pub on Lime Street.

George feels that Shortall's scenario doesn't make sense.

George notes that there is confusion in Shortall's book about whether the crime was planned in the Beehive pub or in the Boundary Pub. At first, the plotters are in the Beehive pub planning the crime, then without any change of scene or time lapse, when they are leaving the pub it has suddenly and magically become the Boundary pub -- which was nearer to the Cameo and over 2 miles away from the Beehive.

Shortall also maintains that Donald Johnson was the Cameo killer. Johnson was a thin fair-haired, slightly built man -- yet every witness at the cinema and outside stated on oath that the killer was dark haired, with dark eyebrows and stockily built.

George further talks about Shortall's assertion that Connolly was involved as the killer's accomplice and would not speak to MP Sydney Silverman.

George says that the reason for this, according to what Connolly told George, was that although he was willing to co-operate with both Mr Silverman and a Daily Express reporter, he discovered at the last minute that George Kelly's relative - who was the initiator and go-between - was motivated by money and that as a consequence Connolly decided to withdraw his co-operation. Connolly was going to state formally to the Silverman and the reporter that despite his guilty plea to robbery at the Cameo, he was in fact innocent, did not know Kelly, and believed that Kelly too was innocent.

Chris

My mum and dad were in the cameo the night of the murder - alas mum had no further evidence about the case to offer and couldn't even remember what film they watched. Anyone know what it was just out of interest?

According to George Skelly's book the main picture was Bond Street (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039206/)

According to George Skelly's book the main picture was Bond Street (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039206/)

Cheers! I'll mention that to my mum see if she remembers it.

I have just finished reading Mr Skelly's book, and never have I felt so emotional and moved after reading any account of crime (I am a fan of true crime books-morbid I know!)

I just wondered though....Mr Skelly goes into great detail in the book about things people were saying and doing, for instance when Northam, Dickson and Balmer are together concocting statements....how does Mr Skelly know what they said and how those statements were thought up?
I am not critisising at all, would just be fascinated to know really!!

George Skelly is an amazing writer and a man with a genuine sense of injustice. I suppose living and breathing the Cameo Murders for nearly 60 years makes him the no 1 authority on what happened and you can be assured that his book is 100 per cent accurate. I congratulate George Skelly and his friend Lou Santangeli for their tenacity and dedication. Indeed I believe it was Mr Santangeli was the person who discovered the statement from Graham that was never declared at the trial and would undoubtedly have resulted in a different verdict.

Someone on here raises an interesting point and I'd like to expand on it with a question -

Can anyone provide an example of Mr. Slemen discovering any unique, verifiable and substantial information about any of the criminal cases which he has "investigated" which cannot be otherwise ascertained via any pre-existing published material ?

AP

Ermmmmm, no. Having read some of what Mr Slemen has written, a lot of
it seems to be hearsay, stuff allready published and pure myth.
Surely fact info on the Cameo murders can be found in the LRO or court
records.

George Skelly is an amazing writer and a man with a genuine sense of injustice. I suppose living and breathing the Cameo Murders for nearly 60 years makes him the no 1 authority on what happened and you can be assured that his book is 100 per cent accurate. I congratulate George Skelly and his friend Lou Santangeli for their tenacity and dedication. Indeed I believe it was Mr Santangeli was the person who discovered the statement from Graham that was never declared at the trial and would undoubtedly have resulted in a different verdict.

Hello Chrisk

You are correct that Mr Lou Santangeli discovered the statement by Graham that showed that the prosecution had held back pertinent evidence in the case. His role in finding this information is explained in an interesting PDF file (http://www.ccrc.gov.uk/CCRC_Uploads/KELLY_AND_CONNOLLY_-_28_10_03.pdf) on the Cameo case from the Royal Courts of Justice in October 2003. This explains why the court found the convictions of George Kelly and Charles Connolly to be "unsafe" because of the mishandled prosecution and probable wrongdoing of Detective Chief Inspector Balmer in, as George Skelly describes it, framing Kelly and Connolly for the murders.

Chris

Ermmmmm, no. Having read some of what Mr Slemen has written, a lot of
it seems to be hearsay, stuff allready published and pure myth.
Surely fact info on the Cameo murders can be found in the LRO or court
records.

Thanks. That wasn't a rhetorical question which I posed, BTW. I'd genuinely like to know.

AP.

Hi Chris, I am aware of the 2003 Judgement particularly page 3 Para 4 " All that evidence was false and probably deliberate so" or page 8 para 27 " Nevertheless when the evidence of Graham at both trials and of CI Balmer at the first trial to the effect that the two had not met in the context of the case prior to 19th September is taken into account, and in the absence of any explanation for such testomony, the conclusuion is that such evidence amounted to deliberate concealment becomes at the least highly likely" or page 25 para 97 "Indeed the lies of Graham and CI Balmer in relation to when they first saw one another in relation to the Cameo murders are are a strong indication of the need for concealment"

I believe there is still unfinished business here. I know both verdicts have been quashed and Kelly got a christian burial but what about Balmer, he seems to have got off scot free. No doubt George Skelly's book will be very revealing about the seemingly injustice of Burns and Devlin at the hands of a bent detective. Will Balmer escape again? Here is a Police Officer who went right to the top and was highly decorated to the point of receiving the QPM and OBE . Should those awards be withdrawn? I think that they should and will be if I have anything to do with it!

that's a really interesting point.
If Kelly is now cleared of the crime, surely Balmer's honours should be taken away.
If Kelly didn't commit the crime, then he was obviously a scapegoat

How very sad this case is

The important point is that Balmer has been proven to have lied and a man lost his life as a result. Something should be done about it.

George Skelly is an amazing writer and a man with a genuine sense of injustice. I suppose living and breathing the Cameo Murders for nearly 60 years makes him the no 1 authority on what happened and you can be assured that his book is 100 per cent accurate. I congratulate George Skelly and his friend Lou Santangeli for their tenacity and dedication. Indeed I believe it was Mr Santangeli was the person who discovered the statement from Graham that was never declared at the trial and would undoubtedly have resulted in a different verdict.

the name ( lou santangeli ) is known to me did he work in meccano....

The Cameo Cinema in 1958. Thanks to Harold Ackroyd

was there ever a Muder Casebook magazine about the Cameo murders?

I'm not sure...There doesn't seem to be one on the list here:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Magazine-Back-Issues_Murder-Casebook_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ11QQftidZ2QQtZkm

Hi Chris, I am aware of the 2003 Judgement particularly page 3 Para 4 " All that evidence was false and probably deliberate so" or page 8 para 27 " Nevertheless when the evidence of Graham at both trials and of CI Balmer at the first trial to the effect that the two had not met in the context of the case prior to 19th September is taken into account, and in the absence of any explanation for such testomony, the conclusuion is that such evidence amounted to deliberate concealment becomes at the least highly likely" or page 25 para 97 "Indeed the lies of Graham and CI Balmer in relation to when they first saw one another in relation to the Cameo murders are are a strong indication of the need for concealment"

The above quote was mine under an old username. What I have posted was an extract from the court of appeal judgement on the Cameo case and the traversty of justice that occured in this case and resulted in the execution of George Kelly in 1950 and the wrongful conviction of Charles Connolly. The appeal judges said that Chief Inspector Herbert Balmer had lied. Balmer was awarded the Kings police and fire service medal for his meritorious work on this case.....and he lied! He sent an innocent man to his death and another to prison for 10 years. So what I want to know is this.

Why has Liverpool Council included Herbert Balmer in a publication celebrating "800 names of people who helped shape our city"?. Are they proud of what Balmer did? Click on this link, scroll to the very bottom and then count up 17 lines.

http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/Images/tcm21-100996.pdf

I can feel a letter to the Echo coming on here!

Why has Liverpool Council included Herbert Balmer in a publication celebrating "800 names of people who helped shape our city"?. Are they proud of what Balmer did? Click on this link, scroll to the very bottom and then count up 17 lines.

http://www.liverpool.gov.uk/Images/tcm21-100996.pdf


This is utterly disgusting!

Any news on the film plans?

George is still busy with the screenplay Daisy and the Cranbourne Road book.

George is still busy with the screenplay Daisy and the Cranbourne Road book.

Brilliant!
Can't wait for both!:)

I have just finished reading Mr Skelly's book, and never have I felt so emotional and moved after reading any account of crime (I am a fan of true crime books-morbid I know!)

I just wondered though....Mr Skelly goes into great detail in the book about things people were saying and doing, for instance when Northam, Dickson and Balmer are together concocting statements....how does Mr Skelly know what they said and how those statements were thought up?
I am not critisising at all, would just be fascinated to know really!!

It really is a great book isn't it Daisy. It is full of atmosphere and really captured my imagination. George is a good friend of mine and he is very busy with the Cranbourne book. He needs more information about Thomas Rimmer who was the son of the victim. I am researching Balmer and any information would be gratefully received about him.

Hi all

I am presently reading the book The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by American novelist and former lawyer John Grisham. I would recommend it as a very disturbing but informative account of how police in Oklahoma "fitted up" what they conceived to be "likely suspects" in a couple of murder cases. What occurred was very similar to what the Liverpool police did under Balmer with Kelly and Connolly in the Cameo case and Devlin and Burns in the Cranbourne Road case.

Chris

Hi

My name's Emma Gill and George Kelly's my late Great Uncle. He was my Grandma's brother. I am doing a lot of research at the moment into the case. I have just discovered this website and have read some of the members' comments regarding my Uncle Georgie. I am sure I can rely on the knowledge and warmth of all you scoucers with this most importantly if any of you know of any details of the case being made into a film etc.

There is an awful lot that I do know, privately within my family and I wish sometimes it were known publicly of the mental torment and heartbreak endured to my great grandparents and grandparents and great uncles during the trial and after Uncle Georgie's execution. To this day we still carry the scars and heartache in many different ways.

I know there is still a lot of interest in the Cameo Cinema Murder in Liverpool. I don't live in the City but am up there regularly and follow the Mighty Reds all the time. Fingers crossed with Barca next month!!

I look forward to hearing from anyone who has any thoughts.

All the best.

Emma Gill

Hello Emma,

I was a kid at the time and apparently George Kelly used to drink in the Leigh Arms at the top of Alfred and Cambridge Street, next to the rail depot. My uncles used to drink in the same pub.There was also a local rumour that the weapon was thrown into the pond at Botanic Park. Just thought I would pass that on.

It was more than a rumour that the gun was thrown into Botanic park lake. That suggestion was made to the Police in an anonymous letter to them which was eventually claimed to have been sent by the witnesses Northam and Dickson. The Police drained the lake and searched but never found the gun. It was also claimed that the gun was hidden in the vicinity of the cemetery on Smithdown Road where the birds can only reach it - or words to that effect. The lawyers Livermore and Heilbron took it upon themselves to search the cemetery themselves too.

It was more than a rumour that the gun was thrown into Botanic park lake. That suggestion was made to the Police in an anonymous letter to them which was eventually claimed to have been sent by the witnesses Northam and Dickson. The Police drained the lake and searched but never found the gun. It was also claimed that the gun was hidden in the vicinity of the cemetery on Smithdown Road where the birds can only reach it - or words to that effect. The lawyers Livermore and Heilbron took it upon themselves to search the cemetery themselves too.

would be amazing if the gun turned up in the cemetery now!

Be a good project for somebody with a metal detector!

It was more than a rumour that the gun was thrown into Botanic park lake. That suggestion was made to the Police in an anonymous letter to them which was eventually claimed to have been sent by the witnesses Northam and Dickson. The Police drained the lake and searched but never found the gun. It was also claimed that the gun was hidden in the vicinity of the cemetery on Smithdown Road where the birds can only reach it - or words to that effect. The lawyers Livermore and Heilbron took it upon themselves to search the cemetery themselves too.

Hi Chris my name is Peter Connolly (charlies newphew) I would like to have a chat with you

Hi Chris, my name is Peter Connolly the nephew of charlie connolly I would like to have a chat with you regarding the cameo

Peter, I have sent you a private message.