Graham Backhouse worked as a hairdresser until his father passed away in 1979, leaving him a sheep farm. However, the new job did not seem to suit Graham, as just 5 years later, he had fallen into substantial debt. At this point, Graham found a solution from his wife.
The Horrific Explosion
In the small town of Horton in the county of Dorset, southwest England, Margaret Backhouse lived on a farm with her husband Graham Backhouse, a 44-year-old farmer. Their lives went along quietly until April 9, 1984.
On that day, Margaret Backhouse went out to buy some groceries. However, her car broke down, so she had to borrow her husband’s. After getting into Graham’s Volvo and turning the key in the ignition, the car exploded.
Neighbors discovered the incident and rushed Margaret Backhouse to the emergency room with severe injuries. Authorities found that a bomb had detonated beneath the seat.
The bomb was made from a galvanized steel pipe, containing nitroglycerin and about 4,500 small lead pellets that nearly tore her legs off. It was wired into the car’s electrical system to trigger when the vehicle was started.
Doctors had to remove nearly half a kilogram of shrapnel embedded in her. And then, to everyone’s amazement, a miracle occurred. The victim luckily survived because the high-quality seat directed the blast downwards.
The bombing left neighbors in shock as Margaret and her husband were well-liked. No one could imagine this horror befalling the Backhouse family.
The Hidden Killer
The farm where the victim lived with her family was immediately cordoned off. Sniffer dogs were used to search every nook and cranny.
Graham Backhouse revealed to police that he was the intended victim of deliberate revenge attacks that had occurred previously. Not only had there been anonymous threatening calls, but on March 30, 1984, Graham reported finding a sheep’s head impaled on his farm’s fence, next to a note reading: “You are next.”
On the same day as the explosion, Graham Backhouse received another threatening letter stating: “See you soon.”
Police believed the bomb was intended for Graham Backhouse. Speculating on the motive, Graham said he had been involved with several women in the area, which could have led to the attack. Graham was then placed under 24-hour armed protection.
Graham told police the culprit could be David Hodkinson, the victim’s ex-husband. David had both motive and ability as a former miner and electrician with knowledge of explosives and wiring.
However, the investigation later showed that on the day of the blast, David Hodkinson was on holiday far from the scene, having been there for several days. The solid alibi ruled David out as a suspect.
Graham then provided a second name – his 63-year-old neighbor.
Surprise Attack
Colyn was a retired engineer. The two had a history of conflict over land disputes. Since the death of Colyn’s son in a car accident, his behavior has become increasingly erratic. However, working with the police, this man showed no signs of suspicion.
On April 30, 1984, the police received an emergency call from Graham Backhouse’s house. Upon arrival, they found Graham Backhouse lying on the floor in a pool of blood. At the foot of the staircase lay the body of neighbor Colyn Bedale-Taylor. Colyn’s chest bore two gunshot wounds, with a paper-cutting knife in his hand. The initials “CBT” were engraved on the blade, representing Colyn Bedale-Taylor.
Graham Backhouse had multiple deep cuts on his face and chest. He was immediately rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. Fortunately, Graham survived the critical condition.
A Suspicious Narrative
Graham claimed that Colyn Bedale-Taylor came to his house to talk. Here, the 63-year-old suddenly blamed Graham for the death of his son.
Graham recounted that he asked Colyn if he was the one who planted a bomb in his car, which the neighbor confirmed. According to Graham, Colyn also admitted to writing threatening notes and hanging a sheep’s head on the fence of Graham’s farm.
Graham said that Colyn then drew the paper-cutting knife he was carrying and attacked him with multiple blows. Caught off guard, Graham hurried into the house to grab a self-defense gun. In the struggle, he shot the neighbor who was rushing at him.
The police searched Colyn Bedale-Taylor’s house and the surrounding area, finding a piece of pipe matching the bomb component. It seemed they had found the culprit behind the car bomb explosion, but investigators were puzzled by the evidence found at the crime scene.
The blood drops from Graham’s wound were circular, indicating that he was seemingly stationary when attacked. If the two were in a fierce struggle as claimed by the victim, the blood drops would have made an oblong, elongated shape due to the angle of impact with the ground. This suggests the blood had been there beforehand.
Graham Backhouse claimed he ran quickly to get the gun while injured, yet the police found no trace of his blood along the 4.5-meter path through the hallway into the house. There was also no blood on the gun, despite Graham’s statement of shooting Colyn after being attacked.
Graham’s wounds also didn’t align with his story. There were no cuts on his hands as if he had been defending against a knife attack. With the deep cut on Graham’s chest, experts stated that such a wound could only occur if Graham remained completely still and did not struggle against his attacker.
The police began to scrutinize other evidence surrounding Graham Backhouse and discovered several suspicious points.
Staged Crime Scene
The police noticed that the crime scene of Colyn Bedale-Taylor attacking Graham Backhouse did not match Graham’s description. Graham’s wounds also did not align with his story. They began to scrutinize other evidence surrounding Graham Backhouse and discovered several suspicious points.
Investigators believed it was highly likely that Graham Backhouse was not bleeding at the time he held the gun. With the victim tightly gripping the paper-cutting knife, the police analyzed that when shot or deceased, the body typically tends to relax, and the knife should have fallen from his hand.
Furthermore, Colyn’s entire palm was covered in blood, but if he had been holding a weapon throughout, there should have been areas of blood not adhering due to being covered by the knife handle.
The three letters “CBT” engraved on the knife blade were supposed to be the initials of Colyn Bedale-Taylor, yet among hundreds of items found at Colyn Bedale-Taylor’s house, none bore a similar engraving.
The police shifted their investigation, attempting to find a connection between Graham Backhouse and the previous evidence. They found a notebook in his room, featuring a drawing identical to the scar on the piece of paper with the words: “You’ll be next.” Graham Backhouse also owned a brown sweater matching the yarn found alongside the letter “See you soon”.
With these clues, the police believed Graham Backhouse orchestrated it all.
Sinister plan
Graham Backhouse was originally a hairdresser, but he inherited a sheep farm after his father’s death in 1979. Graham was incapable of managing his father’s business, and by 1984, he was deeply in debt, facing significant financial difficulties. Graham desperately needed money to pay off his debts and saw an opportunity in his wife with her life insurance policy worth £100,000.
Graham Backhouse devised a plan to kill his wife and frame someone else. He fabricated threatening letters and even went as far as hanging a sheep’s head, pretending someone was out to get him.
On the day Margaret Backhouse went shopping in town, knowing his wife’s car was faulty, Graham Backhouse rigged a homemade bomb and borrowed a car. However, he never expected his wife to survive the horrific bomb blast. Fearing detection, Graham staged the crime scene, framing an innocent neighbor. To bolster confidence in his innocence, Graham even inflicted injuries upon himself.
On May 13, 1984, Graham Backhouse was arrested for two charges: murder concerning the death of Colyn Bedale-Taylor and attempted murder regarding his wife’s bombing. The jury sentenced Graham to two life sentences. Graham later died in prison due to a heart attack at the age of 53.
