On April 13, 1921, Vera Page was born in Hammersmith, London, England to Charles and Isabel Page She would grow up as an only child and would be known as a popular but shy and well-behaved girl. Her father was a painter for the Great Western Railways and her mother was a housewife. In order to supplement income, the couple would allow lodgers in their home.
The family owned a three-story home near Blenheim Crescent, they did not occupy the whole house. So they would have lodgers on the upper floors and typically they were family members or people known to the family. Arthur and Annie Rush were occupants of the home for 20 years.
On December 14, 1931, 10-year-old Vera left her home around 4:30 p.m. She was going to her aunt's home that was around 50 yards away to collect two swimming certificates she achieved. She left them at her aunt's house the previous day. Vera would get the certificates and left her aunts home at 4:45.
By 5:30 p.m. she still hadn't returned so her father went to the aunt's home to get his daughter. The aunt told him that she had left almost an hour before for dinner. Charles hoped his daughter got sidetracked and visited the homes of her friends and relatives. When there was no sign of her by 10:30 p.m. he went to Notting Hill police station to report her missing.
With several friends, neighbors, and family members Charles and Isabel searched for Vera. They would search up into the morning, and the following day her description was circulated among the police. By the evening the media reported on Vera's disappearance.
Police determined that between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on December 14th Vera spoke to a school friend outside a chemists on Blenheim Crescent and Portobello Rd. Vera told her friend that she was going to purchase soap dominos for her parent's Christmas presents. After the brief conversation, the friend would leave Vera standing in front of the shop window. Her friend stated that she was carrying an envelope at the time, the one with her certificates inside. No one reportedly saw Vera after this.
On December 16th vera's body would be found lying in a patch of shrubbery in the front garden of 89 Addison Rd, Kensington, close to Holland Park. This was just a mile from her home. The killer tried to conceal the body by throwing handfuls of dirt and leaves on her body. Police suspected that her killer lived near the location of her body or knew the neighborhood well.
During the autopsy, it was found that Vera had been raped and strangled to death. Bruising on her neck showed she had been strangled with a ligature. She had been dead over 24 hoursand they believe she may have been killed close to 9 p.m. the night she disappeared. There were traces of soot and coal dust on her face. There was candle wax in two places on her right shoulder and three locations on the shoulder of her coat. In the crook of her elbow, an ammonia-stained finger bandage was found. Likely the killer lost it when moving her body, and did not notice it.
It's likely that she was stored somewhere warm after her death as she was greatly decomposed. Also, she was likely not outside or placed there soon after death. The day before between 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. and her clothes only had moisture on them where they touched the ground. It's believed her body was dumped there a couple of hours before discovery. It's believed with evidence of soot and coal on her that she likely was in a coal shed or cellar possibly with no electricity if the candle wax is from the area her body was hidden. It's likly she was placed there after 7:50 a.m. according to witness accounts.
A Mrs. Margaret Key would come forward and state that at 6:40 a.m. on December 16th she saw a man pushing a wheelbarrow with a bundle covered with a red table cloth with knitted fringe towards Addison Rd.
On December 17th a woman living close to Addison Rd would bring a child's red beret to the police station. She had found it on the 16th around 9:30 p.m. close to where Vera was last seen alive. It was Vera's beret. It smelled of paraffin, but that may have been caused by the woman storing the beret beneath her sink before bringing it in. The woman stated that she also found torn up peices of paper and a peice of candle, but thre those away. It's believed that the papers may have been her certificates.
It was also discovered that a coal shed near Addison Road was unlocked and left ajar during the time Vera was missing. It was unusual for the shed door to be ajar, but no one investigated it. So it's unknown if Vera's body was stored there but it's strongly believed it was and the murderer transferred her body using a wheelbarrow.
A suspect was soon found. 41-year-old Percy Rush knew Vera and her family through his parents Arthur and Annie Rush who rented a room from them. He lived down the street from them. He also had a bandage on one of his fingers. He also matched the description of the man with the wheelbarrow matched Percy's description.
Percy claimed that he normally would visit his parents on Mondays, but decided to go shopping after work that day. His wife was not home and didn't want to be home alone. He would return around 8:30 p.m. and his wife shortly after. They then went to sleep around 10:15 p.m.
Police believe that he lured her to the coal shed where he would attack and murder the girl. Percy said that he did not know the girl well enough that they may have only spoke once. That Vera wouldn't know or trust him enough to follow him anywhere.
He was wearing a bandage on his little finger because he got injured at work. At his place of work he would have had gotten in contact with ammonia. He had a rough bandage and his wife made a second with their supply at home that was more comfortable and protect against the ammonia. He stated that he got rid of that bandage on the 11th. His co-workes confirmed he was wearing a bandage at work on the 9th, but they did not know if he was wearing one on the 14th. He claimed that he threw the second bandage into the fireplace at work to get rid of it on the 11th. He claimed that hadn't worn a bandage since the 11th because he wanted to harden the wound. The bandage found on Vera was tried on his pinky finger and it fit.
Police found uncovered sections of bandage and a distinctive red table cloth with fringe, and candle in his home. On his jacket remenece of the coal dust, semen and wax was foud on his overcoat. The candle was found to be identical to the wax found on Vera. The bandages found at his home did not match the one found on Vera.
The police and the community believed that Percy was her killer. This was never proven and he was never convicted for her murder. A coroner's inquest was done on Feb. 10 1932 and the jury determined there was not enough evidence for prosecution. Witnesses to validate Percy's were not brought up. Percy's criminal history was also not brought up which includes indecent exposure in 1923 and 1927. The victims were both young girls. In June of 1931, he exposed himself to two young girls.
It's unknown if he was actually the perpetrator of the crime and it will remain a mystery who had murdered Young Vera Page.
