Leslie Harvey was in for a shocking surprise when he decided to renovate his mother’s house while she was in the hospital. The taxi driver’s plan to freshen up his childhood home took a dark turn when he stumbled upon the mummified remains of a long-lost lodger locked inside a cupboard for over twenty years.
The discovery at 35 West Kinmel Street in Rhyl, North Wales, led to a police investigation that involved forensic experts, pathologists, biologists, and the local coroner. Leslie, who lived nearby with his family, had always been curious about the tall storage unit on the landing, believing it held items from former tenants during wartime.
The gruesome find on May 5, 1960, revealed a decaying body hidden beneath layers of cobwebs and dust. The mummified remains, preserved by the drafty conditions in the cupboard, belonged to Frances Alice Knight, a former tenant estranged from her husband. Mrs. Harvey, Leslie’s mother, was suspected of foul play but later explained that she found Mrs. Knight dead one night in 1940 and concealed the body out of fear.
The mystery of the “Mummy in the Cupboard” captured global media attention. Medical experts had to carefully handle the mummified body, ultimately leading to suspicions of foul play due to ligature marks suggesting strangulation. Mrs. Harvey faced trial, where she was acquitted of murder but convicted of fraud for obtaining money under false pretenses.
After serving time in prison, Mrs. Harvey moved to a care home and passed away shortly after. The unresolved questions surrounding Mrs. Knight’s death continue to intrigue the residents of Rhyl, with the bizarre case leaving a lasting impact on those involved.
Raymond Vaughn, a former police officer, described the case as one of the most extraordinary he had encountered, with the image of the mummified body etched in his memory forever.