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She Posed for 'Peter' – And Was Never Seen Alive Again
Description
In October 1974, 39-year-old Josephine Backshall, a devoted mother of three from Maldon, Essex, answered a classified ad for part-time modelling work.
A smooth-talking stranger named "Peter" lured her with a £100 gig. She kissed her kids goodbye, drove off in her red Ford Cortina... and vanished.
Three days later, her bound body was found face-down in a shallow pond 40 miles away—watch frozen at 8:10, no robbery, no assault. A predator using newspaper ads to hunt women? Witnesses saw a tense roadside argument, a possible pub sighting, and a photofit that haunts investigators to this day.
Over 50 years later, her children still seek justice. Was "Peter" the garden photographer? Why did similar lures continue? This deep dive uncovers the classified ad trap, the failed 2010 arrest, and why this Essex/Hertfordshire cold case remains unsolved in 2026.
For the documentary version see here https://youtu.be/qy0ugg6RQKE
(00:00) The Haunting Case of Josephine Backshall
(00:47) Who Was Josephine Backshall?
(02:59) Josephine Places an Advert
(3:42) The Phonecall
(6:22) Josephine Goes to Meet ‘Peter’
(9:59) Josephine’s Body is Found
(11:57) The Investigation Begins
(13:02) The French Connection
(15:28) Multiple Women Contacted by ‘Peter’
(16:53) The Two Theories
(18:33) A Man is Arrested