Loose Lips

In Bellingham, Chadwick Campbell was interviewed by Bill Porteous of the Vancouver Police Homicide Squad. Porteous told him he was being charged with murder. Once Campbell returned to his cell, he told McCluskey the detective was trying to get him to crack and name his accomplices. Something he wouldn't do.

Then he told McCluskey he had been involved with the robbery and subsequent murder at Johnson's Storage. Chadwick said he, along with Shaw and Storey, had gotten rid of the clothes they had worn that night and although the police had found Storey's, they would never find his.

After ten days in the Bellingham Jail, Constable John McCluskey of the Vancouver Police returned to Vancouver and handed Bill Porteous a full report of the conversations he had with Campbell while the two men had been cell mates.

While the investigation was being carried out south of the border, the police in Vancouver were busy. They visited Lloyd Storey and Storey identified the articles of clothing from a photo as his. He said though that he had disposed of those before the murder. However, a tradesman stated he had seen Lloyd wearing those clothes three days before the murder.

Lloyd Storey was formerly charged with the murder of Vaino Alto on October 22, 1959. That same day, Chadwick Campbell was returned to Vancouver. With Storey in custody, police were able to get samples of his hair and scientists found the hair to be identical to those found in the hat at the scene. Handwriting experts compared samples of the prisoners' signature and found that Chadwick Campbell had signed the receipt in the name of C.W. Maring when he bought the detonators. The hardware salesman identified Campbell as the purchaser.

Everything is coming together but remember, there were three men involved in the crime and only two were in jail

Once again, Chadwick Campbell inadvertently helped the police by being too talkative. After admitting to his new cell mate his involvement in the crime, he asked the man to act as a courier, passing on messages between Campbell and George Shaw. The cell mate agreed and it didn't take long for Shaw to admit he was involved with the murder. On the advice of the prison padre, the cell mate passed on this information to the police and George Shaw was soon charged with murder.

All three men were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 20 years in jail. Campbell appealed and his sentence was reduced to 15 years because he was the one who telephoned the police.

`

What a story! It really shows how the police work with scientists to solve crimes. When I watch some of the crime shows, it annoys me to see the scientists acting as if the police are just their servants because it is a team effort. It also annoys me to see long hair in labs and women wearing high heels but that is a whole different entry for a different blog.

Thanks to PoliceBeat, 24 Vancouver Murders by Joe Swan.

I hope you find the beauty around you.

Karen Magill, Vancouver, Johnson's Storage, History, murder,Vancouver Police, constable, 1959, Policebeat, Joe Swan,