A chilling murder which shook Merseyside was left unsolved for 16 years.
Cynthia Bolshaw, from Heswall, died in tragic circumstances more than two decades ago in a case which shocked the nation. On the day her killer was jailed, Cynthia's heartbroken family said: "We are so sorry she is not here today."
The family had waited 16 years for justice after Cynthia was strangled to death in her own home in Heswall, Wirral. Cynthia, 50, was found lying face down and naked in the bath, leading to her case becoming known as the 'beauty in the bath murder'.
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Nearly two decades after Cynthia's murder, John Taft, a then 49-year-old glazing company director, was found guilty of her murder after a dramatic 10-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court.
Family make heartbreaking discovery
Cynthia, was a Dior beautician and worked at Browns in Chester. She was a mum and regarded as very popular - she had her whole life ahead of her. On November 9, 1983, her body was found by relatives who had been visiting her bungalow on Buffs Lane in Heswall.
Detective Superintendent Jim Owens said Cynthia's sister and brother-in-law had called into the bungalow, he said: "They expected to see her car in the driveway and the curtains open. But they found the car was not there, and there was no answer. They entered the house and found her dead in the bath."
The 50-year-old's red Toyota Corolla was also found abandoned in a field of the northbound carriageway of the A450 Chester High Road by a police officer. Speaking at the time of the murder, her neighbour Elizabeth Lawrence said: "I'm very sorry to hear about her. It is a tragedy."
Her murder sent shockwaves through the quiet suburban area where she lived, as house-to-house enquires were carried out the next day.
Huge manhunt launched in search for killer
Following this, police launched a huge manhunt to find Cynthia's killer. The case was described as the biggest murder investigation in Wirral since the brutal killing of air stewardess Hazel Booth in Wirral Way County Park, the case had 100 officers working on it at its peak.
Hundreds of people in the area were interviewed by police, including others who may have been in contact with Cynthia before her death. A dramatic turn in the case came when Det Supt Owens directly urged for a mysterious caller, who claimed to have information, to meet him.
The police chief received a call from someone he believed held vital clues regarding Cynthia's killer. Det Supt Owens appealed directly to the mystery caller through the ECHO.
He said: "I am willing to meet the person at any time or any place at their convenience."
Cynthia's diary, which a court later heard contained the names of up to 200 men, was also presented as a significant clue and the potential key to tracking down her killer. Focus turned to Cynthia's personal life, as the court would later be told she had many relationships after divorcing from her husband.
It was thought her killer could have been a current or ex-partner of hers.
The case goes cold
The case went cold despite the hours of work, hundreds of police officers and countless door knocks. No one was charged for Cynthia's murder and officers were left puzzled over the case.
Detectives traced hundreds of men after going through diaries belonging to Cynthia, dating back 15 years. On each anniversary of Cynthia's death, police appealed again to members of the public to come forward - but an arrest would not come for years.
Huge breakthrough in the case
It was in 1999 that police received the breakthrough they so desperately needed.
A man named John Taft had confided in his wife he had known Cynthia and asked her to provide an alibi for him for the night she died. But Barbara, Taft's first wife, finally approached police in 1999. She said she had "something to tell them".
She confessed Taft wanted her to say she was at home with him on the night of the murder. Taft had, in fact, visited Cynthia that evening.
Former lovers of Cynthia's were traced and asked to provide DNA, as Merseyside Police revealed they had obtained a "genetic fingerprint" of the prime suspect in the hunt for her killer. Police even warned former partners, they said: "Contact us before we come and find you."
After years of dead ends, the case gained momentum again and it finally began to look like Cynthia and her family could get justice.
A murder charge
One month after the force's warning, Taft was arrested following advances in forensic technology in April 1999. Around 64 men were interviewed before his arrest and during the initial investigation more than 1,500 statements were taken.
The repeat calls Det Supt Owens received early on in the case ultimately turned out to be a hoax – costing officers hours of valuable time in the search for Cynthia's killer. A 36-year-old woman was subsequently convicted of wasting police time.
Taft was charged with murder and a trial began in Liverpool Crown Court in November 1999. The jury of eight women and four men heard intimate details about Cynthia’s sex life as extracts from her diaries were read aloud.
Taft continued to deny having any role in Cynthia's death.
Trial begins
After years of waiting, a trial for Cynthia's murder finally came. The courtroom was packed with reporters and Cynthia's loved ones and Taft's wife Susan watched on as the business owner entered the dock.
He had, extraordinarily, been interviewed by police during the initial inquiry but he said he never met Cynthia. The pair had met many times though - as Taft's testimony would go on to reveal.
The court heard Cynthia had requested a quote from the glazing firm he worked for and the pair formed a bond after he visited her home. But it was not until the middle of the trial that Taft finally came clean about their relationship.
Oliver Blunt QC, defending, asked him: "Did you kill Cynthia Bolshaw?"
Taft told him they had an affair that started after she called him. He said: "We sat and talked. We then started pecking and ended up making love on the bed. We were both naked.
"After that she would normally phone me at work, but we had difficulty meeting because she was working and I was married."
On the night of her death, Taft claimed he went round to her home and after the pair had sex he left at about 10.30pm. Cynthia was alive and unharmed when he left, he said.
He added: "I had no reason to hurt Mrs Bolshaw. She was a very bubbly and bright person and I enjoyed her company."
'Guilty'
On November 24, 1999 the ECHO’s front page simply read 'GUILTY'.
Taft was handed a life sentence by Judge David Clark QC, who told him: “Why you killed her will never be known, except by you.”
His guilty conviction came after the jury were told DNA of his was found on Cynthia's underwear. The jury convicted Taft by a 10 to 2 majority verdict.
As Taft was told his fate he closed his eyes, put his hands on his head and turned to his second wife Susan.
The ECHO reported Taft told her: “I love you, you know the truth.” The couple had married just 17 days before his arrest for the crime.
Judge Clark QC said: “What is clear is that you kept quiet for 16 years and never told the truth about what took place that night. You are an intelligent and calculating man who has never shown any remorse.”
Cynthia’s son Christopher spoke of the devastating toll the trial had on the family.
On the day of the sentence, he said: “We are absolutely delighted with the result. It was [an] absolutely convincing case. We know that he did it. The police have been extremely supportive throughout the past 16 years, but nothing is going to bring my mum back.
“We also feel very sorry for Susan Taft. It has been going on for such a long time.”
Taft later went on to appeal his sentence. The case looked like it could be re-opened after it was alleged a bundle of evidence had led to an incorrect conviction.
Wirral lawyer David Kiran told the ECHO in 2009: “Within an hour of getting this case and considering some of the early points raised by Taft and the family, I thought it was a serious miscarriage of justice. It’s a bad case.”
It is understood Taft, who has always maintained his innocence, was released from prison some years ago.
Cynthia Bolshaw: A 'caring and gentle' woman
Born in Liverpool as the youngest of four children to Elsie and Charles Wilson, Cynthia grew up in West Kirby and helped out at the family-run bookshop as a youngster.
Cynthia got married and had her son, Christopher, living with her family in Burton, Wirral, before divorcing her husband. After Taft’s sentence, then 42-year-old Christopher spoke with pride about his mother while paying tribute to her.
He said: “My mum was a very caring and gentle and caring woman and very good to us. I was very proud of her. “
Cynthia’s daughter-in-law Gaye Bolshaw added outside of court: “She was a lovely, gentle woman and we are just so sorry that she is not here today to see her grandchildren grow up.
“Nothing will ever bring Cynthia back, but we all loved her and we know she loved all of us.”
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