ITV revisit the unsolved case of Dr Helen Davidson on This Morning

Monica Weller author of the ‘Injured Parties: Solving the Murder of Dr Helen Davidson’ featured in a new true-crime series, Catching A Killer.

Her tragic and sudden death was the focus of the book and despite huge publicity and a string of investigations, her murder was never solved.

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After seven years of persistent research, the author believes that the police force ignored any evidence that did not fit with its theory of a random killing.

The show aims to probe unsolved murder investigations, take viewers behind the scenes and expose the likely perpetrator with Dr Helen Davidson’s story being the first case under scrutiny in the series.

ITV revisit the unsolved case of Dr Helen Davidson

The brutal murder of the popular Amersham doctor shook the town when her body was found by a police cadet in Chalfont St Giles over fifty years ago.

On the afternoon of November 9, 1966, she set out for Hodgemoor Wood with her six-year-old terrier and a set of binoculars for a spot of birdwatching.

Due home that evening to have dinner with friends, alarm bells started ringing when her husband Herbert returned from his part-time job in the afternoon to find her car and her wire-haired terrier Fancy were not there.

The following day her body was discovered with severe head injuries, her dog lying protectively across her legs, after a 12-hour search in which police were joined by more than 100 army troops.

Her attacker had beaten her with a piece of wood fracturing her skull and killing her instantly as it appeared the murderer had repeatedly jumped on her head, burying it several inches into the earth.

Detective Sergeant Tony Dale was one of the first local officers on the scene.

He said: "At that time I'd been in the job ten years and quite used to seeing lots of bodies, there was a bit of shock in this one."

ITV revisit the unsolved case of Dr Helen Davidson

The Metropolitan Police was drafted in to begin a huge operation but by the new year, interviews and the ongoing investigations had come up with no leads.

With no known enemies, Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Williams of New Scotland Yard surmised that she “has spied illicit lovers, was spotted, and one or both of them killed her.”

The police operation was wound down, Williams retired, and another cold case hit the statistics.

In 2006, Detective Sergeant Tony Dale talked about the case believing it was a chance meeting with someone.

He said: "If you haven't got a motive, it doesn't half make it difficult, it leaves it wide open.

“Basically I think she just met a nutter, almost a random thing."

ITV revisit the unsolved case of Dr Helen Davidson

The murder weapon, a bloody piece of wood that was found close to her body, also pointed towards a chance encounter according to the former policeman.

Tony added: "It was a lump of wood, obviously picked up there, but we think he stamped on her.

“A lot of force had pushed her head about four inches into the ground.

"This guy from the Met, he wrapped up the enquiry very quickly and then it was down to the detective inspector and myself.

“Then the detective inspector retired, and thereafter anything else came my way.

"Sometimes some-thing came in and we pricked our ears up but it all led to nothing.

“It was frustrating but even then you still think you're going to get somewhere.

"We really felt we should have solved it, but we couldn't.

“We really kind of felt we'd let the side down a bit, felt we'd let down the local community.

"It's still technically open, but there's nothing I think, even if somebody came up and wanted to admit to it, I bet they'd be hard pushed to make a case of it.”

Earlier this year, the Bucks Free Press approached Thames Valley Police about the local rumors circulating that ‘new leads’ had been discovered.

The Thames Valley Police Cold Case section said: “The murder of Dr Helen Davidson remains unsolved.

“Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Investigation Review Team carries out reviews of all cases to identify any new investigative opportunities, such as forensic examinations.

“We would appeal to anyone with information about Dr Davidson’s murder to contact the force.”