The Unsolved ‘Witchcraft’ Murder of Charles Walton: Britain's Most Curious Cold Case

Think of a brutal crime that has remained unsolved for over 80 years and the villages of Upper and Lower Quinton in Warwickshire will not immediately spring to mind. Both villages are about as rural and sleepy as any other village throughout England.

On Valentine’s Day 1945, 74-year-old farm laborer Charles Walton made an early start to trim the hedges from the slopes of Meon Hill. Walton had lived and worked in Lower Quinton for his entire life and, despite his advanced age and the onset of rheumatism, he continued light farm duties whenever possible. The well-liked pensioner had his eccentric side, and some villagers regarded him with suspicion. In a village where everyone pretty much knew everyone else, all villagers knew that Walton had some quirks that set him aside from all others.

Wild birds would flock towards Walton and feed on seeds direct from his hands. It is also said that he could tame and control wild and even aggressive dogs simply with the use of his voice. Walton was very much versed in the traditional ways of rural lore; too much for some people’s comfort. Despite this, Walton could likely count the number of enemies on the fingers of one hand.

But it would seem somebody did hate him - enough to kill him in an extremely brutal, perhaps even ritual manner.