The tragic case of Norma Dale, who was murdered in 1946, remains a mystery.
York: Back in 1946, a four-year-old girl named Norma Dale was found dead on some wasteland. It was a shocking discovery, especially since her body was just a stone’s throw from her home in Rawdon Avenue.
Even with a lot of police work and help from Scotland Yard, they never figured out who did it. It’s still a mystery that haunts the community.
During the inquest, they found out that Norma was killed somewhere else before her body was dumped. She had gone missing while playing outside her home on September 21. Earlier that day, she had been to a dance class and visited her aunt.
Her cousin Brian Dale shared memories from 2016, saying they used to see her and her mom every Saturday. Norma loved dance class, and they often stopped by for tea and playtime.
On that fateful day, Norma wanted to stay longer, but her mom insisted they head home. The last time her mom saw her, she was running in to grab a bun.
At around 2:30 PM, a neighbor named Annie Langan saw Norma outside. Just after that, her dad, Cyril, supposedly left to catch a rugby match. A teenager named Mary Hanby later told the police she saw Norma running along Rawdon Avenue shortly after.
But there was some confusion. Annie’s husband, Albert, claimed he saw Cyril cycling by at 2:45 PM, right after he thought he heard Mrs. Dale calling for Norma. Cyril denied that he was there at that time.
By 3:30 PM, worry set in when Norma still hadn’t come home. They searched everywhere, including the nearby wasteland, but found nothing.
The next morning, an 11-year-old boy named Michael Duffy stumbled upon her body on that same wasteland. It was a heartbreaking moment for everyone.
Now, almost 75 years later, the mystery of what happened to Norma is still unsolved. Her family has their own theories about what might have happened.
Cousin Alan Powell thinks Norma might have seen something she shouldn’t have, which led to her tragic fate. He remembers listening to family discussions about the case when he was a kid.
Alan mentioned that even if the person responsible is no longer alive, it’s important for the family to find closure. They just want to know what really happened to Norma.
Brian Dale and his wife even wrote a book about the case, but they never published it due to fears of legal issues over naming a suspect.
In 2016, North Yorkshire Police reopened the case, but sadly, Norma Dale’s murder remains a mystery to this day.
