On January 14, 1975, Dorothy Whittle went into her daughter Lesley's bedroom and discovered a disturbing ransom note left on her bed. Lesley's mother went to wake her daughter and discovered an empty bed. On the bed were three ransom notes along with a warning not to involve police.
The Whittle family were well known in the area and Lesley was a member of the local community. Researcher Dave Waterhouse told the BBC it is important to remember the case. 'Many people have actually said 'let it lie, the past, move on',' Dave Waterhouse said.
'Anybody born pre-1970 will have memories of what happened here. ' The abduction of Lesley Whittle continues to resonate with the residents of Highley, Shropshire, to this day. Andy Wright, who was a Shropshire Star reporter at the time, said 'People were absolutely astounded.
People were absolutely astounded. They just couldn't comprehend what had gone on.
' The Whittles had a coach company with 70 coaches, based in Highley, Shropshire, and everybody in the area knew the family. When the father died, Lesley became known as the heiress and people knew her as that. Dave Waterhouse suggested many people believed Lesley's mother was the intended target, rather than her daughter.
Why many people believed Lesley's mother was the intended target rather than Lesley remains unclear. The perpetrator was Donald Neilson, who subsequently became known as the Black Panther. In 1975, Staffordshire was gripped by terror from a man called Donald Nielson, who subsequently became known as the Black Panther.
According to claims, Neilson was originally a builder from Bradford before he murdered four people. Dave Waterhouse characterised Neilson as 'very much a loner'. Neilson's mother passed away when he was aged 10.
Many people have actually said 'let it lie, the past, move on'.
'He had very few friends. He went into the military, spent a couple of years there, which he loved. He was not successful in anything that he did except for burglaries - 400 burglaries and he never got caught,' Dave Waterhouse said.
' Multiple mistakes happened before Nielson's capture. ' Dave Waterhouse also noted that the BBC released on the 20:00 GMT news on the radio that it was going. What specific mistakes were made during the investigation before Neilson's capture has not been detailed.
Lesley's body was discovered in a drainage shaft before Neilson was handed four life sentences for four murders. How exactly Lesley's body was discovered in the drainage shaft is not specified. The circumstances leading to Neilson's capture and conviction are also not fully described.