John Frederick Stockwell was born on March 31, 1915, in Manchester, England. His early life was marked by tragedy and loss. His father, also named John Stockwell, was a soldier who died in November 1915 during the Gallipoli Campaign while serving with the Manchester Regiment in World War I. Not long after, Stockwell's mother passed away, leaving him an orphan at a very young age.

With no immediate family to care for him, Stockwell was placed in the care of the Salvation Army and spent the rest of his childhood and teenage years in a series of their orphanages. These institutions were known for their strict discipline and religious instruction, but little is known about Stockwell’s personal development during this period. By the time he reached his late teens, he was living independently and had secured a job as an attendant at the Eastern Palace Cinema in Bow Road, East London.

On the morning of August 7, 1934, the manager of the Eastern Palace Cinema, Dudley Henry Hoard, answered the front door of the theater. There, he was violently attacked with an axe. He suffered fourteen blows to the head, resulting in severe skull fractures and his death. His body was later discovered by cinema cleaners who entered the premises and found him partially clothed and lifeless. His wife, Maisie Hoard, was also found nearby—injured but alive, with a serious head wound that left her unconscious. She was taken to the hospital and later described the attacker as a young man, around 19 years old.

At first, police had no suspects. Stockwell was not on duty that day, so he wasn't immediately connected to the crime. But the case took a dramatic turn three days later. On August 10, police in Lowestoft received a letter confessing to the murder, signed “J. F. Stockwell.” That same day, Stockwell’s clothes, wristwatch, savings book, and a suicide note were found on the beach in Lowestoft, suggesting he had taken his own life.

However, witnesses had seen a man deliberately placing the clothes on the beach. Later, Stockwell was spotted in Great Yarmouth, checking into the Metropolitan Hotel under a false address. His suspicious behavior, such as claiming he was from “Luton, Hertfordshire” (a mistake, since Luton is in Bedfordshire), drew attention from the hotel staff. When he returned to the hotel after shopping, police were waiting for him. He was taken into custody without incident and transported back to Bow, where a crowd had gathered to witness the return of the confessed killer.

On August 13, 1934, Stockwell was formally charged with murder and brought before Thames Magistrates’ Court. He did not initially enter a plea and was remanded into custody. At a later court appearance, he confessed to having stolen £90 from the cinema’s takings and hiding the money in a suitcase. He said he returned to the cinema on the morning of August 7, pretending he had left personal money behind. When he tried to retrieve the suitcase, Dudley Hoard intervened. Stockwell then revealed an axe hidden under his coat and struck Hoard repeatedly. When Mrs. Hoard came to investigate the noise, Stockwell struck her once before hiding the weapon and fleeing the scene.

Stockwell’s trial progressed quickly. On October 22, 1934, he formally pleaded guilty to murder. He was sentenced to death by Mr. Justice Goddard and was executed by hanging at HM Prison Pentonville just over three weeks later, on November 14, 1934.