Bio

William Shelley, also known by the nickname "Moosh," was born in 1876. Very little is known about his early life. There are no details regarding his family, education, or upbringing. He lived in London, England, where he spent much of his life in poor living conditions.

By the time of the events leading to his arrest, he was 57 years old. He had a history of conflict with others, likely influenced by the challenges of his surroundings. Despite the limited information available about his early years, it is clear that his life had taken a difficult path, leading him to a tragic ending.

Murder Story

On June 1, 1931, a man noticed a human arm sticking out of a pile of smoldering rubbish at Scratchwood railway sidings in London. The police were called, and Sir Bernard Spilsbury examined the body. He determined that the body belonged to Herbert William 'Pigsticker' Ayres, a 45-year-old casual laborer. The examination revealed that Ayres had been dead for two to three days, and his death had been caused by a blow to the head from a rectangular-shaped object.

Ayres had lived near the railway in shacks where other workers also lived. Witnesses reported that he had been attacked a few days earlier by two men known as William "Moosh" Shelley and Oliver "Tiggy" Newman. Police arrested Shelley and Newman shortly after the body was identified. During the investigation, officers found a bloodstained axe hidden under the floor of Newman's shack. The axe matched the injuries found on Ayres's skull.

Shelley and Newman claimed that they attacked Ayres because they caught him stealing food. They stated that they intended to teach him a lesson but claimed that his death was accidental. They said they buried his body and set the rubbish on fire to hide their crime.

The trial for Shelley and Newman took place at the Old Bailey in June 1931. Both men were found guilty of murder and were sentenced to death. They were executed by hanging on August 5, 1931. Prior to his execution, Shelley mentioned that there were five more bodies buried in the rubbish tip, although this was not corroborated.