Police notebook and Helshing’s last writings. 13th November 1880

Police Notebook entry by Sgt. L. Fraiman 287. 13th November 1880


2:13am - As yet, no new evidence in relation to the impending conviction of suspect A. Cannot let this pass by. Will review essential evidence.

1. Eye witness accounts of PC's Winter and Fenton.

2. Doctors report (yet to be completed)

3. God do I wish I had a third. Must get this confession before 3:30 else brain will become numb.

Will endeavour to keep up this act to get confession. He must be relaxed enough to let something slip. Caught in the act by Winter and Fenton. This man must hang.


Pages from Dr. Helshing's Casebook, 13th November 1880.


I am currently at Scotland Yard, after my pre-arranged visit to Miss Melina Murrow's residence. This is the earliest available moment I have had to write. I will try and get this down as quickly as possible so I can still recall the facts as they are, or were, before my memory exaggerates them... as if it could!

I knocked clearly at the front door of the house and waited patiently for a response. Alas I received none. I dared to twist the polished brass handle facing me though the door was observably locked. I was immediately troubled as it was 8:00 pm - just as we had arranged. I looked for some kind of side door or servant’s entrance but found this locked also. I noticed upon the tiled floor, fragments of glass and then saw the broken window. I climbed in through the window, taking care to pull my coat over my hands so as not to damage myself on the jutting glass. I found myself in the kitchen. The stove was lit with pots boiled dry above it and the air was full of a foggy vapour. I stepped steadily through the room until I found myself at the vaguely open door to the study. Sounds were emanating from within so I entered with haste.

The image I saw then I will never forget, though I wish I could. Young Melina was laid on the floor next to an old bureau, virtually naked apart from the shreds of her destroyed clothing wrapped around her neck. Her chest was motionless. I saw the lines of blood, that glinted in the candlelight, like red snakes stroking themselves over her soft white skin. They created a pool in her naval and chased down in fragmenting groups. She was dead. Obviously not the source of the sounds I had heard, but still warm.

From behind the candelabra I made out the figure of a man; he seemed aware of my presence but made no visual attempt to move. As the shadows flickered across his face I could see his eyes staring through me. I looked at her. He must have done this, this wicked crime. If it was possible that I had somehow become accustomed to scenes of murderous death, of someone so beautiful I had not. I felt a rage burn through every vein in my body; a blaze of hot anger ready to explode from a blackened coal. I felt the revolver in my hand and fired all of its contents into that disgusting creature.

I took it upon myself to examine Melina's injuries further. Her slender neck was scratched and cut, the point of release for the stroking snakes. I followed their trail down to her shoulders and to her breasts, the perfect skin spoiled by the occasional bite. Her stomach was covered in either saliva or semen. I took samples to test later. Her sexual organs were bruised and collected with small beads of blood. I examined her internally to find more bruising and tearing. Sergeant Fraiman is in need of me again, I will continue this later.