The Prosecution Case
The main planks of the prosecution case against Barri White and Keith Hyatt were:
1. Unexplained telephone calls made from the kiosk to Keith Hyatt’s home and from Keith Hyatt’s home to the kiosk.
2. Seven particulates found on the seat of Keith Hyatt’s van and Rachel Manning’s skirt.
3. Steering lock used after Rachel Manning had been strangled, to beat her around the head had been identified by a witness as the type owned by Keith Hyatt.
4. A witness saw two males with a female on her knees between them.
5. Rachel Manning was reported missing on the 11th December 2000.
The body of Rachel Manning was discovered at 8.50am on the 12th December 2000 in some undergrowth near the Woburn to Little Brickhill Road. From the Little Brickhill Road runs a tarmac service road leading to the Halfway House - an establishment by the side of the 10th tee of the Marquis Golf Course. The service road is protected by two metal gates which are normally chained and padlocked. The body was found about 20 yards up the service road and off the road in a wooded and shrubbed area by one of the club’s green keepers.
The police cordoned off the area, and the Little Brickhill Road was closed to allow the police to examine the area.
At 11.30am Keith Hyatt drove past the closure at the Woburn end, pulled into the driveway just beyond and then turned around to speak to the traffic officers. He was driving his white Amtrak Transit van. Keith explained that he was a friend of the boyfriend of a missing girl and asked if the road closure was anything to do with that. Keith explained to a murder scene detective how Rachel had gone missing and it was decided to take Keith to Bletchley Police Station.
Barri White and Keith Hyatt were arrested on the 21st February 2000 and charged with murder. Keith Hyatt was also charged with perverting the course of justice.
It is the prosecutions case that Barri White murdered Rachel Manning by strangulation with a ligature and that Keith Hyatt helped dispose of the body.
They propose that after Rachel had called her house mate at 2.43am, the call lasting approx 1.30min, Barri White had come upon her strangled her and then at 2.46am telephoned Keith Hyatt for help. This call lasted 1.51min. Then it is proposed that Keith Hyatt made a return called to Barri White at the kiosk at 2.48am, lasting 3.57min. After which Barri White made another call to Keith Hyatt's home at 2.53am lasting 1.51min and again Keith Hyatt returned this call at 2.55 am lasting 1.41min.
After this last call it is proposed that Keith Hyatt agreed to help Barri White and came in his white transit van to collect both Barri White and Rachel Manning’s body. They then placed the body in the front seat of the van. Drove to Blockbuster Video where they parked. After a period of time they then decided to dump the body.
It is then proposed that Barri White made three call’s to Rachel Manning's home, from Keith’s house leaving messages on her answer machine. Barri White then got a lift home at approx 5.00 am from Keith.
This is the case as the prosecution presented it but of course as in all circumstantial cases there are explanations and reasons they can explain it all.
It is an important point to know that no time of death has been entered. The police do not know when Rachel Manning died. They also cannot establish where she died. The above is simple the story to cover the events leading up to the discovery of Rachel Manning's body.