Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “The Lady Killer” - Neville Heath

Episode Date: September 23, 2019

Born on June 6th, 1917, Neville Heath would grow up to be one of the most devious killers England had ever known. He developed a talent for deception early on, and used his looks and charm to fraudulently climb the social ladder. But eventually his lies started catching up with him, and he showed the world his inner dark side. Sponsors! Care/of - For 25% off your first Care/of order, go to TakeCareOf.com and enter SERIALKILLERS. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Details at yamava.com must be 21-20. Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro. Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of murder and sexual assault that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. A woman opens her eyes slowly, head throbbing, to find herself naked in a hotel room. As her eyes adjust to the

dim lighting, her pulse quickens. A naked man is standing over her. He's young and handsome. The man she went out with last night, but he looks different. There's a smile on his face, but his eyes radiate a chilling fury. He slowly raises a blue handkerchief. The woman quickly glances over to the door, just a few feet away. She makes a dash for it, but the man is on her. He binds her wrists tightly behind her with the handkerchief and pushes her onto the bed. She stares at him, paralyzed as he climbs on top of her. His hands circle her neck. Finally, words rip from her throat. Stop, stop, for God's sake, stop. But the man silences her with a vicious punch to the face. She's knocked unconscious.

This woman was Pauline Breeze, and that cry for help saved her life. Hotel staff rushed into the room, alarmed by the racket. There they were horrified at what they saw. The man, a debonair war pilot, stood naked with a whip in his hand as he leered over a bound and unconscious, Pauline. None of them knew it at the time, but Pauline had just escaped one of the most brutal killers Britain has ever known. I'm Greg Poulson.

This is serial killers, a parcast original. Every Monday, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers and all other parcast originals for free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. To stream serial killers for free on Spotify, Just open the app and type serial killers in the search bar.

At Parcast, we're grateful for you, our listeners. You allow us to do what we love. Let us know how we're doing. Reach out on Facebook and Instagram at Parcast and Twitter at Parcast Network. And if you enjoy today's episode, the best way to help us is to leave a five-star review wherever you're listening. It really does help. Today, we're going to dive into the brutal murders committed by Neville He, Heath, better known as the Lady Killer.

Neville was responsible for the grisly murders of two young women in England during 1946 and attempted to claim the lives of even more. This week will cover Neville's early life and his progression from petty criminal to con artist. We'll track how early criminal tendencies led to violence as mounting mistakes prevented him from achieving the life of luxury he desired. Next week, we'll dive into the murders themselves. We'll explore the confusion the British people felt when they learned that a handsome, charming war pilot was capable of such atrocious acts.

Neville Heath was born in Ilford, England, on June 6, 1917, as Neville George Cleveley Heath. His parents, Bessie and William Heath, were respectable middle-class people. His father owned a barbershop and his mother was a homemaker. Neville came from a loving home with parents that doted on him,

but he was born during an uncertain time in Europe. In 1917, World War I was still a year away from ending, and Britain was drained. The Brit's initial positivity about their nation's involvement in the war had changed after conscription had been enacted the previous year. World War I was also the first time that Britain experienced air raids.

This left the country exhausted from constant fear of attacks from above. Though unconfirmed, the Heath's claimed that Neville was born during one of these air raids. Though Neville may have entered this world in the midst of violence, his parents did their best to ensure he had a happy home. And a happy home it was. Neville was a beautiful child. He had golden curls, shocking blue eyes. shubby, pristine cheeks and a darling smile.

He was the apple of his family's eye. By 1920, they added to their little family unit with the birth of Carol William Clevely Heath. Neville loved having a brother, but Carol sadly died of tuberculosis at age two. His death devastated six-year-old Neville. Before Carol passed, Neville had been a happy, pampered boy. He had no experience with loss.

and therefore must have been torn apart after his brother's death. He was once again an only child. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. The late Chicago psychotherapist Jerry Rothman found that after experiencing a child's death, there's a tendency for parents to become extremely overprotective towards surviving children.

This forces those children to deal with their parents' trauma in addition to their own. This can create a repression of the surviving child's feelings. These feelings can eventually be reawakened as adults when placed under severe stress. This certainly rings true for Bessie and William, who coddled Neville even more extremely after Carol's death. Even as a precious little boy, he was already starting to exhibit criminal behavior. Neville would steal cakes and other cheap items from local stores and then hide them in his room. Though he was scolded, he was never severely punished.

Many parents go easy on their children, but this early leniency might have taught Neville just how much he could get away with. Bessie thought the things he stole were odd, as they were never expensive items. or things that he needed. She would say, confused. There was no need to steal, as he always had plenty at home. It should be noted that when Neville's misdeeds were discovered, his first instinct was to run away.

This suggests an impulsiveness at the time of committing his crimes. A cooling-off period would follow, where he would work out what had happened before coming forward with an excuse and apology. But Neville didn't stay a pre-executive. privileged only child forever. In 1928, the family had another son, Michael, whom they fondly called Mick.

Neville, now 11, was elated. It seemed that he would finally get that brotherly bond that he had been robbed of years earlier. Unfortunately for Neville, he would soon be separated from his new brother. His parents saved up enough money to send Neville to the All Boys Grammar School, Rutlish, located in a London suburb. He was sent away from home to get an education the year after his brother was born. Rutlish wasn't quite as fancy

as the country's more prestigious private schools, but it was nevertheless something that Bessie and William had to stretch themselves thin to afford. Grammar schools in those days were heavily attended by middle-class children with private schools reserved for the rich. Even today, Britain struggles with the lack of upward social mobility caused by the presence of private schools.

They remain relics of high status, unreachable for those who are not born with money. Neville would constantly yearn for that upper social tear throughout his life. Despite Rutlish's solid reputation, his schooling proved to be an area of intense disappointment for him. To Neville, Rutlish was the JV team, and he felt that he deserved to be on varsity.

Despite his discontent, Neville excelled socially and athletically in his new environment. He enamored teachers and the headmaster with his affable demeanor and charm. He was made a prefect, which put him into a leadership role. It also gave him power he likely should not have had. At the time, prefix were in charge of delegating canings. Caning is a form of corporal punishment that involves a specific amount of hits or lashes with a cane or thick stick.

The number of hits is dependent on the infraction. His role of Prefect put 14-year-old Neville in control of who might receive punishment and how severe it was. Neville's parents had spoiled rather than punished him. So the caning's and corporal punishment that were common at Rutlish were notable. They were likely Neville's first experience with violence as a reaction to wrongdoing. In a series of studies conducted by Columbia-Earthurable, University, researcher Elizabeth Thompson Gershoff found that the only benefit that could be derived from corporal punishment was immediate compliance.

But it's also strongly associated with encouraging future direct physical abuse and antisocial behavior. Antisocial behavior is characterized by a person's inability to care about what's right and wrong, as well as a tendency to ignore the feelings of others. Not only was Neville learning that violent punishment brought about immediate results, but those punishments were also potentially having a lasting impact on the way he developed. During his time at Rutlish, Neville's family moved to a large property in Wimbledon. Once there, Bessie rented out their spare rooms for extra money.

Returning from school breaks to a large home allowed Neville to pretend he came from a family of high status. to maintain the illusion, he had to cover up the fact that his mother was a landlady. Neville's obsession with hiding his background grew even further due to Rutlish's curriculum. The new headmaster, Edward Varnish, wanted to model the syllabus to compete with Britain's more prestigious schools. Aspiration was encouraged in students. In particular, Rutlish was very specific about teaching their boys to speak proper standard English and to learn the mannerisms of the elite. As Neville's desire for wealth and status grew, he began to embrace the tools he had at his disposal.

It was 1933, and Neville was 15. By now, Neville was well aware of his attractiveness and adopted a charming, light-hearted demeanor that always seemed to get him out of trouble. For example, at a classmate's party, after drinking a few beers with his friends, a 15-year-old Neville set his sights on an unnamed young girl, given the age of a man. Alias Jeanette by author Sean O'Connor in his biography of Heath. As Rutlish was an all-boys school, mingling with young girls was no doubt a rare and welcome experience for Neville and his friends. The group was playing a game called murders, which involved clues being scattered about the house. The partygoers had to divide into groups to search.

Neville and his friend Howard convinced Jeanette to partner up with them. They found themselves in a bedroom. Slightly drunk and exuberant, Neville threw her on a bed and encouraged Howard to help him kiss her. Jeanette struggled, but if Neville wanted something, it was not to be denied to him, and he wanted to have some fun. Jeanette was pinned down by Neville and accosted by the two boys.

Neville's grip tightened around her throat as she screamed for help. This alerted the other partygoers. who interrupted them. Jeanette was able to escape. She arrived home with bruises around her neck, and Neville was subsequently confronted by her father. The old adage, Boys Will Be Boys, was no doubt applied here,

as Jeanette's father looked at this polite, handsome young man. Perhaps he recalled the days of his youth when he too might have let things get slightly out of hand. He let Neville off without contacting the school or police. But Neville's propensity for violence went beyond a smug, schoolboy's sense of entitlement. It was an early indicator of his potential for truly monstrous acts. Even so, Neville was empowered. He was not only able to escape punishment or judgment from his parents,

he had the power to elude it with other authorities as well. A young female friend from Neville's Rutlish days remarked, He was an unmitigated liar, show-off swankpot and all the things that usually go to make an unpopular character. Yet, although all the girls knew his faults, he somehow managed to blend them into an unusual and charming personality, and we all liked him. But Neville would soon realize that there were some problems that likability could not solve. In a moment, we'll explore Neville's first experience. with failure and how it created an inexhaustible desire for success and fame. Now back to the story.

At 1934, at age 16, Neville Heath's poor academic performance was becoming a problem that even his charm and likability couldn't fix. Outside of class, he'd also recently escalated from petty thievery to violence after assaulting a girl at a party. Though he'd escaped culpability for the assault, Neville couldn't talk his way out of his failing grades. He flunked his final exams, which prevented him from graduating Rutlish. He was offered the chance to take the test a second time, but he refused. His ego had been marred. He wasn't about to damage it further with another rejection.

Without graduating, Neville realized his future options were limited. It was a disappointing setback to a... lofty ambitions of climbing the British social ladder. His father, William, was able to get him a job at a textile company in London. With no other options, Neville accepted. But he was bored out of his mind. This wasn't the job he'd envisioned for himself. His impatience grew as he watched the bustle of the city pass by around him.

London in the 1930s was still in a depression. Though the economy was on the upswing, The social divide was apparent. While those in high society squandered their riches, the lower class struggled. Neville looked at the wealthy, frolicking through the streets of London, oblivious to the working class below them. The glamour, the ease, the sparkle. It all awed him as he toiled bitterly on the fringes of their playground. But Neville noticed there was one group of men who could rise through the ranks of the lower class.

Men in decorated uniform were treated as equals in upper-class circles, no matter where they came from. In an article published in the American Journal of Sociology, Nathan Joseph and Nicholas Alex posit that a uniform is a totem of sorts, legitimizing the wearer. One's acceptance or rejection can be determined by the uniform and the status it's associated with. To Neville, this was a seductive thought. Neville's new aim was to be a Royal Air Force pilot. That specific goal was a mark of the times, just as much as it was a mark of his ambition. In the 1930s, famous aviators like Charles Lindberg and Howard Hughes were big news. The celebrity and power attributed to advances in flight were on the minds of many young men.

So Neville left home in 1934, joining the Rifle Battalion as a stepping stone to the Royal Air Force, or the RAF. It wasn't long before his dream came true. In 1935, when Neville turned 18, he went into training for the RAF. He was well on his way to being the debonair celebrity pilot he dreamed of. And he was good, really good. By 1936, he had not only received his wings, but was promoted to full pilot. He was thriving in his new world. Whatever he wanted would come to be. After his disgraceful departure from Rutlish, this was a welcome boost to Neville's ego.

The Royal Air Force's officers enjoyed fancy dinners, drinks, and parties. But Neville didn't come from family money like some of his comrades. He depended on his service wages as his only source of income. This was not quite enough to keep up with his fellow pilots, and Neville soon found himself in massive debt. In addition to dinners with his upper-class comrades, Neville frequented pubs in Cambridge. There he mingled with the college crowd. He smoothly used his uniform to attract women and his lies to boast about his background.

Alan Dyson Perens, a former friend of Neville's, remembered that he appeared to be fond of the company of women and frequented public houses. He mentioned that he had been to Eaton in Oxford, and I had no reason to doubt this. Neville's lies about his schooling proved that a handsome face and a uniform weren't enough for him. He wanted others to believe that he really belonged. Parents also notes an instance where, after Neville had been over to his place one night, three checks were missing from his checkbook. His bank later contacted him to let him know that one of these checks had been used. Neville rattled at how quickly his debt was mounting from his party habits

had begun to steal to keep up appearances. In March of 1937, Neville secured a loan from a bank to cover some of his debts and get his finances in order. But the loan had not yet gone through when he wrote two checks. One was to the mess secretary at Duxford, where he was stationed. The other was to the Aviation Club. Both checks bounced, and Neville suddenly found himself in an unfamiliar position, caught with no way out.

Neville panicked and did the only thing he could think to do, he ran. Little did he know the bank had confirmed his loan shortly after the checks had bounced, and the matter had already been explained to his debtors. So the only real crime he had committed was his flight from service. Now on the lamb, Neville took refuge from his troubles back at his parents' home in Wimbledon. It's unclear if Bessie and William knew the real reason why their son was home, or what he did during this time. But he seemed to make no effort to hide

and went about life in Wimbledon in plain sight. Three months later, on July 22nd, 1937, an RAF service policeman showed up at his home. He confronted Neville, asking if he was pilot officer Heath. Neville at first denied his identity, but after some pressure was applied, he swiftly said, all right, I won't run away. He was arrested and charged with desertion.

Neville convinced the RAF that he was fully prepared to answer for these charges. As they trusted him to remain available, he was given freedom to roam about the Debden Aerodrome while he waited for his court-martial date. This was a mistake. Like a naughty little boy in trouble, Neville ran once more. This time he stole an officer's car and drove to London, where he spent the next month attending parties. It seems that Neville was able to separate reality and fantasy effortlessly by this point. He could still disappear into frivolity whenever the mood struck.

Neville's ability to ignore his troubles was likely because he never truly accepted responsibility for his actions. He didn't see himself as culpable for his problems and thus didn't feel guilty for creating them. In a study published by the Society for Personality and Social psychology, researchers Carol S. Dweck and Karina Schumann found that the more people believed that they could change, the more readily they were able to accept responsibility. In Neville's case, he didn't believe he should have to change, and so continued his cycle of causing trouble and running away, all of which are potential signs of a narcissistic personality. His freedom was brief, as he was soon arrested and forced to attend his court-martial hearing on August 20th.

After considering the circumstances of his initial flight, his desertion charge was lowered to absent without leave, a much less serious offense. However, a more devastating blow was yet to come. As part of his punishment for his absence and his theft, he was dismissed from the RAF. His dreams of being a dashing, heroic pilot were destroyed. After briefly returning home to his parents, 20-year-old Neville attempted to be. restart his life by moving to Nottingham. While he may have had an opportunity to reform himself, instead he escalated his petty criminal behavior. Lying and defrauding had previously served a specific purpose for Neville. Now it was becoming so easy for him that it was growing

into a compulsion. Dr. Rune Mulbeck, a clinical psychologist, notes that lying is actually a neurotic defense mechanism. It's possible that the more shame and isolation Neville felt, the more desperate he was to be someone else. That desperation drove him to more extreme acts of deception. He began to impersonate the Earl of Dudley, a prestigious man known for his social connections within England's high society. Dudley's celebrity caught the eye of Neville, who had been born on Dudley Road.

Neville frequently used Lord Dudley's identity when buying expensive clothes, staying at hotels, and dining out. He'd either skip out on bills altogether, write bad checks, or promise to send a check later in the mail, which he never did. His friendly, confident demeanor and knowledge of the way high society functioned made him a believable lord indeed. He was rarely questioned in the moment. But after Neville attempted to buy an expensive car using his fraudulent tricks, the authorities

were on to him. He was arrested for false pretenses and charged with every. Eight other crimes he had committed during the past few months. On November 11, 1937, 20-year-old Neville was sent to Nottingham Petty Sessions, a local court. While on trial, he was both apologetic and embarrassed. He claimed he was just a silly boy, reeling from his disappointing release from the RAF three months prior. Neville also told the courts, My parents want me home.

I have learned my lesson. Neville's pleas worked wonders, and he was once again led off lightly. He was only sentenced to probation, but this hardly served as a wake-up call. In February of 1938, he joyfully jumped back into his same routine, running out on bills, bouncing checks, and smiling his 1,000-megawatt smile through it all. It was a more personal crime that finally landed Neville in real trouble. He'd stolen some items from a former first. friend, Percy Masters, that turned up at a pawn shop. In early June, Neville was described to a T by the pawnbroker and taken into custody. On top of this theft, Neville's petty crime spree from the past

six months finally caught up with him. At age 21, he was charged with a total of 11 offenses. That summer, in 1938, he was sentenced to three years at a youth prison, called a Borsdal in Suffolk, England. Neville attempted to reverse the court's decision by writing a letter to the Daily Mirror's editor. Even when in trouble, he had quite a high opinion of himself. Neville wrote, After my trial and sentence is over, I'm going to make known the most sensational story since the Bailey Stewart affair. Norman Bailey Stewart was a well-known Nazi sympathizer who was arrested for selling military secrets to Germany, an interesting choice of comparison. While his letter and subsequent story were eventually published, Neville's ego was severely damaged when it didn't garner the amount of attention he had longed for.

His writings had failed to save him from justice, and he was sent to the Borstal known as Holesley Bay, ashamed and finally held accountable. At Holesley Bay, the facilities were kept in good condition and the food was palatable. Neville enjoyed having a strict routine in place, and he quickly adjusted to life there and slipped into a position of authority over the other prisoners. He'd show newcomers around, explain social dynamics, and diffuse tensions between groups. He was even appointed a captain of his house. His good behavior made him powerful friends, such as Mr. Scott, the head of the Borstal Association. Mr. Scott would become Neville's most art. champion. Neville still had dreams of returning to service, and as Britain

readied itself for war, Neville saw an opportunity. He begged Mr. Scott to help him rejoin the RAF. Mr. Scott made several inquiries to the RAF, but each letter he sent was met with a rejection slip. Neville's prior behavior had made him highly undesirable, and not even Mr. Scott's recommendation could change that. While Mr. Scott couldn't get Neville back into the RAF, he did secure Neville an early release from the Borstal. Neville was among a group of select prisoners that received an early discharge when the British Army was mobilized in 1939. World War II was imminent, and this release was given to boys as the country's emergency regulations were put in place. The war effort would

need men, and youth offenders could be put to work. Neville headed back home to Wimbledon. He was happy to be out of the Borstal, but was not ready to give up on his dreams of rejoining the RAF. Unfortunately, his continued attempts to soar through the skies would cause his problems to pile up on the ground. In a moment, we'll see Neville's attempt to rejoin the war effort, leading him to trouble abroad.

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Kayak, got that right. Now back to the story. In 1939, Britain had just joined the Second World War, As conscription went into effect, the country's men were eager to enlist. But 21-year-old Neville Heath was despondently returning to his parents' home in Wimbledon. He'd just been released from a youth prison, where he'd been sent on fraud charges. Neville saw the war as a chance to get back into the Royal Air Force, which he was expelled from. He applied at various Air Force recruiting offices, but was rejected each time.

Neville was frustrated and finally enlisted as a private in the Army instead. The Army still had a need for men, whereas the popularity of the RAF allowed them to be more selective. Instead of flying in the skies over common men below, Neville would be trudging through the mud with the Army. Despite his lack of enthusiasm for the infantry, Neville made an effort to rise up through the ranks. In 1940, Neville tested out of a cadet training course to become a second lieutenant and was shipped off to Sarifand in Palestine. There, he continued to unsuccessfully apply for transfers to the RAF. He also sent letters home to his parents and Mr. Scott during this time.

He'd brag about the action he was seeing and his recent promotion to captain. But naturally, all of his brags were lies. The truth was that Neville was bored. His posting hardly saw any action, and he was appalled that soldiers there weren't always required to wear uniforms. To him, the uniform was his measure of success. Doing the dull training without the extra prestige was pointless. But he found other ways to entertain himself. He'd managed to secure a second paybook.

A paybook was a record of each soldier's earnings and had to be presented in order to receive payment. It was an important document. was often kept in soldiers' pockets. With two in hand, Neville was able to receive twice as much money. This increase in funds allowed him some indulgences. When he was off-duty, he'd make trips to Cairo and frequent the brothels there. During the war, Cairo had a salacious reputation. From peep shows to sex workers, the Red Light District was a destination for off-duty officers

who wanted to forget about the harsh realities of war. It's estimated that over 90,000 men per month visited the brothels of Wedja El Burka in Cairo, nicknamed the Burka. The Burka was described as a long and narrow street, lined with doorways. Signs posted outside each establishment claimed the brothel within would cater to any desire, no matter how outrageous. Paul Hill, author of Portrait of a Sadist, claims that Neville told him, a story about participating in some of the more disturbing sexual experiences that the burqa had to

offer. Neville detailed a visit to a hotel in Cairo's Red Light District with a secret room called the Amazon Room. Their customers could whip young girls for a hefty fee. Neville quickly found his way to the room and was sent two frightened young sisters no older than 16 to whip. Hill reports that Neville admitted to abusing the girls in much the same way as his later victims. He tied their limbs and then proceeded to whip them. One account details that he hung a girl from an upside-down pulley system, watching as her sister whipped her. Whether this is fact or another of Neville's lies is not confirmed. But even if it's a fantasy, it indicates the gears churning in this man's mind,

and what he was inclined to do when given the chance. It was perhaps this lust for new sexual experiences and lascivious nights in Cairo that made the dull duties of the army unbearable by comparison. Neville began to claim illness to get time away from where he was stationed. On June 2, 1941, he'd reported that he'd need an operation due to a severe case of tonsillitis. This operation would naturally require follow-up.

treatments, allowing him more time off to heal. In reality, Neville was partying his service years away in the bars and brothels of Cairo. The increasing amount of time Neville was missing from duty made his superior officers wary. They investigated his actions, and when they found he had been lying to them, he was reprimanded. Shortly after, his superiors also discovered his fraudulent second paybook, and he was once again arrested. He was ordered to be sent back to England on the ship, the HMS Moulton. To get there, the ship had to go around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. It was a long journey, and Neville kept his eyes out for a way to escape. When the ship docked in Durban, South Africa, he saw a chance

to run and took it. He managed to hide out in a hotel just outside the docks and avoid detection. Now a free man. It was a fresh start for Neville. No one knew him in South Africa, so he could be whoever he wanted. He chose to be James Robert Cadogan Armstrong, a South African-born but English-raised gentleman. Though Neville's identity was fictional, it should be noted that the name Cadogan is a well-known English aristocratic family. With this name, those in the know might assume that Neville was from the upper echelon of society. At first, Neville saw South Africa simply as a convenient refuge and a preferable alternative to returning to England in shackles. But he was surprised to find that he was actually needed there. The country's stringent race policies were such that black men were not allowed to volunteer for combat.

This limited the number of men that could help in the war effort, putting them in need of pilots and teachers. Whatever else Neville was, his talents in the air, undeniable. Neville was able to join the South African Air Force, the SAAF, without many people questioning his fitness for the job. He started training new recruits within months. It was around this time that he met 22-year-old Elizabeth Rivers. Neville found her beautiful and charming, but was most attracted by her family's background. Her parents were extremely wealthy and came from the upper class. Neville decided Elizabeth was

perfect for him. He directed all his energy towards sweeping her off her feet, and he succeeded. Despite her parents' disapproval at the hastiness of the union, the couple wed within a year. The wedding took place in 1942 when Neville was 25. Soon after, the couple welcomed a baby boy, Robert Michael Cadogan Armstrong. Neville seemed deliciously happy. He had a had married into a wealthy family, he was training young pilots at a nearby flight school, and he had a son. He also enjoyed the social scene in Johannesburg, thrilled at the prestige given to him by his marriage to one of the rivers. But his past deeds were not dead, and his identity was eventually exposed both to the SAAF and to his new little family. By jumping

ship from the HMS Moultan, he'd incurred a fine that the shipping company was now liable for. In March of 1942, they tracked him down and demanded payment. Neville was revealed as an illegal immigrant and a liar. In an attempt to get out ahead of things, Neville wrote a pleading letter to the SAAF. He begged them to see that he hadn't committed a single crime while flying for them. His time there had made him a changed man. He boldly offered up his own idea for an appropriate punishment. Probation.

Surprisingly, the SAAF allowed him to stay. He'd been nothing but exemplary the entire time he was with them. Plus, he was still needed as the war was raging on. The Rivers family, though appalled by his lies, didn't want their young daughter abandoned to single motherhood. It was important to them to ensure the marriage would stand. They hurried to change the marriage certificate from Armstrong to Heath and reluctantly paid off Neville's debts. Despite his streak of good fortune, Neville was incorrigible.

He was still committed to one day returning to England and rejoining the RAF. All the war's real action was happening back in Europe. In 1944, he applied once more to the RAF, this time under his South African alias, J.R. Kudgan. and was finally accepted. He went back to England alone, telling his wife it would be too dangerous for her to come along. Once at home, he checked in with his old mentor, Mr. Scott. Neville told him that he'd finally been accepted to fighter command.

He was back with the RAF and couldn't be happier. Mr. Scott was delighted to see that this young man he'd put so much stock into was finally successful in his long-awaited dream. But this wasn't entirely true. While Neville was indeed flying for the RAF once more, the reality was that he had signed up to fly bombers, not fighters. Flying a bomber isn't the same as flying a fighter plane. Fighter planes were fast and agile.

Bombers had a different set of demands that resulted in longer time in the air, more prep, and an increase in fatalities. Because bomber pilots spent so much more time in the same time in the same, sky and were responsible for entire crews. They needed to be awake and alert for long hours. To combat the heightened demands of his new job, it's likely that Neville used benzodrine to stay alert. Benzadrine is a stimulant anphetamine that was used liberally between the 1930s and the 1950s. The Royal Air Force utilized benzadrine, colloquially known as Benzadry's and wakey-wakey-pills, as energizing components for its pilots who exhibited fatigue,

many of them soon became addicted. Benzodrine's side effects were largely unknown in those days. Today, we know that when used over a long period of time, benzodrine can not only have a detrimental physical impact, but a neurological one as well. In an article published in the journal Molecular Psychology in 2009, high doses of amphetamines can lead to psychotic behavior in otherwise healthy people.

Though it's unclear the amount of bennies that Neville was taking, their prevalent use amongst pilots during this time certainly suggests he partook. The negative effects of Neville's possible benzodia use would have become even more pronounced considering his tendency to drink heavily. Mixing amphetamines and alcohol can intensify the effects of the amphetamines, making it harder to discern when one has had too much to drink.

It can also lead to some more serious side effects like overdosing. This might help explain why Neville's drinking suddenly started to bring out his ugly side. When he overindulged with alcohol, his comrades noticed that he wasn't the gentleman that he seemed. His polite facade began to slip. He bragged about his non-existent wealth and his way with women. Even when the other soldiers asked him to calm down, Neville yelled profanities and spoke disrespectfully to superior officers. The change was so pronounced.

Captain William Spurrett Fielding Johnson, the commanding officer, noticed a change in personality whenever Neville would drink. He worried that the stresses of the job were getting to Neville. He decided to ride in Neville's bomber during a mission to observe his demeanor. While Fielding Johnson supervised, Neville successfully completed the mission. But on their return trip, the plane was hit twice. beneath the fuselage by an anti-aircraft gun. While others panicked, Neville stayed calm and attempted to maneuver them out of trouble.

Despite his cool head, the engine burst into flames. This plane was going down. Neville immediately ordered his comrades to bail out. But before Neville could jump to safety himself, he saw a crew member named Sylvester having trouble with his parachute. Neville hastened to help him. Neville fumbled with Sylvester's parachute and finally got it straight. He then pushed his comrade from the rapidly plunging aircraft before he himself jumped out.

The plane crashed to the ground moments later. Neville's quick thinking and mastery of the plane had saved Sylvester's life. It also turned Neville into a hero. Already given to narcissism, this emboldened Neville even further. Neville's drinking and horrid behavior escalated after this. He was spiraling. After his plane went down, he was given two weeks' survivors' leave. It was then that he first reported experiencing blackouts.

It's clear that there was some lingering mental trauma from the crash. In one instance, he awoke in the middle of the night only to realize he was standing up, frantically trying to put out an imaginary fire. The blackouts unnerved Neville at first, but he soon dismissed them as temporary. He was never one to dwell on the negative. Neville would rather focus on having fun. With his wife back in South Africa, that meant trying to woo as many women as possible. By this time he had developed a specific maneuver in which he would pick up women, take them out for an impressive night on the town, and propose to them.

One such girl was Zeta Williams, the daughter of a woman, insurance inspector. During his two weeks of leave, Neville met Zeta at a dance. He introduced himself to her as Jimmy Kudgan. After telling her that he was in the middle of a tragic divorce, he begged her to marry him. At the time, it was seen as immoral to have sex outside of marriage. But with the promise of marriage in play, Neville knew he could convince even well-behaved young women to give in to his pressures. After Neville enacted all as usual, tricks, Zeta agreed to sleep with him. Afterward, she returned home, blissful about her engagement.

Neville had made good use of the two-week leave he received after the bomber crash. But now it was ending, and he started to experience a severe amount of pain. At the end of November, Neville was sent to the RAF Hospital in Brussels. The determining cause of pain was sinus trouble and ear blockage. He was transferred back to a London hospital in December and granted 12 more days of leave. But it's also suggested he was having a larger psychological problem. His mentor, Mr. Scott, remarked, I think I'm correct in suggesting that in the RAF, sinus inflammation after considerable flying,

was frequently found to be the outward symptoms of a neurotic state, consequent on the strain of flying duties. To Mr. Scott, this physical physical. trauma was merely evidence of a greater mental problem Neville may have had. When Neville was finally discharged from the hospital, he was informed by both the S-A-A-F and the RAF that he need not return. It's possible they no longer wanted him due to his illness, but it was also clear that despite Neville's heroism, fielding Johnson and his comrades, had severe doubts about his mental state. Having been effectively discharged from the military,

Neville abandoned his new fiancé and returned to his family in South Africa. He was certain that he could easily slip back into the happiness that he'd once had. But his fiancé, Zeta, had a problem. She was pregnant. With Neville abroad, she was uncertain of what to do. She wrote Neville to tell him of the news. But his responding letter encouraged Zita to get an abortion, as he admitted he would not be divorcing his wife after.

all. Zeta's father was furious and tried to press charges against Neville for false promises aimed at seducing his daughter. Unfortunately for him, Neville was long gone. He had escaped one scorned woman, but was headed directly for another. When he went back to South Africa, he found out that his wife, Elizabeth, wanted a divorce. She had hardly heard from Neville since he had been gone. His letters had been erratic, and Elizabeth had no idea if she would ever see him again. Despite his bizarre and selfish behavior, the divorce blindsided Neville. He wrote, I was absolutely shattered, as we'd been extremely happy, but she was adamant. Shattered seems like an understatement. Neville had been drinking heavily when he went to Elizabeth

one night, begging her to rethink the divorce. But amid his pleas, he suddenly, felt his head go tight. Then he pulled out a gun. Elizabeth's blood must have turned cold at her wild-eyed husband, threatening her life. But then, Neville inexplicably collapsed before he inflicted any harm. He woke up a half hour later

and claimed he had no memory of the incident. Elizabeth was adamant that Neville's heavy drinking was responsible for his violence and increasingly erratic behavior. Yet the protests of his estranged wife did little to slow Neville down. He spent the following months roaming around South Africa, defrauding hotels, stealing, and further increasing his debts. Finally, in September of 1945, he was arrested, with a stack of crimes against him. He was once again in deep trouble.

The River's family, in a desperate attempt to finally rid their lives of this scoundrel, paid his bail money and his debts. In return, they asked for Neville's release of claims to his son, Robert, and that he granted divorce to Elizabeth. 28-year-old Neville agreed to both, and the divorce was processed in October of 1945. However, new charges of fraud and theft continued to pile up, and he was eventually deported from South Africa.

By now, the war was over. Britain was severely damaged, but the English were ready to move forward and begin their lives anew. Neville Heath, on the other hand, returned home overwhelmed and embarrassed. As usual, he dealt with his shame by drinking heavily and bouncing bad checks. Prison psychiatrist James Gilligan noted a commonality in the prisoners he studied. Many murders and a large amount of violent acts were born out of a secret shame. It circles itself in an endless loop of being ashamed and then being angry at feeling said shame and so on. Neville must have felt this acute sense of shame, but he made one last attempt to turn his life around.

He borrowed some money from his father and enrolled in a course to attain a commercial pilot's license. He studied tirelessly for the examinations, so much so that his mother, Bessie, became concerned about the pressure it seemed to put on her darling son. Even so, he still found time to woo women. One of these was Jill Harris. Neville took her on a few dates wearing a highly decorated SAAF uniform, but the events surrounding their final encounter are unclear. We do know they spent a night of heavy drinking together.

Then, after Jill refused to go up to Neville's hotel room, he walked her home through a park. Her statement on what happened was classified. But it's implied some type of assault occurred. Despite Neville's occasional violence, he also went out with women who claimed he was charming, but these moments of good behavior slowly became less frequent. Soon it was clear Neville was on the verge of a total breakdown. He passed his commercial pilots exam,

but his past record of deserting the RAF disqualified him from receiving the license. Neville had, perhaps for the first time, put his head down and really worked for something, and yet he was unable to achieve his goals. Neville couldn't admit this defeat to his parents and instead told them that he had passed. This left Neville all alone in his rage. His lies and secrets effectively isolated him from anyone who could help him. Then, one night while drinking at the City Club, he met a young woman named Yvonne Simons.

Yvonne would soon be considered the luckiest woman in Britain. She would be the last to make it through a night with Neville Heath alive. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. We'll be back Monday with a new episode. Next week, we'll follow Neville Heath as his violent tendencies escalate, and he transforms into a killer. You can find more episodes of serial killers and all other Parcast originals for free on Spotify.

Not only does Spotify already have all your favorite music, but now Spotify is making it easy for you to enjoy all your favorite podcast originals, like Serial Killers for free from your phone, desktop, or smart speaker. To stream serial killers on Spotify, just open the app and type Serial Killers in the search bar. And if you enjoy this show, the best way to help is to leave a five-fifference. star review. And don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Parcast and Twitter at Parcast Network. We'll see you next time. Have a killer week. Serial Killers was created by Max Cutler is a production of Cutler media and is part of the Parcast Network. It is produced by

Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Dick Schroeder, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Paul Lebeskind, Maggie Admire, and Travis Clark. This episode of Cesar, Serial Killers was written by Kate Murdoch and stars Greg Paulson and Vanessa Richardson. Want to hear something spooky. Some Monster, it reminded me of Bigfoot. Monsters Among Us is a weekly podcast featuring true stories of the paranormal. One of the boys started to exhibit demonic possession. Stories straight from the witnesses' mouths themselves.

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