LIVERPOOL — 1931 · Murder

Julia Wallace case

UnsolvedSources: CLast updated: 14 October 2026

On 20 January 1931, Julia Wallace, wife of William Wallace, was found killed in their home in Liverpool. William Wallace claimed he had gone to a chess appointment that evening that turned out not to exist. He was convicted at the first trial, but in a first for English legal history, the court of appeal overturned the ruling on the evidence alone, and he was acquitted. The true perpetrator was never identified; the case continues to be referred to as the perfect murder.

Date
1931
Place
Central, England, Liverpool, UK
Category
Murder
Case Status
Unsolved
Coordinates
53.4084, -2.9916 ↗

Timeline of Events

  1. 1931Julia Wallace was killed (20 January)
  2. 1931William Wallace convicted
  3. 1931Court of appeal overturned the ruling, he was acquitted

Sources

  • Court Records
  • Contemporary Press Archive

Source grade C: no linked source yet; details rely on the general press archive. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.

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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.