UK News 26-11-2004 Lady in the Lake Murder Trial Begins who: Teacher Gordon Park what: Stands trial for murder of his wife in 1976 where: Crown Court, MANCHESTER when: Yesterday snippet: In the summer of 1976, Gordon Park from Leece, near Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, told his neighbours that his faithless, 30 year-old wife, Carol, had left him after a turbulent marriage. 21 years later, on August 13th 1997, divers 25 metres under the surface of Coniston Water discovered her body wrapped in black plastic and weighted down with rocks and lead. Mr Park, now 60, yesterday began his trial at Manchester Crown Court in the case dubbed the "lady in the lake" murder. "Knots on ropes trussing Carol`s body mirrored those on Park`s sailing gear at the then family home," says The Mirror. "Rocks with rare features found on the lake bed by the corpse matched those used by Park to build the property." "Mrs Park had been bludgeoned with a murder weapon with a sharp edge, and the bones of her face had been shattered," says the ITV news website. While on remand, Mr Park allegedly confessed to two other prisoners that he strangled his wife until she passed out then battered her with an ice axe. However, the prisoners` story did not come to light until late 2000 and Mr Park was not re-arrested until January of this year; he denies murder. Yesterday, Alistair Webster, QC, for the prosecution, told the jury that new evidence had come to light since Mr Park`s most recent arrest. Joan Young, a pensioner, told police that "in July 1976 she watched from the lakeside as a slim, bespectacled man in a wetsuit dumped a bulky package from a dinghy into the water". [... more]

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