Sounds of a struggle - who murdered Newton Thompson?

Summer, August 2005 in Bayswater, London.  Hotel guests reported hearing an argument.  Staff claimed they saw nothing unusual.  Security cameras did not catch anyone suspicious.  And yet Newton Thompson was found dead inside a hotel room.  Newton wasn't famous.  He wasn't powerful.  This podcast looks at the final hours of his life - from the mysterious telephone call that took him away from the hotel, to the chilling discovery that was made the following morning

Transcript

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An unaccounted telephone call. A mysterious twilight walk. A violent struggle heard from a nearby hotel room in the middle of the night. Who was responsible for the brutal murder of Newton Thompson? You're listening to Jason Laitola from Tragedy Unraveled, a podcast committed to unsolved murder cases from the United Kingdom. The names are real, the evidence is chilling, and the truth is still out there. This podcast contains graphic details and discusses disturbing events of murder and violence that some may find upsetting. Listener discretion is strongly advised. Bayswater is a highly cosmopolitan, affluent district in central West London, situated in the city of Westminster, just north of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Famous for its white Victorian architecture, garden squares, and multicultural vibe, it's bordered by Notting Hill to the west and Paddington to the northeast. However, during the early hours of the 2nd of August 2005, it was where the life of a tourist was brutally taken away by someone currently unknown. 61-year-old Newton Murray John Thompson was native of Victoria, Australia, and a divorced father of two. He'd never been overseas before, and he was on the first part of a six-week tour of Europe. Newton arrived in the United Kingdom on the week beginning of the 25th of July 2005, and he checked into the Comfort Inn Hotel in Craven Hill Gardens, Bayswater, London. He stayed in the Comfort Inn until the 28th of July, after which he headed north to travel to York, Scotland, and then onto Southern Ireland to visit some family that he had there. Four days later, on the 1st of August 2005, he travelled back to London and once again at 5 15, he checked into the Comfort Inn in Bayswater. Two hours later, at 7 20 p.m., Newton was seen on the street CC TV cameras, talking on his mobile telephone in Leinster Terrace. It wasn't established who the person was that he was speaking to, or if he made or received the call. Newton was back at the hotel thirty minutes later at 7.45 p.m. The hotel bar staff were the last known people to see him alive at 9 15. However, just before midnight, Newton was once again seen by the CCTV cameras back in Leinster Terrace, walking away from the hotel. It was unclear why Newton had returned to the street. Did he know someone who lived there? Had he arranged to meet anybody? Just before 1 AM, he was back at the hotel. Within the next hour, Newton Thompson was dead. Between 1 and 1 30 AM, the sounds of a violent struggle and a fight was heard coming from his room by the other hotel guests. Later in the morning, Newton's body was found by hotel staff. His passport, his wallet, which contained his money and his various cards, his mobile telephone, and a distinctive messenger bag made by Trafalgar Tours were stolen. The emergency services were quickly on the scene, and it was clear that Newton's death was not accidental. A murder inquiry was set up, and the postmortem examination established that he died from hemorrhaging after being beaten to death from several heavy blows to the back of his head, and this was not believed to be caused by weapons. Several media appeals were made by the Metropolitan Police for information about Newton Thompson, particularly for anybody who saw him in the hour between midnight and 1 a.m. on the 2nd of August 2005, just before he returned back to the hotel. Five days after the murder, on the 7th of August, Newton's visa debit card from the National Australian Bank was unsuccessfully used at 10 38 p.m. by a woman at St. Auburn's train station in Hertfordshire. CCTV cameras show her standing near the ATM where the card was tried. Another attempt was made the following morning, but this time by a different woman at the now closed Barclays Bank ATM in Hatfield, not far from St. Auburn's station. Repeated failed attempts by the woman were made to withdraw money, but she gave up. The card has not been used since, and it has never been traced. Several theories were put forward as to a possible motive for this vicious murder. In view of the fact that almost all of Newton's belongings were stolen, robbery was considered a prime intent. Could this have been a homophobic attack? Newton was a gay man, and police kept an open mind if his sexuality was a reason for killing him. But another more disquieting line of inquiry was explored, and that was a case of mistaken identity. Three days before Newton was murdered, British-born Robert Excel was extradited from Australia back to the United Kingdom. Robert Excel spent 37 years in Australian prisons for child sex offences. He arrived at London Heathrow Airport on the 30th of July 2005, and he was ordered to immediately sign the sex offenders register upon arrival. There was an intense public outcry and a media media coverage prior to his arrival, and child safety groups were convinced he would re-offend. There was a striking physical resemblance between Newton Thompson and Robert Excel. Both men wore metal rimmed glasses, they had the same stocky build, and both had stark grey hair and silver beards. There are several unanswered questions to this case. Who was Newton talking to on the telephone at 5 15 p.m. on the thirty first of july 2005? Why did he leave the hotel again for a short period just before midnight? Did he meet someone before he returned to his room for the last time? How did his killer or killers enter his room? Were they lying in wait and then ambush him? Or did Newton let them in? Or did he travel back with them when he returned to the hotel in the middle of the night? Who were the two women who attempted to use Newton's debit card? There is no firm suggestion either women knew this card was connected with a murder inquiry, and they may be completely oblivious to the card's history. The Metropolitan Police made several appeals for information about the murder of Newton Thompson in the media. Posters were put up in various different locations which contained various appeal points and to who people should contact if they had information. Newton's body was later repatriated back to Australia for a private family funeral. As of 2006 to the current day, no further information in this case has been reported and the murder remains unsolved. If you have any further information relating to the case of Newton Thompson, please contact the police by dialing 101, the UK's non-emergency number. Or you can give information anonymously to Crime Stoppers, the Independent Crime Fighting Charity on 0800-5555-151. Thank you for listening to Tragedy Unraveled with me, Jason Lytolla. Behind every murder is a life that deserves to be remembered, understood, and never forgotten. Until the next time, stay safe, stay aware, and thank you for joining me as we continue to unravel the truth.