Crime Files: Brutal killer of Birmingham family remains at at large after 31 years

The scene that greeted officers who forced their way into the quiet sheltered bungalow, turned into a blood-spattered chamber of horrors, sickened even hardened detectives. 

There, in a bedroom lay the lifeless bodies of a husband, wife and disabled son – bound, gagged, beaten and stabbed. The carnage betrayed the terrible last moments of the devoted Smith family – husband and wife Harry and Mary and their disabled son, Harry Jnr. 

The officer called to the sickening scene on December 2, 1992, may still be haunted by what they discovered.  It is 31 years – a criminal eternity – since the killer struck.

Today, Overbury Close, a quiet, cul-de-sac nestling away from Northfield’s Christmas bustle, carries no scars from Birmingham’s most brutal unsolved crime. It appears an unlikely setting for such spree sadism. 

And today, the Smiths’ killer remains at large. Despite a painstaking investigation – 1,652 people were interviewed, 340 vehicles checked, 350 written statements taken - and a £6,000 reward, the crazed attacker slipped the net. 

In truth, the trail grew cold long ago, despite a fresh police appeal in 2017. We don’t even know why the Smiths, God fearing and gentle – both Harry and Mary were regular churchgoers, were butchered: only a small amount of cash was taken from the home. They had no enemies. 

There had been a rash of burglaries in the area and an unfounded rumour swirled that the family had recently come into money. But detectives failed to discover a clear motive. There was no sign of forced entry, suggesting the family welcomed a monster into their home. 

Paul Britton, a criminal psychologist brought in to help crack the case, concluded the maniac responsible had killed because he enjoyed killing. There was, therefore, a psychopath on the loose – and 30 detectives were brought in to snare him. 

With a community in fear, officers scoured open land for clues, divers searched nearby watercourses.  The violence inflicted on the Smiths is near beyond belief. 

Former car worker Harry Smith, a tie used to bind his hands, had suffered 100 stab wounds. Police believed some of the injuries had been inflicted as the 72-year-old frantically attempted to protect his family.  Wife Mary, aged 73, had been stabbed in the head, chest and neck. 

Their 47-year-old son, Harry Jnr – paralysed by a road accident years before and described by neighbours as a “perfect gentleman” – was discovered slumped in his wheelchair, bound by dressing gown cord, a sock stuffed in his mouth. He, too, had been knifed numerous times. 

It was believed the crime had taken place some two days before the discovery. In the 2017 fresh West Midlands Police appeal, Det Insp Ian Iliffe pinned hopes on forensic advances since the murders. 

He said: "There has been massive advances in DNA technology and we will be reviewing all the evidence we hold from 1992 to see if it sheds any light on new lines of enquiry." The plea failed to re-ignite the investigation. 

Are West Midlands Police still investigating the brutal murder on Overbury Close in Northfield, Birmingham?

Detective Inspector Jim Church, from West Midland Police's Review Team, said: “This was a truly brutal crime, and is all the more awful because no-one has been brought to justice. “We do continue to review all unsolved cases on a periodic basis, and any new information that comes to light will be investigated thoroughly."