Margaret Hogg
Encyclopedia
Margaret Hogg was a manslaughter victim whose body was preserved in Wast Water
lake for eight years.
Married to Peter Hogg, she worked as an airline stewardess for Air Europe
, where her husband was a pilot
. Peter was 19 years senior to Margaret. Margaret had a three-year affair with banker Graham Ryan, and often flaunted it before Peter. One night in October 1976, Mrs Hogg attacked her husband, hitting and kicking until he "grabbed her round the neck and squeezed hard." Margaret Hogg suffocated and Peter wrapped her body in a carpet, tied it to a block of concrete, and dumped the body in Wast Water
lake in the Wasdale
valley in the Lake District National Park
, England
.
The body settled at a depth of 34 metres (110 ft), only a short distance away from much deeper parts of the deepest lake in England. Due to the lack of oxygen, her body did not decompose
, but over time was preserved by the formation of adipocere
.
In 1983, the lake was searched for the body of Veronique Mireille Marre, a missing French student. Subsequently, the remains of Margaret Hogg were found by a diver, Neil Pritt, in March 1984, who initially thought them to be just an old carpet. Shortly after the recovery, the body was identified by friends. Her husband, the prime suspect, initially denied the murder before giving a confession. He was sentenced to four years for manslaughter
, obstructing a coroner
, and perjury
in his divorce proceedings.
The body of Veronique Mireille Marre was eventually found in April 1984. Her remains were found on a mountain at the bottom of a cliff, but no cause of death could be officially given.
Wast Water
Wast Water or Wastwater is a lake located in Wasdale, a valley in the western part of the Lake District National Park, England. The lake is approximately 4.6 kilometres long and 600 metres wide. It is the deepest lake in England at 79 metres , and is owned by the National Trust...
lake for eight years.
Married to Peter Hogg, she worked as an airline stewardess for Air Europe
Air Europe
Air Europe was a wholly privately owned, independentindependent from government-owned corporations British airline, established in 1978 under the working title Inter European Airways. It adopted the Air Europe name the following year...
, where her husband was a pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
. Peter was 19 years senior to Margaret. Margaret had a three-year affair with banker Graham Ryan, and often flaunted it before Peter. One night in October 1976, Mrs Hogg attacked her husband, hitting and kicking until he "grabbed her round the neck and squeezed hard." Margaret Hogg suffocated and Peter wrapped her body in a carpet, tied it to a block of concrete, and dumped the body in Wast Water
Wast Water
Wast Water or Wastwater is a lake located in Wasdale, a valley in the western part of the Lake District National Park, England. The lake is approximately 4.6 kilometres long and 600 metres wide. It is the deepest lake in England at 79 metres , and is owned by the National Trust...
lake in the Wasdale
Wasdale
Wasdale is a valley and civil parish in the western part of the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. The River Irt flows through the valley to its estuary at Ravenglass. A large part of the main valley floor is occupied by Wastwater, the deepest lake in England...
valley in the Lake District National Park
Lake District National Park
The Lake District National Park is located in the north-west of England and is the largest of the English National Parks and the second largest in the United Kingdom. It is in the central and most-visited part of the Lake District....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The body settled at a depth of 34 metres (110 ft), only a short distance away from much deeper parts of the deepest lake in England. Due to the lack of oxygen, her body did not decompose
Decomposition
Decomposition is the process by which organic material is broken down into simpler forms of matter. The process is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biome. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death...
, but over time was preserved by the formation of adipocere
Adipocere
Adipocere , also known as corpse, grave or mortuary wax, is a wax-like organic substance formed by the anaerobic bacterial hydrolysis of fat in tissue, such as body fat in corpses...
.
In 1983, the lake was searched for the body of Veronique Mireille Marre, a missing French student. Subsequently, the remains of Margaret Hogg were found by a diver, Neil Pritt, in March 1984, who initially thought them to be just an old carpet. Shortly after the recovery, the body was identified by friends. Her husband, the prime suspect, initially denied the murder before giving a confession. He was sentenced to four years for manslaughter
Manslaughter in English law
In the English law of homicide, manslaughter is a less serious offence than murder, the differential being between levels of fault based on the mens rea . In England and Wales, the usual practice is to prefer a charge of murder, with the judge or defence able to introduce manslaughter as an option...
, obstructing a coroner
Obstruction of justice
The crime of obstruction of justice, in United States jurisdictions, refers to the crime of interfering with the work of police, investigators, regulatory agencies, prosecutors, or other officials...
, and perjury
Perjury
Perjury, also known as forswearing, is the willful act of swearing a false oath or affirmation to tell the truth, whether spoken or in writing, concerning matters material to a judicial proceeding. That is, the witness falsely promises to tell the truth about matters which affect the outcome of the...
in his divorce proceedings.
The body of Veronique Mireille Marre was eventually found in April 1984. Her remains were found on a mountain at the bottom of a cliff, but no cause of death could be officially given.