Brighton Trunk Murders - Violette Kaye and Toni Mancini

Violette Kaye and Toni Mancini

Although the first murder was almost certainly unrelated to the second, it did lead to discovery of the second trunk murder.

The victim was Violette Kaye (née Watts, also known as Saunders), aged 42. She had been a dancer and prostitute in London, where she had met Toni Mancini, aged 26, a petty criminal with a criminal record including theft and loitering who worked as a waiter and bouncer. He was also known as Cecil Lois England (his real name), Jack Notyre, Tony English and Hyman Gold. They moved to Brighton together in September 1933.

Kaye and Mancini’s relationship was tempestuous. One argument occurred on 10 May 1934 at the Skylark café on the seafront, where Mancini worked, when an obviously drunk Kaye accused him of being familiar with a teenage waitress called Elizabeth Attrell. Kaye was never seen again and the following day Mancini told friends she had gone to Paris, and gave some of her clothes and belongings to Attrell. Her sister-in-law also received a telegram saying that she had taken a job abroad, which read "Going abroad. Good job. Sail Sunday. Will write. --Vi"; it was later established that this had been sent from Brighton that morning, by which time Kaye was already dead.

Mancini then took new lodgings in 52 Kemp Street, close to the station, and transported a trunk there by handcart. He put the trunk at the bottom of his bed, covered it with a cloth and used it as a coffee table – in spite of the smell and leaking fluids, of which visitors complained.

Kaye’s absence had been noted by police and Mancini was questioned. Apparently panicked, he went on the run. During investigation related to the unsolved trunk murder, police searched premises close to the station and stumbled upon Kaye’s remains in Mancini’s lodgings. Mancini was arrested in South East London. The post mortem was carried out by Sir Bernard Spilsbury.