524 - Bible John: Glasgow's Dancing Killer
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What is Bible John and why is his case significant?
Bible John. That is the intriguing, upsetting name of an unidentified serial killer, believed to have murdered three women between nineteen sixty-eight and nineteen sixty-nine in Glasgow, Scotland. Their names were Patricia Docker, Jemima MacDonald, and Helen Patok. All three were mothers, poor working class mothers, living in rough and rugged neighborhoods in an increasingly economically depressed city that was hemorrhaging its population and drowning in urban decay and violent crime. They'd gone out for a night of dancing to escape their troubles for a few hours of carefree fun at the Barrowland Ballroom. One of the most popular dance halls in the city. But instead of an escape, they would find the worst and last trouble of their lives.
They were brutally beaten, raped and strangled before their bodies were left in dark corners of the city, very near their homes, and two of the three victims were last seen with the mysterious young man at the Berylind, believed to have been Bible John. The Bible John Killings led to one of the most extensive man hunts in Scottish criminal history. It was also the first time in Scotland in which the Crown Office authorized the publication of a composite drawing of a murder suspect. But despite a DNA sample and police efforts, Bible John would never be caught. And that very well may be because the police didn't want him to be caught. This week we will cover the anonymous, escapist, and scandalous at times dancehall culture of the late 60s in Glasgow, the details of the three murders and ensuing police investigation, and what we know about Bible John, and also a list of potential suspects.
It includes a few serial killers in another true crime, UK. How the hell does anyone outside of Glasgow ever understand anyone speaking in a thick Glaswegian accent edition? Of time suck.
This is Michael McDonald and you're listening to Time Suck. You're listening. So
Well, happy Monday and welcome or welcome back, of course, to the cult of the curious. I'm Dan Cummins, dipsuck, suckhead, sad boy. Still waiting on my Mary Kay Pink Cadillac. I I'd take a pink Hyundai at this point. I even a pink e-bike. Also, still waiting for a peptide that will allow my DNA to perpetually prep uh repair itself. Stop fucking around, lazy longevity scientist. You're killing us. You're literally killing us. By not cracking the immortality coat. And that is super annoying. And just it's not fucking cool. And also, you are listening to Time Suck. Hail Nimrod, hail Lucifina, praise be to good boy Bo Jangles and glory be to Triple M. It'll almost be the ten year anniversary of Time Suck when this comes out for everybody on the main feed on september fourteenth, seventeen.
A time suck turns ten on the eighteenth. Wow. Uh, we have some really cool 10-year anniversary merch that Logan designed in the store at badmagicproductions.com. And just huge thanks to anybody who is uh still around. Still enjoying the show. After so many episodes, it it means a lot. I I had big dreams when this run began, of course, like we all do when we start projects. Uh what unfolded just uh so exceeded them in in basically every way. And I feel tremendously grateful. A couple announcements and then showbiz. Uh this month to support our neighbors in Spokane affected by the recent devastating fires, we are donating to Big Table Spokane. Uh you know, losing everything when you are part of the service industry where you have to force that smile back on in order to get back to work, it's it just seems especially brutal.
Sixty nine percent of hospitality workers don't make enough to make ends meet already. And when you add tragedy on top of that, the impact of their lives just, you know, hits extra hard. Uh not sure how much we will be donating at this time because uh we will be collecting even more support for Big Table Spokane at our summer camp. And I'm recording this just a little bit ahead. All tips given to the bartenders will be donated, which is amazing. If you would like to learn more about what Big Table does to support those in the service industry, you can visit
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is Bible John and why is his case significant?
0:00–7:16
2
How do the hosts introduce the episode and share updates with listeners?
7:16–24:44
3
What is the history and cultural importance of the Barrowland Ballroom?
24:44–44:09
4
Why were the over‑25 Thursday nights at Barrowland linked to the murders?
44:09–1:09:36
5
What unsettling details emerge about John’s behavior during the taxi ride with Helen and Jean?
1:09:36–1:23:41
6
How did investigators link early suspects like John Edgar and David Henderson to the Bible John case?
1:23:41–1:46:47
7
What did DNA testing on Helen Patok’s tights reveal about John McInnes and other potential suspects?
1:46:47–2:08:05
8
Why do many now believe Peter Tobin—or possibly John Templeton—could be the real Bible John?
2:08:05–2:18:30
Speakers
2 identifiedMore from Timesuck with Dan Cummins
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