Mark Budworth

Josephine Mary Budworth and her two children Mark Budworth and Leslie Budworth were found dead following a fire at their home in Hindley Walk, Speke, on Friday 21 February 1986.

It was later found that Josephine Budworth had been strangled although another pathologist disagreed with the findings.

Following the inquest, a file was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, but no one was charged with murder.

Josephine Budworth's common law husband denied murdering her. He said that he had been out to a local British Legion Club on the day of the fire and later called to see Josephine Budworth and then went out again with his dog and that when he returned he found the aftermath of the fire. He said:

However, the police said that they had interviewed Josephine Budworth's common law husband along with many other people and that it was natural for them to speak to him, but that at that moment they had no idea what caused the fire.

After the discovery that Josephine Budworth had been strangled, it was thought that the murderer might have been a person known as the Speke Strangler.

However, on 14 November 1986 Josephine Budworth's common law husband was charged with having strangled Josephine Budworth, but not with her murder. However, the charge was later dropped on 7 May 1987.

The decision came after a Home Office pathologist disagreed with the post mortem examination findings.

It was noted that the cause of the fire itself remained a mystery, and that there was never any suggestion that it had been started deliberately or recklessly.

Josephine Budworth had been pregnant at the time of her death.