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Kyle Dunamis , the adventurous son of Stahn and Rutee , lives at an orphanage run by Rutee . With the orphanage on the brink of bankruptcy , Kyle defies his mother to go on a quest to search for funds , together with his best friend Loni . Finding a giant Lens , a mysterious girl named Reala emerges from it , claiming to be in search of a hero . Believing that he should become a hero like his parents , he follows Reala so he can prove himself as such . Finding the Lens missing , officials from the Order of Atamoni arrest Kyle and Lori for its theft . They escape with the help of the masked swordsman Judas . After this , Kyle becomes embroiled in the attempts by a man named Barbatos Goetia to kill those who accompanied his parents , eventually learning that Barbatos also killed Stahn when Kyle was five . During his quest , a series of Lens thefts is orchestrated by Elrane , the Holy Woman of the Order of Atamoni who is capable of performing miracles using Lens and seeks to bring happiness to the world through uniting it under a single religion . |
During a great theft of Lens , Elrane attacks the group directly , sending them ten years into the future . In this period , the world is beset by conflict between the Order of Atamoni and factions wanting independence from its control . During their travels there , they are joined by Nanaly Fletch . While in this time period , Reala becomes conflicted about who she is , and the group encounters a figure known as the Goddess Fortuna . During this encounter , it is revealed that Elrane and Reala are avatars of Fortuna , designed to save the world and bring happiness to humanity in different ways . Due to her unstable emotions , Reala accidentally transports Nanaly into their time . Feeling guilty because of this , Reala confronts Elrane alone and is captured . Traveling to the ship where the stolen Lens is stored , the group confront Barbatos and Elrane , successfully defeating them and saving Reala . During this confrontation , they learn that " Judas " is in fact the resurrected Leon , who was brought back to life by Elrane just as Barbatos was , but rebelled against her when he knew her full plan . |
However , their efforts result in the destruction of the ship , and Reala uses the energy of the Lens to send them through time again . They appear in an alternate timeline where the War of Heaven and Earth was won by the underground dwellers , and Barbatos and Elrane are hailed as saviors . Traveling back to the time of the War , when the initial interference was caused , they ally with Harold Belselius to return history to its proper state . While they are successful and Barbatos is felled , Elrane continues to distort history in her favor . Confronting her one last time , she is defeated , then they are confronted by Fortuna . Defeating her , the group realize that the only way to correct the distorted timeline is to destroy the Lens that forms Fortuna 's life source , which will mean Reala will be erased from history . When Reala comes to terms with this and gives her blessing , Kyle destroys Fortuna 's Lens , which erases all the changes wrought by her agents and returns the timeline to its original state , sending everyone back to their original times and conditions . In the corrected timeline , Kyle , now raised and trained by both Stahn and Rutee , goes on a journey to the temple where he first met Reala . While her Lens is missing , Kyle 's strong will succeeds in bringing Reala back into existence and restoring his memories of her . |
= = Development = = |
Tales of Destiny 2 was co @-@ developed by Wolfteam and Telenet Japan . Development began after work had finished on Tales of Eternia , taking roughly two years to complete . During its early development , the staff consisted of thirty people : when in full development , a team of between sixty and a hundred worked on it . It was developed under the working title Tales of X. After Eternia was completed , the development team considered what to do next , whether a new standalone game or a sequel . As Destiny had a large amount of lore created for it and there were story possibilities for a next generation of characters , it was decided to make a sequel to Destiny . This would be the first direct sequel in the Tales series . Because of the state of the world as it would have evolved after the events of Destiny , it was decided to set the events eighteen years after them and focus on the son of Destiny 's protagonist . The key themes for the story were " fate " and " happiness " . For the story , the team wanted to effectively portray Kyle 's journey to becoming a hero . For this , they drew on themes of " learning from the teacher " as seen in films such as Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark . To create the atmosphere , the team worked at balancing elements of reality and fantasy . The story and script was handled by Japanese scenario company Gekko . Two separate scripts were created for the main story and additional elements such as skits . Both scripts were quite large . |
Character designs were created by Mutsumi Inomata . A key element of the designs was the variation of time periods many characters came from . To make the character sprites as close as possible to the original artwork , the team took Inomata 's artwork and turned them into 2D " dot @-@ by @-@ dot " sprite pictures . This gave the sprites roughly four times the detail of most environments . They then built the world around the sprites . The sprite details sometimes caused problems , as they would appear larger than the environments when the camera zoomed in . The animated cutscenes were created by anime company Production I.G. The game 's opening was the longest ever created for a Tales game up to that point . While many contemporary PS2 role @-@ playing games were being developed around three @-@ dimensional characters , Destiny 2 used two @-@ dimensional sprites for its characters . Part of the reason behind this was that the development team wanted to create the " ultimate 2D RPG " . As opposed to previous Tales games , where gameplay development was focused on the battle system , the development leads requested that the gameplay should be " waste @-@ free and strategic " . The Grade system and new skill customizing elements , later staples of the series , were also developed . The game 's artificial intelligence was markedly improved , the combat system was made both more elaborate and more user @-@ friendly , and health and magic systems were adjusted . The PlayStation 2 hardware enabled the expansion of mini @-@ games , the improvement of the game 's graphics , and the incorporation of advanced interactive elements on the world map . |
= = = Audio = = = |
The music was composed by regular series composers Motoi Sakuraba and Shinji Tamura . Sakuraba primarily worked on the battle themes and arrangements of previous themes , while Tamura handled selected boss battle tracks and created Reala 's theme . They were able to create more tracks with greater detail to them due to the expanded storage capacities of the PS2 . As with previous games , a licensed theme song was created by a Japanese artist for the game 's opening . For Destiny 2 , the theme song was " Key to My Heart " from the album Fairy Tale , by Japanese singer @-@ songwriter Mai Kuraki . Its lyrics were designed to " express the world " of Destiny 2 . Arrangements of " Key to My Heart " were featured in the soundtrack . Unlike previous Tales games , where voice work was recorded out of order , the voice work was recorded in order of the game 's events to add dramatic weight to the performances . This consequently created difficulties with scheduling and put an added strain on the actors . |
= = Release = = |
Destiny 2 was announced in February 2002 at a special conference about future developments and games for the platform . It was the first Tales title to receive a numbered designation in Japan . As with previous Tales games , it featured a characteristic genre name : " RPG to Release Destiny " ( ιε½γ解γζΎγ€RPG , Unmei wo tokihanatsu RPG ) . To promote the game , Namco created a themed PlayStation 2 memory card . In addition , a special competition was organized where the top @-@ tier prizes were copies of the script books for Destiny 2 autographed by the main characters ' voice actors . As a pre @-@ order bonus , a special limited edition DVD featuring interviews with the voice cast was created . In addition , a downloadable ring tone based on the theme song and screen displays featuring the main characters was created for mobile phones of the time and released in 2003 . The game was released on November 28 , 2002 in Japan . It was celebrated with an official launch event , featuring interviews with the production staff and cast . Destiny 2 would be the last Tales game developed by Wolfteam prior to its acquisition by Namco in 2003 and rebranding as Namco Tales Studio . |
Destiny 2 was later ported to the PSP . Development began in 2005 , after the commercial success of Eternia 's PSP port . The port was developed by Alfa System , a frequent collaborator with the Tales team on spin @-@ off titles . The project was directed by Yoshito Higuchi , who had worked on Destiny 2 and became the director of the GameCube port of Tales of Symphonia . While the earlier port of Destiny made significant changes , the Destiny 2 port was meant to preserve and add onto the content of the original . Some of the adjustments included minor tweaks to gameplay , adjustments to fit the PSP 's control layout , and adjusting the graphics from 4 : 3 to 16 : 9 screen ratio . A new dungeon featuring added story elements was also created . It was released on February 15 , 2007 . |
Outside Japan , Destiny 2 was released in China and South Korea by Sony Computer Entertainment in 2003 : the Korean version was released on March 27 , and the Chinese version was released on August 14 . The game was going to be part of a world tour by Sony Computer Entertainment to promote the next generation of role @-@ playing games , but the tensions between America and Iraq at the time and the consequent risks of a terrorist attack caused them to cancel the trip . Asked at the launch event whether an overseas version of the game was being developed , producer Makoto Yoshizumi said he was " not certain " . The PSP port was released in South Korea by Namco Bandai Games 's local branch on March 5 , 2007 . Neither the original nor the port has been released in the west , making it one of three mainline Tales titles to remain exclusive to Japan . |
= = Reception = = |
Namco had high expectations for Destiny 2 , anticipating sales of 600 @,@ 000 units . During its debut week , Destiny 2 reached the top of Japanese gaming sales charts : according to different sources , it sold between just over 498 @,@ 000 ( Famitsu ) and under 558 @,@ 000 ( Dengeki ) units . For the next three weeks , it remained in second place on the charts behind PokΓ©mon Ruby and Sapphire , accumulating sales of over 603 @,@ 000 . By January 2003 , the game had sold over 702 @,@ 000 units , becoming the eighth best @-@ selling game within that period . The PlayStation 2 version of Tales of Destiny 2 has shipped 977 @,@ 000 copies worldwide as of December 2007 , being the second most successful title in the series at the time . The PSP version sold 73 @,@ 000 copies in its first week , ranking second in weekly video games sales . By the following week , it had dropped to # 25 . By the end of 2007 , the game had sold just under 115 @,@ 000 units , reached 146th place in the five hundred top @-@ selling games of the year . In South Korea , the game reached # 10 in the country 's gaming sales charts . Worldwide shipments of the port as recorded by Namco have reached 129 @,@ 000 units . |
Famitsu Weekly found the story enjoyable , though noted that those who had played Destiny would get more enjoyment out of it , and praised the voice acting . They also found the gameplay and pacing enjoyable , positively noting the option to auto @-@ battle . The game ranked as the 89th all @-@ time favorite game in a 2006 Famitsu readers poll . Japanese website Game Impress Watch found the story impressive , citing its use of time travel and the continued use of Destiny 's world and lore . The gameplay , mini @-@ games and customization options was also generally praised , with the reviewer recommending the title to players of the series . RPGFan 's Woojin Lee was also positive , praising the gameplay despite the very high encounter rate , and was pleased that an auto @-@ battle option was included . One point that received a more mixed response was the game 's music , with the exception of the opening song . In a preview for IGN , David Smith was generally positive about the game . While he disliked the art style and its low @-@ tech look compared to its hardware , he found the gameplay enjoyable and the opening parts of the story fairly relatable . He ended by hoping that Namco would put the effort into localizing the title . |
= = = Additional media = = = |
Multiple print adaptations have been made of Destiny 2 : these include one three @-@ volume comic anthology , a serialized comic adaptation originally released through Square Enix 's Gangan Comics and later collected into five volumes , and an eight @-@ volume yonkoma comic , and a second single @-@ edition yonkoma . Novel adaptations include a novel focusing on Nanaly called Tales of Destiny 2 : The Amber Wind , and mutlple light novels that told segments of the story from the point of view of different characters , particularly Judas . An illustration book featuring Inomata 's artwork for the game was released in March 2005 . A five @-@ part CD Drama adaptation was also developed , following the events of the game . The five volumes were released between April and August 2003 , under the umbrella titled Tales of Destiny 2 Drama CD . |
= In Bloom = |
For the 2013 film of the same name , see In Bloom ( 2013 film ) |
" In Bloom " is a song by American rock band Nirvana . Written by frontman Kurt Cobain , the song addresses people outside of the underground music community who did not understand the band 's message . |
Nirvana made its first music video for an early version of " In Bloom " in 1990 ; however the song did not appear on a commercial release until the release of the group 's second album , Nevermind , in 1991 . " In Bloom " became the fourth and final single from the album in late 1992 . It was accompanied by a new music video which parodied musical performances of 1960s variety shows . The music video for " In Bloom " won Best Alternative Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1993 . |
= = Background and recording = = |
Nirvana first played the song the night before it was demoed . Bassist Krist Novoselic recalled that it " originally sounded like a Bad Brains song . Then Kurt turned it into a pop song " . Cobain went home and reworked the song , playing the revised version of it over the phone to Novoselic . The band recorded " In Bloom " with producer Butch Vig at Smart Studios in Madison , Wisconsin during April 1990 . The material recorded at Smart Studios was intended for the group 's second album for the independent record label Sub Pop . The song originally had a bridge section that Vig removed . Novoselic said that after the band recorded the song , Vig cut out the bridge from the 16 @-@ track master tape with a razor blade and threw it in the garbage . The songs from these sessions were placed on a demo tape that circulated amongst the music industry , generating interest in the group among major record labels . |
After signing to DGC Records , Nirvana began recording its second album Nevermind in May 1991 . " In Bloom " was one of the first songs the band recorded during the album sessions at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys , California ; Vig thought it would be good to start recording a song previously recorded at Smart Studios . The arrangements for " In Bloom " and the other songs previously recorded with Vig in 1990 were largely unchanged ; the recently hired drummer Dave Grohl stayed mostly with what his predecessor Chad Channing had recorded , but added more power and precision to the recording . Cobain sang progressively " harder " during the recording of the song , which made it difficult for Vig to balance the volume levels between the verses and choruses . Vig recalled that he had to change the input level " on the fly " and hoped that Cobain would not " change the phrasing or do something different " while recording . |
Cobain chose not to overdub a harmony vocal part during the Smart Studios sessions , possibly due to time constraints . During the Nevermind sessions , Vig had Grohl sing harmonies on the song . Grohl had difficulty hitting the proper notes , but ultimately was able to sing what Vig wanted . Vig often had to trick Cobain , who was averse to performing multiple takes , into recording additional takes for overdubs on the record . The producer convinced Cobain to double @-@ track his vocals on " In Bloom " by telling him , " John Lennon did it . " After doubling Cobain 's vocals , Vig decided he might as well double Grohl 's and had the drummer record an additional track of backing harmonies . |
= = Composition = = |
Like many Nirvana songs , " In Bloom " shifts back and forth between quiet verses and loud choruses . Cobain uses a Mesa Boogie guitar amplifier for the verses , and during the chorus he switches to a Fender Bassman amp ( suggested by Vig ) for a heavier , double @-@ tracked fuzztone sound . The rhythm section of Novoselic and Grohl kept its parts simple ; Grohl stated it was " an unspoken rule " to avoid unnecessary drum fills , while Novoselic said he felt his role was about " serving the song " . During the choruses , vocalist Cobain and drummer Grohl harmonize while singing " He 's the one / Who likes all our pretty songs / And he likes to sing along / And he likes to shoot his gun / But he knows not what it means " . The song 's intro reappears at the end of each chorus . |
Cobain 's lyrics address the people outside of the underground music scene that began showing up at Nirvana shows after the release of the group 's debut album Bleach . Nirvana biographer Michael Azerrad wrote , " But remarkably , [ the song 's lyrics ] translated even better to the mass popularity the band enjoyed . " Regarding the song 's chorus , Azerrad commented , " The brilliant irony is that the tune is so catchy that millions of people actually do sing along to it . " In his biography of Cobain , Heavier Than Heaven , Charles R. Cross asserted that the song was a " thinly disguised portrait " of Cobain 's friend Dylan Carlson . |
= = Release and reception = = |
" In Bloom " was released as the fourth single from Nevermind on November 30 , 1992 . The single was only released commercially in the United Kingdom ; promotional copies were released in the United States . The 7 @-@ inch vinyl and cassette editions of the single contained a live version of " Polly " as a B @-@ side , while the 12 @-@ inch vinyl and CD versions featured a performance of " Sliver " ; both songs were recorded at the same December 28 , 1991 concert . The single peaked at number 28 on the British singles chart . While lacking an American commercial release , the song charted at number five on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart . |
Nirvana biographer Everett True wrote an uncharacteristically unfavorable review in Melody Maker , accusing the single of being a cash @-@ in on Nevermind 's success . " Whoop whoop bloody whoop " , he wrote , " Forgive me if I don 't sound too thrilled . This release is stretching even my credulity beyond repair . Like , milking a still @-@ breathing ( sacred ) cow , or what ? Badly inferior live versions of ' Polly ' and ' Sliver ' on the flip don 't help matters either . " In 2011 Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song number 415 on its list of the " 500 Greatest Songs of All Time " . |
= = Music video = = |
Nirvana first made a music video for " In Bloom " in 1990 for the Sub Pop Video Network Program VHS compilation ( 1991 ) . The recording of the song featured in the video is the version recorded during the Smart Studios sessions . The Sub Pop video features the band walking around various parts of lower Manhattan including the South Street Seaport , the Lower East Side , and Wall Street . While filming the video , Novoselic shaved his head as penance for a bad performance the band gave in New York City . This caused discontinuity in the final cut ; shots of the band feature the bassist with and without hair throughout the video . This video was later compiled on the Nirvana box set With the Lights Out ( 2004 ) . The audio of this version of " In Bloom " was later released on CD2 of the 20th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of the Nevermind album in 2011 . |
The second video , created to accompany the 1992 single release that was recorded at Sound City Studios , was directed by Kevin Kerslake , who had previously directed the band 's videos for " Come as You Are " and " Lithium " . Cobain 's original concept for the video told the story of a young girl born into a Ku Klux Klan family who one day realizes how evil they are . His concept was too ambitious , so Cobain instead decided to parody musical performances by bands on early 1960s variety shows , such as The Ed Sullivan Show . The humorous tone of the video was a result of Cobain being " so tired for the last year of people taking us so seriously . . . I wanted to fuck off and show them that we have a humorous side to us " . Kerslake filmed the video on old Kinescope cameras , and the band improvised its performance . The video begins with an unnamed variety show host ( played by Doug Llewelyn , former host of The People 's Court ) introducing Nirvana to an in @-@ studio crowd of screaming teenagers ; their non @-@ stop screaming is heard throughout the duration of the song . The band members , whom the host refers to as " thoroughly all right and decent fellas " , perform dressed in Beach Boys @-@ style outfits ; Cobain wears glasses that blurred his vision , while Novoselic cut his hair short and liked it so much he kept it that way afterwards . As the video progresses , the band destroys the set and its instruments . |
Three different edits of the Kerslake video were made . Cobain intended to replace the first version of the video after a period with a new take featuring the band wearing dresses instead of suits . MTV 's alternative rock show 120 Minutes insisted on premiering the video , but Cobain felt the program would not properly convey the humor of the " pop idol " version . Instead , a new edit was produced which contained shots of the band in both suits and dresses . The original edit of the video never aired . This video won the award for Best Alternative Video at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards , and topped the music video category in the 1992 Village Voice Pazz & Jop critics ' poll . |
= = Track listing = = |
All songs written by Kurt Cobain . |
7 " , cassette |
" In Bloom " β 4 : 17 |
" Polly " ( live ) β 2 : 47 |
12 " , CD |
" In Bloom " β 4 : 17 |
" Sliver " ( live - Del Mar - 28 @.@ 12 @.@ 1991 ) β 2 : 06 |
" Polly " ( live - Del Mar - 28 @.@ 12 @.@ 1991 ) β 2 : 47 |
= = Chart positions = = |
= = Covers = = |
Sturgill Simpson recorded a country cover in 2016 which received air play on alternative stations . |
= Lady in the Lake trial = |
The Lady in the Lake trial was a 2005 murder case in which Gordon Park ( 25 January 1944 β 25 January 2010 ) a retired teacher from Leece , near Barrow @-@ in @-@ Furness , Cumbria , England , was jailed for life for the murder of his first wife , Carol Ann Park , in 1976 . |
Carol Park went missing on 17 July 1976 , and was never seen alive again by her family . In 1997 , her body was discovered by divers in Coniston Water and Gordon was arrested on suspicion of murder . The charges were subsequently dropped but in 2004 Gordon was arrested again and found guilty of his wife 's murder . The trial judge sentenced him to life imprisonment and recommended that he should serve a minimum of 15 years before being considered for parole . He was held at Garth prison , Leyland , Preston . In December 2007 he lodged an appeal against his conviction which was dismissed in November 2008 . On 25 January 2010 , he was found hanged in his cell , and pronounced dead at the scene . |
The details of the murder are sketchy . Carol was killed due to blunt trauma to her face by means of some instrument , alleged in court to have been an ice axe . She was then bound with rope , using complex knots , weighed down with rocks and lead pipes and thrown overboard from a boat on Coniston Water . The body landed on an underwater ledge where it was later found by amateur divers . Had it been dropped a few metres further from the shore , it would have sunk to the much deeper bottom and probably never have been discovered . |
There was a great deal of controversy surrounding the case . Gordon received much support from his family and friends and maintained his innocence . There was a large amount of local interest in the trial as shown by the sales of the local paper , the North @-@ West Evening Mail . Some claimed that much of the evidence against him could be discounted and there were vigils and petitions in attempts to free Gordon from prison and clear his name . The case featured prominently in the book No Smoke : The Shocking Truth About British Justice which outlined seven cases the author believed to be examples of innocent people being convicted of murder . |
= = Case history = = |
= = = Carol Park vanishes = = = |
Prior to her disappearance , according to her friends , Carol was feeling depressed . She had talked of tracing her biological parents , as she was adopted . On 17 July 1976 , she went missing . Gordon claimed that she had left home for another man , and Carol had left their home in Leece twice before . It was for this reason , Gordon claimed , that he did not report her missing for six weeks . Carol was said to time her periods away from home to coincide with the school holidays . Gordon claimed that it wasn 't until she didn 't return in time to take up her job as a primary school teacher in September ( the start of the school term ) that he realised that there was a problem . At this time he reported her missing via his solicitor , and her family was informed . On the day she vanished , the family had been due to visit Blackpool on a day trip . However , Carol said she felt unwell and wanted to remain behind in bed . She was never seen alive again by her family . Gordon claimed he returned home to find Carol had left the house , leaving behind her wedding ring , and that there was no sign of a struggle . A missing persons enquiry was launched , but nothing came of it . This missing persons report was subsequently lost , and it was implied by some that it was because both Gordon and a senior police commander ( who , by the time the article was published , had died ) involved in the case were freemasons . This was refuted by Sandra Lean , who , in No Smoke , claimed that Gordon had never been a freemason . At the time , police told Gordon that , should a body be found , he would be the main suspect . |
= = = Discovery of body and post mortem results = = = |
On 13 August 1997 , amateur divers discovered Carol Park 's body , clad only in a nightdress , 75 feet down at the bottom of Coniston Water . She was nicknamed " the Lady in the Lake " by detectives after the 1943 detective novel by Raymond Chandler , The Lady in the Lake . The body had been wrapped in a pinafore dress , a canvas rucksack and plastic bags , tied with several knots , and weighed down with lead piping . Her eyes had been covered by plasters . It was later reported that the body had landed on an underwater ledge , and had it been thrown into the water a few metres farther from the land , it would probably never have been found . |
Details of Carol 's death were revealed in the post mortem . There were severe injuries to the skull , and it was said that her face had been smashed by multiple blows . It was later found in court that the murder weapon had been an ice axe . The body was found to be in a foetal position , which suggested that the body had been dealt with within a few hours of death , before rigor mortis could settle in . It has since been said that the investigators failed to acknowledge that rigor mortis passes in a 24 β to 48 β hour time period , and that the body could feasibly have been trussed once rigor mortis had passed . Many unusual knots were used to tie the body , and the same knots were said to be used in Gordon Park 's house and boat . This was one of the key pieces of evidence used against Gordon in the trial . |
= = = Gordon Park is arrested , but charges are dropped = = = |
At the time of the discovery of the body , Gordon and his third wife , Jenny , were on a cycling holiday in France . They heard news of the discovery of the body , and are said to have seen footage of the police searching their house . On 24 August , they arrived home , and Gordon was arrested on suspicion of murder at 8.00am the next morning . He was charged with the murder of Carol Park , and remanded in Preston prison . However , after two weeks , his solicitors managed to persuade the court to grant him bail . On 6 January 1998 , the charges against Gordon were dropped due to lack of evidence . The Crown Prosecution Service released a statement saying- |
After a conference with leading counsel and the police , a decision was taken , in agreement with all parties , that there was insufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction . |
Reportedly he told another inmate that " she deserved it " as had discovered his wife being unfaithful . |
After the charges were dropped , Gordon said that he wished to " try to put all this , including the events of 21 years ago , behind me and try to return to my everyday life " . However , the fact that the charges were dropped angered Carol 's brother , Ivor Price , who said that he was disgusted by the way that Carol was portrayed in the proceedings , and talked of how Carol was not " someone who [ was ] cheap or had a string of lovers . " |
= = = Gordon Park 's second arrest and trial = = = |
Gordon was again arrested on 13 January 2004 . Police said at the time that the murder file had never been closed , and that the arrest followed new leads . These new leads were later reported to be a confession by Michael Wainwright , who claimed to have been a cellmate of Gordon 's during his short prison stay in 1997 . The police then revisited the site where the body was discovered , and found a piece of Westmorland green slate , a stone that matched the rocks that made up the wall of the family 's bungalow . The case was brought to trial at Manchester Crown Court , and lasted ten weeks . There was no single piece of evidence that pointed to Gordon indisputably , but the prosecution argued that when the evidence was placed together , it could only point at Park , and not a " mysterious stranger or secret lover " . Primarily , the case for the prosecution rested on circumstantial evidence , with the jury being asked to consider knots , rocks used to weight down the body and the ice axe , all linking Gordon Park to the crime . However , the statements of Michael Wainwright , and another of Gordon 's cellmates , who had learning difficulties , were also used as evidence by the prosecution . He was sentenced to be jailed for life , and told that he must serve at least 15 years . The judge said that he had taken into account the " terrible concealment " of the body . |
Park claimed he and his wife had an open marriage |
The court found that Gordon had first put his hands around Carol 's neck to strangle her , but that she had struggled . He then grabbed his ice axe , and brought it down with what was described as " considerable " force on Carol 's face , and smashed the front right @-@ hand side of her face , splitting open her head and smashing her teeth . He then did this again β the attack was described as consisting of " two big heavy , crushing blows " by pathologist Dr. Edwin Tapp . After this , Gordon dumped his wife 's body in the lake , and went back to his day @-@ to @-@ day life . During the trial , the prosecution speculated that Gordon had " drugged his wife , possibly on or around the 17 July , tied her up and stored her body in a chest freezer before dumping it in Coniston Water " . |
= = = Gordon Park 's appeal = = = |
On 6 December 2007 , it was reported that Clarion Solicitors , representing Gordon Park , said that they would launch an appeal . In a public statement , they said : |
The appeal is based upon fresh evidence that was not available at the original trial , it is hoped the conviction will be quashed and a retrial ordered ... Upon his conviction , Mr Park 's family and friends launched a campaign to clear his name , claiming there was no single piece of evidence that pointed indisputably to him . |
Representing Park in the appeal was solicitor Rob Rode and Simon Bourne @-@ Arton QC . They did not initially reveal what the new evidence was , only that it " was not available at the original trial " and that it was " very strong and significant " . Cumbria Constabulary released a statement saying : |
Detectives from Cumbria Constabulary carried out a full and thorough investigation and the full facts of the case were presented to the CPS . The case was then tried by a jury , where Gordon Park was found guilty of the murder of Carol Park in 1976 . |
In October , campaigners in support of Park said " We have in our possession , a signed , witnessed , statement , made this week , by one of the main prosecution witnesses , stating , β police officers did put words in my mouth regarding Gordon Park β and β the police told me what to say in court . β " Pastor George Harrison , acting as a spokesperson for the campaigners , also claimed that the appeals process was flawed and " rendered virtually impossible " due to costs . |
In November 2008 , the appeal bid was rejected by three judges at the Court of Appeal in London . QC Simon Bourne , representing Park , had wanted to call an expert witness to challenge geological evidence used at the trial . Lord Justice Keene said that the new evidence did not raise " a reasonable doubt as to the safety of this conviction " , saying that the geological evidence was only a small element of the " strong circumstantial case against the applicant " . The new evidence presented by geologist Andrew Moncrief concerned the rock found with the body , said to have been from the wall outside the Parks ' house . Moncrief argued that the rock was " indistinguishable " from others in the area , and therefore " meaningless " . |
= = = Gordon Park 's death = = = |
On 25 January 2010 , the morning of Park 's 66th birthday , he was found hanged and unconscious in his prison cell in Garth Prison , and pronounced dead at the scene later in the morning . It is believed that a ligature was involved , and that Park inflicted the injuries upon himself . Park had not been assessed for the risk of suicide . Jeremy Park said that " we are all completely devastated and still believe his innocence 100 % . " Since his death , Carol Park 's family have tried to trace her ashes . |
= = Review = = |
On 26 November 2014 , it was confirmed that the Criminal Cases review Commission were examining the verdict , and new DNA evidence had come to light . Carol Park 's niece has accused Gordon Park 's family of ' clutching at straws ' and has argued : " Gordon went to the High Court of Appeal and lost , so what makes them think after all this time they could find any information that could overturn the court β s decision ? " |
= = Case controversy = = |
= = = Support for Park = = = |
There was much local interest in the matter , as was shown by the sales of the local paper , the North @-@ West Evening Mail , when it ran special editions on the case . Park maintained his innocence , and received much support from his family and friends . His children , Jeremy and Rachael , appointed a new legal team in an attempt to find grounds for appeal . Jeremy also set up a website , www.freegordon.com , in a bid to raise awareness and support of the case for Gordon . Notable individuals offering support include Tony Benn , who said that there was considerable doubt about Gordon 's conviction , and that he would do all he can to help campaign for his freedom . Benn has been quoted as saying the case is a " grave injustice " . He is one of the over 300 people who have signed the " Gordon Park is Innocent " petition . |
A year into Park 's life sentence , around 40 family members and friends held a vigil at Strangeways Prison , in a bid to raise awareness of " the fact that there is an innocent man in prison " . Another was held a year later , led by Jenny Park , and a third on the third anniversary of Park 's imprisonment . It was due to these vigils , claimed Evangelical Pastor George Harrison , that he was barred from visiting Park once he was transferred to Garth prison , in Lancashire . Other fronts for the campaign included an offer of Β£ 5 @,@ 000 for anyone providing evidence that lead to Gordon 's freedom . Included in this were planned adverts in the North @-@ West Evening Mail and leaflets to 20 @,@ 000 homes in the Furness area . However , this was being organised by Harrison , with whom Gordon and his third wife Jennifer stayed during the trial . Jeremy Park wrote to the North @-@ West Evening Mail to confirm that he wanted nothing to do with the reward , and that Harrison had no right to include his name , contact details or email address , or mention the freegordon website , in the adverts . Subsequently , Harrison claimed to have delivered 6 @,@ 000 booklets and leaflets in the Furness area . |
Not everyone with a link to the family supported Gordon 's attempts to clear his name . Vanessa Fisher , Park 's adoptive daughter , appeared as a witness for the prosecution at the trial , telling of how her father would hit the children with " a stick or cane " and how he would not discuss his wife 's disappearance . She was not in court at the time of Park 's sentencing . Ivor Price , Carol 's brother , has spoken publicly at various times about his feelings about Gordon , and the Price family even sat away from Park 's supporters during the trial itself . In a statement shortly after Park 's guilty verdict , he said he had " no doubt " that justice had been done , and added that " Carol was a lovely , bubbly girl who was very clever and intelligent . What has been said about her has been heartbreaking . This was about one thing : justice for Carol . " Around the same time , Price said that although he believed Gordon at the time of Carol 's disappearance , upon the news of a body being found in Coniston Water , he " knew it was her , and knew who had done it " , expressing his conviction of Park 's guilt . More recently , he said that he was " distressed " by the ongoing campaign to free Park . After Park 's unsuccessful appeal , Price 's daughters , Kay Washford and Claire Gardener spoke to the North @-@ West Evening Mail , their parents having died before the appeal was rejected . Washford said " It is brilliant , an amazing result . Our mum and dad Ivor and Maureen Price fought hard for this justice and now they can rest in peace because justice has been done . We are so thankful for the result and so glad he will be staying in there . " She added that " It is finally justice for Carol . " The Park family and Cumbria Constabulary did not comment . |
= = = Claims of flawed investigation = = = |
The case was reported to be difficult for the prosecution , with the time between the murder and the trial making it extremely difficult to track potential witnesses . Keith Churchman , a police officer involved in the case , said that " the other difficulty was of course the body was taken away from the place where it was killed . " However , on top of the difficulties outlined by the police , the freegordon website detailed a number of what Park 's supporters claim are holes in the evidence used to convict him . A story about the problems with the evidence was published in the Daily Mail on October 12 , 2005 , at the request of Jeremy , though it was not written by him . Bob Woffenden , the author , later wrote an article for Inside Time , in December 2006 , talking about the trial and its controversies . Another similar article , pointing out holes in the evidence , was published in the Sunday Herald , on July 23 , 2006 . |
= = = = Witnesses = = = = |
The first problem with the evidence is the use of inmate informant evidence , such as that from Michael Wainwright , described as " the most disreputable [ form of evidence ] of all " , despite the fact that it was one of the key pieces of evidence in the trial . Glen Banks , a man with whom Park had briefly shared a cell and who claimed in court that Park had admitted his guilt to him , was described as " highly suggestible " , frequently changed his story , and also claimed that Park had admitted to killing Carol while sailing to Blackpool . Wainwright , the other informant , was said to bea heavy cannabis smoker and admitted to hearing voices . He claimed that Gordon had said that he went upstairs , found Carol in bed with another man , and killed her in a fit of rage . This seemed unlikely , as the Parks lived in a bungalow , and the supposed lover has never come forward . Park also claimed to have never actually met Wainwright . |
Joan Young , who was the only first @-@ hand witness , is challenged in both articles . She came forward in 2004 , claiming that she had seen someone push something over the side of a boat on Coniston Water . This testimony is challenged , because so much time has passed and the fact that her husband saw nothing . However , he claims to have been reading his paper at the time . Also , it has been said that Young was too far away to identify the person in the boat , and that it couldn 't have been Carol Park 's body that was being dumped , as the Youngs were positioned so that the location Carol 's body was found would have been visibly blocked by an island . The article even points out that Young described a boat that appeared to be a cruiser yacht . Despite the fact that Gordon did own a large yacht in 1997 , in 1976 he owned only a 505 racing dinghy , which he sold later that year . |
There are three witnesses who provide direct evidence supporting the idea that Park was innocent . The first , a neighbour , claims that they saw Carol at the bottom of her driveway . A second , another neighbour , claims that they saw an unidentified man in a Volkswagen Beetle in the Parks ' drive for twenty minutes . The presence of the unidentified car has never been accounted for . Around 6pm that night , another witness , a woman who knew Carol , saw her at Charnock Richard services . She had mentioned to her husband the fact that Carol had not greeted her , describing her as " snobby " . |
= = = = Other evidence = = = = |
The rock supposedly found in the lake , said to be taken from the Park 's garden wall , has been challenged as evidence in multiple places . Both articles say that the police diver had no memory of recovering it , and he claimed that if he had found it , he would have placed it back . Professor Kenneth Pye , a defense witness , said that there was no evidence that the rock had ever been on the lake bed at all . The article in the Sunday Herald also claims that the policeman said to be responsible for finding the rock fainted when it was produced in court , offering no explanation , but still denying that he ever found it . |
Two more issues are addressed in the Sunday Herald article , but not in the Daily Mail article . The first is of the knots used to tie up Carol 's body β the knots on Carol 's body were mostly granny knots , of which there was no evidence that Gordon ever used β indeed during the trial he was specifically asked this , and he responded , " I do not use granny knots " . The granny knot is always a mistake , used by someone who should have used a reef knot ; those learning knot @-@ tying frequently make this mistake . Gordon Park , an experienced knot @-@ tyer , would likely never use a granny knot , and their frequent appearance on the body of Carol is strong evidence that it was not Gordon who tied them . The article also claims that the evidence of knots was irrelevant anyway , as climbers and yachtsmen were so common in the area . The other piece of evidence related to another rock taken from the lakebed , which had supposedly come from the Parks ' roof . However , the prosecution eventually admitted that Westmoreland green slate had been worked in the area for hundreds of years , and could have come from anywhere . The Herald also mentions the fact that the police files from the original missing persons inquiry into Carol Park had gone missing themselves , but does not draw any conclusions from this . |
Both articles address the issue of who the killer could alternatively have been , and both of them mention Carol 's other lovers , and John Rapson , responsible for murdering Carol 's sister . Both of the articles mention that he was in the Barrow area around the time of the murder , but both of them are careful to point out that they are not accusing him of being the murderer . |
= = = No Smoke = = = |
On 1 May 2007 , No Smoke β The Shocking Truth About British Justice , by Sandra Lean , was published by Exposure Publishing . This book features the stories of seven high @-@ profile convicted murderers , including Park , Luke Mitchell and Sion Jenkins . The book claims that the expert testimonies in the Lady in the Lake trial were flawed , that certain evidence was withheld , and that the sensationalist reporting of the press at the time influenced the court by persuading them that Park was the only person who could have killed his wife . |
= = Personal life of Gordon Park = = |
Park worked as a village primary school teacher , but was retired by the time he was prosecuted for the murder of his first wife , Carol . Park had two children by Carol , Jeremy and Rachael . Gordon and Carol also adopted their niece Vanessa when she was 18 months old after her mother , Christie ( who was Carol 's sister ) , was murdered by her boyfriend in 1969 , aged 17 . This was described as a " rare and appalling coincidence " , but has been picked up on by the case for the defence since the trial . |
Park remarried twice after Carol was murdered . His second wife was named Catherine , and his third , to whom he remained married until his death , is named Jenny . Park met all of his wives through teaching , Carol was a teacher at Askam Village School when she was killed . When rejecting Park 's request for appeal , Lord Justice Keene , Mr Justice Beatson and Mr Justice Macduff noted that both Gordon and Carol had had affairs in the year leading up to Carol 's disappearance . |
Park 's interests included sailing and climbing , which was relevant to the case due to the knots used to tie his wife 's body . While in prison , Park spent time practising t 'ai chi , taking a maths degree and keeping fit . |
In an exclusive written interview with The Westmorland Gazette nine months into his sentence , Park talked of how he had struggled with prison , saying : " They [ other inmates ] may smoke incessantly , play loud music , the TV or video games , rifle your drawers , steal , lie etc . There is not a lot you can do about it ... I watched a guy " chasing the dragon " . It frightened me to death . I had never seen that before . " He refused to answer detailed questions about the trial or case , but protested his innocence , saying " If I knew who killed my wife , how , where , why , then I would have said so . I did not know then . I do not know now . " |
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