In October 1947, ship's steward James Camb raped and murdered actress Gay Gibson aboard the Durban Castle out of South Africa. Although Camb disposed of his luckless victim out of one of the liner's portholes and the body was never found, fresh scratches on the suspect's arms and back indicated his involvement in a fierce struggle. Blood-flecked saliva on the pillow cover of Miss Gibson's bed was consistent with manual strangulation, and in situations of abject fear such as that Gay Gibson must have felt at the hands of her attacker, it is common for the bladder to empty--which accounted for the extensive urine staining on the bed. In March 1948, after the ship docked in Southampton, England, Camb was tried, convicted and sentenced to death.
Brian Lane, Chronicle of 20th Century Murder, 1993
Brian Lane, Chronicle of 20th Century Murder, 1993
Unfortunately Camb was never executed; his sentence was commuted to life in prison, but he only served 11 years of his sentence. He was released in 1959, but was still a sexual predator and was later sent back to prison for assaulting a minor. Released again in 1978, he died in 1979.
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