Wartime London's 'Bonnie and Clyde'

The Crime Spree of Betty Jones and Karl Hulten

Melissa Ganendran, Prash Ganendran

• Publisher: Pen and Sword True Crime
• Year: 2026
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781036129620
• Subtopic: British History
• Index: History

Wartime London's shadowy crime spree reveals how trauma and wartime chaos forged Betty Jones and Karl Hulten into killers whose partnership ended in tragedy.

How did a petite dancer from a Welsh mining town become a killer in wartime London? Set against the chaos of the Second World War, Wartime London's 'Bonnie and Clyde' unravels the gripping true crime story of Betty Jones and Karl Hulten, whose crime spree led to tragedy and infamy.

Betty’s life, shaped by poverty, upheaval, and trauma, took a dark turn when war erupted. After surviving assault, rejection, and a violent marriage, she fled to London from Wales, seeking glamour but found herself ensnared in a shadowy world of striptease dancing, black-market dealings, and fleeting romances. In 1944, she crossed paths with Karl Hulten, a charming yet volatile American deserter, and together they embarked on a reckless spree culminating in the fatal shooting of a taxi driver, a case that would be dubbed the 'Cleft Chin Murder.'

Drawing from newly uncovered evidence, police records, court transcripts, and first-hand accounts, this narrative delves into Betty’s transformation and the media frenzy that followed. Was she a cold-blooded killer or a pawn in a destructive partnership? And what became of her after she narrowly escaped execution?

Wartime London's 'Bonnie and Clyde' is a haunting tale of crime, justice, and redemption, exploring gender roles, societal attitudes, and the profound impact of war on those living in its shadow. It challenges readers to question how far circumstances and choices shape those who kill, and whether justice was truly served in a case where all were victims.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Author’s Note
• Chapter One: Condemned
• Chapter Two: Sixteen Years Earlier
• Chapter Three: Far From Home
• Chapter Four: On the Edge
• Chapter Five: Home Front Trials
• Chapter Six: The Approved School
• Chapter Seven: Drafted
• Chapter Eight: London’s Allure
• Chapter Nine: Over the Hill
• Chapter Ten: Dangerous Attraction
• Chapter Eleven: A Night of Reckoning
• Chapter Twelve: Investigations
• Chapter Thirteen: Truth and Lies
• Chapter Fourteen: Words Behind Walls
• Chapter Fifteen: The Old Bailey
• Chapter Sixteen: Verdict
• Chapter Seventeen: A Date with the Hangman
• Chapter Eighteen: Morbid Curiosity
• Chapter Nineteen: Behind Bars
• Chapter Twenty: Moving Forward
• Sources
• Index
• Plates