The Tragic Case of the Man Who Died Twice - William Garfield Rowe | Well, I Never | True Crime

In 1963 William Garfield Rowe was a man who kept himself to himself. He had spent much of his life hidden away for fear of facing punishment but lived a contented life on his farm. Rumors would arise however, that the lonely recluse had a fortune hidden away somewhere on his property.
This rumor proved too tempting for Russell Pascoe and Dennis Whitty, two men who were prepared to get their hands dirty, and indeed, bloody in search of the fabled treasures.
00:00 - Intro
00:35 - The Strange Life of William Garfield Rowe
03:30 - His Killers | Russell Pascoe and Dennis Whitty
04:20 - The Night of the Murder
06:50 - The Aftermath

[@MsSwitchblade13]

What a sad story. William lived his whole adult life being afraid of interacting with people and stayed safe because of it. As soon as he (literally) opens the door to them, he starts to get robbed and is ultimately brutally murdered. I don't feel sympathy for his killers at all. They got off easily compared to what they did to that poor man.

[@NiecieSavo]

I was viciously attacked in my home last year in front of my children. Lost my husband a few months later from the stress of it and had both my arms badly disabled. Wish we still had the death penalty. They deserve nothing less.

[@MariaAbrams]

I'm so sorry...🌻💚

[@aleciamiaric8799]

I’m sorry to learn about your ordeal. I wish and pray for your family’s total recovery. May your husband rest in peace. 😢

[@hound3000]

I'm sorry for what happened to you.

[@addie_is_me]

It’s such a controversial topic sometimes, but I agree with you. There are people who have simply forfeited their right to live and not only murderers. I mean, not use the DP Willy Nilly, but if you cause enough damage to someone else and won’t change…sounds harsh I know. Im not a harsh person, I give people too many chances in my personal life, less than I used to though, you get to an age…lol Look after yourself and be well. 🪷

[@bartman9400]

Ok Britain may not have a death penalty but I’m sure the driver of the police vehicle that carries the convicts could be let off for accidentally parking in a live military fire area and get out on break while the exercises starts, I’d certainly forgive the driver.

[@malloryknox1637]

I was kina pleased to think that the old guy had all that money hidden and it was never found by his murder's. It was like a posthumous win.

[@resnonverba137]

Murderers...

[@scrounder]

So sad that William only wanted peace and quiet his whole life, and people kept victimising him because of it. I hope that wherever he is, he is finally at peace now.

[@Oonagh72]

My cousin was murdered because there was a rumor he was rich and had money hidden in his house. He was 94 years old.

[@Mrs.TJTaylor]

How horrible. I’m so sorry.

[@marionfriedenthal7352]

That is so cruel. My sympathy to you and your family.

[@missmack3184]

What was the name? Sounds farmilar

[@journeysalkebulan]

😢😔😔 I'm sorry.

[@journeysalkebulan]

@@missmack3184 😡😡😡😡

[@ItsJustLisa]

My husband’s natural grandfather was murdered when my MIL was just a year old. He’d survived WW2 and spent her first year of life serving during the Nuremberg trials (I think he was junior officer). He came home just before Halloween. Someone snapped literally the only picture of her with both of her parents on his arrival. She has a copy in a frame next to her bed. Barely two weeks later, right after MIL’s first birthday, he was killed by a drunk while hunting in a case of “mistaken identity”. He bore a resemblance to his uncle who’d been fooling around with the drunk’s wife. Since the drunk didn’t manage to kill the man he’d intended, he was only charged with manslaughter. Never mind the fact that the man fully intended to murder my MIL’s great-uncle, so he absolutely premeditated his actions. So my MIL literally never knew her own father. For her sake, I’m hoping the drunk husband is rotting in hell.

[@kerim.peardon5551]

When my grandfather was a boy during the Depression, he snuck out at night to steal a watermelon from a neighbor's farm. The farmer heard someone outside and thought it was his wife's lover (whether she actually had one or he was just paranoid, I don't know) and he shot my grandfather with a shotgun full of bird shot, which thankfully didn't kill him, but it left him full of lead pellets. His parents had to call a doctor, who sat there for a long time, digging the pellets out. But he carried some in him all his life. There were certain medical tests that they interfered with.

[@amethyst1826]

@@kerim.peardon5551 Did he still go out to nick watermelons? Poor fella.

[@hound3000]

Poor William. He went through the terrible things of losing his parents and his brother, just to die like that.

[@bartman9400]

I wish they would bring back the death, some people are truly deserving of it.

[@amethyst1826]

(((( )))) some hugs for you

[@davidchurch3472]

I saw a man who had been dead for about half an hour, and then woke up. I also met a man who had died in his GP's surgery; died again in the cottage hospital later that day, and died again in the District General Hospital about 90 minutes later. As a prize, they gave him a pacemaker, and he came to show me afterwards.

[@chatita9527]

Glad to hear that these murderers had to pay with their life. And I cannot understand why, as a guard, you feel terrible about these criminals ending up as they did. Would they feel like it if it had been their families that were murdered? I feel sorry for the victims always, and certainly not for criminals. They have a choice, they were given brains to think and decide between good and wrong.

[@torbk]

Well, it is all about outlook on life. Guardsmen or not, they had spent time with the inmates, as they said. Empathy isn't a bad trait. That the guard brought him cake, asked him if he wanted some tea, it all simply displays a bit of humanity. Guards are humans as much as all the rest of us. I find it very understandable he would regret their deaths, and am puzzled why you find this strange. Perhaps it has with the very acceptance of the idea of the death penalty. With the exception of Belarus and Russia, which are dictatorships, all of Europe has abandoned the death penalty. We see it as barbaric, more about vengeance and punishment than actual justice. The odds that somebody who has been wrongfully convicted should be sentenced to death is also too great. I do not know if you are American or not, but that many states in the USA still practices death penalty, and sometimes even cheer for the execution of people, to many of us in Europe, it seems you value life too little and care to much about retribution, are too vengeful. I could go into a longer rant on the subject. How Americans see protecting their property as more important than somebody else's life. That they value ownership higher than life. Property is just items. A life once taken cannot be undone. I think this very thing is one of the largest points of contention, of the difference, between people from Europe and the United States and why we do have such a different outlook on what is acceptable, proper, and moral. We simply do not have the same morality. And I am glad of it.

[@Miss_Wonderful1]

Before watching documentaries about modern executioners in US prisons, I too thought it odd for guards to be empathetic towards ruthless murderers (I mean, I didn't expect them to be cruel but I supposed they'd be very detached) but then I understood I was wrong. It's difficult to explain here the reasons why guards develop that empathy (especially in a language that's not my own) but, mostly, it boils down to the fact that it's in the human being's nature to connect with others, especially if one is not callous.

[@torbk]

@@Miss_Wonderful1 Exactly my point.

[@aurorawolfe6060]

eh, it makes sense that the guard formed some sort of connection with someone he's forced to spend time with for weeks on end, in the course of doing his job. and no, they probably wouldn't have that connection if they were the victim's loved ones, but they're not, so... i wouldn't expect the guards to be cruel and mean to the criminals, they're already getting what's coming to them.

[@KarenAlexandrite-aka-PinkRose]

@@torbk I assure you, not every citizen in the U.S. is "the ugly American." Many of us feel the way you do and value life. Unfortunately, the ones who seem to have no problem with mass shootings and other atrocities give the rest of us a bad name.

[@kstormgeistgem461]

you very much remind me of a fellow my gran and i used to listen to on the radio back in the day. i don't know if anybody has heard of him in this day and age, but his name was Paul Harvey. he did a program similar to what you do on here. it was called "The Rest of the Story". he'd start telling the listeners about something, the station would take a break midway through and then he'd come back with, "And now, the rest of the story." then he'd end the whole thing with, "And now, you've heard the Rest of the story. Good Day." had very much the same soothing, fabulous story telling voice. no matter how awful the story, it always sounded tolerable. no hype. no sensationalism. just a lovely sounding fellow telling us about things we might never have been exposed to in a calm, lovely voice.

[@KhanaHatake]

This poor guy. Doing nothing but minding his own business, and still got murdered.

[@traceyrossberg4640]

I find it hard to believe that two prison guards would feel sorry for an evil disgusting murderer, what they did to that poor man was absolutely deplorable, hanging was too kind to them, RIP William.

[@traceyrossberg4640]

@@hannahreynolds7611 you never feel sorry for crims, you do horrific things to good people, you shouldn’t live, simple as that

[@GAshoneybear]

I don't. It happens a lot more than you would think that guards develop some type of relationship with prisoners. I mean, why would Douglas lie about that?

[@TruckingVideos]

It was fairly normal for death cell warders to establish some relationship with prisoners in the condemned cell, for this reason although the same six warders would have spent the time on death watch duty, two new warders were always brought in one hour before execution to escort the prisoner to the gallows.

[@erraticonteuse]

Being able to feel pity for those who do not deserve it is proof you are a better person than them.

[@BFFBuddyFionaandFriends]

It is hard to understand. I worked in a prison for a short time with old guys living out their life sentences. Some would tell me they weren’t the person they were when they killed their victim. I would always say “The guy you killed isn’t the same anymore either.” Most said they were framed, some said Jesus forgive them, so should I.

[@retriever19golden55]

Paul, your narration is brilliant, as always. Matter-of-fact, but clearly expressing empathy. And thank you for always wishing us to stay well...same to you! I'm glad the guards were able to be kind to the condemned man; no need to be cruel or indifferent, his punishment was coming anyway.

[@NiecieSavo]

Why bother, they showed no kindness to their victim.

[@joannaw5913]

@@NiecieSavo Because the guards were decent human beings?

[@RoadDawgs996]

Well said.

[@alietheartist734]

There’s a case from a town near where I live that isn’t officially closed. They were never able to prove who the killer was, but almost everyone knows and the man is still free today. It happened in the 1980s. An older couple had custody of their grandson, which really isn’t uncommon in these parts, but what was unusual was that they were quite wealthy compared to most people in the area. The grandson was very spoiled and his grandparents usually indulged him. However, when he was getting close to his 16th birthday, he asked them for a very nice car. They refused and the boy was very angry about it. A few days later, the grandparents were discovered dead in their home having been brutally beaten. The grandson had been away for the night. Several days after this, a new car, exactly the one requested by the grandson was delivered. The couple had ordered the car before he even asked and didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Investigations were conducted, but no one could find enough evidence to arrest anyone. And yet...everyone knew.

[@RoadDawgs996]

How fitting that someone showed kindness to a person that had savagely killed an elderly man that never harmed anyone. I have no sympathy for some body like that sad but it's the truth.

[@amulyaranjan6070]

Ye

[@scottevans5728]

More proof that one thing hasn't changed over the decades: opening your door late at night to strangers when you're not expecting visitors is a very, VERY bad idea. What could possibly have possessed William Rowe to do it?

[@ar50000]

Or even opening your door to strangers in the daytime, nowadays. Don't do it! Whatever their excuse.

[@Greymalkin-]

I live not far away from Constantine but despite having read a load of Cornwall related history/oddities/murders/spooky books, I'd never heard of this case. Thank you so much for covering it, and so well.

[@roscoewhite3793]

A recluse with a rumoured fortune turns up as a motive in so many murder cases of the most sordid and senseless kind. Requiescat In Pace, William Garfield Rowe.

[@deadpan80]

This sounds eerily similar to the In Cold Blood murders of a farming family by two men looking for money right around this same time in the midwest.

[@JJW77]

Well, I never thought they could be so cruel to beat and killed a harmless old man...

[@koalabear3427]

Dennis Whitty was in his early 20s..he looked 40yrs old!

[@bensalfield397]

I literally know all the places mentioned here - including Nanjarrow Farm - and members of the families involved; yet until I saw this I didn't know about this incredible story. Thank you.

[@hotmechanic222]

Read about this case recently, the son of the caravan park where they lived, David Penhaligon who was mentioned in the video, later became a member of parliament and was a front runner to become leader of the Liberal party when he was killed in a car crash

[@tamsin1969]

Another great case. Thank you so much. Look forward to seeing you every week. Really interesting story!!

[@sarafleming9893]

I totally agree! Love hearing his stories and look forward to them. 😃

[@karinac.3378]

Finally the day is over and I can sit down and listen to the greatest narrator on KZbin 💯💯

[@stephanielloyd4053]

My Godfathers garages and outhouses were broken into and he discovered them still there, he ran upto the main house, had a heart attack and died! So sad. His poor wife was devastated. The blokes should've been charged with murder!

[@addie_is_me]

Why weren’t they? We have a law, felony murder, even if you don’t kill a person directly if they are die during the crime or you partner is the one who pulled the trigger, you are culpable of murder.

[@clairexxx7473]

I’d never heard this story before, and as always I absolutely loved it!!😍😍😍

[@jstringfellow1961]

Several things stand out for me when it comes to military absence. There should be a way out if you don't want to serve. I've seen too many really good people end up with real mental issues, both because they were forced to stay and because they had no idea what they were truly getting themselves into in the first place. If there was true transparency about the role, it would or could be handled differently. That being said, there was no excuse for this man's murder. People want something they don't want to work for or earn on their own, and it turned out to be their end. So sad.

[@xTigressStylex]

Another great documentary! I find myself addicted to your channel, loving the narration style and cases you cover. Btw I dare to suggest you the Elsie Paroubek’s case, once I read about her kidnapping and murder it had a huge impact on me. It’s been years since I’ve found about her and her family story but never found any documentary as good as it must be. I believe your narration talent and a script you’d write would be great! With much of respect sir 🙏

[@BJKage]

Now, that was something. At liest the bastards did not get the money, such a miserable reason to loose a life for. Very interesting, thank you and see you next time.

[@KeweenawPatriot]

You're not getting me to go anywhere called "the murder headquarters"...lol.

[@Rubytuesday1569]

Brilliant narration as always Paul, an interesting case too. ☮️

[@gingerray2834]

Thank you for presenting another unusual case in your own unique style. You have made my morning much more interesting.

[@suebt8794]

Brilliant as ever! Well I never! You should be on TV x

[@cynthiatolman326]

So sad. He never lived a normal life due to hiding for decades, and then killed so horribly.

[@nataliesmith3429]

Thank you for another great case! I love listening to your stories!!

[@crimeteetee]

Thank you for your well received content

[@Jack-lt7hi]

My Nan lives in Constantine. Im from Bristol but live in falmouth now. I went to Constantine primary school for a bit. My Dad told me about this case. Few years ago I took my nephews down through the woods to nanjarrow farm where it happened but the owners drove up so I pretended we were lost. Couldn't get close enough to see the house properly. Bit disrespectful but my nephews wanted to see. I blame them. Its their fault 😛

[@babe9334]

Well I never can get enough of your content 👉👍❤

[@KarenAlexandrite-aka-PinkRose]

So good to see you, Paul! You were missed!

[@chri2453]

22 and 23 years old? I am 49 and younger looking than those two.

[@EIRE55]

Good to see you again, Paul, and to listen to your wonderful story-telling. Take care.

[@rachelmayes298]

What a sad 😢 case.

[@Ms.HarmonyJ]

I thought I would never see another amazing video from you my friend I'm glad to see one best regards my friend

[@Miss_Wonderful1]

A very sad story masterfully narrated.

[@silkekonig-bar7291]

I'm glad you're looking well today.

[@audibjornsson6107]

Another excellent telling! Love your content!!

[@bethpemberton7980]

My great great grandfather also a murder victim Dec 15, 1897 and also a farmer and an elderly man and the report of hidden gold. As far as I know they were wrong abt the gold!

[@judybrown5478]

Great story, as usual. I feared I'd not see another video from you. So glad to see you back 😊

[@cuccicucci4480]

They must've beaten him wanting to know where the money was. Poor guy didn't stand a chance with these 2 brutes. 😪

[@janemary8339]

How was he supposed to answer them while they stubbed him in his chest?? 5 times!!

[@CocoWantsACracker]

Your stories always manage to show such humanity. We are introduced to the murderers of an innocent, reclusive old man and despise them - or at least I did, I should not talk for anyone else. And then, after I was celebrating their conviction, we get to hear the account from the prison guard, who met the murderers in person and sees their human side. It was interesting to experience my own reaction to it: I was slightly shocked and even angry at the guard for seeing humans instead of monsters, before realising the line between men and monsters is so fine that what we see depends on a lot of factors. The reclusive old man might have distrusted people in general and may or may not have seen his assailants as monsters before they struck. But looking at this story nearly philosophically, it proves that even if you trust no-one, it will not keep you safe under all circumstances, so you might as well take the risk and trust some or most people. Life may be a lot more pleasant that way.

[@gokuxsephiroth4505]

Wow... I have family in Constantine, so weird to see it mentioned on here. Feels like one of those sleepy little places where nothing ever happened.

[@keyaunna.]

i would love to hear you talk about the halifax explosion. it was one of the most disastrous explosions in canadian history and i live in the same province where it happened.

[@basbleupeaunoire]

I'm sure Paul would do a job of it as well, but Fascinating Horror has a video on it.

[@kylieellis5671]

oh thank goodness, another Well I Never post!!! 😍

[@louiseevans6121]

You tell a very good story. Thank you!

[@NavyWife]

Another great story. Thank you!

[@snb6642]

This is one of those really sad stories. thanks for sharing. Always looking forward to your videos. from 🇯🇲

[@djpriddin6211]

Very interesting documentary Well researched and written Always look forward to seeing your uploads

[@allanriches9381]

Very sad. Greed is a terrible thing.

[@jeffsyg]

Fantastic video. Cheers!

[@ticketyboo2456]

I hope the fear these monsters felt leading up to their execution was ten times the fear their poor victim felt.

[@basbleupeaunoire]

The newspaper is dated Sept 27, 1963, which means they lived to see that they'd missed the 3k pounds! ha!

[@boomer63]

Welcome back. I missed you 🥰

[@desbelfastireland9982]

THANK YOU

[@cindysmith6612]

Thank You

[@tashuntka]

Damn.... Well don't answer the door... Or, have anything worth stealing 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ Thanks W.I.N. 💛💛

[@ladytron1724]

Brilliant story teller😀

[@shellyharry8189]

that killer didn't deserve a cream donut.

[@mjb933]

like your voice and storytelling good job!!!

[@evabyrne-kr1fz]

I feel sick because this story is too close to home. I was a skinhead chick in the late seventies and early eighties..so many crimes we watched our boys do.. all about racial hate and greed...i pray to god every day to forgive me for my complicity in these crimes. Peer group pressure is a road to hell and it will haunt you forever.

[@jacquelinerussell8530]

Short and to the point👍

[@rosemaryfranzese317]

How sad that William Rowe who refused to got to war and kill should die so violently. Rowe and Whitty went to the farmhouse to steal and commit murder, it seemed always to have been their intention. Some people were executed in the past who may have deserved compassion and could perhaps have been rehabilitated but I have no sympathy for these two. All too often victims of crime are forgotten and the criminals almost celebrated. These two would have killed again

[@mumsow]

I lived not far from Nanjarrow(Goldsithney ) in the mid 70s it was always said that around there was haunted . I don't know about that but it always felt sad and lonely there.

[@MistressKarma6969]

My grampa had this happen to him. The robbers blew his head off . It broke the familys heart ppl are so cruel 😢

[@phelpsuzan]

My Grandfather and some of his buddies beat and robbed a mentally challenged farmer for his rumored riches. His children had a different story rather glorifying him as a hero in their explanation for his time in prison. The truth reveals itself sooner or later.🤔

[@burntearth85]

Why would someone feel pity for a murderer? Did the pair feel pity for murdering a man for £4?

[@derekstocker6661]

What a great end to a sad tale. Can we for a moment imagine if this was to happen today, it would be the wonderful "legal" lie of a Life Sentence and out again within fifteen to twenty years or so. RIP William.

[@rioangel8397]

Anybody know when "Burgled" became "Burglarized" ?

[@ruthd7274]

It is a pet hate of mine. It's a weird Americanism that doesn't need to exist.

[@annierosha5946]

The killers obviously weren't very bright - they killed the only person who knew where the money was located. Stupid, evil men.

[@empressoftheknownuniverse]

Worst case of the Prisoner's Dilemma I've ever heard. Still, well presented. 👍

[@consciousobserver629]

He escaped the military twice. My respect to William.

[@angelafinley2662]

You are a handsome old chap! 💯

[@ElizabethBattle]

I wonder who cared for the farm animals and pets after poor William's murder.

[@teenieneenie630]

The UK needs to reinstate the death penalty. Even if it's County by County, the citizens should have a say in this not just the Judicials.

[@02bher1]

🤔What is left to say about it is that when they took William's life he didn't have the leisure of contemplating his time left to live. 🧔‍♂Those two chaps had 🍵tea and donuts while they awaited their fates. We all have options in our actions; and if they are the wrong ones; we then must face our fates. As the saying goes 'React in haste repent in leisure."🤨

[@moondancer4660]

Several times I have noticed that you say the names of the people who carry out the death penalties. Here in the US the people who kill you don't have a name! In other words you ask their name they will respond the state of Texas or the state of wherever they are.

[@fone9665]

Sorry 🙏🏼, had to stop you there, this was not an old, man, he was 63, only just his life back, only because he didn't want to go out, and randomly kill innocent people! I am 54, very much young! My parents are 87, and very much not going anywhere! These 20 year old thugs very much deserved to be in solitary, absolutely no frills, for the rest of their lives, no contact, no books, no TV... I believe this is a much greater punishment, than an instant death....

[@marlenegreyling8620]

@@Irunwithscissors63 I am 63, but in my head I am still 36! My bones are telling a different story though 😃 My gran died in 1952 when my brother was born. She was 59 and looked 95!

[@marlenegreyling8620]

@@Irunwithscissors63 I long for those days, but if they were living a simpler life back then, why did they look so old? It might have been more peaceful and easy going, but a harder sort of life?

[@marlenegreyling8620]

@@Irunwithscissors63That's true. We are also living in modern times and it's a trend to look younger than your age. And trends are contagious. You become what you think about a lot. Some use lotions and creams, other cosmetic surgery. Back in the day other things were important.

[@marlenegreyling8620]

@@Irunwithscissors63 I think it's happening already. The world is in turmoil.....cannot go on like this much longer.

[@lindathomas5500]

Hi from Cornwall 👋 it’s actually pronounced porth - lev - in 👌 Incidentally, I actually know the Pascoe family, grew up with Russel’s niece and his great niece is my daughter’s best friend, I can tell you that this event still affects the family! I’m 56 and for the 40 + years I’ve known the Pascoe’s or rather his niece, she’s told me often about what her grandmother went through for years afterwards, and her own mother! They dread when anniversaries of the date bring newspaper stories!

[@lenemariakowalczyk9777]

Do you work as an audiobook narrator? If not; you would be perfect for it👌👌👌 ☺️

[@angelafinley2662]

Love you! ❤️❤️❤️❤️💋💋💋💋

[@patienceboafo1998]

Such a senseless murder of an innocent 👨

[@ianhoare289]

I always thought the money was buried in fields in old jars and the Scotland Yard detectives figured it out from a note book.

[@rolfsinkgraven]

Poor William a sorry life and a bad ending.

[@roger2008100]

Cracking story

[@kyote1089]

I like the term "murder headquarters"! 😂

[@bilindalaw-morley161]

@7:23 the old defence of "TODDIT".."the other dude did it"

[@stevenmcghee6649]

Back then, to be hung for murder it had to be committed in the course of robbery. Murder as a sex crime would 'only' have resulted in a life sentence. That resulted from a change in the law in 1957. If Pascoe and Whitty hadn't taken that £4, it wouldn't have been a capital crime.

[@glorygloryholeallelujah]

Spending most of the day, every day, hiding in a room, for nearly 40years and missing out on almost every wonderful human experience, due to the fear of being caught….(side note; I hope he at least bumped uglies ONCE before his self imprisonment). There are rare occasions where the cure can actually be far worse than the disease itself… To me, this is definitely one of those occasions. 🤨😬

[@theparkourlady894]

This was a planned murder and robbery, so its hard for me to feel pity for them feeling sorry for themselves on death row. Honestly if u do the crime u should do the time 🤷‍♀️

[@foo219]

What an awful fate, and it was all so pointless. All that money he hoarded didn't do him any good, and it didn't even help the people who killed him for it.