Albert Walker biography

There was an injury to the back of the man's head, but everything indicated that he accidentally drowned. At first the man's identity was a mystery to the police, but he was wearing an expensive Rolex Oyster Perpetual wristwatch. The police contacted Rolex, who keep records of purchases,

and they discovered that a man by the name of Ronald Platt had that particular watch repaired ten years earlier in 1986.

The police found Walker's mobile phone number on a reference letter Ronald had given a letting agent company. When they spoke to Walker he was more than helpful and went into the police station voluntarily. He told them that as far as he was aware Ronald had gone to France.

Arrest and Trial

Essex police contacted Walker to clear up a few matters. He was still using the name of David Davis, but when they went to his house he wasn't there. A neighbor informed them that Ronald Platt lived next door, not David Davis, and Ronald had a yacht in Devon.

On October 31, 1997 police arrested Walker on suspicion of the murder of Ronald Joseph Platt and found Sheena stuffing gold bars into a diaper bag. In the previous month Walker had bought over 67,000 pounds in gold bullion.

Walker was able to pretend to be anything or anyone at any time, but the evidence against him was strong. A global positioning system later pinpointed Walker's yacht to the area at the time when Ronald died. One of Ronald's fingerprints was also found on a plastic bag on the boat and Sheena testified against her father, excusing her behavior by claiming she had been hypnotized by him.

Walker admitted during his murder trial that he stole from clients in Canada, but has never confessed to killing Ronald. At Exeter Crown Court in June 1998, the jury took just two hours to convict Walker of Ronald's murder and embezzlement. The judge said Walker had committed "a callous, premeditated killing."

By 2000, bankruptcy trustees had recovered about 500,000 pounds of embezzled money, but authorities are unsure how much the former financial adviser stole and how much he lost in failed business ventures. There were possibly 150,000 pounds in gold bullion that was never recovered, but Walker has never revealed how much money remains hidden.

Sheena and her children were allowed to return to Canada after the trial and Britain signed an agreement with the Canadian authorities in June 2004 to transfer Walker back. He was returned in February 2005, after nearly seven years in prison. The Canadian police have said they fully intend to proceed with the 37 outstanding fraud and theft charges against him. Walker is eligible for parole on July 6,  2013.

The true identity of the father of Sheena's children has never been revealed.

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