Margaret

In July 1941, the murder of Margaret Stapleton, a British Censorette in Bermuda during World War II, shocked the local community. Miss Stapleton, a young woman tasked with monitoring foreign correspondence for suspicious activities, was last seen visiting friends at Bleak House. After declining an escort, she set off alone on her bicycle to catch a train home but never arrived. Concerned flatmates prompted a search, leading to the discovery of her brutally raped and beaten body near Prospect Railway Halt. The investigation quickly targeted Harry Sousa, a soldier already imprisoned for rape, who was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to hang. As the execution approached, Sousa made a mysterious escape but was recaptured the following day. The case highlighted the rare occurrence of such violence in Bermuda, forever marking the island’s history with the tragedy of Margaret Stapleton’s untimely death.