In the pared-down, two-day trial that opened on October 1, 1947, Farran refused to testify in the face of possible self-incrimination. The court ruled his confession inadmissible due to an exaggerated interpretation of attorney-client privilege. Without a body, the eyewitness accounts of the abduction were circumstantial. According to Farran’s counsel, English law was clear: given the evidence, or lack thereof, the defendant could not be charged with murder. After fifteen minutes of deliberation, the military panel agreed. It acquitted Farran, and cheers of “jolly good show” filled the
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