The Day of the Happy Event: I am writing a little of this up the morning before the death. I felt very excited and ‘the night-before-Christmasish’ last night. I did not have pleasant dreams, though. I am about to rise. [22 June 1954] In her post-homicide statement to the police, Pauline appeared the model of lucidity, which doubtless contributed to the case of full legal sanity upheld against her at trial. This interview was also notable for Pauline’s clear desire to shield Juliet from any blame, declaring that Juliet had gone well ahead along the track (“I wish to state that Juliet did not know of my intentions and she did not see me strike my mother”). Parker refused to disclose why she killed her mother and both girls conceded that they were both in a state resembling frenzy:
