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In 1969, Stonehouse was accused of being a spy of communist Czechoslovakia. He also had an extra-marital affair with his secretary Sheila Buckley.
Before jetting off to Miami, John Stonehouse stole the identity of two dead men. (Photo Credits: X)
John Stonehouse, a former UK Member of Parliament, deserves a place in history, not only for his troubled political career but also for his complicated personal life. The man even died twice and of course, the first instance was deception. The incident took place on November 20, 1974, when Stonehouse’s clothes were rescued from a pile on Miami Beach. Everyone thought the British politician had drowned while swimming in the sea. It was, however, proven wrong when he was caught in Australia on Christmas Eve just a month later.
Stonehouse had been going through a lot when he jetted off to Miami on a business trip. Even his family was not aware of his plan to disappear. In the late 1960s, Stonehouse was recognised as a promising leader who became Postmaster General at the age of 43. His life changed drastically by the year 1974. His political career came under scrutiny while his financial situation became worse due to failed business deals.
In 1969, Stonehouse was accused of being a spy of communist Czechoslovakia. He also had an extra-marital affair with his secretary Sheila Buckley. His Labour Party lost the 1970 general election.
Before jetting off to the US, Stonehouse stole the identity of two dead men. He first applied for a passport in the name of Joseph Arthur Markham who had recently died in Walsall. Stonehouse later established another identity– Donald Clive Mildoon who had also died in the same region. The British politician also transferred a large amount of money to some new bank accounts to cover the expenses of his new life.
When Stonehouse’s clothes were found in Miami, his wife Barbara believed it to be a tragic accident. “I’m convinced in my mind that it was a drowning accident. All the evidence that we’ve had points to the fact that he was drowned,” she told BBC News.
Stonehouse finally confessed his true identity at Melbourne police headquarters on Christmas Eve. He even called his wife from there and said, “You would realise from all this that I have been deceiving you. I’m sorry about that, but in a sense, I’m glad it’s all over.”
A month after his reappearance, Stonehouse sat with the BBC for an interview where he revealed, “I was trying – by disappearing – to make their lives easier, by taking away some of the tensions that I gave to them from my old personality.”
Stonehouse parted ways with his wife in 1978 and three years later, married his former secretary Buckley. He breathed his last in 1988 just before he was about to disclose his story on a television show on missing people.
