The wartime death of a mother-of-two whose skeleton was found at the bottom of a well remains a mystery, an inquest has heard.

Jessie McMahon, who never returned after leaving her Hampshire home in April 1942 to collect firewood, was probably pushed down the well, said Portsmouth coroner James Kenroy.

But at an inquest on Tuesday he recorded an open verdict on her death, saying her skeleton had lain undiscovered for too long for cause of death to be identified.

He said: "Had it been a case which called for a verdict on a balance of probabilities I do not think it would have been a problem, as unlawful killing clearly suggests itself."

"But due to the passage of time it would seem that anyone likely to be able to help police with their inquiries is now deceased," he added.

'No justice'

Mrs McMahon's daughters, who were eight and four when she vanished nearly 57 years ago, always suspected foul play.

One of the prime suspects in the case was a local landowner's son who led the search for her body, the inquest heard.

The 40-minute hearing was told that the man was known as a womaniser and ladies' man, and was believed to have made advances towards Mrs McMahon.

When in June 1999 builders renovating a farm near the village of Liss discovered human remains at the bottom of its well, her family hoped the mystery surrounding their mother's death would be resolved.

But speaking after the inquest Eileen Howard said she was convinced her mother had been killed.

Her sister Maureen said: "I would have preferred a different verdict because in my opinion she was definitely murdered.

She added: "I feel very hurt that nobody's going to be brought to justice for this."

Failed search

An investigation was launched into Mrs McMahon's death after DNA tests confirmed the identity of the skeleton.

In a report read to the inquest, Det Con David Keevil said Mrs McMahon's marriage to bus driver John McMahon was stormy and violent.

On the night of the disappearance, April 29, 1942, Mr McMahon had been asleep upstairs at the farm, he said.

Mrs McMahon had said she was going out quickly to collect firewood, and her mother had warned her to be back in time to wake her husband at 9pm.

She never returned and when her husband woke up he went out to look for her, saying, "I'll kill her when she gets back."

But he returned 20 minutes later without his wife, and a police and Home Guard search also failed to find any trace of the woman.

Mr McMahon was questioned for 24 hours about the disappearance but later released without charge.

Nobody was ever charged in relation to the death, and the coroner said there was nothing to suggest Mr McMahon was linked to his wife's death.

Det Con Keevil's report ended: "All the suspects in relation to this inquiry are now deceased, the body has been confirmed as that of Mrs Jessie McMahon and there are no outstanding inquiries in relation to this case."

Home Office pathologist Dr Roger Ainsworth said there was no evidence of any bones having been broken, but added that he could not ascertain the cause of death

Mr Kenroy said it was tragic that two children should have been robbed of their mother and not known what had happened for more than half a century afterwards.