In 1946 Maggie Brook was living in Wimbledon, and Ley had his house at 5 Beaufort Gardens, London, converted into flats. Ley thought Brook and a barman called John McMain Mudie were lovers. Ley told two of his workers that Mudie was a blackmailer. They tortured and killed him. The case became known as the "Chalk-pit Murder" because Mudie's body was dumped in a Surrey chalk-pit.