Her age was 10 years at the time of her tragic death. Discussing Huntley's mindset, Leslie Chapman opined: "I think he was a time bomb waiting to go off and both our girls were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We do chat about her quite regularly, which I think is a very nice thing. The girls had been at a Wells family barbecue before sneaking out to buy sweets . Both the Humberside and Cambridgeshire Police were heavily criticised for their failings in maintaining criminal intelligence records on Huntley. "[225], Carr was released on probation from HM Prison Foston Hall on 14 May 2004 after serving a total of 21 months' imprisonment (including the 16 months she had been detained while on remand). [53] When he had replied Carr had not got the job, one of the girls had said, "Tell her we're sorry" before they both walked along College Street towards a bridge leading towards Clay Street. [121][122] On 8 October, Huntley was deemed mentally competent to stand trial.[122]. [14] His employers helped him to get the tenancy of 5 College Close,[208] and he and Carr moved to Soham in late September. His erratic behaviour and apparent distress led to him being prescribed anti-depressants on 13 August. He went on to have what his parents thought were "imaginary friends . [68] EVA REISTAD. Huntley would later inform investigators that he had waited for nightfall before opting to drive to RAF Lakenheath to dispose of the girls' bodies. [9], The final criminal allegation against Huntley prior to the Soham murders dates from July 1999. Lyrics by: Alan Menken. Maxine Carr, who was the girls teaching assistant, Hollys parents Kevin and Nicola Wells opened up about the death of their daughter, since the unimaginable death of their daughter, I wish I could see her now, see what shed have looked like, families dont suffer the same loss and heartbreak as we did. Ian Huntley is found guilty of murdering both Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells. Music Composed and Conducted by: David Newman. Wednesday 17 December 2003. [114][n 11] She was further charged with two counts of assisting an offender on 17 January 2003. Today, August 4, marks 20 years since schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets. Messages and flowers in remembrance of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells lie on the ground August 18, 2002 outside St Andrew's Church in Soham,. The victims were two 10-year-old girls, Holly Marie Wells and Jessica Aimee Chapman, who were lured into the home of a local resident and school caretaker, Ian Kevin Huntley,[1] who subsequently murdered the childrenlikely via asphyxiationbefore disposing of their bodies in an irrigation ditch close to RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. The Chief Constable of Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Tom Lloyd, was also subjected to severe criticism as his force had failed to contact Humberside Police during the investigation into Huntley's criminal background prior to his securing employment at Soham Village College. [106][107], During initial questioning, Huntley refused to answer questions and appeared evasive, confused, and emotionally detached, occasionally drooling during police attempts to question him in an effort to feign mental illness. They briefly moved out of the family home where she spent her last day, though. Referencing one of the 1998 rapes he had committed but had earlier claimed to her to have been falsely accused of in this phone call, Huntley then began voicing concerns as to again being falsely accused of involvement on this occasion, also claiming his previous arrest had caused him to suffer a nervous breakdown. Each of these girls was at least one year younger than himself; none of these relationships lasted longer than a few weeks. [27] The parents of both girls stated that their daughters had been wary of talking with strangers, having been warned not to trust people they did not know from early childhood. Carr's decision to corroborate Huntley's lies to investigators and media in the early stages of the police investigation briefly resulted in police discounting Huntley as a suspect before eyewitness accounts of Carr's whereabouts on 4 August and a search of mobile phone and telephone records proved the, Huntley had attempted to burn these clothes in the late evening of 4 August; the, Investigators later discovered that a week before his arrest, Huntley had taken his car to an. Jessica Wells took birth on 1 September 1991. On 4th August 2002, 10-year-old school friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were enjoying a . Huntley's parents had separated in 1993. Shortly thereafter, she briefly worked as a junior care assistant at a care home for the elderly in Grimsby, then returned to work alongside her mother as a labourer at Bluecrest fish processing plant. [16] Huntley's face showed no emotion as the verdict was announced; the mothers of both Wells and Chapman burst into tears. Maxine Carr is found not guilty of helping Ian Huntley in relation to the deaths of the girls but guilty of lying to the police about what happened. "[45] A young woman named Karen Greenwood also reported seeing the girls walking "arm in arm" along College Road about two minutes later. [193], By the time Capp had obtained employment at Bluecrest, she had garnered sufficient courage to begin dating men, but none of these relationships lasted more than a few months. They went missing on Sunday 4 August 2002, when they were both 10 years old. G+. A new Channel 5 documentary Soham: The Murder of Holly & Jessica dives into what happened immediately after their parents declared them missing, and how they achieved justice when Huntley was sentenced to two life sentences. These findings ultimately led to the tightening of various procedures within the Criminal Records Bureau system, including compulsory checks into potential criminal backgrounds of people who apply to work with children.[243]. Huntley denies murdering the two girls and Carr, a former classroom assistant at . [192], In 1993, Capp finished her schooling, having obtained no qualifications. [170], In March 1996, Huntley was charged with burglary. Sharon worked at St Andrews primary school in Soham. [92], On 3 December, Carr went into the witness box to testify in her own defence. Therefore, in this ruthless man's mind, both girls had to die in his own selfish self-interest." Holly and Jessica had been playing together at a . None were alive when Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman died on this day 20 years ago . Episode 1. Sign in to watch. The jury accepted her insistence that she had only lied to the police and media in order to protect Huntley because, prior to their arrest, she had believed his claims of innocence. On 14 September 2005, while an inmate at HM Prison Wakefield, he was scalded with boiling water by convicted spree killer Mark Hobson. This had included fibre evidence retrieved from Huntley's vehicle, clothes and carpets which had been a "precise match" to the Manchester United shirts the girls had been wearing at the time of their disappearance. [229] Carr won an injunction on 24 February 2005, granting her lifelong anonymity on the grounds that her life would otherwise be in danger. Where do Carole Middleton and Michael Middleton live? Watch on . Head to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and tell us what you think of our story. [242] This recommendation later led to the foundation of the Independent Safeguarding Authority. He chose not to enrol in college and instead committed himself to finding employment. [66] Walking through an overgrown verge about 600 yards (550m) from a partially tarmacked road, Pryer and one of his companions, Adrian Lawrence, discovered the children's bodies. This cassette tape contains a very different account of the murders of Wells and Chapman than that to which Huntley had testified at his trial. One heartbreaking aspect of the murder of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman was that parents everywhere could imagine that these could have been their children. Speaking previously to the Radio Times, Oliver admitted that he thinks about his sister often. ", "Caretaker Charged With Murder of Two Girls and Sent to Rampton", "Holly and Jessica: Two Bodies Found in Woods", "The Whole Town is Weeping: A Community Dazed by Grief and Disbelief", "Chatroom Contact Dismissed as False Lead", "Reconstruction of Children's Walk Too Painful for Parents to Watch", "Walking in the Last Known Footsteps of Holly and Jessica", "Abduction of Six-year-old May be Linked to Missing Girls", "A Long Night Waiting for News That Never Came", "Countdown to Murder of 'Two Little Beckhams', "Soham Murders: Why did Ian Huntley Kill Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman? [31], On 8 August,[32] CCTV footage of the girls, recorded minutes before their disappearance, was released to the public. Best friends Holly and Jessica were just 10 years . Three of them were aged 15, and one 13. [82][n 7] These conclusions were physically supported by an analysis of the shoots of nettles at the crime scene which enabled forensic ecologist and palynologist Patricia Wiltshire to estimate that the bodies had been placed at this location almost two weeks before. They were determined to be among the five per cent of couples who stay together after losing a child to murder. [202] Noting how Carr often became flirtatious when she consumed alcohol, Huntley sought to minimise any opportunity for her to drink or otherwise socialise outside his presence for fear of her cheating on him with other males. Today's service is a small milestone in our shared journey of grief and sorrow it is our hope that we may perhaps draw a line under one phase of our grieving and begin to look forward. [5][6], At 11:45a.m. on Sunday, 4 August 2002, Jessica Chapman left her home in Brook Street, Soham, to attend a barbecue at the home of her best friend, Holly Wells, in nearby Redhouse Gardens. The person responsible for this abduction and assault was also believed to have followed a 12-year-old girl in the same area, although in this instance, his car had been fitted with number plates which had been stolen in Nottinghamshire. [163] Huntley began work at Soham Village College on 26 November. In reference to the evident extensive cleaning of the house's interior, Huntley stated: "Excuse the dining room. [206], In September 2001, Huntley responded to a job advertisement for a job as a senior caretaker at Soham Village College. Minutes after their daughter's 8:30p.m. curfew had expired, Nicola Wells phoned the Chapman residence to ask if the girls were there, only to learn Leslie and Sharon Chapman were worried that their youngest daughter had not returned home. [224] Following Huntley's admission of guilt, this victim issued a press statement in which she confessed to feeling "a massive sense of relief", but concluded this statement with the sentence: "Yet, I still feel upset that Huntley was left at large, resulting in the deaths of two innocent children. Holly and Jessica remembered. [96], Having participated in the search for the children, Huntley regularly asked police officers questions such as how their investigation was progressing and how long DNA evidence could survive before deteriorating. Although Huntley was vetted for the post, including police checks, this failed to identify previous . On one occasion, he beat his wife so badly she suffered a miscarriage. A physical description of each girl was also released to the media, describing them as being white, about 4ft 6in (137cm) tall, and slim. [129] Latham described how mobile phone records and eyewitness accounts placed Carr in Grimsby on the evening in question,[130] showing the statements she had given to police and press had been false. [238], Bichard later ordered the suspension of the Chief of Humberside Police, David Westwood, for ordering the destruction of records pertaining to alleged child molesters which had not resulted in a conviction. Parents of murdered Soham girl Holly Wells have become grandparents. The girls had been at a Wells family barbecue before sneaking out to buy sweets. It remains one of the most . Available Until: 05 September 2026. "[111] Despite these revelations, Carr initially remained emotionally attached to Huntley and professed her belief in his innocence to both the police and her family. Ian Huntley's account of Holly drowning after falling into his bath . [15], Within days of Huntley's formal sentencing, he reflected to the media on the prospect of spending the remainder of his life behind bars and of his fears for his security, exclaiming: "I'm going to rot inside this place. For the first five months after Holly died we broke down together, but after that we processed our grief at different speeds. He also ran the London Marathon for the charity in 2012. [163] Huntley also enjoyed football, and was an avid supporter of Manchester United. [75], On 21 August, the bodies of both girls were identified via DNA testing. Wed, 17 Dec, 2003 - 13:00. A further two part, 60-minute documentary, commissioned by Channel 5, Channel 5 first broadcast the three-episode drama, This page was last edited on 24 February 2023, at 18:00. [14] Pathological evidence retrieved from the bodies indicating at least one of the girls had been subjected to a sexual assault either before or after her murder was not disclosed to the jury at Huntley's trial. [24] One of these officers observed three vertical scratches on Huntley's left jaw, each measuring approximately three centimetres (1.2in), which he claimed had been recently inflicted by his dog. Its strange being three of us, when there used to be a fourth.. This vehicle was last seen turning into the Studlands Park housing estate. [55], I don't know the girls. After two months of courtship,[163] Huntley proposed to Evans. Latham delivered his closing argument on behalf of the prosecution by describing Huntley and Carr as "accomplished liars"[143] before outlining the prosecution's case that both children had to die to satisfy Huntley's "selfish self-interest" before Huntleywith Carr's supporthad embarked on twelve days of "cynical deception", with Carr only revealing the truth to police after being informed of the discovery of the children's bodies. But, whatever he initiated, plainly went wrong. On August 4, 2002, Huntley murdered Wells and Chapman . Huntley further alleges Carr had encouraged him to burn both bodies in an attempt to destroy all forensic evidence linking him to the crime. [240], An added complication in these criminal vetting procedures was the fact that Huntley had applied for the caretaker's job under the name of Ian Nixon, although he divulged on the application form for this position that he was previously known as Ian Huntley. Howard Gilbert, then-headteacher of Soham Village Collegehaving admitted the college's failure to check Huntley's references prior to offering him employmentlater said that he would not have employed Huntley if he had been aware of the burglary charge, as one of Huntley's key responsibilities was to ensure security in the school grounds. [238] Further criticism was directed at the force for their initial failure to scrutinise Carr's claims to have been in Soham on the date of the children's disappearance.
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