[24] Weeping, Huntley admitted responsibility for both deaths, but repeated his insistence that both deaths had been accidental. Huntley further alleges Carr had encouraged him to burn both bodies in an attempt to destroy all forensic evidence linking him to the crime. . [13], The precise events after the girls entered 5 College Close are unknown, but investigators believe sections of Huntley's later claims in initial interviews granted to the media prior to his arrest and his later trial testimonysuch as that he had been cleaning his dog at the time the girls passed by his house around 6:30p.m. and that one girl had been suffering from a nosebleedmay have been true. Capp obtained her diploma in 1996. Heartbreak of Ian Huntleys daughter as father shows no remorse for Holly and Jessicas murder, Ian Huntleys jail term run-in with Yorkshire Ripper, suicide attempts and a near-fatal stabbing, Peter Andre issues strict rule for daughter Princess as she lands massive modeling contract, Eamonn Holmes fans baffled over his unrecognisable appearance in new photo as they make plea. 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. [10] At 5:04p.m., a photograph of the two friends was taken by Wells' mother before the children ate dinner with the other house guests. 15 August 2002[61], At about 12:30p.m. on 17 August,[62] a 48-year-old gamekeeper named Keith Pryer discovered the bodies of both girls lying side by side in a 5-foot (1.5m) deep irrigation ditch close to a pheasant pen near the perimeter fence of RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk,[63] more than 10 miles (16km) east of Soham. Investigators were able to obtain extensive footage of the children's movements following their departure from the Wells household. [147], Referencing Huntley's likely motive for the murders and his claims at trial that both deaths had been accidental, Latham stated: "We invite you to reject the accounts of both deaths [being accidental] as desperate lies; the only way out for him. [217] Huntley again applied for compensation for the injuries he received in this attack, seeking 20,000 in damages. Ian was sentenced to life sentences. [6] He stressed that the cause of death was murder, adding: "Ten-year-old girls don't just drop dead. A prisoner who is serving a life sentence for the notorious murders of British schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman is in hospital after having . A documentary about Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr will air on Channel 5 on 9 and 10 March 2022 at . [146], On 10 December, counsel for both prosecution and defence delivered their closing arguments to the jury. Available Until: 05 September 2026. The Soham murders were a double child murder committed in Soham, Cambridgeshire, England on 4 August 2002. In his early years, he frequently threw tantrums in order to get his mother's attention; childhood friends later remarked how afraid he was of his stern father. Ian Huntley was found guilty of their murders and sentenced to life in prison. [222] It is believed Huntley had agreed to make this recording for a fellow prisoner (who had hoped to later sell the confession to the media after his release), in return for being provided with the antidepressants he had used to attempt suicide. [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. The inquiry scrutinised the investigation by Cambridgeshire Police into the children's disappearance and murder, as almost two weeks had elapsed following the disappearance of Wells and Chapman before Cambridgeshire Police became aware of Huntley's previous criminal background, despite his claims to be the last person to see the children alive. "[21], Concluding his questioning, Hubbard cautioned the jury not to succumb to the temptation of judging Carr's morality, but to consider her state of mind prior to her arrest when considering whether the lies she had told warranted any criminal liability, stating she had "done no wrong" on the date of the children's murder, and had not returned to Soham until 6 August. Christopher Clark, consultant forensic psychiatrist, reciting the conclusions of his assessment of Ian Huntley's mental state (2002)[121], Having been declared mentally fit to stand trial, Huntley was faced with a sentence of life imprisonment if a jury could be convinced of his guilt. Although Huntley was vetted for the post, including police checks, this failed to identify previous . "[143], Questioned about the efforts she had made to mislead both police and the media to divert suspicion from her partner, Carr emphasised she had only lied to police, the media and "anyone who asks" to protect Huntley, who had repeatedly assured her of his innocence of any wrongdoing and his fear of being "fitted up"[144] by police for the girls' disappearance should they discover the 1998 rape allegation made against him. Holly's parents moved out of the home where she had spent her last day, enjoying a family barbeque with best friend Jessica, who had rushed . Huntley saw the girls and lured them back to his house on the pretence that their teaching assistant Maxine Carr, his girlfriend was also at the house. And the intensity of your grief does diminish as the years pass., He added: Grief Encounter helped us learn how to manage our grief and that is why I will never stop supporting this charity.. [14] His employers helped him to get the tenancy of 5 College Close,[208] and he and Carr moved to Soham in late September. Morris stated that the most likely cause of death of both girls had been asphyxiation. Both were arrested on suspicion of abduction and murder at 4:30a.m. on 17 August. Testimony from Carr had indicated her suspicions sexual activity had occurred in their home in her absence as, although Huntley had insisted throughout their relationship that Carr perform all domestic chores, she noticed that he had washed the quilts, pillow cases and sheets of their bed in her absence. Songs by: Van Dyke Parks. Ian Huntley's account of Holly drowning after falling into his bath . [9] By 3:15p.m., both girls had changed into distinctive replica Manchester United football shirts, one of which belonged to Wells, and the other to her older brother, Oliver. ", "Huntley Must Serve 40 Years at Least, Judge Rules", "Trail of Underage Sex and Violence that Led to Murders", "Rootless and Troubled Lives of Couple Suspected of Killing Holly and Jessica", "Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells: 18 Years on From The Soham Murders", "Ex-detective Says 'Unspectacular' Huntley Did Not Stand Out", "Former Neighbour Describes Huntley Paedophile Slurs and Former Girlfriend Reveals His Violent Behaviour", "He Charmed, Bullied and Lied His Way Through Life", "School Admits Huntley References Not Checked", "Maxine Carr is One More Huntley Victim: Why Do We Demonise Her? Lyrics by: Alan Menken. Her parents, Kevin and Nicola, were certain she would be the first member of their family to go to university. A physical description of each girl was also released to the media, describing them as being white, about 4ft 6in (137cm) tall, and slim. Alarmed, she and her husband, Kevin, searched the house and nearby streets. [100], In February 2002, Huntley found Carr a part-time job at St Andrew's Primary School, although she lied about her academic qualifications when applying for this position. The family had just arrived home from a sunshine holiday before Jessica rushed round to see her friend at the barbecue at her house. [171], Between August 1995 and May 1996, Huntley established numerous sexual relationships with teenage girls, all of whom were under the legal age of consent. Wells and her friend, Jessica Chapman was out to purchase a sweet from a nearby vending machine. G+. ", "Police Reveal Horrors of Bodies in Ditch", "Last Farewell: Holly Buried in Private Service with Flowers from The Beckhams; Jessica is Laid to Rest 24 Hours Earlier as The Two Families Grieve Alone", "Police Identify Holly and Jessica's Bodies", "Soham Murders: Why Did Ian Huntley Kill Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman? I wish I could see her now, see what shed have looked like, he is quoted as telling RadioTimes in 2012 , prior to having his own kids. None were alive when Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman died on this day 20 years ago . [216], Huntley was transferred from Wakefield prison to Frankland prison on 23 January 2008. I just said she weren't very good as she hadn't got the job and they just says please tell her that we're very sorry and off they walked; in the direction of the library over there. Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education, "Soham Girls 'Likely to Have Been Asphyxiated', "Maxine Carr Gave Alibi to Save Me; Not to Deceive Police", "Judge Gives Huntley Forty Years And Little Hope", "Caretaker Charged with Murder of Two Girls and Sent to Rampton", "A Long Night Waiting For News That Never Came", "At Night I Sometimes Just Lay There and Cry", "Coroner: Girls' Bodies Were Moved to Woodland", "Ian Huntley Now: What Happened to the Soham Murderer After He Killed Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman", "Mistake Made by Maxine Carr that Showed She Knew Ian Huntley had Killed Soham Schoolgirls", "His Lies and Shallow Charm Fooled Dozens of People but They Hid a Violent, Bitter Man", "As Day Breaks, Huntley's House is Turned Into Dust and Rubble", "Was Jealousy Over Maxine the Trigger for Murder? Byline: Eileen Taylor THEY seem almost like family now, blonde Holly Wells and brown-haired Jessica Chapman. Two girls go missing in August of 2002, leaving their community reeling. He was not charged. OLIVER KOUMBAS JOANNE LEES TAMZIN LILLYWHITE JADE LITTLE . [118] This led to her developing anorexia at 16, with her weight at one stage plummeting to six stones (38 kg), and her mother forcing her to eat in order for her to regain weight. [142] When questioned about why she had then helped Huntley in extensively cleaning their home in the days after the children's murder, Carr claimed she had done so as she had always been "obsessive about tidiness. He would only resume using his father's surname following the 2002 reconciliation of his parents. Read more: Ian Huntleys jail term run-in with Yorkshire Ripper, suicide attempts and a near-fatal stabbing. [85][86], In the weeks following the disappearances, Huntley reluctantly[87] granted several television interviews to media outlets such as Sky News and the regional BBC News programme, BBC Look East, speaking of the general shock in the local community and his dismay at being the last person to see the children alive. We do chat about her quite regularly, which I think is a very nice thing. [186], As a child and adolescent, Capp was viewed by her peers as a timid outcast, with few friends. 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. Two decades on, where are their parents now, and how have they moved on from the awful tragedy? [159] The Huntley family were working class and at the time of the birth of their first child, lodged with Lynda's parents in Grimsby. [73] Numerous hairs later determined to belong to Chapman were discovered on a tree branch close to the location of the girls' bodies. The parents of murdered Soham girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman have been visited by police investigating phone-hacking by journalists. She lost her life at the hands of Ian Kevin Huntley when she was 10 years old. The murder took its toll on their marriage for a while, the pair have admitted. C ya around school! Luv Holly. Both girls had been missing for thirteen days when their bodies were found, and their corpses were in an advanced state of decomposition. The Bichard Inquiry Report of 2004 was commissioned by the government following the conviction of Ian Huntley for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2003. [70][71] No clear footprints were discovered at the crime scene. [29] Over 260 registered sex offenders across the UK - including 15 high-risk paedophiles - were also questioned; all were eliminated from the investigation. [89] In one interview with Sky News correspondent Jeremy Thompson during the second week of the search, he claimed to be holding on to a "glimmer of hope"[61] the children would be found safe and well, and that he had last seen the girls walking in the direction of a local library. Miss ya! Notorious killer gets throat slashed in jail. [203] He soon found new employment at a finance company in Binbrook while Carr maintained her employment packing fish at a local fish processing factory. [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. RMG6JATP - The parents of murdered Soham schoolchildren Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, from left, Leslie and Sharon Chapman and Kevin and Nicola Wells, arrive at the Old Bailey in London, where the prosecution is expected to outline its case at the trial of Ian Huntley and his former girlfriend Maxine Carr. Holly and Jessica both lived close to each other in the Cambridgeshire town of Soham in the United Kingdom and . "[157], Huntley avoided eligibility for a whole life tariff as the passing of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 had been one day after his conviction; thus taking effect on 18 December 2003 and applying solely to murders committed on or after this date. [192], In 1993, Capp finished her schooling, having obtained no qualifications. Huntley supplied a DNA sample to assist in their enquiries, with Carr also providing an alibi to support his claims of innocence. Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing from their small Cambridgeshire town on a sunny evening in August 2002. [242] This recommendation later led to the foundation of the Independent Safeguarding Authority. Episode 2. Music Composed and Conducted by: David Newman. Sign in to watch. Parents of murdered Soham girl Holly Wells have become grandparents. From the moment Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman are discovered missing (4th August 2002) every heart rending . [213], On 3 April 2004, the three-bedroomed house in College Close in which the murders occurred was demolished and the site levelled, with all rubble from the property being discarded in various undisclosed locations. Via this hobby, he became familiar with the environs of RAF Lakenheath. Maxine Carr is a former teaching assistant at St. Andrew. He was regarded as a loner, an oddball and an attention seeker by his peers, and became a target for bullies. We had a flood. He would also emotionally blackmail his partner if he detected any signs of her developing resistance to his control or indicating a desire to leave him. [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. It was a job she returned to in the years following her daughters murder. He then claimed to her Chapman had sat on their bed as he had helped Wells control the bleeding from her nose before both girls had left their home. Responding to questioning from her defence counsel, Michael Hubbard QC, Carr briefly discussed her initial acquaintance with Huntley, their subsequent relationship and plans to start a family once they both obtained financial stability before Hubbard directed his questioning toward her return to Soham on 6 August and her discovering Huntley had recently washed their bedding and had evidently cleaned sections of the house. [47], The following evening, a jogger alerted police to two mounds of recently disturbed earth he had seen at Warren Hill, just outside Newmarket. [81], The inquest into the children's deaths was held at Shire Hall, Cambridge, on 23 August 2002. "[55][n 5] This officer was unconvinced by Huntley's claims and suspicious of his agitated demeanour; Huntley remained a strong suspect. Kevin, who runs his own window cleaning business, is also the founding patron of the charity Grief Encounter. Includes summary of election income, expenditures and surplus campaign funds. PARENTS of pupils at an Ulster primary school are petrified that a "Holly and Jessica" - style tragedy could strike . [165], In 1990, Huntley finished his schooling, obtaining five GCSE passes. Shortly thereafter, she and her daughters moved to the village of Keelby. When they were returning home, they were lured into the local resident, Ian Kevin Huntley's home. Jessica and her friend Holly Marie Wells were both killed by Ian Huntly and his girlfriend Maxine Carr. 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. In 2015 it was reported that Nicola and Kevin had moved back into the home that held so many precious memories of their beloved daughter. The reason for this decision had been that both bodies were too extensively decomposed and damaged by fire to enable a conclusive determination of either the actual cause of death or if either girl had been subjected to a sexual assault. [241], The Bichard inquiry recommended a mandatory registration scheme for people working with children and vulnerable adults such as the elderly and mentally handicapped. Score Editors CHRIS BARRETT ADAM MILLER . [6][7] Before leaving home, Chapman informed her parents of her intention to also give her friend a necklace engraved with the letter H she had purchased for her on a recent family holiday to Menorca. "[45] A young woman named Karen Greenwood also reported seeing the girls walking "arm in arm" along College Road about two minutes later. [198] According to Carr, she was "instantly attracted" to Huntley's self-confident and pleasant persona, and agreed to begin dating him that same evening. The family regularly experienced financial difficulties, but Shirley would later state she "spoiled" her daughters to the best of her financial ability. Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones. [127], The trial of Huntley for the murders of Wells and Chapman opened at the Old Bailey on 5 November 2003 before Mr Justice Alan Moses; Huntley was charged with two counts of murder, to which he entered a plea of not guilty. [17], When they met, Huntley temporarily worked for an insurance company in Market Rasen. 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. He revealed: She was lost in a kind of wilderness whereas I was more hard-line about my emotions. [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. 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. [12] Huntley evidently lured the girls into his house, stating that his girlfriend, Maxine Carrthe girls' teaching assistant at St Andrew's Primary Schoolwas also in the house; she was in fact visiting her mother in Grimsby, Lincolnshire. [138] The bath was already filled with water as he had been cleaning his dog that afternoon. I was stood on the front doorstep grooming my dog down. They then returned to playing in Wells' bedroom at about 6:10p.m.[6][8], Around 6:15p.m., the two girls left the Wells residence without informing any of the house guests, to purchase sweets from a vending machine at the local sports centre. To this question, Carr stated that the child had expressed her desire to be a bridesmaid at her own future wedding, adding that Chapman had said she would willingly wear a dress for such an occasion. [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. Almost two weeks after Holly and Jessica went missing, their bodies were found - dumped in a ditch and badly burned. According to Clift, a "pale, shaking"[59] Huntley gazed into the boot for several moments, while Carr stood alongside him, her head bowed, weeping. And hes even walked the Great Wall of China to raise funds for it. That involved at all costs protecting Ian Huntley. [50][n 4] According to Huntley, Wells and Chapmanboth "happy as Larry"[52]had briefly enquired as to whether his partner, Carr, had been successful in a recent application for a full-time teaching assistant position at their school. [69], Carr was also interviewed by the press during the second week of the search for the children. However, ten years after their daughters death, they gave a statement in support of police plans to create a national database for sex offenders. [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. Investigators believe that prior to his 2002 arrest, Huntley had engaged in illegal sexual activity with up to 60 underage girls. By Huntley's own later admission, he had become sexually frustrated, and had unsuccessfully attempted to persuade a married colleague to date him on the weekend Carr visited her mother in Grimsby. The documentary was about Holly's parents after 10 years and Jessica's were not involved, therefore I did not expect much to be said about her. [156] In setting this minimum term of imprisonment, Mr Justice Moses stated: "The order I make offers little or no hope of the defendant's eventual release. Huntley was given two life sentences by the judge. The families of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells have laid the girls to rest at small private funerals almost a month after the 10-year-old best friends went missing. She briefly worked alongside her mother in a fish processing plant as she considered which career path she should choose before enrolling at the Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education, having chosen to study general care. On hearing this, Carr slumped forward. [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. In a statement, the Chapmans said: We hope [the databases] use will mean other families dont suffer the same loss and heartbreak as we did.. [24] A cover from the rear seat was missing, and the lining of the boot had been recently removed and replaced with an ill-fitting section of household carpet. [114][n 11] She was further charged with two counts of assisting an offender on 17 January 2003. [118] Carr only severed contact with Huntley in December 2002. Wednesday 17 December 2003. [92] Carr also displayed a thank-you card to this reporter which had recently been given to her by Wells on the last day of the school year. [197] She later legally changed her surname to Carr in an apparent effort to distance herself from her father. He went on to have what his parents thought were "imaginary friends . [57], On 6 August, Huntley drove from Soham to Grimsby to pick up Carr. Thank you! The inspiration for dedicating a flower to the children's memory came from a poem read aloud at the memorial service at Ely Cathedral on 30 August 2002 by the father of Wells, titled Soham's Rose. Several of Carr's former partners would later inform reporters they found her to be an. Staff and agencies. [88], By the second week of the children's disappearance, Huntley had become an unofficial spokesman for the community of Soham. While townsfolk are determined to remember Holly and Jessica, acts of remembrance in Soham are expected to be low-profile. Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr are taken in to help police with their enquiries, By the time his state of panic had waned, it had been too late to save the lives of either of the children[50] and that his first coherent memory had been of sitting on his vomit-stained landing close to Chapman's body. The killers girlfriend, Maxine Carr, who was the girls teaching assistant, was jailed for giving him a false alibi. [75], On 21 August, the bodies of both girls were identified via DNA testing. [97] By this date, police had received information from several Grimsby residents who had recognised Huntley in the television interviews he had given, and recalled that he had been accused of rape several years earlier.
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