holly wells and jessica chapman parents holly wells and jessica chapman parents

Holly and Jessica's families still live in Soham. [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. [218][219][220], On 5 September 2006, Huntley attempted to kill himself by taking an overdose of antidepressants he had accumulated in his prison cell. [31], On 8 August,[32] CCTV footage of the girls, recorded minutes before their disappearance, was released to the public. "[67] Lawrence immediately reported the discoveries to police. [206], In September 2001, Huntley responded to a job advertisement for a job as a senior caretaker at Soham Village College. [73] Numerous hairs later determined to belong to Chapman were discovered on a tree branch close to the location of the girls' bodies. [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. Kevin, who runs his own window cleaning business, is also the founding patron of the charity Grief Encounter. Ant and Dec drop huge hint SM:TV could be returning to our screens. PARENTS of pupils at an Ulster primary school are petrified that a "Holly and Jessica" - style tragedy could strike . The Soham murders were a double child murder committed in Soham, Cambridgeshire, England on 4 August 2002.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, who subsequently murdered the childrenlikely via asphyxiationbefore disposing of their bodies in an . Girl who thinks she might be Madeleine shunned by family for giving hope to McCanns, Ant and Dec defend Saturday Night Takeaway pranks in wake of Ofcom complaints. 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. [25][n 1], To help their public appeals for information, Cambridgeshire Police released the photograph Nicola Wells had taken of the children less than two hours before their disappearance depicting both girls wearing their Manchester United replica football shirts. [133] Latham then closed his statement by again bringing the jury's attention to Huntley's claim that both deaths had been accidental, remarking, "We pose this question: Two of them?" [143], Carr said she had tried to persuade Huntley to contact police and "be open" about his claims to have invited the children into his home for Wells to stanch her nosebleed, but that he had refused to do so, as inviting children into their home had been a violation of the rules imposed by St Andrew's Primary School. THE bodies of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were found in a "severely decomposed and skeletonised" state at the bottom of a ditch in a remote area of woodland, the inquest into their deaths . [3] She received a three-and-a-half year prison sentence for conspiring with Huntley to pervert the course of justice. [71], The funeral services for Wells and Chapman were held on consecutive days in September 2002. There's no trace of the building which once stood there, nor a memorial to the two young girls murdered inside. He was also forbidden from initiating contact with his baby daughter or her mother. [88], By the second week of the children's disappearance, Huntley had become an unofficial spokesman for the community of Soham. And hes even walked the Great Wall of China to raise funds for it. In reference to the evident extensive cleaning of the house's interior, Huntley stated: "Excuse the dining room. [204][205], By 2001, Huntley had re-established contact with his father,[n 15] who worked as a school caretaker in Littleport, near Ely. He admitted engaging in sex with the claimant, but claimed the act had been consensual. [14], Huntley's motive for killing the children is unknown; minutes prior to encountering Wells and Chapman, he is known to have had an argument with Carr, ending in his slamming the phone down. [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. [136], On 1 December, Huntley testified before the court in his defence. Huntley killed Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, each 10 years outdated, in Soham, England, in August 2002. I'm going to be inside forever, and it'll be torture. Huntley was later transferred to London's Belmarsh prison. Four minutes later, Carr sent Huntley a text message which read: "Don't make me feel bad because I'm with my family. He further elaborated that a deciding factor to dispose of the bodies in this particular location had been that RAF Lakenheath was just two miles from the home of his disabled grandmother, and that if eyewitnesses spotted his vehicle, he could falsely claim his purpose for being in this vicinity had been his decision to visit his grandmother. Huntley's mother's maiden name had been Nixon. [230], At least a dozen women have been falsely identified as being Carr and either persecuted or physically attacked due to false stories speculating as to her whereabouts and new identity which have been printed in tabloid publications. Speaking previously to the Radio Times, Oliver admitted that he thinks about his sister often. Via his father, Huntley learned of a school caretaker vacancy in nearby Soham Village College in mid-2001. [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. He chose not to enrol in college and instead committed himself to finding employment. His erratic behaviour and apparent distress led to him being prescribed anti-depressants on 13 August. Here, his mental state was assessed by Christopher Clark, a consultant forensic psychiatrist, to determine whether he suffered from any form of mental illness and whether he was mentally competent to stand trial. [217] Huntley again applied for compensation for the injuries he received in this attack, seeking 20,000 in damages. [22] These officers conducted extensive house-to-house enquiries across Soham;[23] their efforts to search local terrain were supported by hundreds of local volunteers[24] and, later, some United States Air Force personnel stationed at nearby airbases. Although Mr Huntley made clear attempts to appear insane, I have no doubt that the man currently, and at the time of the murders, was both physically and mentally sound and therefore, if he is found guilty, carried out the murders totally aware of his actions. The two were best friends and had been spending time with each other for the past couple of days. On August 4, 2002, Huntley murdered Wells and Chapman . Produced In Association With Silver Screen Partners III and MTM Enterprises, Inc. "The Roger Rabbit's Little OddParents". [105] Investigators had stated on 7 August they strongly believed the children had been abducted,[39] and announced their strong suspicions that both girls had been murdered on this date. [2], Huntley was convicted of the murder of both girls on 17 December 2003 and sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment, with the High Court later imposing a minimum term of 40 years. Alfred seldom maintained contact with his wife and children, and refused to provide any financial support for his daughters. Then we could have stopped them, or done something about it. They went missing on Sunday 4 August 2002, when they were both 10 years old. "[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). [222][223], In April 2007, Huntley confessed to having sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl he had dragged into an orchard in 1997. Nicola and Kevin have spoken often about their loss and how they tried to move on with their lives for the sake of Hollys brother Oliver. Jessica had just returned from a family holiday and wanted to catch up with her friend and give her a gift that she bought for her. August 4th, 2002: Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, wearing red Manchester United shirts, go missing from their homes in Soham, Cambridgeshire, eastern England, after last being seen at a family . Notorious killer gets throat slashed in jail. Ian Huntley worked as a caretaker at the school both girls attended. . Best friends Holly and Jessica were just 10 years . [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. She had shunned the company of boys as a child, but as a teenager cravedbut seldom receivedthe attention of boys her age, occasionally leading to bouts of binge eating[190] in addition to her developing the habit of self-harming. [212], At 9:53a.m. on 4 August, Huntley attempted to phone Carr, but she did not answer her mobile phone. Where is Joseph Fritzl now? This was supported by the headteacher of St Andrew's Primary School, who told reporters: "The possible danger from strangers is something we have impressed upon [the children] from an early age. Jessica Wells, Wiki, Biography, Age. . In an attempt to emotionally blackmail his wife into remaining with him, Huntley alternately feigned an illness and, later, began drooling before faking an epileptic seizure; neither ploy succeeded. 2002 double homicide in Soham, Cambridgeshire, England, Chapman (left) and Wells (right), summer 2002, 20 August 2002 booking photograph of Carr. [48] The initial speculation by the jogger had been that these mounds of earth might have been the burial locations of the two missing girls. What happened to Elisabeth and her children? [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. Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both 10, were killed by Huntley after they went missing following a BBQ in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on 4 August 2002. SOHAM murderer Ian Huntley has admitted to his parents that he deliberately killed Jessica Chapman, it was reported today. This information was later included in a televised appeal about the children's disappearance on the BBC's Crimewatch, but this potential lead failed to bear fruit. [160], Huntley was a timid child, and something of a mother's boy. [207][n 16] No background check was conducted before or after this job interview,[108] and although Huntley lacked extensive experience in this form of employment, his application for this position was successful. He was never charged with this offence, but subsequently confessed to this attack in April 2007. Staff initially feared Huntley might die as a result of this overdose,[124] but he was returned to his prison cell within 48 hours. Chris Young - PA Images/PA Images/Getty Images, schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered. 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. Investigators would later determine Wells and Chapman had most likely been attackedand possibly murderedin the dining room of College Close. [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. He was just six years old at the time of his sisters murder. [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. Holly and Jessica both lived close to each other in the Cambridgeshire town of Soham in the United Kingdom and . [60], Ian Huntley, interviewed by Sky News correspondent Jeremy Thompson. Ten years after the murders, in 2012, Hollys parents Kevin and Nicola Wells opened up about the death of their daughter for the first time, via the Daily Mail. He then outlined the details of how Keith Pryer and his two friends had discovered the bodies on 17 August[131] at a location Huntley had known from his plane-spotting hobby and where they were unlikely to be discovered. His girlfriend, Maxine Ann Carrthe girls' teaching assistanthad knowingly provided Huntley with a false alibi. When Huntley became aware of Clift's presence, he abruptly closed the boot. [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. One of the issues scrutinised by the Bichard report surfaced almost immediately when Humberside Police stated their belief that it was unlawful under the Data Protection Act to hold data regarding criminal allegations which had not led to a conviction; this claim was criticised by other police forces who thought this too strict an interpretation of the Act. [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. On August 17, police arrested Ian Huntley and his girlfriend, Maxine Carr, for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. Responding to questioning by his defence counsel, Stephen Coward QC,[137] Huntley admitted both girls had died in his house but denied that either death had been intentional. A scenes of crime officer also testified that, despite Huntley's exhaustive efforts to remove physical evidence of his crime from his home, a forensic examination had revealed several traces of blood spattering about the hallway and main entrance to the master bedroom. He worked as a senior caretaker there until his arrest. ', "Huntley's Question to Police: Am I a Suspect? Latham stated neither body showed signs of compressive neck injuries, knife wounds, drugging or poisoning, and that both girls had most likely died of asphyxiation. The two photogenic 10-year-olds were the very model of typical children growing up in a "safe", quiet, English town. He went on to have what his parents thought were "imaginary friends . He conceded his client was guilty of physical responsibility for the girls' actual deathsas Huntley had admittedand therefore deserved punishment, but argued that the prosecution had failed to provide definitive proof that Huntley had intended to murder the children or cause them bodily harm. [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. She was murdered alongside her best friend, Jessica Chapman. A single police officer searched his house on 5 August; no incriminating evidence was discovered, but the officer noticed numerous items of clothing on the washing line despite the fact it had been raining. [38] These appeals for information on the whereabouts of Wells and Chapman produced over 2,000 phone calls and tips from the public, with all information obtained entered into the investigation's HOLMES 2 database. On hearing this, Carr slumped forward. [59], On 16 August, twelve days after the children's disappearance, Huntley and Carr were first questioned by police. "[45] A young woman named Karen Greenwood also reported seeing the girls walking "arm in arm" along College Road about two minutes later. I get the impression that the Chapman's do not want any publicity at all rather than there being any hostility. Their son Oliver and his partner Lydia Chambers had welcomed a baby called Ethan and were expecting their second child later that summer. Submitted Comments (Click here for meetings with SEC officials) Comments have been received from individuals and entities using the following Letter Type A: 31 B: 24 C: 6,254 D: 5 Referring to Wells in the past tense, Carr stated, "She was just lovely, really lovely",[93] before making a direct appeal to the children: "Just get on the phone and just come home. Holly Wells Parents & Ethnicity:- Holly Wells was a 10 years old school girl who was kidnapped alongside her friend Jessica Chapman by a school caretaker Ian Huntley. [30] The same vehicle had recently been sighted in Glatton, Cambridgeshire. The Wells family had moved out of the house they raised Holly and her younger brother Oliver in, as the memories were too painful. Mark Tuck informed investigators that as he had driven past the girls on Sand Street in Soham town centre at approximately 6:30p.m. on 4 August,[44] his attention had been drawn toward their Manchester United replica shirts, causing him to remark to his wife, Lucy: "Look! [221] This resulted in his hospitalisation and a thorough search of his cell, in which a cassette tape was recovered. According to Clift, a "pale, shaking"[59] Huntley gazed into the boot for several moments, while Carr stood alongside him, her head bowed, weeping. Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%. Following their separation, Huntley had distanced himself from his father for several years. [229] Carr won an injunction on 24 February 2005, granting her lifelong anonymity on the grounds that her life would otherwise be in danger. Ian Huntley was found guilty of their murders and sentenced to life in prison. Huntley supplied a DNA sample to assist in their enquiries, with Carr also providing an alibi to support his claims of innocence. [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. Ian was sentenced to life sentences. [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. He applied for this using the alias Ian Nixon. [239], The inquiry also severely criticised Humberside Police for deleting information relating to the previous criminal allegations against Huntley, and also criticised Cambridgeshire Police for not following standard vetting guidelines. Browse the directory of real estate professionals at realtor.com. "[148], Following the conclusion of the prosecution's closing argument, Coward delivered his argument on behalf of the defence. For the first five months after Holly died we broke down together, but after that we processed our grief at different speeds, Kevin told the Evening Standard. Stars: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Connie Booth. 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. He also told Good Morning Britain in 2015: We still think of Holly every day. 17 December 2003[151], Following the conclusion of both counsels' closing arguments, Mr Justice Moses announced the jury would begin their deliberations on 12 December. [208] The site where 5 College Close once stood is now a vacant patch of grass. Wednesday 17 December 2003. I've just watched the programme. We slept on it for a long . Local Search Options. [112], By 20 August, investigators had established sufficient physical evidence from Huntley's home, vehicle and Soham Village College to charge him with two counts of murder. This vehicle was last seen turning into the Studlands Park housing estate. 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. The stated purpose of the Bichard inquiry was: Urgently to enquire into child protection procedures in Humberside Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary in the light of the recent trial and conviction of Ian Huntley for the murder of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells. Leslie, meanwhile, was due to start work at a new engineering job on Monday August 5 the day after his daughter and her friend went missing. I hope the next time I see him, it will be like we saw our daughtersand it will be in a coffin. These disclosures revealed that not only had police failed to pursue numerous previous criminal complaints of sexual offences against underage girls and young women by Huntley, but he had then secured a job in Soham allowing him access to children. [92], On 3 December, Carr went into the witness box to testify in her own defence. THE community of Soham was left heartbroken when the bodies of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells were discovered in 2002. 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. Huntley, 30, who is serving life for the double child killings of Holly . Score Editors CHRIS BARRETT ADAM MILLER . 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. In this instance, a woman was raped and Huntleyby this stage suspected by police as being a serial sex offenderwas interviewed. We have her pictures in and around the house, but its not a shrine we dont live in the past.. [149] Coward also contended the prosecution had failed to provide conclusive evidence to support their claim that Huntley's actual motive for the murders had been sexual. 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. [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. It can't have been! [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. They were 17 and 14 at the time of their sisters murder. [188] She performed poorly academically, but always aspired to become a teacher. [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. On this date, a forensic scientist, Helen Davey, testified about the biological evidence recovered from the girls' clothing, footwear and a dishcloth discovered in the hangar at Soham Village College on 16 August. Two decades on, where are their parents now, and how have they moved on from the awful tragedy? After two months of courtship,[163] Huntley proposed to Evans. [70][71] No clear footprints were discovered at the crime scene. The case reached court, but the prosecution offered no evidence, resulting in a judge ordering the offence to lie on file. [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. "[211], By mid-2002, the physical relationship between Huntley and Carr had begun to deteriorate. Songs by: Van Dyke Parks. "[82] In reference to Carr's attempts to pervert the course of justice, Latham stated that "as surely as night follows day" the two had conspired to concoct a false alibi to divert suspicion from Huntley,[82] but warned the jury Carr could only be convicted of assisting an offender if they believed she had known Huntley had murdered the girls, adding that her motive for providing lies to police with reference to the charge of perverting the course of justice was irrelevant.