A taxi driver stated he had seen him "thrashing his arms" as he struggled with two young girls inside his vehicle as he drove on the A142 south of Soham towards Newmarket around the time that the girls were last seen. Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing from their small Cambridgeshire town on a sunny evening in August 2002. Sophie Turners Joan Charts The Rise Of A Famous British Jewel Thief, 'Art Attack' Neil Buchanan's Latest Gig Is A Far Cry From The CITV Show, Stephen Fry Is Set To Host 'Jeopardy!s UK Comeback, The 'How I Met Your Mother' Cast Just Had A Legendary Reunion. Sign up for Bustle UK's twice-weekly newsletter, featuring the latest must-watch TV, moving personal stories, and expert advice on the hottest viral buys. )[177][n 12], By 2001, Huntley's proven and alleged criminal activities had been reported to Humberside Police on ten occasions and to the social services on five occasions. [125][126][6], At a preliminary hearing at the Old Bailey on 16 June 2003, Huntley pleaded not guilty to the charges of murdering Wells and Chapman, and guilty to the charge both stood accused of: conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Soham is a small town and civil parish located in the east of the university city Cambridge, in the United Kingdom. [163] Huntley also enjoyed football, and was an avid supporter of Manchester United. Even at four years old, the two girls instantly became best friends, practically joined at the hip, and . [209] One of the children to express dismay at this decision was Wells, who having broken down in tears upon learning Carr's application for the teaching position had been unsuccessful, presented her with a hand-drawn card,[210] depicting a smiling face, in which she stated: "I'll miss you a lot. She was murdered alongside her best friend, Jessica Chapman. More than 400 officers worked around the clock to find the girls, along with hundreds of locals who volunteered to help and appealed to . Read more: Ian Huntleys jail term run-in with Yorkshire Ripper, suicide attempts and a near-fatal stabbing. Today, August 4, marks 20 years since schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets. Songs by: Van Dyke Parks. MAXINE Carr became one of Britain's most reviled women after she provided Ian Huntley with an alibi for the Soham murders of 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, 20 years ago. [102][n 10], Having discovered the children's clothes at Soham Village College,[82] police decided to arrest Huntley and Carr. In this offence, he and an accomplice allegedly broke into the house of a neighbour in Grimsby and stole electrical goods, jewellery and cash. [82], In his opening statement on behalf of the Crown, prosecutor Richard Latham QC described the last day of the friends' lives and how, by "pure chance", they had happened to pass by Huntley's home at a time when Carr was not present. [24], Huntley's car was also forensically examined on 16 August. 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 . [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. Sharon and Leslie have kept their grief largely private. Wednesday 17 December 2003. [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. [191] By the age of 15, Capp weighed more than 10 stones (63 kg), resulting in her being bullied by her classmates. On 4th August 2002, 10-year-old school friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were enjoying a . 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.. I hope the next time I see him, it will be like we saw our daughtersand it will be in a coffin. [38], Maxine Carr was born Maxine Ann Capp. PARENTS of pupils at an Ulster primary school are petrified that a "Holly and Jessica" - style tragedy could strike . [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. 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 . He revealed: She was lost in a kind of wilderness whereas I was more hard-line about my emotions. There's no trace of the building which once stood there, nor a memorial to the two young girls murdered inside. Capp and her older sister, Hayley (born 1967), were largely raised by their mother and grandparents. Holly Johnson, Brian Nash & Mark O'Toole. Ian Huntley's account of Holly drowning after falling into his bath . They both lived in the village of Soham in Cambridgeshire, where they went to St Andrew's Primary School. The Soham murders were a double child murder committed in Soham, Cambridgeshire, England on 4 August 2002. [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. Thank you! It was introduced to close gaps in information-sharing between police forces. ", "Maxine Carr: The Teenage Anorexic Who Loved Working with Children and Nights on the Town", "Arrested Couple Publicly Declared Their Affection for Girls", "Like the Gullible Young Girls Before Her, Carr Fell for Huntley's Evil Spell", "Maxine Carr: The Teenage Anorexic Who Loved Working With Children and Nights on the Town", "Class Helper Failed to Win Full-time Post", "Anyone Facing Jail by the Child Support Agency Compare it With This", "Soham Murderer Ian Huntley Attacked by Jail Inmate", "Ian Huntley Could Get 20,000 Compensation After Prison Attack", "Ian Huntley: Prisoner Admits Attacking Soham Killer", "Ian Huntley Attacker Damien Fowkes Gets Life Term", "Huntley Revealed All in Taped Confession", "Huntley Fooled Prison's Suicide Watch by Hiding 29 Anti-depressant Pills in Teabags", "Huntley Admits Sex Attack on Girl in 1997", "Maxine Carr to Get Police Guard on Release", "PCC Must Act Over Hounding of Maxine Carr", "Mob Torments Scots Woman Mistaken for Maxine Carr", "Blunkett Orders Police Chief's Suspension", "The CRB Explained: How the Criminal Records Bureau Operates", "Mum Mistaken as Maxine Carr Hopes TV Show Will End Ordeal", "Ian Huntley: The 5 Mistakes That Led to The Soham Killer's Downfall Explored in Tonight's Channel 5 Documentary", "Channel 5 Documentary Looks at Soham Murder Case 20 Years On", "Maxine Review: A Show About the Soham Murders that is Both Pointless and Dangerous", "Maxine Viewers Blast Channel 5 Soham Murders Drama for Being in 'Absurdly Bad Taste', detailing Ian Huntley's conviction of the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, detailing the minimum sentence imposed on Ian Huntley, BBC News report Retrospective news article, confessions to the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, actual motive for committing the Soham Murders, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soham_murders&oldid=1141362679, Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by England and Wales, Articles with disputed statements from November 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. The two were best friends and had been spending time with each other for the past couple of days. [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. Within a month, Huntley had begun to regularly sexually assault his wife, also subjecting her to indignities such as locking her in their house and cutting off her hair. Following their separation, Huntley had distanced himself from his father for several years. Investigators believe that prior to his 2002 arrest, Huntley had engaged in illegal sexual activity with up to 60 underage girls. EVA REISTAD. Performed by Frankie Goes to . [15][16] Chapman's Nokia 6110 mobile phone was switched off at 6:46p.m.[17][1][18], At 8:00p.m., Nicola Wells entered her daughter's bedroom to invite the girls to say goodbye to her house guests, only to discover both children were missing. Capp obtained her diploma in 1996. 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 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. We suggest that this whole business in the house was motivated by something sexual. ", "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? [55], After being informed of the discovery of the children's bodies and the evidence of Huntley's guilt, including his fingerprints being recovered from the bin in which the children's clothes had been found, Carr burst into tears, shouting: "No! [68] After the kidnapping, both girls were killed. While townsfolk are determined to remember Holly and Jessica, acts of remembrance in Soham are expected to be low-profile. Year: 1975. Holly's father Kevin Wells described how on the Sunday afternoon Jessica phoned her parents to ask permission to stay over for a barbeque, which . 2002 double homicide in Soham, Cambridgeshire, England, Chapman (left) and Wells (right), summer 2002, 20 August 2002 booking photograph of Carr. [39], On 12 August, police launched a media appeal to trace the driver of a four-door, dark green saloon car. [76] The Reverend Tim Alban Jones officiated at this service, saying: "Would not the best and most lasting memorial to these two lovely young girls be a change for the better in how we behave towards each other? The families of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman yesterday paid their last respects to their beautiful 'Soham Roses' at separate private services in the Cambridgeshire town. 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. Available Until: 05 September 2026. When Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing in Soham in 2002, Dennis was called in by Holly's family to help. Its strange being three of us, when there used to be a fourth.. His explanation for this was that he wanted to convey to the media the frustration and despair the community was feeling. Holly and Jessica's families still live in Soham. [170] Within four weeks of their acquaintance,[199] she had moved into Huntley's Barton-upon-Humber flat, and the couple informed relatives of their eagerness to start a family. ', "Huntley's Question to Police: Am I a Suspect? 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. [166] He also viewed himself as something of a ladies' man, and was scrupulous about his personal appearance and personal hygiene. Huntley's precise motivation for voluntarily informing police of his encountering the children outside his home is unknown; it is speculated he chose to do so out of concerns. We have her pictures in and around the house, but its not a shrine we dont live in the past.. [179] At the September 2005 hearing in which the minimum term Huntley should serve before any parole eligibility was decided, Mr Justice Moses stated: "There is a likelihood of [a] sexual motivation, but there was no evidence of sexual activity, and it remains no more than a likelihood. The parents of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman have long been commended for their dignity and grace during what can only be described as unimaginable heartbreak. They were 17 and 14 at the time of their sisters murder. Oliver Wells was 12 when Holly . Therefore, in this ruthless man's mind, both girls had to die in his own selfish self-interest." [164], Despite having few friends, Huntley formed several relationships with girls while attending Immingham Comprehensive. [206], In September 2001, Huntley responded to a job advertisement for a job as a senior caretaker at Soham Village College. [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. Carr further testified to having noted a crack in the enamel of the bathtub which had not been there when she had travelled to Grimsby four days previously. (This suspension was later overturned.) Are you looking for real estate agents or brokers? [17], When they met, Huntley temporarily worked for an insurance company in Market Rasen. Carr pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and assisting an offender. [78] This service was attended by about 2,000 people, including the girls' classmates, teachers and the six family liaison officers who had provided 24-hour service for both families. We hope [the databases] use will mean other families dont suffer the same loss and heartbreak as we did, they said per the Evening Standard. [197] She later legally changed her surname to Carr in an apparent effort to distance herself from her father. [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. Her age was 10 years at the time of her tragic death. 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. Wells and her friend, Jessica Chapman was out to purchase a sweet from a nearby vending machine. The funeral services for Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were held on consecutive days in September 2002. [60], Ian Huntley, interviewed by Sky News correspondent Jeremy Thompson. [69] However, prior to his trial, a criminal profile had resulted in his being ruled by an eminent criminal psychologist as a "latent, predatory paedophile"[175] who had lured Wells and Chapman into his home in a moment of opportunism. I was the last person to see them!" Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were two 10-year old classmates who had been friends since they were only four years old. [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. Chris Young - PA Images/PA Images/Getty Images, schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered. At this hearing, Carr was informed by Principal Crown Prosecutor Marion Bastin this charge carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. [135] Davey testified she had found minute traces of blood and saliva on these objects, but no positive traces of semen. [146], On 10 December, counsel for both prosecution and defence delivered their closing arguments to the jury. According to Clift, a "pale, shaking"[59] Huntley gazed into the boot for several moments, while Carr stood alongside him, her head bowed, weeping. [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. [55], I don't know the girls. He applied for this using the alias Ian Nixon. "[148], Following the conclusion of the prosecution's closing argument, Coward delivered his argument on behalf of the defence. 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. 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 . 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. Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were best friends. [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. Here is a timetable of the main events in the search for missing 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. 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 was found guilty of their murders and sentenced to life in prison. Holly and Jessica had been playing together at a . Following the birth of their second child, Wayne, in August 1975, the family moved into a rented property in Immingham, where Huntley attended school. Holly Wells, left, and Jessica Chapman were just 10 years old when they were murdered in 2002. Credit: Photo: BRIAN SMITH. According to Huntley, he, Wells and Chapman had entered his bathroom to stem a mild nosebleed Wells had been suffering when the girls had walked by his home. "[69][n 8], By the second week of the children's disappearance, Huntley had begun to lose weight and was displaying visible symptoms of insomnia. Episode 2 of Soham: The Murder of Holly & Jessica airs tonight (March 10) on Channel 5 at 9pm. [204][205], By 2001, Huntley had re-established contact with his father,[n 15] who worked as a school caretaker in Littleport, near Ely. 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. "[4], Prior to murdering Wells and Chapman, Huntley had established an extensive record of consensual and unconsensual sexual activity with femalesmany of whom had been under the age of consent. That involved at all costs protecting Ian Huntley. It was not until 8 p.m. that Holly's parents found out she was missing. [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. Holly and Jessica remembered. [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?" Kevin, who runs his own window cleaning business, is also the founding patron of the charity Grief Encounter. "[28], Suspecting the children had been kidnapped, investigators questioned every registered sex offender in Cambridgeshire and neighbouring Lincolnshire. On hearing this, Carr slumped forward. At age 10, Wells and Chapman went missing from the Wells home on August 4, 2002, and were found dead on August 17, 2002, after going missing for almost two weeks. 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. [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. [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. Huntley's parents enrolled their son in Immingham Comprehensive at age 13. [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. Several of Carr's former partners would later inform reporters they found her to be an. 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. Browse the directory of real estate professionals at realtor.com. Chaired by Sir Michael Bichard, the Bichard inquiry opened on 13 January 2004. 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. 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. Luv Holly. Jessica was a schoolgirl. [49], One person who claimed to have spoken with the girls immediately before their disappearance was 28-year-old Huntley, who informed investigators on 5 August he had had a brief conversation with both girls on his doorstep the previous afternoon. [208] The site where 5 College Close once stood is now a vacant patch of grass. 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. 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. 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. An overnight examination revealed the two mounds of earth to be badger setts. Nicola and Kevin Wells are the parents of Holly, who was murdered along with her best friend on August 4 2002. "[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. 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. [9], Following several weeks of mistreatment, Huntley's wife announced her intention to leave him. While Kevin and Nicola have remained together since the unimaginable death of their daughter, they struggled for quite some time. Sharon worked at St Andrews primary school in Soham. At the time, he said: After losing Holly we both witnessed and experienced the effects that bereavement and the grieving process can have on your life.

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