[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. Holly Marie Wells (October 4, 1991 - August 4, 2002) was a 10-year-old British girl from Soham, England. [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. [39], On 12 August, police launched a media appeal to trace the driver of a four-door, dark green saloon car. Sharon worked at St Andrews primary school in Soham. [161], At both primary and secondary school, Huntley was an average scholar. Investigators were able to obtain extensive footage of the children's movements following their departure from the Wells household. Huntley would later inform investigators that he had waited for nightfall before opting to drive to RAF Lakenheath to dispose of the girls' bodies. Following the separation of his parents in 1993, Huntley chose to use his mother's surname. As a result, he began rebuffing any offers to socialise with colleagues for fear of being attacked while alone in their company. [208] The site where 5 College Close once stood is now a vacant patch of grass. C ya around school! Today, August 4, marks 20 years since schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets. For the first five months after Holly died we broke down together, but after that we processed our grief at different speeds. 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. [30] Police also investigated the possibility that the girls had arranged to meet someone they had contacted via an internet chat room, but this was soon ruled out. Both girls had been missing for thirteen days when their bodies were found, and their corpses were in an advanced state of decomposition. By Donna Bowater 24 July 2012 7:00am. Jessica was a schoolgirl. 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. Its strange being three of us, when there used to be a fourth.. 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 and Jessica both lived close to each other in the Cambridgeshire town of Soham in the United Kingdom and . Both services were held at St Andrew's parish church and officiated by Tim Alban Jones, and the girls were buried in adjacent graves in Soham's Fordham Road Cemetery, following ceremonies attended by only family and close friends. [147], The jury deliberated for four days before reaching their verdicts against both defendants. [123] He was transferred to a segregation unit at Woodhill prison in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. [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. G+. Two decades ago, 10-year-old schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered by their school caretaker Ian Huntley. 13 days later after their disappearance their bodies were found on August 17th 2002 in a wooded area in LakenHeath Suffolk 10 Miles from Soham where the two Girls lived. Summary information is updated to reflect amendments since the report was initially filed. Even at four years old, the two girls instantly became best friends, practically joined at the hip, and . Pro Tools Operator JOHN PRESTAGE. [92], On 3 December, Carr went into the witness box to testify in her own defence. [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. Runtime: 92 minutes. Coronation Street: Killer twist for rapist Aaron when Tracy finds out? 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. Referencing Carr's conscious efforts to deceive the police and media alike, Latham stated: "She had the prospect of marriage, a baby, a nice home and a new start. He worked as a senior caretaker there until his arrest. She lost her life at the hands of Ian Kevin Huntley when she was 10 years old. 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. 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. The 10-year-old friends left the gathering to buy sweets in Soham . We will never forget Holly but life does move on it has to. The injuries Huntley received in this attack resulted in his being unable to attend the hearing at which his minimum term of imprisonment was decided. [84] At the request of both families, the media refrained from reporting on either service. [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. Then we could have stopped them, or done something about it. I'll rot in here, I know it. In your attempts to escape responsibility, in your lies and manipulation you have increased the suffering of two families. 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. . It was one, almost two years before we found each other again, he continued, but grief gives you a different sense of the passage of time and it slipped by unnoticed. As Kevin says in the ITV documentary, he and Nicola were determined to be among the 5 per cent of couples who stay together following the bereavement of a murdered child. [192], In 1993, Capp finished her schooling, having obtained no qualifications. "[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. 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. 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.. The murder took its toll on their marriage for a while, the pair have admitted. Investigators believe that prior to his 2002 arrest, Huntley had engaged in illegal sexual activity with up to 60 underage girls. Holly Wells, left, and Jessica Chapman were just 10 years old when they were murdered in 2002. Credit: Photo: BRIAN SMITH. [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. Via his father, Huntley learned of a school caretaker vacancy in nearby Soham Village College in mid-2001. The 10-year-old best friends were inseperable - even when their lives were cruelly snatched away by vicious killer Ian Huntley 18 years ago today. 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. [174], In April 1998, Huntley was arrested on suspicion of raping an 18-year-old woman. In particular to assess the effectiveness of the relevant intelligence-based record keeping, the vetting practices in those forces since 1995 and information sharing with other agencies, and to report to the Home Secretary on matters of local and national relevance and make recommendations as appropriate. Grief does not diminish, but you can manage the intensity and learn to live with it.. In 1996, two boys of similar age, Patrick Warren and David Spencer, went missing from their homes. [23], By contrast, Carr quickly confessed to detectives she had lied about her whereabouts and her partner's actions on 4 August as, shortly before she had returned to Soham from Grimsby three days later, Huntley had claimed to her in a phone call to have seen the two girls shortly before their disappearance, admitting: "The thing is, Maxine, they came in our house! [153] The results of this inquiry were published that June.[237]. Huntley was later transferred to London's Belmarsh prison. [14] Although reported to police on three occasions, Huntley was not charged for any of these offences as each of the girls denied having engaged in sex with Huntley. Almost two weeks after Holly and Jessica went missing, their bodies were found - dumped in a ditch and badly burned. [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. Holly wouldve been an auntie to her brothers children. [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. 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. Kevin and Nicola never sold the property, though, and plan on moving back. What is their net worth? Chris Young - PA Images/PA Images/Getty Images, schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered. I was the last person to see them!" Jessica and her friend Holly Marie Wells were both killed by Ian Huntly and his girlfriend Maxine Carr. [29] Over 260 registered sex offenders across the UK - including 15 high-risk paedophiles - were also questioned; all were eliminated from the investigation. [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. 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. Therefore, in this ruthless man's mind, both girls had to die in his own selfish self-interest." Carr pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and assisting an offender. Ian was sentenced to life sentences. Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were two 10-year old classmates who had been friends since they were only four years old. His fingerprints were recovered from the bin. The girls had been at a Wells family barbecue before sneaking out to buy sweets. She preferred to do what she could to make the best of the position she was in. [146], On 10 December, counsel for both prosecution and defence delivered their closing arguments to the jury. And soccer star David . 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. Now, almost 20 years on, Channel 5 tonight (March 10) continues its documentary series Soham: The Murder of Holly & Jessica. [135] Davey testified she had found minute traces of blood and saliva on these objects, but no positive traces of semen. Read more: Heartbreak of Ian Huntleys daughter as father shows no remorse for Holly and Jessicas murder. Wed, 17 Dec, 2003 - 13:00. [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. Kevin previously told an ITV documentary that the stress almost led to the break-up of their marriage. He applied for and secured employment as a senior caretaker at this secondary school in September 2001, supervising the work of four other employees. While Kevin and Nicola have remained together since the unimaginable death of their daughter, they struggled for quite some time. [6], The two girls and a friend named Natalie Parr played computer games and listened to music for about half an hour. "[67] Lawrence immediately reported the discoveries to police. We suggest that this whole business in the house was motivated by something sexual. 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. But, whatever he initiated, plainly went wrong. Although Huntley was vetted for the post, including police checks, this failed to identify previous . Head to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and tell us what you think of our story. "[141] and that he had then accidentally suffocated her while attempting to stifle her screaming, which had preoccupied his attention as opposed to ensuring Wells did not drown. Ant and Dec drop huge hint SM:TV could be returning to our screens. Section of Mr Justice Alan Moses' sentencing of Ian Huntley. Ian Huntley was found guilty of their murders and sentenced to life in prison. ", "In a Secure Mental Unit, Huntley is Charged on Two Counts of Murder", "Inquest Into Deaths of Murdered Cambridgeshire Girls Opens Today", "Asphyxia 'Likely Cause' of Soham Deaths", "Funerals of Soham Girls Take Place in Private", "Holly and Jessica Laid to Rest in Private", "Caretaker was Sure Holly and Jessica had Not Run Away", "Missing Girls: Police Appeal to Abductor", "Arrested Couple Publicly Declared their Affection for Girls", "Old Bailey Jury Watches TV Interviews of Huntley and Carr", "Ownership of Red Fiesta is Key Issue in Soham Trial", "Two Held on Suspicion of Murdering Missing Girls", "Tearful Carr Confronted with Evidence Against Lover, Court Hears", "In a Secure Mental Unit, Ian Huntley is Charged On Two Counts of Murder", "Soham Accused Carr to Testify Via Prison Video Link", "Maxine Carr to Wed as She Finds Man Ready to Forget Her Past", "Holly, Jessica and the Unravelling of a Dark and Terrible Mystery", "Ian Huntley Back in Prison After Taking Drug Overdose", "Jessica's Mobile 'is Vital Clue to Murder', "Soham Trial Hears Further Witness Evidence", "Please Don't Think I Could Kill, Said Huntley in Call to Mother", "Huntley Story 'Highly Unlikely' Says Expert", "Soham Murders: How Ian Huntley's Killing of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman Shook the Nation", "Maxine Carr Takes the Stand to Tell the Court Why She Stood by Huntley", "Find Him Guilty of Manslaughter, QC Tells Jury", "Maxine Carr: What Happened to Ian Huntley's Girlfriend After the Soham Murders? [166] He also viewed himself as something of a ladies' man, and was scrupulous about his personal appearance and personal hygiene. 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. [82] As such, she was found not guilty of assisting an offender. [136], On 1 December, Huntley testified before the court in his defence. [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. [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. But where are Holly & Jessicas families now? Speaking previously to the Radio Times, Oliver admitted that he thinks about his sister often. LYDIA GRIFFITHS JAMIE HARVEY JESSICA HASSALL OLIVIA HULME . [43], Several members of the public reported having seen the children in the early days of the investigation. Latham contended Huntley had deliberately lured the girls into his home at approximately 6:37p.m.[128] and that both girls had been murdered shortly thereafter, with cell site analysis showing Huntley had switched off Chapman's mobile phone either outside his home or within the grounds of Soham Village College after both girls had been murdered. [23], While held on remand at Holloway Prison,[116] Carr regularly enquired as to Huntley's welfare,[117] and wrote several letters in which she professed her continued love for him. [172] One of these girls would become pregnant at age 15,[166] and gave birth to a baby girl in 1998. She explained the reason for the lack of any traces of semen being discovered could have been a result of the charred and melted condition of the articles she had inspected. It was startling to see the previous fiance of Ian Huntley grinning in an outdated interview movie as she mentioned the victims, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, with a BBC reporter. It was a job she returned to in the years following her daughters murder. She was jailed for giving Huntley a false alibi after he killed 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. [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. ", "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. [4], The search for Holly and Jessica in the thirteen days of their disappearance has been described as one of the most intense and extensive in British criminal history. 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. His girlfriend, Maxine Ann Carrthe girls' teaching assistanthad knowingly provided Huntley with a false alibi. 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. Holly Johnson, Brian Nash & Mark O'Toole. That involved at all costs protecting Ian Huntley. [60], Ian Huntley, interviewed by Sky News correspondent Jeremy Thompson. [215] Following this attack, Huntley alleged that prison authorities had failed in their duty of care towards him, and launched a claim for 15,000 in compensation. 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. Wells and her friend, Jessica Chapman was out to purchase a sweet from a nearby vending machine. A Tim Burton Film. [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. Best friends Holly and Jessica were just 10 years . [42], Shortly after the children's disappearance, Staffordshire Police contacted the investigating officers to report their suspicions the girls could have been abducted by the same man responsible for an abduction in their jurisdiction the previous year, in which a six-year-old girl had survived an indecent assault by an abductor who was still at large and whose green Ford Mondeo had number plates which had earlier been stolen in Peterborough.