[173] Rumours of Huntley's sexual interest in underage girls soon became community gossip, and he was regularly insulted by neighbours and colleagues. [216], Huntley was transferred from Wakefield prison to Frankland prison on 23 January 2008. [73][77] Nine days later, a public memorial service was held at Ely Cathedral for both girls. [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. [206], In September 2001, Huntley responded to a job advertisement for a job as a senior caretaker at Soham Village College. 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. [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. 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. The person responsible for this abduction and assault was also believed to have followed a 12-year-old girl in the same area, although in this instance, his car had been fitted with number plates which had been stolen in Nottinghamshire. 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 . Huntley supplied a DNA sample to assist in their enquiries, with Carr also providing an alibi to support his claims of innocence. [166] He also viewed himself as something of a ladies' man, and was scrupulous about his personal appearance and personal hygiene. [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. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of imprisonment to be imposed by the Lord Chief Justice at a later date. [1] He also stated that the girls had almost certainly not died at the location where their bodies had been discovered,[73] and that both bodies had been placed there within 24 hours of their deaths. He applied for this using the alias Ian Nixon. [217] Huntley again applied for compensation for the injuries he received in this attack, seeking 20,000 in damages. [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. A further two part, 60-minute documentary, commissioned by Channel 5, Channel 5 first broadcast the three-episode drama, This page was last edited on 7 January 2023, at 18:25. Huntley also developed a hobby of plane spotting. "[90], Discussing the personalities of the girls, Carr described Wells as being the "more feminine" of the two, adding that Chapman was "more of a tomboy"[91] and that on one occasion, she had jokingly remarked to Chapman how, unlike many of her friends, she seldom wore a skirt. He was again the target of physical and verbal bullying at this school, but did form a few friendships via a shared interest in computer games. Shortly thereafter, she briefly worked as a junior care assistant at a care home for the elderly in Grimsby, then returned to work alongside her mother as a labourer at Bluecrest fish processing plant. Clark concluded in October that, although psychopathic,[120] Huntley did not suffer from any major mental or psychotic illness. [119], To determine Huntley's state of mental health, he was detained under Section 48 of the Mental Health Act for almost two months at Rampton Secure Hospital. [14] In any event, the cause of death of both girls was later ruled to be asphyxiation. [242] This recommendation later led to the foundation of the Independent Safeguarding Authority. [30] The same vehicle had recently been sighted in Glatton, Cambridgeshire. Huntley's mother's maiden name had been Nixon. [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. [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! [3] She received a three-and-a-half year prison sentence for conspiring with Huntley to pervert the course of justice. Your tears have never been for them; only for yourself. I was the last person to see them!" [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. On one occasion, he beat his wife so badly she suffered a miscarriage. The Soham Murders The Importance of DBS checks A Disclosure and Barring Service check, better known as a DBS check is a process that is crucially important for safe recruitment. [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. [221] This resulted in his hospitalisation and a thorough search of his cell, in which a cassette tape was recovered. [135] Davey testified she had found minute traces of blood and saliva on these objects, but no positive traces of semen. [136], On 1 December, Huntley testified before the court in his defence. 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. 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. 1 second ago. Chaired by Sir Michael Bichard, the Bichard inquiry opened on 13 January 2004. [92], On 3 December, Carr went into the witness box to testify in her own defence. [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. [75], On 21 August, the bodies of both girls were identified via DNA testing. Pupils being put at 'significant risk' by regular gaps in checks in county where caretaker murdered two girls. This admissionin which Huntley also confessed to having a sexual interest in children while insisting the murders of Wells and Chapman had not been sexually motivatedwas welcomed by the victim of this sexual assault. [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. 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. He tearfully claimed he had not attempted to feign insanity upon his arrest, insisting the trauma of the children's deaths had temporarily erased his memory and being in the presence of police had caused his mind to temporarily seize. 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. Had they done so, they would have discovered an outstanding burglary charge on file relating to his November 1995 arrest for this crime. Pupils being put at 'significant risk' by regular gaps in checks in county where caretaker murdered two girls . His explanation for this was that he wanted to convey to the media the frustration and despair the community was feeling. [171] This complainant stated Huntley had threatened to kill her before assaulting her. Huntley's parents enrolled their son in Immingham Comprehensive at age 13. 0 Less than a minute Less than a minute [72][n 6], Despite this, investigators rapidly deduced who the two victims most likely were, and that they had not died at the location of their discovery. ", "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=1132191908, 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. [81], The inquest into the children's deaths was held at Shire Hall, Cambridge, on 23 August 2002. [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. 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 injuries Huntley received in this attack required hospital treatment. [60], Ian Huntley, interviewed by Sky News correspondent Jeremy Thompson. There is a high level of public awareness about DBS checks, and most . "[17] Huntley did not reply to this message. She preferred to do what she could to make the best of the position she was in. It was highly publicised child murder and abuse cases such as the murder of two pupils, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman by a school caretaker that led to the establishment and development of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB), covering England and Wales. [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. 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. C ya around school! [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. Currently, school caretakers do not have to undergo an ``enhanced'' CRB check -meaning only convictions are revealed. [226] She was given a secret identity to protect her from threats of attack from vengeful members of the public[227] in addition to being provided with a new home in an undisclosed location. He would typically use guile or force to achieve his desires. [147], The jury deliberated for four days before reaching their verdicts against both defendants. [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?" [39][n 3] The community held a candlelight vigil on 7 August. 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. Former "Teen Mom 2" stars Chelsea and Cole DeBoer have a new show on HGTV, "Down Home Fab." Insider spoke to the pair about how to make homes pretty but functional for families. We had a flood. 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. [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. Miss ya! In an effort to lose weight, she developed a habit of forcing herself to vomit after eating. (CRB) check which was initially introduced in 2002 in order to check the background of people working with children or vulnerable . Following a heated argument in mid-1979, Shirley ordered her husband to leave the household. Investigators were able to obtain extensive footage of the children's movements following their departure from the Wells household. [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. [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. There's two little Beckhams over there. [71], The funeral services for Wells and Chapman were held on consecutive days in September 2002. [68] It can't have been! Huntley had never been convicted of any of these criminal allegations; his burglary charge had remained on file. [151][153], Carr pleaded guilty to the charge of perverting the course of justice, and not guilty to the charge of assisting an offender. 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. Two years later, on 21 March 2010, he received non life-threatening injuries to his neck after his throat was slashed by convicted armed robber Damien Fowkes. Both girls had been missing for thirteen days when their bodies were found, and their corpses were in an advanced state of decomposition. 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. [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! Or if somebody's got them, just let them go. (This was the only instance when a victim of Huntley had not identified or named him as being her assailant. The child killer had faced a string of rape and underage sex allegations which were not exposed when he was vetted for the caretakers job at Soham Village College. 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. His erratic behaviour and apparent distress led to him being prescribed anti-depressants on 13 August. [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. [192] This employment was initially voluntary work, but Carr later became a teaching assistant in the school's Year 5 class. Both were arrested on suspicion of abduction and murder at 4:30a.m. on 17 August. [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. 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