The images of their young faces, heads close together and wearing matching red football shirts, are fixed in our minds as we go about our daily lives, switching on news bulletins in the hope of good news, only to discover with sinking hearts that there has been none except perhaps the . Although Huntley was vetted for the post, including police checks, this failed to identify previous . [228] At the time, Carr was one of four former prisoners in the UK to be given a new identity upon release. [135] Davey testified she had found minute traces of blood and saliva on these objects, but no positive traces of semen. [163] Huntley began work at Soham Village College on 26 November. The costs of imposing this order have been reported by differing tabloid newspapers as being between 1million and 50million. Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones. Each refused to file criminal complaints or accept help from social services. The Soham murders were a double child murder committed in Soham, Cambridgeshire, England on 4 August 2002. Browse the directory of real estate professionals at realtor.com. Immediately on seeing the corpses, Lawrence turned to his girlfriend, Helen Sawyer, and shouted: "Don't come any closer, Helen! He was also forbidden from initiating contact with his baby daughter or her mother. [170], In March 1996, Huntley was charged with burglary. [151][153], Carr pleaded guilty to the charge of perverting the course of justice, and not guilty to the charge of assisting an offender. Several of Carr's former partners would later inform reporters they found her to be an. Section of Mr Justice Alan Moses' sentencing of Ian Huntley. PARENTS of pupils at an Ulster primary school are petrified that a "Holly and Jessica" - style tragedy could strike . Soham: The Murder of Holly and Jessica 1/2 - True Crime DocumentaryTwo girls go missing from a Cambridge town in August of 2002, leaving their community reel. Messages and flowers in remembrance of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells lie on the ground August 18, 2002 outside St Andrew's Church in Soham,. Maxine Carr is a former teaching assistant at St. Andrew. From the moment Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman are discovered missing (4th August 2002) every heart rending . He was regarded as a loner, an oddball and an attention seeker by his peers, and became a target for bullies. She was murdered alongside her best friend, Jessica Chapman. [136], On 1 December, Huntley testified before the court in his defence. Performed by Frankie Goes to . 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. Investigators would later determine Wells and Chapman had most likely been attackedand possibly murderedin the dining room of College Close. He admitted engaging in sex with the claimant, but claimed the act had been consensual. His girlfriend, Maxine Ann Carrthe girls' teaching assistanthad knowingly provided Huntley with a false alibi. I get the impression that the Chapman's do not want any publicity at all rather than there being any hostility. She preferred to do what she could to make the best of the position she was in. [29] Over 260 registered sex offenders across the UK - including 15 high-risk paedophiles - were also questioned; all were eliminated from the investigation. Produced In Association With Silver Screen Partners III and MTM Enterprises, Inc. "The Roger Rabbit's Little OddParents". [153] The results of this inquiry were published that June.[237]. There are few worse crimes than your murder of these two young girls. [165], In 1990, Huntley finished his schooling, obtaining five GCSE passes. Carr pleaded not guilty to the charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and assisting an offender. And soccer star David . Wells and her friend, Jessica Chapman was out to purchase a sweet from a nearby vending machine. On August 17 2002, residents flocked to St Andrew's church to await . Capp and her older sister, Hayley (born 1967), were largely raised by their mother and grandparents. 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. He applied for and secured employment as a senior caretaker at this secondary school in September 2001, supervising the work of four other employees. It can't have been! 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. [161], At both primary and secondary school, Huntley was an average scholar. THE community of Soham was left heartbroken when the bodies of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells were discovered in 2002. "[109] According to Carr, Huntley then informed her the children had entered their home in order that Wells could stanch her nosebleed. ", "Caretaker Charged With Murder of Two Girls and Sent to Rampton", "Holly and Jessica: Two Bodies Found in Woods", "The Whole Town is Weeping: A Community Dazed by Grief and Disbelief", "Chatroom Contact Dismissed as False Lead", "Reconstruction of Children's Walk Too Painful for Parents to Watch", "Walking in the Last Known Footsteps of Holly and Jessica", "Abduction of Six-year-old May be Linked to Missing Girls", "A Long Night Waiting for News That Never Came", "Countdown to Murder of 'Two Little Beckhams', "Soham Murders: Why did Ian Huntley Kill Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman? 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 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. "[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. . [81], The inquest into the children's deaths was held at Shire Hall, Cambridge, on 23 August 2002. Your tears have never been for them; only for yourself. [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. The girls had been at a Wells family barbecue before sneaking out to buy sweets. [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. THE shocking hidden truth about the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman is revealed by the News of the World in a sensational taped dossier. Private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, working for the . For the first time since the horror that shocked the nation four years ago, twisted Ian Huntley has confessed that he THROTTLED screaming Jessica as she tried to phone . He also told Good Morning Britain in 2015: We still think of Holly every day. [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. Today, August 4, marks 20 years since schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing after they left a family barbecue to buy sweets. Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were two 10-year old classmates who had been friends since they were only four years old. Huntley's mother's maiden name had been Nixon. [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. [8] Parr then returned home. That involved at all costs protecting Ian Huntley. Maxine Carr is found not guilty of helping Ian Huntley in relation to the deaths of the girls but guilty of lying to the police about what happened. [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. Its strange being three of us when there used to be a fourth.. [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 and Jessica remembered. On 4th August 2002, 10-year-old school friends Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were enjoying a . [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. Her parents, Kevin and Nicola, were certain she would be the first member of their family to go to university. Huntley was given two life sentences by the judge. [102][n 10], Having discovered the children's clothes at Soham Village College,[82] police decided to arrest Huntley and Carr. Nicola and Kevin Wells are the parents of Holly, who was murdered along with her best friend on August 4 2002. The girls had been playing together at . The Soham murders were a double child murder committed in Soham, Cambridgeshire, England on 4 August 2002. Minutes after their daughter's 8:30p.m. curfew had expired, Nicola Wells phoned the Chapman residence to ask if the girls were there, only to learn Leslie and Sharon Chapman were worried that their youngest daughter had not returned home. Sign in to watch. [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. Sharon and Leslie have kept their grief largely private. "[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). He worked as a senior caretaker there until his arrest. [14], At the urging of his father, Huntley joined the Air Training Corps at age 13. Head to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and tell us what you think of our story. 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. 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. Then we could have stopped them, or done something about it. [50], In July 1998, police were notified that Huntley had sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl in September 1997, having also threatened to kill the child if she informed her mother. This four-minute phone call escalated into a heated argument, culminating in Huntley angrily terminating the phone call after she informed him of her intentions to socialise in Grimsby that evening. By John McGurk. [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. [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. [200] Shortly thereafter, the couple moved to a ground-floor flat in Scunthorpe, where Huntley formally proposed to Carr in June 1999. [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. [192], In 1993, Capp finished her schooling, having obtained no qualifications. 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. [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?" As well as Jessica, the Chapmans are also parents to daughters Rebecca and Alison. [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? He chose not to enrol in college and instead committed himself to finding employment. He was not charged. A physical description of each girl was also released to the media, describing them as being white, about 4ft 6in (137cm) tall, and slim. 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. In the summer of 2002, two 10-year-old girls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, went missing from their home in Soham. Huntley was later transferred to London's Belmarsh prison. [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. [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. When Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing in Soham in 2002, Dennis was called in by Holly's family to help. [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. [17], Prosecutors at Huntley's trial contended he had lured the children into his house with a likely sexual motivation, but investigators found no evidence of premeditation in relation to the murders. Alfred seldom maintained contact with his wife and children, and refused to provide any financial support for his daughters. [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. 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. [204][205], By 2001, Huntley had re-established contact with his father,[n 15] who worked as a school caretaker in Littleport, near Ely. [95] To one officer, he said: "You think I've done it? "[155], On 29 September 2005 High Court judge Mr Justice Moses announced that Huntley must remain in prison until he had served a minimum of 40 years' imprisonment; a term which would not allow parole eligibility until 2042, by which time he would be 68 years old. 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. . Most watched News videos. [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. This vehicle was last seen turning into the Studlands Park housing estate. Holly wouldve been an auntie to her brothers children. "[111] Despite these revelations, Carr initially remained emotionally attached to Huntley and professed her belief in his innocence to both the police and her family. [168] The marriage was short-lived due to Huntley's volatile temper, which surfaced within days of their marriage. 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. [54], Police were suspicious of Huntley's account. [98], The same evening, police conducted a thorough search of both 5 College Close and the grounds of Soham Village College where Huntley worked as a senior caretaker[100] as the couple remained under police watch at separate locations outside Soham. 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. I'll rot in here, I know it. In 2002, two 10-year-old girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were at a barbecue at the Wells' home located in Soham, United Kingdom. [59], On 16 August, twelve days after the children's disappearance, Huntley and Carr were first questioned by police. "[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. 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. 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. [139] In the bathroom, he had slipped and accidentally knocked Wells into his bath while helping her stanch her nosebleed, and this unintentional act had caused her to drown as he "panicked and froze". The court also heard the reading of statements from the families of the Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, who Mr Huntley is accused of murdering. [206], In September 2001, Huntley responded to a job advertisement for a job as a senior caretaker at Soham Village College. [217] Huntley again applied for compensation for the injuries he received in this attack, seeking 20,000 in damages. Twenty . [73] Numerous hairs later determined to belong to Chapman were discovered on a tree branch close to the location of the girls' bodies. I was the last person to see them!" There's two little Beckhams over there. The best friends, who were both just ten years old, were attending a barbeque . )[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. [174], In April 1998, Huntley was arrested on suspicion of raping an 18-year-old woman. The same year, she and her mother moved from Keelby back to Grimsby. [193], Several of Capp's colleagues later remarked how they found her to be a distant and immature figure with few friends or hobbies. FRIENDS Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing in August 2002 and their bodies were not found until more than a week later. Additional Score Recordings by TOM BAILEY JOHN WITT CHAPMAN. Her age was 10 years at the time of her tragic death. [70][71] No clear footprints were discovered at the crime scene. Had they done so, they would have discovered an outstanding burglary charge on file relating to his November 1995 arrest for this crime. It was not until 8 p.m. that Holly's parents found out she was missing. 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 . Following the birth of their second child, Wayne, in August 1975, the family moved into a rented property in Immingham, where Huntley attended school. She wasnt and Huntley has since admitted murdering the girls. Miss ya! [82], Over the course of three days, Latham outlined the efforts of both defendants to divert suspicion away from Huntley, and Huntley's own efforts to destroy all physical and circumstantial evidence linking him to the crime,[24] but despite these efforts, investigators had retrieved enough evidence to show the children had been murdered within his home andwithin approximately twelve hours of their deathstransported in his vehicle to the location where their bodies were discovered on 17 August. The evidence and artefacts were not made public at the time, but the items recovered from the school grounds included items of clothing the girls had been wearing when last seen; their charred and cut Manchester United shirts were recovered from a bin in a hangar at Huntley's place of work. 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. "[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. The killers girlfriend, Maxine Carr, who was the girls teaching assistant, was jailed for giving him a false alibi. We suggest that this whole business in the house was motivated by something sexual. 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. In what Huntley had believed would be his posthumous confession, he claims to have confessed to having murdered both girls to Carr prior to their arrest and his plans to confess to authorities, to which, Huntley alleged, Carr had slapped his face and informed him to "pull [himself] together" as she did not wish to lose the teaching position she had yearned for all her life. Speaking previously to the Radio Times, Oliver admitted that he thinks about his sister often. [55], I don't know the girls. [181][n 13], Following his arrest, several former girlfriends and sexual partners stated that Huntley presented himself as a charming and considerate man in the early stages of a relationship, but would become domineering and violent upon having established control. Huntley would later inform investigators that he had waited for nightfall before opting to drive to RAF Lakenheath to dispose of the girls' bodies. 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. Two decades ago, 10-year-old schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered by their school caretaker Ian Huntley. Score Editors CHRIS BARRETT ADAM MILLER . [82], In a reference to Huntley's claims both girls' deaths had been accidental, Latham stated that "only one person knows what happened" after the friends entered his home. Jessicas parents are Sharon and Leslie Chapman. 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. Summary information is updated to reflect amendments since the report was initially filed. [46] Police also received statements regarding a suspicious white van that had been seen in Soham on the evening of the children's disappearance. Between 1992 and 2002, he had committed many acts of physical and sexual violence against women and children for which he had been unpunished. 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. [39][n 3] The community held a candlelight vigil on 7 August. 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. [14] In any event, the cause of death of both girls was later ruled to be asphyxiation. Holly's parents, Nicola and Kevin Wells, think the girls are . However, ten years after their daughters death, they gave a statement in support of police plans to create a national database for sex offenders. [201], Although they were a besotted couple in public, Huntley was very possessive of Carr, and is known to have emotionally abused and/or physically assaulted her frequently, often culminating in Carr returning to live with her mother before Huntley persuaded her to return to live with him. Between 1990 and 1996, Huntley worked in a succession of menial jobs, but seldom held any job for long. "[17] Huntley did not reply to this message. [147], The jury deliberated for four days before reaching their verdicts against both defendants. [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! Its strange being three of us, when there used to be a fourth.. Carr was charged with two counts of assisting an offender and one count of perverting the course of justice. We do chat about her quite regularly, which I think is a very nice thing. Read more: Heartbreak of Ian Huntleys daughter as father shows no remorse for Holly and Jessicas murder. [166] He also viewed himself as something of a ladies' man, and was scrupulous about his personal appearance and personal hygiene. He was just six years old at the time of his sisters murder. 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 . Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were best friends. [60], Ian Huntley, interviewed by Sky News correspondent Jeremy Thompson. Even at four years old, the two girls instantly became best friends, practically joined at the hip, and . He eventually started his new job months later. [57], On 6 August, Huntley drove from Soham to Grimsby to pick up Carr. 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. [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. Holly Wells, left, and Jessica Chapman were just 10 years old when they were murdered in 2002. Credit: Photo: BRIAN SMITH. [212], At 9:53a.m. on 4 August, Huntley attempted to phone Carr, but she did not answer her mobile phone. It was one, almost two years before we found each other again, but grief gives you a different sense of the passage of time and it slipped by unnoticed.. 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 . Today I accept there was nothing more or different as a parent I could have done to change the outcome, Kevin said at the time. [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. [21] Over 400 officers were assigned full-time to search for the girls. For the first five months after Holly died we broke down together, but after that we processed our grief at different speeds. It was introduced to close gaps in information-sharing between police forces. We do chat about her quite regularly, which I think is a very nice thing. The funeral services for Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were held on consecutive days in September 2002. Holly Marie Wells (October 4, 1991 - August 4, 2002) was a 10-year-old British girl from Soham, England. He would typically use guile or force to achieve his desires. [183] Huntley severely restricted and supervised any contact she held with her family or social acquaintances. [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. The parents of murdered Soham girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman have been visited by police investigating phone-hacking by journalists. [96], When questioned about his failure to call emergency services and subsequent, extensive efforts to destroy evidence and divert suspicion from himself, Huntley insisted he had first become preoccupied with whether the police and public would believe the girls' deaths had been accidental, and he had decided to conceal all evidence of the deaths as opposed to either notifying police or paramedics. 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!