Two Arrested For Murder Of UK Girls

IOL ^ | 8-17-2002

[blam]

Two arrested for murder of missing UK girls

August 17 2002 at 01:54PM

Soham, England - A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murdering missing British schoolgirls Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells, police said on Saturday.

"In the last few hours a 28-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman have been arrested," said Detective Chief Inspector Andy Hebb.

The announcement appeared to bring an end to hopes that the 10-year-old girls would be found alive. The case has gripped the nation for two weeks and drawn in more than 400 police in one of the country's biggest manhunts.

It prompted candlelit vigils in their small English town, and even an appeal from their idol, soccer ace David Beckham, whose No 7 Manchester United shirt they were both wearing when they disappeared.

'As I speak, neither Jessica nor Holly have been found' "The 28-year-old man has been arrested for the murder and abduction of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman," Hebb said. "The 25-year-old woman has been arrested for the murder of both girls."

Under British law, police and media can usually give only limited details about suspects once they are arrested.

The girls vanished after leaving a family barbecue in the town of Soham, Cambridgeshire in eastern England on August 4.

"As I speak, neither Jessica nor Holly have been found," Hebb said. The last sighting of the two friends was on security camera footage as they walked around town shortly after they vanished from their home.

Hebb said items of "major importance" had been recovered during a search of Soham Village College, which includes St Andrew's primary school where the girls were pupils. The items recovered there would now be subject to forensic examinations.

A caretaker and teaching assistant at the school were questioned Police said the two people they had arrested, whom they did not name, had been taken to separate police stations in Cambridgeshire for questioning, and officers were continuing a search of the college.

On Friday, a 28-year-old caretaker at the school and his girlfriend, a 25-year-old teaching assistant, were questioned by police after giving a voluntary witness statement and were named by some media.

The investigation, which has come under fire for moving too slowly, has focused on various leads over the past two weeks, including freshly dug mounds of earth found by a jogger in nearby woodland and a "demented" driver in a dark green car.

[blam]

I read a lot of foreign news sources and I've been following this story.

[FormerLurker]

Thanks for posting this. Since there was both a man and a woman involved in this, I wonder if this case has anything to do with SRA (Satanic Ritual Abuse)? There ARE a lot of sickos running around these days...

[blam]

Missing girls: Police find two bodies near Suffolk village

Police investigating the disappearance of Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells say two bodies have been discovered near the village of Mildenhall in Suffolk.

Cambridgeshire Police could not confirm the bodies were those of the missing ten-year-olds.

The grim discovery was reportedly made by a member of the public on land next to A1065 to Swaffham, approximately seven miles east of Soham.

A Cambridgeshire Police spokeswoman said: "We are making urgent inquiries to establish the identities of the two bodies and to determine if there are any suspicious circumstances."

The discovery comes almost twelve hours after two people were arrested in connection with the murders of the youngsters from Soham.

School caretaker Ian Huntley, 28, is being held on suspicion of abducting and murdering the pair.

His girlfriend Maxine Carr, 25, a teaching assistant in the girls' class last term, is being questioned on suspicion of murder.

Story filed: 15:27 Saturday 17th August 2002

[blam]

Saturday, 17 August, 2002, 13:54 GMT 14:54 UK, BBC

Two arrested in girls murder inquiry

The couple can be held for 96 hours without charge

A school caretaker and his girlfriend have been arrested in connection with the murders of missing schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.
Ian Huntley, 28, is being held on suspicion of abducting and murdering both 10-year-old girls.

His girlfriend Maxine Carr, 25, has been arrested on suspicion of their murders, police revealed on Saturday.

Holly and Jessica vanished from near their homes in Soham, Cambridgeshire, on Sunday 4 August.

The arrests mark the first confirmation that police fear the girls may be dead although their bodies have not been found.

Detective Chief Inspector Andy Hebb said that officers had also recovered items of "major interest" from Soham Village College, where Mr Huntley worked.

He said the items had been preserved at the scene and would be subject to forensic examinations which take a "considerable time".

The couple were arrested at around 0400 BST and taken to separate police stations in Cambridgeshire where they are being interviewed.

Mr Huntley had previously told police that he had spoken to the girls on the evening they went missing.

Search continues

Police can now hold the pair for up to 72 hours without charge and can apply to magistrates for an extension of a further 24 hours.

Holly and Jessica's parents have been informed about the developments.

Searches are continuing around Soham including the site which includes the college, the girls' primary school St Andrews and Mr Huntley's caretaker's cottage.

It was at the college only hours before that the missing girls' parents had publicly appealed to any abductors holding their daughters to give them back.

Detectives had already spent almost seven hours questioning Mr Huntley and Ms Carr at separate police stations on Friday.

Mr Huntley, a site manager at the college for the past nine months, and Ms Carr, a former teaching assistant in the girls' class, had given voluntary witness statements.

The pair had both agreed for their home, which is in the grounds of the college, to be searched on Friday.

The house was one of the last places where the 10-year-olds were seen on the day they went missing.

On Saturday the home and grounds of Mr Huntley's father Kevin, in Littleport which is about 10 miles from Soham, were also cordoned off to allow police to carry out a search.

Major manhunt

The girls' headteacher broke down in tears as he told how he felt numb when he heard about the latest developments.

Geoff Fisher said: "I have been clinging for the last two weeks to the hope that Jessica and Holly would be found alive, clinging to the hope that they would be starting school in September in their final year at St Andrew's".

The girls' parents made a series of appeals

He said that his thoughts turned immediately to Holly and Jessica's parents.

Soham Methodist minister Alan Ashton said the town was in deep shock.

He said the community stood on "the edge of grief" but the parents had been plunged into "an abyss of darkness".

"It is the absolute awful scenario and the emptiness in their homes will be so intense at this moment."

Community shocked Click here for reaction in Soham Soham vicar Tim Alban Jones said: "It is almost impossible to make sense of this. Jessica and Holly's disappearances sparked one of Britain's biggest manhunts, involving more than 400 officers from 21 forces. More than 14,000 calls have been made to police since the case opened 13 days ago. Police have always insisted that the key to solving the inquiry was likely to lie in or around Soham.

[4Freedom]

Child porn and snuff flicks are another possibility. The FBI recently handed the British authorities a list of over 7,000 British subscribers to a pair of child porn websites.

FBI's sting snares 7,000 paedophiles across Britain

I wonder, if either of these two names is on that list?

[aristeides]

Bodies found in missing girls inquiry.

[4Freedom]

"Items of major interest found in caretaker's house."

He probably had cameras all over the school.

[Irene Adler]

Sounds like British schools better start doing routine background investigations on their staff members.

[MadIvan]

Sounds like British schools better start doing routine background investigations on their staff members.

We should reinstate the death penalty, as the vast majority of British people want. I have no desire to see child murderers live.

By the way, my compliments on your choice of handle, as Sherlock Holmes' "the woman".

Regards, Ivan

[FormerLurker]

Child porn and snuff flicks are another possibility.

In some cases, these two possibilities are tied to the possibility that I brought up.

In fact, if you consider the aspect of good and evil, we can see what these two possibilities are tied to. Whether or not the perps were themselves involved in satanic rituals might not be as important as what in fact influenced them to commit such atrocious acts.

[Irene Adler]

"By the way, my compliments on your choice of handle, as Sherlock Holmes' "the woman"."

Thank you, Ivan. I was formerly using a different FReeper name and always rather regretted not going with "Irene Adler" as my initial choice, so finally just decided to make the switch. It's nice when people recognize where I got it.

[grumpster-dumpster]

Please answer a question for me.

Because the UK does not have "death-penlty" I presume these two, if convicted, would be sentenced to life imprisonment. What exactly does "life-sentence" mean in the UK?

Thanks in advance for the reply.

[MadIvan]

Thank you, Ivan. I was formerly using a different FReeper name and always rather regretted not going with "Irene Adler" as my initial choice, so finally just decided to make the switch. It's nice when people recognize where I got it.

I'd be remiss in my duty if I didn't spot it. ;)

Best Regards, Ivan

[tippytoes]

I thought about this, too. I always check the date the victims go missing to see if it is an important date in the occult world. Can't find a link, but snuff films do seem very likely and England is overflowing with the occult. Unfortunately, America is also.

[MadIvan]

Because the UK does not have "death-penlty" I presume these two, if convicted, would be sentenced to life imprisonment. What exactly does "life-sentence" mean in the UK?

That is a very good question. I am afraid the answer is "it depends". If the crime in heinous enough - such as child killer Myra Hindley - life means life. Because each and every time her case is reviewed the press goes absolutely barmy. We can assume that this will be the case of Dr. Harold Shipman, the mass murderer too.

However this is not universal. My grandmother's second husband, a policeman, was killed in the line of duty in 1966, and the killer was caught. This fellow was recently released from prison. And he now has a book deal and is living better than my grandmother does on her police widow's pension.

I am bitter about it, can you tell?

Regards, Ivan

[grumpster-dumpster]

"I am bitter about it, can you tell?"

Yes, but I would call it “Righteous Indignation” instead.

Thank you for the reply. A very similar situation here in the States (although varying between the different States.)

[MadIvan]

Thank you for the reply. A very similar situation here in the States (although varying between the different States.)

I am very fond of Texas' approach. Take one murderer, strap into Old Sparky, and set to "Extra Crispy".

Nothing like "down home cooking". ;)

Regards, Ivan

[grumpster-dumpster]

"I am very fond of Texas' approach. Take one murderer, strap into Old Sparky,..."

I agree! :o) (Although I'm a bit at odds with my Church over my position).

Just s a very minor correction, however, "Old Sparky" is in Florida! LOL! (I'm not sure, but I believe Texas uses lethal injection... for those who would like to see murder’s rare... (Bad pun intended).

[JudyB1938]

I couldn't care less what leads up to a viscious crime. Oh, well. Too bad. They had choices in life, and they made the wrong choices. When they choose to do something so evil as what they did to those little girls, they deserve NO mercy.

[hoosiermama]

WIth the FBI involved and arrests being made in ENgland, how long until arrest begin on this side of the sea and how many arrest do you think we'll have?