Holly Wells & Jessica Chapman: What happened to girls killed by Ian 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. . 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. [55], I don't know the girls. Investigators located and seized this vehicle from a caravan park in Wentworth on 7 August; this lead also proved fruitless. The jury accepted her insistence that she had only lied to the police and media in order to protect Huntley because, prior to their arrest, she had believed his claims of innocence. The Wells family still live in Soham, the village where Holly was killed. Songs by: Van Dyke Parks. When it was revealed that they had moved back into the family home, Nicola and Kevin also shared the news that they had become grandparents. [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. Where is Joseph Fritzl now? Staff initially feared Huntley might die as a result of this overdose,[124] but he was returned to his prison cell within 48 hours. She further explained her focus had therefore been to protect Huntley's job and reputation, adding that had she known of Huntley's guilt, she would never have attempted to provide him with a false alibi, stating to her counsel: "If, for a minute, I [had known] or believed he'd murdered either of those girls I would have been horrified. [147], The jury deliberated for four days before reaching their verdicts against both defendants. [3] She received a three-and-a-half year prison sentence for conspiring with Huntley to pervert the course of justice. Kevin, who runs his own window cleaning business, is also the founding patron of the charity Grief Encounter. "[55][n 5] This officer was unconvinced by Huntley's claims and suspicious of his agitated demeanour; Huntley remained a strong suspect. [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. Soham is a small town and civil parish located in the east of the university city Cambridge, in the United Kingdom. Carr was sentenced to serve three-and-a-half years in prison for perverting the course of justice. [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. While townsfolk are determined to remember Holly and Jessica, acts of remembrance in Soham are expected to be low-profile. 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. Chris Young - PA Images/PA Images/Getty Images, schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were murdered. We will never forget Holly but life does move on it has to. Soham murders: Ian Huntley's press interviews alerted police They briefly moved out of the family home where she spent her last day, though. None were alive when Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman died on this day 20 years ago . But, whatever he initiated, plainly went wrong. [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. Holly Wells Parents & Ethnicity:- Holly Wells was a 10 years old school girl who was kidnapped alongside her friend Jessica Chapman by a school caretaker Ian Huntley. I'll rot in here, I know it. The 10-year-old friends left the gathering to buy sweets in Soham . Between 1992 and 2002, he had committed many acts of physical and sexual violence against women and children for which he had been unpunished. Available Until: 05 September 2026. I've just watched the programme. [95] To one officer, he said: "You think I've done it? [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. Holly Wells's brother speaks out for 10th anniversary of - Telegraph Soham murders: Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman murdered 20 years ago Wells and Chapman became two of the pupils she taught,[17] and both girls were fond of her. 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. "[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. Just In - 9News - Latest news and headlines from Australia and the world UK | England | Cambridgeshire | Holly and Jessica remembered - BBC News He applied for this using the alias Ian Nixon. Jessica Chapmans parents, Leslie and Sharon, have rarely spoken publicly about the murder. [53] When he had replied Carr had not got the job, one of the girls had said, "Tell her we're sorry" before they both walked along College Street towards a bridge leading towards Clay Street. [183] Huntley severely restricted and supervised any contact she held with her family or social acquaintances. 'Holly and Jessica murders changed Soham forever' - The Sun CBBC Newsround | HOLLY AND JESSICA | Who were Holly and Jessica? [14], At the urging of his father, Huntley joined the Air Training Corps at age 13. [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. Produced In Association With Silver Screen Partners III and MTM Enterprises, Inc. "The Roger Rabbit's Little OddParents". Investigators would later determine Wells and Chapman had most likely been attackedand possibly murderedin the dining room of College Close. Holly and Jessica remembered. [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. The parents of murdered Soham girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman have been visited by police investigating phone-hacking by journalists. While Kevin and Nicola have remained together since the unimaginable death of their daughter, they struggled for quite some time. OLIVER KOUMBAS JOANNE LEES TAMZIN LILLYWHITE JADE LITTLE . Huntley would later inform investigators that he had waited for nightfall before opting to drive to RAF Lakenheath to dispose of the girls' bodies. [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. "[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. Several of Carr's former partners would later inform reporters they found her to be an. [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. 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. 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. Carr's decision to corroborate Huntley's lies to investigators and media in the early stages of the police investigation briefly resulted in police discounting Huntley as a suspect before eyewitness accounts of Carr's whereabouts on 4 August and a search of mobile phone and telephone records proved the, Huntley had attempted to burn these clothes in the late evening of 4 August; the, Investigators later discovered that a week before his arrest, Huntley had taken his car to an. [16] Huntley's face showed no emotion as the verdict was announced; the mothers of both Wells and Chapman burst into tears. His girlfriend, Maxine Ann Carrthe girls' teaching assistanthad knowingly provided Huntley with a false alibi. What happened to Soham murder victims Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman [235], Immediately after Huntley's conviction, previous criminal allegations against him were made public. He admitted engaging in sex with the claimant, but claimed the act had been consensual. 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. Holly and Jessica both lived close to each other in the Cambridgeshire town of Soham in the United Kingdom and . The two-part show will cover the events both leading up to and . Both girls had been missing for thirteen days when their bodies were found, and their corpses were in an advanced state of decomposition. [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. [136], On 1 December, Huntley testified before the court in his defence. I'm the Soham psychic | Express Yourself | Comment | Express.co.uk Locals would rally around the families of the girls and dedicate hours of their time searching for them . On this occasion, Carr had been drinking with a former boyfriend named Paul Selby when Huntleya casual acquaintance of Selbyapproached the two and initiated a conversation. [75], On 21 August, the bodies of both girls were identified via DNA testing. "[134], Testimony relating to the forensic evidence linking Huntley was heard on 24 November. [194] Shy and reserved and prone to wear clothing which concealed her figure when sober, Capp became markedly flirtatious when having consumed alcohol, and is known to have occasionally engaged in exhibitionism in addition to frequently engaging in one-night stands with people she encountered in pubs and clubs. There's no trace of the building which once stood there, nor a memorial to the two young girls murdered inside. He was also forbidden from initiating contact with his baby daughter or her mother. Nicola and Kevin Wells are the parents of Holly, who was murdered along with her best friend on August 4 2002. [38], Maxine Carr was born Maxine Ann Capp. After two months of courtship,[163] Huntley proposed to Evans. [10] Coroner David Morris testified the bodies of both girls were partially skeletonized, and that no precise cause of death could be determined for either of them. [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. Grief does not diminish, but you can manage the intensity and learn to live with it.. [164], Despite having few friends, Huntley formed several relationships with girls while attending Immingham Comprehensive. I'm going to be inside forever, and it'll be torture. It is believed that Cambridgeshire Police failed to perform a background check under the name Huntley. The Soham murders: What happened to Holly and Jessica 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. [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. [29] Over 260 registered sex offenders across the UK - including 15 high-risk paedophiles - were also questioned; all were eliminated from the investigation. Phone-hacking police meet murdered Soham girls' parents [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. FRIENDS Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman went missing in August 2002 and their bodies were not found until more than a week later. [191] By the age of 15, Capp weighed more than 10 stones (63 kg), resulting in her being bullied by her classmates. [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. These findings ultimately led to the tightening of various procedures within the Criminal Records Bureau system, including compulsory checks into potential criminal backgrounds of people who apply to work with children.[243]. In an effort to lose weight, she developed a habit of forcing herself to vomit after eating. Pervert alert at primary school | BelfastTelegraph.co.uk He then claimed to her Chapman had sat on their bed as he had helped Wells control the bleeding from her nose before both girls had left their home. [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. Head to our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix and tell us what you think of our story. PDF News Media, Victims and Crime A documentary about Ian Huntley and Maxine Carr will air on Channel 5 on 9 and 10 March 2022 at . 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. Therefore, in this ruthless man's mind, both girls had to die in his own selfish self-interest." [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. "[28], Suspecting the children had been kidnapped, investigators questioned every registered sex offender in Cambridgeshire and neighbouring Lincolnshire. [24] Weeping, Huntley admitted responsibility for both deaths, but repeated his insistence that both deaths had been accidental. [82] As such, she was found not guilty of assisting an offender. Holly wouldve been an auntie to her brothers children. 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. [24] One of these officers observed three vertical scratches on Huntley's left jaw, each measuring approximately three centimetres (1.2in), which he claimed had been recently inflicted by his dog. For the first five months after Holly died we broke down together, but after that we processed our grief at different speeds. 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 can't have been! [69], Carr was also interviewed by the press during the second week of the search for the children. [208] The site where 5 College Close once stood is now a vacant patch of grass. On August 17 2002, residents flocked to St Andrew's church to await . [114][n 11] She was further charged with two counts of assisting an offender on 17 January 2003. Episode 2 of Soham: The Murder of Holly & Jessica airs tonight (March 10) on Channel 5 at 9pm. Parents of murdered Soham girl Holly Wells have become grandparents. [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. Sharon worked at St Andrews primary school in Soham. She was murdered alongside her best friend, Jessica Chapman. [163] Huntley began work at Soham Village College on 26 November. Following a heated argument in mid-1979, Shirley ordered her husband to leave the household. [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. The girls' bodies were discovered on 17 August 2002. Directors: Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones. 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 . In this instance, a woman was raped and Huntleyby this stage suspected by police as being a serial sex offenderwas interviewed. What is their net worth? [187], The marriage between Capp's parents was marred by frequent arguments. Police reveal horror of bodies in ditch | The Scotsman Nicola and Kevin Wells are the parents of Holly, who was murdered along with her best friend on August 4 2002. 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. 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. [153] The results of this inquiry were published that June.[237]. Investigators believe that prior to his 2002 arrest, Huntley had engaged in illegal sexual activity with up to 60 underage girls. She preferred to do what she could to make the best of the position she was in. She was jailed for giving Huntley a false alibi after he killed 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. [6] He stressed that the cause of death was murder, adding: "Ten-year-old girls don't just drop dead. ", "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 Soham murders were a double child murder committed in Soham, Cambridgeshire, England on 4 August 2002. I hope the next time I see him, it will be like we saw our daughtersand it will be in a coffin. Morris stated that the most likely cause of death of both girls had been asphyxiation. 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. [170], In March 1996, Huntley was charged with burglary. 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. THE bodies of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman were found in a "severely decomposed and skeletonised" state at the bottom of a ditch in a remote area of woodland, the inquest into their deaths . Then we could have stopped them, or done something about it. [185] Psychologists have also determined Huntley has mentally blocked any attempts to accept the reality or enormity of his actions pertaining to his repeated violence against females in order that he might cope with the consequences of his actions. [163] Huntley also enjoyed football, and was an avid supporter of Manchester United. They have two children together, and Oliver regularly speaks about his sister to keep her memory alive. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. When they were returning home, they were lured into the local resident, Ian Kevin Huntley's home. "[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). Chaired by Sir Michael Bichard, the Bichard inquiry opened on 13 January 2004. "[17] Huntley did not reply to this message. [110] She had therefore later agreed to concoct a false story with her partner to support his version of events. Nicola and Kevin have spoken often about their loss and how they tried to move on with their lives for the sake of Hollys brother Oliver. Holly Wells | Victims of Homicide Wiki | Fandom [151][153], Carr pleaded guilty to the charge of perverting the course of justice, and not guilty to the charge of assisting an offender. 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. [102][n 10], Having discovered the children's clothes at Soham Village College,[82] police decided to arrest Huntley and Carr. The secret life of Maxine Carr and her toxic union with Ian Huntley [180] The youngest girl Huntley is known to have raped was 12 years old, with another girl he had attempted to rape being 11. Ian Huntley worked as a caretaker at the school both girls attended. [103][n 9] Fibres recovered from these garments were a precise match to samples retrieved from Huntley's body and clothing, as well as from 5 College Close. 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. The family regularly experienced financial difficulties, but Shirley would later state she "spoiled" her daughters to the best of her financial ability. [204][205], By 2001, Huntley had re-established contact with his father,[n 15] who worked as a school caretaker in Littleport, near Ely. Alarmed, she and her husband, Kevin, searched the house and nearby streets. Ian Huntley: What happened to killer of schoolgirlsJessica Chapman and We have the professionals you need. Between 1990 and 1996, Huntley worked in a succession of menial jobs, but seldom held any job for long. 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. One of the issues scrutinised by the Bichard report surfaced almost immediately when Humberside Police stated their belief that it was unlawful under the Data Protection Act to hold data regarding criminal allegations which had not led to a conviction; this claim was criticised by other police forces who thought this too strict an interpretation of the Act. 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. However, ten years after their daughters death, they gave a statement in support of police plans to create a national database for sex offenders. Each room of Huntley's home had evidently been recently and meticulously cleaned[101] with what was later described as being a "lemony" cleaning fluid,[102] but the search of the home revealed many items of "major importance" to the investigation.