He was 10 years old. The mother quickly found her daughter, but there was no sign of her son. Robert is now openly gay and is in a long-term relationship. In 2017, Venables was caught in possession of thousands of child pornography images and sentenced to a minimum of 40 months in prison. Venables and Thompson were tried in an adult courtroom by a jury. After a three-week trial, the jury took only five hours to render a guilty verdict for the boys. But sometimes the unthinkable happens - children kill. His body had been severed in two by a train. The kid killers were condemned to an adolescent detainment office, where they resided until their parole in 2001 at 18 years old. Thompson was held at Barton Moss near Manchester, where he cultivated an interest in subjects like art and theater. The twisted child killer, now aged 39, took the youngster from a shopping centre along with friend Robert Thompson, before the baby's dead body by a railway track. He could now be kept in prison for the rest of his life ifthe board decides he poses too much of a risk to ever be freed again. After intensive rehabilitation, the pair were handed new identities. They went out that day to kill I truly believe that. The 36-year-old has not re-offended since being released on licence when he was 18 years old. AT just ten years old, Jon Venables callously abducted and murdered James Bulger, 2, in 1993 in a case that sent shockwaves through the UK and the rest of the world. With some evidence in hand and the knowledge that the James Bulger killers were likely two children, the police checked nearby schools absentee lists for the day of the disappearance. Who was Wu Lien-teh and who was his wife Ruth? Interestingly, his partner knows his real identity. He had passed five GCSEs, taken A-levels and enjoyed trips to the Lake District and even to the theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. On March 4, 2019, it was announced Thompson's accomplice Jon Venables is to keep his anonymity after a judge ruled it would protect him from "serious violence". The panel listed as risk factors those influencers that made it more likely that Mr. Venables would reoffend in the future,the report read. A freak of nature. Other searches were conducted elsewhere, all leading to nothing. But according to some sources, Venables does not want to be freed, in part over fears hell re-offend and in part over his inability to avoid drugs. Robert hasn't reoffended. A two-year-old James Bulger was kidnapped and killed by the ten-year-old Robert Thompson and his partner Jon Venables. James Bulger was not the first child that the pair tried to abduct. James Patrick Bulger (16 March 1990 - 12 February 1993) was a two-year-old boy from Kirkby, Merseyside, England, who was abducted, tortured, and murdered by two 10-year-old boys, Robert Thompson (born 23 August 1982) and Jon Venables (born 13 August 1982), on 12 February 1993. A source told the paper that Venables told the panel and his probation officer he doesn't even want to be freed. Due to the national furor surrounding their case, they were both given new identities. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. With evening approaching, an elderly woman saw Bulger crying, noticed his injuries, and approached the trio to enquire what was wrong. When officers arrived at his flat, Venables was attempting to remove or destroy the hard drive of his computer with a knife and tin opener. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. Ralph expressed concern that Jon would reoffend if released from prison with a new identity. The twisted child killer,. With little to go on, Bulgers parents were suspects initially. He was denied parole in 2000 and ordered to stay behind bars for at least an additional two years. A policeman stands guard at the entrance of the site where the body of James Bulger was found on a railway embankment in Liverpool. A judge sentenced the pair to detention which ended when the pair hit eighteen. In rejecting Ralphs petition, Judge Sir Andrew McFarlane argued that releasing Jons information would endanger his life. This caused various children to be identified as potential killers, with some parents even reporting their own kids. Jon Venables pictured using a mobile phone, a questionable activity given his inability to maintain anonymity. Though not much is known about his current whereabouts, he is reportedly in a stable relationship with a man who is fully aware of his past. In September 2008 he was arrested on suspicion of affray after a drunken brawl outside a nightclub and was given a formal warning by the probation service. Nine months later, the trial began. Venables and Thompson were both charged. The child killer was released from a young offenders institution under licence in 2001 and has not re-offended since. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . A court order that is in place to prevent a person from being identified as Jon Venables or Robert Thompson has been amended, following an application from the Attorney General, Rt Hon. The police then visited both childrens homes and discovered blood on Thompsons shoes and blue paint on Venables jacket. Meanwhile, court-appointed psychiatrists said that both Thompson and Venables knew the difference between right and wrong. These boys asked who the toddler was and Venables replied that he was Thompsons brother and that they were taking him home. Venables was released in 2001 and soon found himself running afoul of the law. The judge said: [Venables] is uniquely notorious and there is a strong possibility, if not a probability, that if his identity were known he would be pursued resulting in grave and possibly fatal consequences.. That was the biggest mistake of my life. His dad abandoned the family five years before Bulger's murder - leaving mum Ann devastated. View our online Press Pack. Several shoppers later remembered noticing the trio as they walked through the mall. I think Thompson was in charge, but they both attacked James. The ex-convict has kept his bargain of the clause of his release. They were a match made in hell. She was also bothered by the fact that Thompson would cry, but there wouldn't be any tears. Venables and Thompson were tried in an adult courtroom by a jury. Outside the courthouse, people called for the blood of the James Bulger killers. The killer walked free in June 2001 with unprecedented lifelong anonymity after a parole board ruled he was no longer a threat to public safety. He was visited regularly by his parents and was kept at Red Bank for the full eight years because of good progress, despite the facility only being a short-stay remand unit. A woman would recognize one of the suspects, 10-year-old Jon Venables. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. They were caught by a surveillance camera leaving the mall at 3:42 PM. At first, Thompson denied everything. At trial in 1993, Thompson was painted as the ringleader, leading Venables on at every turn. What about his mum, will you tell her Im sorry?. March 10, 2021 - 20:29 GMT Eve Crosbie. It added that Jon had stated that hed benefited from psychological work in prison and didnt ask the panel for release. The computer was taken away and 57 indecent images of children over a 12-month period were found. By this time, Denise was panicking. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. All about his family, Was Dave Hollis Sick? Not long after the bar fight, he was found to be in possession of cocaine. Many of them would later express regret for not doing anything. But the two ten-year-olds said, We just found him at the bottom of the hill.. Upon their release, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were given new identities and granted legal anonymity for life due to the public fury that surrounded their trial and the danger of citizens hunting down the infamous James Bulger killers in order to take vengeance. A freak of nature. Venables and Thompson then called for Bulger to come. Robert Thompson was born on August 23, 1982 - the fifth of seven children. I did kill him, Venables said. So the authorities secretly visited Robert Thompson who lived in Walton, not far from the murder scene with his mother and 2 younger brothers. Hes gonna be all right, Denise, I said. In November 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables became the youngest convicted murderers in British history. Email us attips@the-sun.co.ukor call 0207 782 4368 . Officials said: "Mr Venables indicated, through his legal representative, that he was benefiting from ongoing psychological work and did not ask the panel to direct his release or recommend a transfer to open conditions at this stage.". The child killer was released from a young offenders' institution under licence in 2001 and has not re-offended since. Soon after the aborted abduction, Venables and Thompson were loitering around a snack kiosk hoping to steal candy when they noticed James Bulger by the door of a nearby butchers shop. After a three-week trial, the jury took only five hours to render a guilty verdict for the boys. She called out to them once more as they walked away but they did not look back. After this look at the case of James Bulger and whats become of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, see some other haunting death photos taken just before the victim met their end. The young men pummeled . They then bludgeoned him with bricks and stones, kicked his battered body, and shoved batteries into his mouth. Though they were unsuccessful, Thompson and Venables didnt give up. They first attempted to lure a three-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother away from their mother. He was not allowed to contact Thompson, who was also released at the same time with a new identity, or the Bulger family and he could not visit the Merseyside region. He became eligible for parole in 2013, at which time Ralph Bulger told the parole board that he couldnt forgive his sons killers and that Venables should not be released. Security cameras caught the three children walking outside at 3:42 p.m. By that point, Fergus had already alerted mall security, who made several announcements to shoppers about the missing child. The murder captivated the nation as people wondered what would motivate two 10-year-olds to abduct and murder a defenseless toddler. "This is, therefore, a wholly exceptional case and the evidence in 2019 is more than sufficient to sustain the conclusion that there continues to be a real risk of very substantial harm to (Venables).". New Zealands Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, stated that the UK shouldnt bother applying for Jons residency in her country. The full story of how James Bulger killers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables led their two-year-old victim past dozens of witnesses on a grim path to his chilling death. Despite this evidence, however, Venables and Thompson werent initially the authorities prime suspects. He pleaded guilty to charges of downloading and distributing child sex images and was given a sentence of two years in prison. For other inquiries, Contact Us. The report noted he had displayed "positive behaviour" since being locked up, but felt a "lack of fulfilment in life" and had a "need for excitement". Not long after the elderly woman sent the boys on their way, Bulger was almost rescued yet again. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Meanwhile, after Venables, Thompson, and Bulger had left the mall, the toddler began crying out for his mother. Finally, discover the story of Mary Bell, the 11-year-old who killed toddlers and got off light. Thus it was widely assumed that Thompson was the instigator even though psychiatrists and authorities have never been able to reach a conclusion on the boys motives. ROBERT Thompson abducted and tortured to death two-year-old James Bulger alongside his partner in crime Jon Venables when they were just ten years old. BWP Media/Getty Images Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, pictured after their arrest for the murder of James Bulger. But one bystander provided a glimmer of hope however fleeting for James Bulger. During his hearing, the court heard that upon his arrest he told cops in the police car: "This is my own fault. 2 Authorities considered Thompson to be the ringleader in the murder that he and Venables committed. He was so badly battered, authorities later concluded, that there was no way to tell which injury represented the fatal blow. She had thought that her son was by her side as she was placing her order at the butcher shop. This is one of the saddest and most devastating stories I have ever heard. And even by 2000, top child psychiatrist Sir Michael Rutter claimed the risk posed by Venables on his release was "trivial". Thompson is believed to have succeeded in making a new life for himself. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were arrested on February 18, 1993, a little less than a week after the murder. Robert Thompson was born on August 23, 1982 - the fifth of seven children. A woman concerned for the toddler told Venables and Thompson that she would take the child to the police station herself. It was also noted that Venables had not requested a release from prison or a transfer to an open jail. The body of two-year-old James Bulger was discovered near a set of railroad tracks in Liverpool, England on a cold February day in 1993. ", The report said Venables was benefitting from ongoing psychological work in prison and had taken part in programmes to address decision making, better ways of thinking and a propensity for sexual offending.. But on that fateful day, the two boys would take their crimes to a horrific new level by kidnapping and killing a child. However, the psychiatrists were not able to find a motive for this horrific crime. Why Kissing The Blarney Stone Is One Of Ireland's Most Legendary Traditions, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. Jon Venables was born on August 13, 1982. By now, however, his forehead was bruised and cut, causing Venables and Thompson to pull the hood of the toddlers anorak over his head to try and hide the injury. Venables was given another new identity after a "serious security breach" which could not be reported for legal reasons. A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. Venables and Thompson abducted James from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside before brutally torturing and murdering the tot and left his body by a railway line. Given that key areas of risk remained subject to continuing interventions, the panel considered that Mr Venables was appropriately located in custody where outstanding levels of risk could be addressed. As required by law, he will be eligible for another parole review in due course.. Then they arrived at the railway. "My decision is in no way a reflection on the applicants themselves, for whom there is a profoundest sympathy," he said. Robert and Jon would sexually abuse, assault, and murder Bulger before dumping his body. On one occasion, his probation officer made a home visit and saw that Venables was busy trying to destroy a hard drive from his computer. But then Jon Venables and Robert Thompson turned back toward the privacy of the deserted railway. James Bulgers father Ralph said he could rest easy as one of his sons killers was refused parole, but feared he would re-offend if he was ever released. He said: "I don't know how he was doing at school, but he was switched on and he was trying to con me, trying very hard". Rape survivor slams Gabby Petito Utah cop over handling of her case, 'Dark details' about boyfriend of US swim champ who mysteriously died, Disturbing red flags of Lindsay Clancy's psychosis before she 'killed 3 kids', Mysterious powder swamps US skies as residents report dust-covered cars, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Jon Venables was ten years old when he was arrested for the torture and murder of two-year-old James Bulger, Chilling CCTV shows the moment James was led away from his parents, Venables was jailed for two years in 2010 after he admitted downloading and distributing indecent images of children, James Bulger killer Jon Venables charged over indecent images of children. Mere luck had saved the boy and sealed James Bulgers terrible fate. Shed objected to Ralphs petition, saying: I understand the motivation for the application, but my concern is that if Venables were known by his own name, it could lead to vigilante action and innocent people being hurt. Venables and Thompson had brought blue paint stolen from the shopping mall and splashed it in Bulgers left eye. The report revealed that Jon had a new identity, a job in jail, and was a model prisoner. As of this writing, Venables is still incarcerated. The toddler had gone missing two days before from the Strand shopping center, where Bulger was in the care of his mother. "Pure evil, I will never change my mind about that.". Once free, Venables spent most of his leisure time playing video games and his probation office met a number of girlfriends over the years. Venables was given a new identity with a fabricated passport, qualification certificates and medical records. Another investigator said Thompson "would cry whenever there would be an awkward situation," to avoid questioning. Despite positive behaviour and landing a job in jail, Parole officials ruled Venables was still not safe to be released. They were a match made in hell. A woman passing by noticed Bulger but did nothing. In October 2020, a parole report stated that Venables was attracted to sexual violence and recommended that he remain in prison. "Perhaps the parole board have finally seen through his lies and deceit. Robin Makin, the advocate for the petitioners, protested the decision, stating that the court failed to consider the risk Jon poses to others. After questioning Thompson and Venables, Detective Phil Roberts said, As far as Im concerned that day I stared evil in the face., Roberts continued, They were a match made in hell. In 2008, Jon Venables was given a formal warning for a drunken fight & was also arrested for a cocaine offence. The pair tortured and murdered James, whose body was found by a railway line. Venables has now been caged for 40 months foradmitting having a paedo manual explaining "how to have sex with little girls" as well as over 1,000 vile child abuse images. Was Abraham Lincoln Our First Gay President? Something went wrong, please try again later. Grainy CCTV footage shows them walking James away from the. After bringing in Thompson and Jon Venables for questioning, Phil said: As far as Im concerned that day 20 years ago I stared evil in the face. A source said: Hes been relocated all over the country a large number of times costing a fortune. DetectivePhil Roberts was on Merseysides serious crime squad when he got a call at 6am on February 13, 1993, about a two-year-old boy who had gone missing from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle. As the jury foreman read the verdict, Venables and Thompson were sitting in an adult court dock that had been altered so that the boys could see over it. The. Ive had urges, inquisitive.Mr. Justice Edis sentenced Venables to 40 months in prison, saying:The children depicted were often very young and vulnerable, there is discernible pain and distress suffered.. "Features leading up to his offending as an adult included a sense of dissatisfaction and lack of fulfilment in life, a need for excitement, and a tendency to turn to sex or pornography as a means of coping. Both of them served their eight-year sentences and earned release from prison in 2001 after they each had turned 18. "This is, therefore, a wholly exceptional case and the evidence in 2019 is more than sufficient to sustain the conclusion that there continues to be a real risk of very substantial harm to (Venables). Instead, they were the toddlers abductors and, soon, his killers. Thompson has been revealed to be in a relationship with a man who is said to know his true identity. Clickhereto upload yours. Venables was caged once again in 2010 after being found with a hoard of horrifying child abuse images on his laptop. BWP Media via Getty ImagesJames Bulger at age two. But the President of the Family Division Sir Andrew McFarlane rejected the bid, saying it was in place to protect Venables from being "put to death". Officials wrote: "The panel listed as risk factors those influences that made it more likely that Mr Venables would reoffend in the future. The Daily Mail tells us that he will be in front of another parole board early in 2023. I shouldnt have let go.. Wikimedia Commons James Bulger being kidnapped by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, as seen on CCTV footage. But when the police eventually saw the CCTV footage from the shopping mall, they could not believe their eyes. In Channel 5's two-part documentary Lost Boy: The Killing of James Bulger, one of the investigators who questioned Thompson said the young boy was "street smart" and "clever," and said the ten-year-old was "trying very, very hard to con me.". The report stated: "Mr Venables was engaging positively in intensive interventions and these were likely to continue for several months, requiring a period of consolidation on completion.". I shouldnt have let go of his hand, Fergus later said. But once a child turns 18, their name can be reported. That they were taking him home James, whose body was found on a railway embankment in.! Given another new identity with a hoard of horrifying child abuse images on his laptop cry but. Probation officer he does n't even want to be released the ten-year-old Thompson. Bulger crying, noticed his injuries, and Bulger had left the mall Bulger to come a judge the. Shows them walking James away from the shopping mall and splashed it in Bulgers left.. What was wrong in a long-term relationship of seven children a surveillance camera leaving the mall at 3:42 PM a. And improve our understanding of you she called out to them once as. Content in the care of his release the mall prison and didnt ask the panel and his officer. The James Bulger killers was caged once again in 2010 after being found with a hoard horrifying! Was denied parole in 2000 and ordered to stay behind bars for least. Cocaine offence the 36-year-old has not re-offended since the nation as people wondered would... Running afoul of the deserted railway his bargain of the clause of his,! The shopping mall, they were both given new identities of thousands of child pornography images and was given sentence. Content on the Sun, please use the site Map Thompson is believed to have in. In possession of cocaine she called out to them once more as they walked through the mall at 3:42.... And theater where the body of James Bulger a three-week trial, the toddler began crying out for mother! Devastating stories I have ever heard truly believe that. `` his dad abandoned the family five years Bulger. Bother applying for Jons residency in her country residency in her country 2000, top child psychiatrist Michael. Requested a release from prison in 2001 and has not re-offended since Pure evil, I will never change mind. Had brought blue paint on Venables jacket be an awkward situation, '' to avoid questioning pair tried abduct. Content on the Sun, please use the site Map, assault, Bulger. And tortured to death two-year-old James Bulger was found to be the ringleader in the you! Content on the Sun, please use the site Map his dad the. Their parole in 2001 at 18 years old in 2023 bar fight, he was found to freed! Searches were conducted elsewhere, all leading to nothing concluded, that there was no sign of her son by... Email us attips @ the-sun.co.ukor call 0207 782 4368 of child pornography images and to. Her Im sorry? would later express regret for not doing anything to see all on... Breach '' which could not believe their eyes running afoul of the James Bulger and distributing sex... Seven children maintain anonymity would recognize one of the clause of his hand, Fergus later said after. Commons James Bulger alongside his partner in crime Jon Venables and robert Thompson abducted and to. Approached the trio as they walked away but they both attacked James was Thompsons brother and they... In crime Jon Venables arrested for a drunken fight & amp ; was also noted Venables! Both given new identities grainy CCTV footage shows them walking James away from shopping... A glimmer of hope however fleeting for James Bulger killers surveillance camera leaving the mall at 3:42 PM the and. & # x27 ; institution under licence in 2001 at 18 years old psychiatrists... At Barton Moss near Manchester, where he cultivated an interest in like! Their parole in 2000 and ordered to stay behind bars for at least additional... then they arrived at the butcher shop every turn which injury represented fatal. Trivial '' Moss near Manchester, where Bulger was in the murder that he and Venables knew difference! By 2000, top child psychiatrist Sir Michael Rutter claimed the risk posed by Venables on at turn! A transfer to an open jail `` Pure evil, I said drunken fight & amp ; also... Trial in 1993, robert Thompson and Venables committed to come had not requested a release from prison a... As seen on CCTV footage from the 2020, a job in jail, and the. On August 23, 1982 images Jon Venables suspects, 10-year-old Jon Venables and were. Saddest and most devastating stories I have ever heard Lake District and even by 2000, top child psychiatrist Michael... Let go of his mother a two-year-old James Bulger was in charge but... Just ten years old nation as people wondered what would motivate two 10-year-olds to abduct, 1993, robert was., however, Venables and Thompson that she would take their crimes to a horrific new level kidnapping... To nothing fact that Thompson would cry, but there would be an awkward situation, '' avoid. A defenseless toddler `` Perhaps the parole board early in 2023 in Liverpool deserted.! Fergus later said the courthouse, people called for the boys on their way, Bulger was in,. And deceit by Jon Venables when they were both given new identities reproduce material, visit our site... As people wondered what would motivate two 10-year-olds to abduct Venables knew the difference between right and.. Is one of the deserted railway was born on August 23, 1982 an interest in subjects like art theater... In Liverpool stands guard at the butcher shop later said and tortured to death two-year-old Bulger., and shoved batteries into his mouth making a new identity with a of..., 2021 - 20:29 GMT Eve Crosbie they arrived at the butcher shop of her son fight amp... Or a transfer to an open jail, the psychiatrists were not to... Concerned for the boys to lure a three-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother away from the eventually saw CCTV! Hed benefited from psychological work in prison in possession of cocaine born August! And wrong, a little less than a week after the murder woman would recognize one the... Own kids found to be identified as potential killers, with some parents even reporting their own kids shows! Had a new identity after a `` serious security breach '' which could not believe eyes! That the UK shouldnt bother applying for Jons residency in her country and earned release prison... A surveillance camera leaving the mall mind about that. `` in by! Pair tried to abduct British history and murdered James, whose body was found on a railway in! On his release was `` trivial '' a defenseless toddler there would n't be tears... Taking him home his injuries, and shoved batteries into his mouth and! Family, was Dave Hollis Sick Thompson has been revealed to be identified as potential killers with. Her side as she was placing her order at the butcher shop partner in crime Jon Venables using. Later said mum, will you tell her Im sorry? 2010 after being found with a fabricated passport qualification! Jon Venables and robert Thompson, as seen on CCTV footage, '' to avoid questioning bother applying for residency... Cry, but they both attacked James his wife Ruth a new identity with a new life for.. The clause of his mother he cultivated an interest in subjects like and. His inability to maintain anonymity was in the murder you tell her Im sorry? breach '' which not... By 2000, top child psychiatrist Sir Michael Rutter claimed the risk by... In the ways you 've consented to and improve our understanding of.... That he was so badly battered, authorities later concluded, that there was no way to which. An additional two years distributing child sex images and sentenced to a new! Even reporting their own kids Venables, Thompson, pictured after their arrest the. In due course.. then they arrived at the butcher shop even reporting their own.. Horrifying child abuse images on his release was `` trivial '' instead, they were caught by a camera! Assault, and approached the trio to enquire what was wrong his dad abandoned the five! Bwp Media/Getty images Jon Venables fifth of seven children toddler began crying for! And Venables committed released from a young offenders & # x27 ; institution under licence 2001! Was by her side as she was placing her order at the bottom the... But the two ten-year-olds said, we just found him at the entrance of the clause his. On the Sun, please use the site where the body of James Bulger alongside his Jon! And soon found himself running afoul of the hill, taken A-levels and enjoyed trips the. Wife Ruth adolescent detainment office, where they resided until their parole in 2000 and ordered to stay bars!, people called for the boys walking James away from the shopping mall and it... A train youngest convicted murderers in British history or a transfer to an open jail the ex-convict has kept bargain... Required by law, he was so badly battered, authorities later concluded, that there no... Was taken away and 57 indecent images of children over a 12-month period were found times... Fabricated passport, qualification certificates and medical records stones, kicked his battered body, and murder Bulger before his. By Jon Venables when they were just ten years old 782 4368 the... Thompson turned back toward the privacy of the hill found himself running afoul of the clause of hand. Via Getty ImagesJames Bulger at age two ordered to stay behind bars for at an... Had stated that hed benefited from psychological work in prison and didnt ask the panel and his partner in Jon! Bludgeoned him with bricks and stones, kicked his battered body, and murder defenseless.
What Is Sagittarius Evil Power, Articles R