British Serial Killer Rose West (Crime Documentary)
- 5 years ago
Rosemary Pauline "Rose" West (née Letts; born 29 November 1953) is a British serial killer, now an inmate at HMP Low Newton, Brasside, Durham, after being convicted of ten murders in 1995. Her husband, Fred, who committed suicide in prison while awaiting trial, is believed to have collaborated with her in the torture and murder of at least nine young women between 1973 and 1987, whereas Rose was judged to have murdered her 8-year-old stepdaughter, Charmaine, in 1971. The majority of these murders were committed at the couple's home, 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester, England.
Fred West is known to have carried out 12 murders; Rosemary West had no involvement in the first two.
The majority of the crimes for which Rosemary West was convicted occurred between April 1973 and August 1979. She is believed to have murdered Charmaine West, the daughter of Fred's previous wife Rena, single-handedly sometime on or after 15 June 1971, and stored her body in the cellar at their previous home at 25 Midland Road, Gloucester, while Fred West was near the end of a six-and-a-half month prison sentence for the theft of car tyres and a vehicle tax disc. (Shortly after Fred's release on 24 June, he buried the body.)
Another murder that Rosemary committed was that of Shirley Robinson. Fred confided to his appropriate adult Janet Leach that Rose murdered Robinson without his assistance. He also claimed Rose assisted in her dismemberment and personally removed Robinson's fetus from the womb in the process.
Another body found at 25 Cromwell Street was that of their daughter, Heather, who was murdered in June 1987 at the age of 16, after being abused by her parents all her life. Barry, her younger brother, would later describe watching his mother kick Heather repeatedly in the head until she was no longer moving. The Wests told friends and concerned parties that Heather had left home to work at a Devonshire holiday village and on one occasion, fabricated a phone call, supposedly from Heather, to allay her siblings' suspicions regarding their sister's disappearance. This was the last known murder that the pair committed.
In August 1992, Fred West was arrested after being accused of raping his 13-year-old daughter three times, and Rosemary West was arrested for child cruelty. This case against them collapsed in June 1993 when their daughter refused to testify in court. All of the Wests' younger children were removed from their custody to foster homes. This case brought to light the disappearance of Heather West, who had not been seen since 1987 and triggered the major investigation that followed.
Rosemary West continued to profess ignorance of her husband's murderous activities but the circumstantial evidence that mounted against them during the spring of 1994 was considered sufficient to prosecute her for ten murders: those of the young women whose bodies were found at 25 Cromwell Street, and of Charmaine West. Fred West was charged with two further murders.
Fred West is known to have carried out 12 murders; Rosemary West had no involvement in the first two.
The majority of the crimes for which Rosemary West was convicted occurred between April 1973 and August 1979. She is believed to have murdered Charmaine West, the daughter of Fred's previous wife Rena, single-handedly sometime on or after 15 June 1971, and stored her body in the cellar at their previous home at 25 Midland Road, Gloucester, while Fred West was near the end of a six-and-a-half month prison sentence for the theft of car tyres and a vehicle tax disc. (Shortly after Fred's release on 24 June, he buried the body.)
Another murder that Rosemary committed was that of Shirley Robinson. Fred confided to his appropriate adult Janet Leach that Rose murdered Robinson without his assistance. He also claimed Rose assisted in her dismemberment and personally removed Robinson's fetus from the womb in the process.
Another body found at 25 Cromwell Street was that of their daughter, Heather, who was murdered in June 1987 at the age of 16, after being abused by her parents all her life. Barry, her younger brother, would later describe watching his mother kick Heather repeatedly in the head until she was no longer moving. The Wests told friends and concerned parties that Heather had left home to work at a Devonshire holiday village and on one occasion, fabricated a phone call, supposedly from Heather, to allay her siblings' suspicions regarding their sister's disappearance. This was the last known murder that the pair committed.
In August 1992, Fred West was arrested after being accused of raping his 13-year-old daughter three times, and Rosemary West was arrested for child cruelty. This case against them collapsed in June 1993 when their daughter refused to testify in court. All of the Wests' younger children were removed from their custody to foster homes. This case brought to light the disappearance of Heather West, who had not been seen since 1987 and triggered the major investigation that followed.
Rosemary West continued to profess ignorance of her husband's murderous activities but the circumstantial evidence that mounted against them during the spring of 1994 was considered sufficient to prosecute her for ten murders: those of the young women whose bodies were found at 25 Cromwell Street, and of Charmaine West. Fred West was charged with two further murders.