Venables was given a new identity with a fabricated passport, qualification certificates and medical records. 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. At 18 years old, Venables and Thompson were both released from a young offenders institution under licence in June 2001. Not only did they find blue paint on Venables jacket, but they also found blood on Thompsons shoes. In 2013, the parole approved his release from prison. In October 2020, a parole report stated that Venables was attracted to sexual violence and recommended that he remain in prison. She was concerned, but another woman standing nearby said shed heard James laughing moments ago and so both assumed nothing was wrong. RM2D3M2P8 - The grave of murdered toddler James Bulger in Kirkdale cemetery, Liverpool, June 22, 2001. In November 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables became the youngest convicted murderers in British history. More than 25 years later, the surveillance image above remains etched in the minds of the millions familiar with the James Bulger case. What about his mum, will you tell her Im sorry?. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were arrested on February 18, 1993, a little less than a week after the murder. The killer was 10-years-old when he and Robert Thompson murdered two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, which is the focus of tonight's new Channel 5 documentary Lost Boy: The Killing of James Bulger. While some adults stopped to ask the children a few questions, they all let the boys go on their way, apparently believing that Bulger was either being taken home or to the police station. 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.. In addition, they thought that the kidnappers mightve been 13 or 14 years old, which threw them off track. However, the psychiatrists were not able to find a motive for this horrific crime. In October last year, a parole report warned that Venables has an "attraction to sexual violence" and "thinks about sex a lot". But it didnt take long for Venables to confess. The Mirrorreports that authorities considered relocating Jon to Canada, Australia, or New Zealand to reduce the cost of keeping him in the UK. While inside, Venables received education and rehabilitation while being taught how to conceal his real name and horrifying crime. Something went wrong, please try again later. In January 2018, James Bulger's mum Denise Fergus backed calls for a public inquiry into the toddler's murder. But no one did anything. His mysterious death. A woman concerned for the toddler told Venables and Thompson that she would take the child to the police station herself. Robert hasn't reoffended. After murdering Bulger, Thompson and Venables placed his body on the railway track in an attempt to make his death look accidental. It is believed Thompson remains in a long-term relationship with a man who knows his real identity. A move abroad would cost, of course, but the thinking is it would be cheaper in the long run.. The Netline reports that Thompson has fully integrated into society and has "built a healthy relationship" inside the community in which he lives. ROBERT Thompson abducted, tortured and murdered two-year-old James Bulger alongside his partner in crime Jon Venables when they were just 10 years old. Here is what we know about the child killer and who was released from a young offenders' institution under licence in 2001. And if they hadnt been caught I fear they would have struck again. Robert Thompson, on the other hand, was not such an easy interview. It was a crime that shocked the nation and a story that will never be forgotten. But as they scanned the lists of children who had been absent that day from local schools, they soon received an anonymous phone call that blamed Venables and Thompson for the crime. The woman began calling for her son and ran outside, where she found Venables and Thompson beckoning the boy to follow them. A freak of nature. 7 Oct 2021; Updated 13:36, 7 . Most recently, Venables was denied parole in September 2020. Though authorities initially thought Bulger had been abducted by an adult, CCTV footage revealed the shocking truth that he had been taken by two kids. Once free, Venables spent most of his leisure time playing video games and his probation office met a number of girlfriends over the years. Nearly twenty years later, Ralph became a father again. She turned to drink and fell into depression, as well as allegedly trying to take her own life with an overdose. 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. After serving three years, he was released on parole. Everything we know, Mr. Justice Edis sentenced Venables to 40 months in prison, saying, Shed objected to Ralphs petition, saying, Who are Miles Pfeffers parents? And still he followed. This led to a police investigation of the drive, which yielded dozens of images of abused children. Harry Fletcher, a probation officers union official, talked toIndependentabout Jons difficulty with keeping his identity secret. 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. Though they were known to be rule-breakers, they mostly dabbled in low-level criminal activity, like stealing small items from stores and throwing them down mall escalators. A freak of nature. After a three-week trial, the jury took only five hours to render a guilty verdict for the boys. It wont be a slap on the wrist for me.. 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. He was sent back to prison with a new identity as hed divulged who he was to staff and inmates. They went out that day to kill I truly believe that. I shouldnt have let go of his hand, Fergus later said. Venables and Thompson were then sentenced to serve at Her Majestys pleasure, as is standard protocol for juvenile offenders convicted of murder or manslaughter. Thompson was held at Barton Moss near Manchester, where he cultivated an interest in subjects like art and theater. Four years later, Venables returned to prison on the same charge. 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". To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Nevertheless, Venables was released. I think Thompson was in charge, but they both attacked James. But when she asked another woman nearby to look after her daughter while she did so, that woman refused because her dog did not like children. Though Bulgers mother Denise Fergus had been holding his hand, she had briefly let go to pay for groceries, only to look down with horror and realize that her child had vanished. Mifflintown, PA 17059. In 2010, he was arrested for possessing images of child sexual abuse accumulated in over a year. ", 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.. He was jailed for two years. The. Now the tide has turned and finally he is facing real prison time where he should have been from the beginning., *Lost Boy: The Killing of James Bulger airs tonight on Channel 5 at 9pm and continues at the same time on Thursday, Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. Thompson and Venables were only 10 years old at the time of the murder, making them the youngest convicted killers in Britain. He had passed five GCSEs, taken A-levels and enjoyed trips to the Lake District and even to the theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. Jon Venables and Robert Thompson: Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were child killers who abducted and murdered 2-year-old James Bulger. The boys ended up at the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle (near Liverpool) on the afternoon of February 12 after having skipped school that day. The caller told the police that Venables and Thompson were both absent from school on Friday and that they themselves had seen blue paint on the sleeve of Venables jacket. He totally denied everything, said Detective Sergeant Phil Roberts. When Bulgers father, Ralph, saw that it was just two boys with whom his son had left the mall, he was relieved: I looked at Denise and smiled with relief. At the canal, they dropped Bulger on his head and left him on the ground crying. Robert Thompson was born on August 23, 1982 - the fifth of seven children. Police dropped the charges against him after he agreed to enroll in an alcohol awareness course. Jons first brush with authorities after his release came after a bar brawl in 2008. "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).". In the wake of removing the baby from a mall in Bootle, Merseyside, two 10-year-old young men grabbed and killed him in 1993. tvguidetime.com The paint was showered in his eyes, blocks were flung at him, he was kicked, and batteries were embedded in his mouth. Its not surprising that he may have revealed his true identity, given the enormity of what hes done and the difficulty of coming to terms with that and a new identity,Harry said. Lifelong anonymity is put in place by courts rarely and is usually in only the most infamous and horrific cases. in March 2019. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables The public was already outraged as the police were still not able to catch the killers. For other inquiries, Contact Us. The report concluded: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made whilst in custody and on licence, as well as the other evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Venables was suitable for re-release. At first, they announced the boys name over the malls loudspeakers. "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).". 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. 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. And even by 2000, top child psychiatrist Sir Michael Rutter claimed the risk posed by Venables on his release was "trivial". She turned to drink and fell into depression, as well as allegedly trying to take her own life with an overdose. February 13, 1993. The murder captivated the nation as people wondered what would motivate two 10-year-olds to abduct and murder a defenseless toddler. First, of course, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson had to snatch Bulger away from his mother in the midst of a busy shopping mall. She phoned the police and expressed regret for not doing something. They then kicked him, pummelled him with bricks and stones, and stuffed batteries into his mouth. Venables and Robert Thompson - who were 10 at the time of the horrifying murder - were both convicted in November 1993. All of the instruments used in the attack were found strewn around the area the iron bar, stones, and bricks all covered in the boys blood. Official figures showed that Venables' attempt to keep his identity secret cost taxpayers more than 65,000. Venables claimed he was acting in self-defence and the charges were dropped after he agreed to go on an alcohol-awareness course. 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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. These include his "level of intelligence, making constructive use of his time, a capacity and motivation for self-reflection, and a supportive social network in the community". In one of the most chilling photos in recent times, Venables was captured holding the 2-year-old James Bulger as Robert walked ahead of the pair. Venables and Thompson became the youngest convicted murderers in Britain for 250 years and it was recommended they remained locked up for eight years. March 10, 2021 - 20:29 GMT Eve Crosbie. James was a two-year-old boy from a loving family who lived in Bootle, Merseyside. Retired detective Laurie Dalton recalled her feeling that Thompson was "pure evil" (via The Sun) and would try to manipulate the police during questioning. View our online Press Pack. They were released on lifelong licence in 2001, but Venables was . The brutal torture and murder of James Bulger occurred sometime between 5:45 and 6:30 PM. Malcolm Croft PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images. Children are seen by society as innocent and pure, without malice. It was suggested authorities believed paying for James Bulgers killer to go to a country like Canada, Australia or New Zealand would be cheaper than funding more failed new starts in the UK. Just a couple of days later, Bulger was found on the same railway track where his killers had left him. "Mr Venables had also experienced difficulties relating to employment. Hes gonna be all right, Denise, I said. His body had been severed in two by a train. A woman would recognize one of the suspects, 10-year-old Jon Venables. 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