Fred & Rose West

Rosemary and her husband Fred West, were accused of murdering 10 women and young girls over a 20 year period ending in 1987. They apparently  took great joy in luring away vulnerable runaways with offers of rides, lodging or jobs as nannies. Once in their clutches inside the "House of Horrors", the young women were stripped, bound with tape, raped, tortured, then killed, some were dismembered and buried. The killer couple were arrested at their home, 25 Cromwell Street, Gloucester, in 1994.
Police, armed with a search warrant, dug up the remains of their 16-year-old daughter, Heather, who vanished in 1987. Further excavations under the house and in the garden produced eight more female bodies.
One more body was found under the kitchen of a former home at 25 Midland Road, Gloucester, including Rosemary's stepdaughter, Charmaine.

1st January 1995, Fred West hanged himself in Winston Green prison in Birmingham, on New Years Day. He faced two further charges of murdering his ex wife and a baby-sitter and burying them in fields near his former home. Police believe that Fred probably killed more women.
Rosemary, who admitted being a prostitute, still maintained her innocence. However, on;

22nd November 1995, Rose West was convicted of 10 murders. The authorities were at the time investigating the whereabouts of nine other missing women who frequented their home.
The judge, Mr Justice Mantell, sentenced her to life imprisonment, saying: "If attention is paid to what I think, you will never be released."

The Lord Chief Justice later decided that West should spend at least 25 years in prison, but in July 1997 Home Secretary Jack Straw subjected West to a whole life tariff..

Rosemary West is on the Home Office list of prisoners serving a 'Whole Life Tariff',  never to be released, see full list here >>

October 1996 the house at 25 Cromwell Street, along with the house next door, 23 Cromwell Street, were demolished and the site made into a  garden and pathway. Every brick was crushed and every timber was burnt to discourage souvenir hunters.

November 1999, Anne-Marie was rescued after throwing herself into the water from a bridge near Gloucester in an apparent suicide bid.

27th September  2001 - A documentary filmmaker called for an investigation into claims that serial killer Fred West may have murdered 20 more people. David Monaghan said West confessed the additional murders to a social worker assigned to him in prison and repeated them in a yet unaired TV show. Gloucestershire police said there was not enough evidence to investigate the claims and were trying to block the airing of the interview.
Rose West has abandoned plans to appeal against her conviction for her part in the Cromwell Street murders. West, still maintains her innocence but said she was ready to spend the rest of her life in prison.
West's solicitor expressed surprise at the decision but her brother Andrew Letts said he was relieved she would never be free.
The West family's nightmare did not end in Cromwell street.

Fred West's brother, John hanged himself as he waited to find out if a jury would find him guilty of raping Anne-Marie - Fred's daughter .

January 2002, Stephen West attempted suicide at his home near Stroud, Gloucestershire, after his girlfriend left him - he had tried to hang himself but survived when the rope snapped.

October 2005, Rose West was moved from HMP Durham, where she had become good friends with Moors murderer Myra Hindley, to the new state of the art HMP Bronzefield, in Ashford.

October 2008, After prison officers discovered a plot to beat Rose West with pool balls, she was moved to a new home. She was moved to Low Newton prison in Brasside, near Durham.

4th September 2011, A new drama played on ITV sparked a huge discussion in the press, and incurred the wrath of Fred West's daughter Ann Marie Davis. She claimed it was "money making voyeurism". Ann Marie was repeatedly tortured and raped by father Fred West and her step mum Rose. Her mother and two sisters were killed by the West pair. She claims the drama will haunt her and other family members.
The film, focused on Janet Leach, the lady who was asked to be an ' Appropriate adult' to Fred West. Janet Leach, who often visited Fred West in prison, says West told her he had been involved in at least 20 other murders, including children killed in a barn

13th June 2019, Rose West has again moved prisons. She was moved to New Hall jail in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, after threats from new inmate  Joanna Dennehy. 

Dennehy, is the only other UK female prisoner on a whole life tariff. Dennehy allegedly said, when she was told what prison she would be going to "i'm going to kill that bitch". Prison authorities took the threat seriously, and moved Rose west.

18th May 2021, Police start digging in the basement of a Gloucester cafe.

15-year-old Mary Bastholm who worked at the Pop-In Cafe in Gloucester,now called The Clean Plate, went missing in January 1968. She was wearing a blue jacket, blue and white dress and was carrying a blue bag, last seen at the bust stop in Bristol road.

Fred West is known to have done some building work in the basement of the cafe.

The discovery was made by a documentary film company, who called police, after finding blue material in a void under the floor.

Fred West's son Stephen told police his father admitted to killing Mary Bastholm.

27th May 2021, police confirm they had found no body in the basement.

DOB  19
DOD  1967
Fred West dismembered her and buried her with her unborn child.
Body found in Letterbox Field, near Much Marcle.
 
Charmaine West
DOB  22 February 1963
DOD  June 1971
Killed by Rose West while Fred was in prison.
Body found beneath 25 Midland Road, Gloucester.

Catherine"Rena" West
DOB  14 April 1944
DOD  August 1971
Rena had called to take Charmaine out, it is thought that Fred killed her to avoid an investigation into Charmaine’s whereabouts

Lynda Gough
DOB  1 May 1953
DOD  April 1973
A lodger at Cromwell St.
Body found beneath 25 Cromwell Street.

Carol Cooper
DOB  10 April 1958
DOD  November 1973
Disappeared while walking home from the cinema

Lucy Partington
DOB  4 March 1952
DOD  December 1973.
University student, disappeared after waiting to catch a bus.
Body found beneath 25 Cromwell Street.

Shirley Hubbard
DOB  26 June 1959
DOD  November 1974
Left a work experience course in Droitwich to return home but disappeared
Body found beneath 25 Cromwell Street.

Juanita Mott
DOB  1 March 1957
DOD  Killed April 1975
A former lodger at Cromwell St.
Body found beneath 25 Cromwell Street.

Alison Chambers
DOB  8 September 1962
DOD  August 1977
From Swansea.
Body found in garden of 25 Cromwell Street.

Therese Siegenthaler
DOB  27 November 1952
DOD  Killed in April 1977
A student hitch-hiking to Ireland and disappeared..
Body found beneath 25 Cromwell Street.

Shirley Robinson
DOB  8 October 1959
DOD  May 1978
Aged 18 Fred's heavily pregnant lodger.
Body found in garden of 25 Cromwell Street

Heather West
DOB  17 October 1970
DOD  June 1987.
Aged 16 - Fred and Rose's eldest daughter.
Body found in the garden of 25 Cromwell Street.
Heather was probably sired not by Fred, but by Rose's abusive father, Bill Letts.