Frederick West

Case overview

Frederick West (29 September 1941 – 1 January 1995) was an English serial killer. Between 1967 and 1987, he and his wife Rosemary West tortured, raped and murdered at least 12 young women and girls. Many of the murders occurred at the couple’s homes, with the majority occurring between May 1973 and September 1979 at their home in Gloucester.

Background

Frederick West was born into a poor family of farm workers in Bickerton Cottage, Much Marcle, Herefordshire, to Walter Stephen West (5 July 1914–28 March 1992) and Daisy Hannah Hill (1922–6 February 1968). He was the second of their six children.

West later claimed that his father had incestuous relationships with his daughters. It was suggested that incest was an accepted part of the household, and that his father taught him bestiality from an early age. West recalled in police interviews that his father had said on many occasions, “Do what you want, just don’t get caught doing it”.

It was also alleged that his mother Daisy began sexually abusing him from the age of 12. At school, West showed an aptitude for woodwork and artwork, but did not excel academically. He left school at the age of 15 in December 1956. In November 1958, he suffered a fractured skull and a broken arm and leg in a motorcycle accident, which put him into an eight-day coma. His family reported that after the accident he became prone to sudden fits of rage. Two years later, he was unconscious for 24 hours after hitting his head in a fall from a fire escape.

At age 20, he was arrested for molesting a 13-year-old girl. He was convicted, but escaped a sentence of imprisonment. His family effectively disowned him thereafter.

Marriage to Rena Costello

In September 1962, the 21-year-old West became re-acquainted with a former girlfriend, Catherine Costello, now better known as Rena from her time working as a prostitute. Costello was already pregnant by another man, and she and West married on 17 November before moving to Coatbridge, Lanarkshire. Her daughter, Charmaine Carol, was born on 22 February 1963.

Costello and West claimed they had adopted Charmaine, whose father was from Pakistan.

During this period in Coatbridge, West worked as an ice cream van driver. On 4 November 1965, he ran over and killed a four-year-old boy with his van.

The family, along with Isa McNeill who looked after the couple’s children and Costello’s friend Anne McFall, moved into the Lakeside caravan park in Bishop’s Cleeve, Gloucestershire at the end of 1965 when West feared for his safety following the ice cream van incident. To escape from West’s sadistic sexual demands, Costello and McNeill moved to Scotland in 1966 while McFall, who had become infatuated with West, and the two children remained with him. Costello continued to visit the children every few months.

In August 1967, McFall, who was eight months pregnant with West’s child, vanished. McFall was never reported missing and her remains were found in June 1994. In September 1967, Costello returned to live with West, but left again the following year, putting the children in West’s care.

Marriage to Rosemary “Rose” Letts

While still married to Costello, 27-year-old West met his next wife, Rosemary Letts, on 29 November 1968, on her 15th birthday. On her 16th birthday she moved in with him and a few months later they moved from the caravan to a two-story house in Midland Road, Gloucester. On 17 October 1970, Rosemary gave birth to their daughter, Heather Anne.

West was imprisoned for theft on 4 December 1970 and remained so until his release on 24 June 1971. It was believed that Rosemary killed Charmaine shortly before West’s release in June 1971.

According to Anne Marie, both sisters were subject to frequent beatings, but Charmaine infuriated Rosemary by her refusal to cry no matter how severe they got. Charmaine disappeared in mid June, with Rosemary explaining Costello had called and taken her back to Scotland. Costello turned up in late August to collect Charmaine, and also disappeared.

On 29 January 1972, Fred and Rosemary West married in Gloucester. On 1 June of that year, Rosemary gave birth to their second daughter, Mae.

Around this time West encouraged his wife into prostitution. Rosemary eventually had seven children, of which three were mixed race. Needing a bigger house, the family moved to 25 Cromwell St, where West converted the upper floor to bedsits. “Rose’s Room” had peepholes so he could watch and there was a red light outside the door for warning the children not to enter when she was “busy”.

West and Rosemary came from families where incest was common, and Rosemary’s father Bill Letts, with Fred’s approval, would often visit their home to have sex with Rosemary.

In October 1972, the Wests hired 17-year-old Caroline Roberts as the children’s nanny. She rejected Fred and Rosemary’s advances into their “sex-circle” and left a few weeks later. On 6 December 1972, the Wests invited her to their home, where they both raped her. Fred allowed Roberts to leave the next day only after she promised she would return as their nanny. Roberts reported the rape to police but withdrew the accusation when the case went to court. The Wests pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of indecent assault and were fined £50.

In early 1973, the Wests took eight-year-old Anne Marie to the cellar, where they bound and gagged her before West raped her while Rosemary watched.

In 1979, Anne Marie became pregnant by West, but the pregnancy was terminated as it was ectopic. Unable to cope with her father any longer, she left home; West now began abusing Heather, who disappeared a few years later.

Timeline

• 29 September 1941 — Frederick West was born.
• December 1956 — West left school at the age of 15.
• November 1958 — West had a motorcycle accident causing a fractured skull and broken arm and leg, leading to an eight-day coma.
• 4 November 1965 — West ran over and killed a four-year-old boy with his van.
• 17 November 1962 — West married Rena Costello.
• 22 February 1963 — Charmaine Carol was born.
• 17 October 1970 — Rosemary gave birth to Heather Anne.
• 4 December 1970 — West was imprisoned for theft.
• 24 June 1971 — West was released from prison.
• 29 January 1972 — Fred and Rosemary West married in Gloucester.
• 1 June 1972 — Rosemary gave birth to their second daughter, Mae.
• 6 December 1972 — The Wests raped Caroline Roberts at their home.
• 24 February 1994 — Police started searching the house and excavating the garden at 25 Cromwell Street.
• 30 June 1994 — West was brought before a magistrates’ court in Gloucester; he was charged with 11 murders and she with 10.
• 7 June 1994 — The body of Ann McFall was found.
• 3 July 1994 — West was charged with the murder of Ann McFall.
• 1 January 1995 — West hanged himself while on remand in his cell at Winson Green Prison, Birmingham.
• 29 March 1995 — West’s funeral was held in Coventry.
• October 1995 — Rosemary West was tried at Winchester Crown Court for 10 murders.
• October 1996 — The Wests’ house and adjoining property were demolished.
• 1998 — Martin Amis revealed in an interview with Charlie Rose that he was a cousin of the Wests’ victim Lucy Partington, who disappeared in 1973.

Investigation, arrest and conviction

In May 1992, West filmed himself raping one of his other daughters, and twice again afterwards. She told friends at school what had happened. On 4 August, one of the friends told her mother and she went to the police. On 6 August 1992, the police decided to investigate, eventually leading to West being charged with rape, with Rosemary as an accomplice. Rosemary was also charged with child cruelty and the remaining children were placed in foster care.

The rape case against the Wests collapsed when the two main witnesses declined to testify at the court case on 7 June 1993. The police continued investigating the disappearance of their daughter Heather. After taking statements from social workers about a joke about “Heather being buried under the patio” and the children themselves, they obtained a further search warrant in February 1994 to excavate the garden in search of Heather. They started searching the house and excavating the garden on 24 February 1994.

After West’s arrest the following day, the police uncovered human bones. He confessed, retracted, and then re-confessed to the murder of his daughter, denying that Rosemary was involved.

Rosemary was not arrested until April 1994, initially on sex offences but later charged with murder. Further bodies were found and, on 4 March 1994, West admitted that he had carried out nine more murders, including those of his first wife and Ann McFall.

West and Rosemary were brought before a magistrates’ court in Gloucester on 30 June 1994; he was charged with 11 murders and she with 10. Immediately afterwards, West was re-arrested on suspicion of murdering Ann McFall, whose body was found on 7 June 1994. On the evening of 3 July 1994, he was charged with her murder.

On 1 January 1995, West hanged himself while on remand in his cell at Winson Green Prison, Birmingham.

Trial of Rosemary West (linked outcome)

Rosemary West was tried in October 1995 at Winchester Crown Court. She was found guilty of all 10 murders and sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial judge recommended that she should never be released and 18 months later the then serving Home Secretary Jack Straw agreed with this recommendation.

Outcome

On 1 January 1995, West hanged himself with strips of bedsheet while on remand in his cell at Winson Green Prison, Birmingham.

His funeral was held in Coventry on 29 March 1995. West was cremated with only three people present.

Aftermath and investigation notes

In October 1996, the Wests’ house, along with the adjoining property, was demolished and the site made into a pathway. Every brick was crushed and every timber was burned to discourage souvenir hunters.

In 1998 interview with Charlie Rose, English novelist Martin Amis revealed that he was a cousin of the Wests’ victim Lucy Partington, who disappeared in 1973.

During questioning after being arrested, West confessed to murdering up to 30 people, but the police believed the pair may have killed only 13. They believed the murders involved 12 confirmed victims.

As well as the 12 confirmed, police believed West also killed 15-year-old Mary Bastholm in 1968, but to date no body has been found.

West’s son Stephen said he firmly believed the missing Gloucester teenager was an early victim of his father, as West had reportedly boasted of committing Miss Bastholme’s murder while on remand in prison during 1994. The state of the body (missing finger and toe bones as was the case with the other bodies) and the dimensions of the grave site were said to match aspects of West’s modus operandi.

Although no forensic evidence linked Fred West to the murder of Anne McFall, the case included these factors.

Victims

Charmaine West

• Charmaine West (born 22 February 1963) — killed in June 1971 by Rosemary West while Fred was in prison. No motive was put forward.

Catherine Bernadette “Rena” West

• Catherine Bernadette “Rena” West (born 14 April 1944) — killed August 1971. Rena had called to take Charmaine away with her and it was believed Fred killed her to avoid an investigation into Charmaine’s whereabouts.

Lynda Gough

• Lynda Gough (born 1 May 1953) — killed April 1973. A lodger at 25 Cromwell St; Gough and Rosemary would share lovers. Following her disappearance, Gough’s mother called to visit, and Rosemary, wearing Gough’s clothes, told her she had moved in order to work in Weston-super-Mare.

Carol Ann Cooper

• Carol Ann Cooper (born 10 April 1958) — killed November 1973. Cooper was living in a children’s home in Worcester when she disappeared while walking home from the cinema.

Lucy Katherine Partington

• Lucy Katherine Partington (born 4 March 1952) — killed December 1973. She spent Christmas with her family in Cheltenham and visited a friend, and disappeared after leaving to catch a bus home. There was strong evidence that she had been kept alive for at least several days. A week after she disappeared, West went to a hospital in the early hours of 3 January 1974 to get a serious laceration stitched. A knife matching the cut was found with Partington’s body, and police surmised he sustained the injury while dismembering the body. Partington was described as a university student and a cousin of novelist Martin Amis.

Theresa Siegenthaler

• Theresa Siegenthaler (born 27 November 1952) — killed in April 1974. A student in South London who left to hitch-hike to Ireland and disappeared.

Shirley Hubbard

• Shirley Hubbard (born 26 June 1959) — killed November 1974. She left a work experience course in Droitwich to return home but did not arrive. When her remains were found, her head was completely covered in tape with only a three-inch rubber tube inserted to allow her to breathe.

Juanita Marion Mott

• Juanita Marion Mott (born 1 March 1957) — killed April 1975. A former lodger at 25 Cromwell St; Mott was living with a friend of her mother in Newent when she disappeared.

Shirley Anne Robinson

• Shirley Anne Robinson (born 8 October 1959) — killed May 1978. A lodger at 25 Cromwell St who was a prostitute for the Wests. She disappeared after becoming pregnant with Fred’s child.

Alison Chambers

• Alison Chambers (born 8 September 1962) — killed August 1979. Described as the last known sexually-motivated killing.

Heather Ann West

• Heather Ann West (born 17 October 1970) — killed June 1987. Heather became the focus of Fred’s attentions after Anne Marie left home. Fred claimed he had not meant to kill her but said she had been “sneering at him” and that he “had to take the smirk off her face”. Rosemary told an inquiring neighbour the following day that she and Heather had had a “hell of a row” so it was believed Rosemary may have initiated her death. The Wests told their children Heather had left for a job in Devon, but later changed the story to her having run off with a lesbian lover when she failed to contact or visit them. Later, Fred threatened the children that they would “end up under the patio like Heather” if they misbehaved. Heather’s body was found under the patio that Fred had built over the fishpond his son Stephen had dug.

Missing and alleged victims mentioned

• Mary Bastholm (15-year-old) — police believed she had been killed in 1968; to date no body has been found.
• Unidentified victim(s) — West described unknown victims as “Scar Hand” (because of “a burn on her hand”) and “Tulip” (because he thought she was Dutch, in fact she was Swiss).
• Ann McFall — described as a victim; while not provided in the later “Victims” list by birth date, the record includes that her body was found on 7 June 1994 and West was charged with her murder on 3 July 1994.
• Charmaine disappearance and killing — included in the linked narrative as well as being listed among victims.

Other details

West’s son, Stephen, described West calling the police search “making fools of themselves” and the response given to him in connection with the search warrant:

“I told one of the detectives that they were going to end up making fools of themselves and he just replied 'That's up to us'. “

Stephen also said:

“I wanted to know the reasons why they thought Heather was buried there but they wouldn't tell me.”

After West’s arrest, Detective Constable Hazel Savage was involved in pursuing the Heather disappearance. In connection with the detailed media account, West and the investigation included references to a pact and to West’s statements during questioning, including:

“The thing I'd like to stress is that Rose knew nothing at all.”

West also confessed to Detective Constable Hazel Savage:

“I killed her.”

He also made statements during questioning including:

“Lots of girls disappear,” and: “take a different name and go into prostitution.” and: “She was a lesbian and had problems with drugs.”

During the later narrative, West was described as having admitted cutting Heather’s body into three pieces and burying them, and he gave and then denied other versions of Heather’s fate. When discussing Heather’s burial, West and police referenced human remains and bones found in the garden. He also was said to have admitted the existence of more bodies after being asked by Janet Leach, and that he sketched a map of the cellar and bathroom showing six more bodies.

In the linked narrative, Janet Leach was described as an “appropriate adult” whose job was to befriend and assist people usually juveniles in police custody. The narrative included the quote:

“Are there any more bodies?”

The record also included quotes attributed to West in threatening his children:

“end up under the patio like Heather”

The record also included the quote attributed to Fred West about his situation with Rose:

“We will always be in love... You will always be Mrs. West, all over the world. That is important to me and to you.”

The record included the threat of future release referenced during Rosemary West’s trial in summarised form, including that “The home secretary has since told her that she will never be allowed out.”