ClueTrail
Uncovering forgotten cases, chilling mysteries, and overlooked truths from around the world. From hidden histories to modern investigations and unsettling disappearances, each episode follows the clues...wherever they lead.
ClueTrail
The Long Road to Justice: Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway
Today, we’re revisiting a case that rocked the UK to its core, this is the case of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway, a story known as the Babes in the Woods.
There are many articles about this case, but the books 'Babes in the Woods' by Graham Bartlett and Peter James and 'my Girl' by Karen Hadaway truly capture the full depth of this tragic story - a case where justice was finally served after 32 years.
Welcome to Clue Trail, the podcast where every story is a mystery and every clue leads you deeper into the unknown From unsolved crimes and puzzling disappearances to hidden histories and curious coincidences. We piece together the fragments to uncover the truth or raise even more questions. Some clues lead to answers, others to even greater mysteries. But one thing is certain every trail tells a story. Are you ready to follow it? Let's begin. Today we are revisiting a case that rocked the UK to its core. This is the case of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hathaway, a story known as the Babes in the Woods. On an October evening in 1986, two best friends, just nine years old, vanished while playing together near their homes in Brighton. Their lifeless bodies were discovered the next day in Wild Park, and what followed was decades of heartbreak, trials and the relentless pursuit of truth. In this episode, we will uncover the layers of this harrowing case, from the community shaken to its core to the tireless investigation that spanned over 30 years. We'll also reflect on the enduring impact this tragedy had on the families, the justice system and the public's trust.
Speaker 1:Nicola and Karen grew up in Molescombe Estate, a small suburb in Brighton, which was a working-class area of large council estates. These were primarily populated by families, many of whom had moved from the inner city. The area wasn't amongst the safest ones you could live in. Police would be around there most of the time, but there was a close-knit community with local schools, churches and community centers acting as important social hubs. Nikla and Karen lived only a few streets apart in this area and, although they were going to separate schools, they became best friends. Their bond was so strong that it would be impossible to separate them. Nicola was a bubbly girl, well-liked by friends and people in the neighborhood, and she was dreaming of becoming a nurse. A fun story that her parents had about Nicola was that whenever they were in the hospital, she would grill the nurses to understand more about what they were doing. Her parents doted on her and her mom was sure Nicola would go after her dream of becoming a nurse. Karen, same as Nicola, was incredibly loved and cherished by her parents. She was adventurous and she loved life. She never broke her parents' rules. By their own admissions, they were overprotective and drummed into her to always be careful and not to go off with strangers. Barry and Susan, nicola's parents, have been married for 16 years at that point and they were caring for their two children, nikla and Jonathan, as well as Susan's mother. Additionally, barry had his best friend move in, dougie Judd. As he had a falling with his mum, he took a room on the ground floor and Nikla had to share a bedroom with her grandmother. Karen's parents, michelle and Lee, had to move around several times in the early years of marriage, mainly in council estates and flats, until they finally settled in this area where Karen was born. Like Nicole's family, karen's house was also crammed as they were trying to support other family members. They had their three children expecting the fourth child and Michelle's mother, recently widowed, moved in as well, sharing a room particularly suited Karen, as she absolutely loved her siblings and she was very attached to them. Both girls grew up in similar environments, with close-knit families which tried to help out when they could. No wonder they became best friends.
Speaker 1:On 9th of October 1986, the girls returned from school at around 3.30pm and, after hanging around at their respective houses for some time, at around 5pm both girls went out to play with Karen's sister Lindsay and a few other friends. Every now and then, susan, nicola's mom would look out the window and see them playing. However, not long after Nicola and Karen broke off the group and started going towards Wild Park. They didn't seem distressed or anything. They were seen laughing, running and joking. At 5.15 pm a park constable assigned to that area saw the girls in the Wild Park. They were having the best time ever, not a care in the world, just innocently playing around and having fun. He recalls telling the girls to calm down so they don't hurt themselves. The girls left and headed towards a chip shop near their house. They were both late for dinner by now and a neighbor remembers seeing the girls enjoying a bag of chips A few minutes later. Members seeing the girls enjoying a bag of chips. A few minutes later they are again back in the park. As they were late for dinner, their moms became increasingly worried. Both girls would generally respect their curfew so it seemed unusual that they're not back in.
Speaker 1:At 6 pm Karen's mom, michelle, starts getting worried that she cannot see the girls in the play area and she heads to Nicholas' house to ask Susan if they are there. Susan tells her she hasn't seen them yet. They start asking the children around if they have seen the girls. They do find out they were last seen at the park, so they head there, but by then it was already started getting dark. The visibility wasn't great. Hoping, the girls only lost track of time. They both returned home only to find out they are still not back. This is when things start to become serious. Friends and neighbors join the search, but they cannot find any sign of them, with no other option.
Speaker 1:Just after 8.30 pm that evening, michelle Karen's mom calls 999 to report the girls missing. Officers were immediately sent over and when they arrived to the scene there was a swarm of people everywhere. Clearly, people just wanted to help find these little girls. They immediately met with three of the parents at Nicola's house. Karen's dad was still en route home In here. They got all the details from the parents regarding the events of the day and they have done a house search as well, just in case the girls were hiding. The officers were quite anxious by this point, especially as it was dark outside, so one of the officers got in the car immediately and started driving in the area where they were seen to try to find them Returning back to the house empty-handed. They had to request reinforcements. This was indeed an extremely serious case and they needed to act quick to find the girls.
Speaker 1:In no time a full-scale operation began with many officers being placed in groups to search the area all throughout the night. Additionally, police were also interviewing anyone that might have seen the girls that afternoon. Amongst these people being interviewed was Russell Bishop. He was interviewed in the early hours of Friday morning, as earlier that day he went to Nicholas' house with his girlfriend, marianne Stevenson, and her friend. They were looking for Dougie who, if you remember, was living there during that time.
Speaker 1:Bishop 20 at that time wasn't very well liked by anyone. Really. He was openly cheating on his pregnant girlfriend with whom they shared a flat with the teenager Marianne, the woman he appeared with at the doorsteps that day. Nicola shared everyone's displeased of him and, upon answering the door, she pretty much closed it in their face, swearing at Marianne and telling them to go away as Dougie is not there, and telling them to go away as Doggie is not there. This conversation was also heard by Karen's mom, as she was at their house at the time when it happened. She also shared a sentiment towards Bishop and she had indeed previously advised Karen to never hang around Bishop. He also joined the search effort the next day alongside his dog and, interestingly, he made some odd comments to a police officer near the park. According to the officer, bishop was keen to stop looking for them, as if he is the one who will find them and if they were to be found dead, he doesn't want to be accused, which is an odd thing to say, especially as only a few minutes later after this conversation took place, the girls were found in a clearing nearby.
Speaker 1:At 4pm that day, kevin Rowland and his friend Matthew Marchant joined the search. They knew very well the park area and the paths under the hidden undergrowth, so they started making their way towards one of these paths. Behind some shrubs and branches they found an opening which looked like someone crawled out of it and when looking further into it they spotted a pink piece of clothing amongst the shrubs and leaves. This is when they knew they found the girls. Kevin yelled out to Matthew to find the police. He immediately made his way out of the shrubs. At the same time, at the edge of the park is where Bishop was having the odd conversation with the police officer, and they hear Matthew yelling and running towards them, telling them that they found the girls. Both immediately start running towards him to make their way to the girls. Bishop right-firsted the clearing and tried to get closer to where the girls were located, but Kevin stopped him. This is quite interesting, as the police officer, when Bishop took off, told him, if he gets there first to keep everyone away from the scene, so why is he rushing to go into the clearing? Then, despite not going into the clearing to see them and barely having any visibility, he did say the girls are dead when the police officer managed to reach the area it's unsure how he knew this, as they could barely see clearly between all the branches and everything else.
Speaker 1:The policeman made his way closer to the girls and the scene that unraveled would haunt anyone. Nikla was on her back. She had a bruise on her face and blood on her nostrils, clearly dying from a violent death. Karen was near Nikola with her head facing her lap, their hands almost touching. The policeman went to check for a pulse but couldn't feel any sign of life. He then proceeded to inform his colleagues through the radio using a code name to ensure the neurons are being managed accordingly. Upon being told the news, the parents were absolutely heartbroken. As a parent, this is the worst news you can possibly receive. The area was immediately examined by crime scene investigators and the initial investigation showed the girls suffered immensely.
Speaker 1:The police got to work to find who has done this cruel act and also why. Why would someone kill these girls? It can only be someone deranged. They started at inquiries and interviewed any leads they could. They also interviewed the ones who found the girls as well.
Speaker 1:And once more, bishop. This is where he is starting to slowly deviate from his recounting of events and his details now contradict the events described by the two men and the policeman who found the girls. He is saying now he was actually leaving when Michael came out of the woods screaming that he found the girls and he wasn't talking with the policeman telling him about how, if he finds the girls dead, he is scared. Talking with the policeman telling him about how, if he finds the girls dead, he's scared he'll be accused of murdering them as he has a criminal record. He's also saying that when he got to the girls he could see very well how they were laying down and he was saying that he went to check if they're alive by checking their neck for a pulse, that he went to check if they are alive by checking their neck for a pulse. But if you remember Kevin, which is the man who was awaiting by the clearing has stopped Bishop from going anywhere near the girl's body, let alone touch them to check for a pulse. Obviously, when these details were compared, police definitely became suspicious of him. How could he have known how the girls were positioned if he wasn't able to clearly see in the clearing? Also, why would he say he checked their poles when three other witnesses specifically say this is not the case?
Speaker 1:The post-mortem examination was one of the saddest tasks of all. Under the watch of senior police investigators, dr West, the pathologist in charge, started the examination. Both cold clothes were covered in mud and vegetation from the crime scene, as well as certain parts of their bodies. Dr West took samples of fibers and hair from both the clothes and the bodies. This will turn to be a crucial piece of evidence later on. Just a fair warning. These details are horrific. Both girls had signs of strangulation. Most likely this was done by hand and they have been sexually assaulted. In Nicola's case, there were sign of assault before and after her death. There was undigested food in their stomachs which later on would be relevant to determine the time of death, as, if you remember, both girls were seen eating chips before they were last seen that evening, dr West concluding that both have been strangled, probably by hand. Karen is believed to have lost consciousness quick, but death wouldn't have been instant. There was a sign Nicola remained conscious for longer than her friend, which unfortunately means she was awake for the assault. Dr West placed the time of death between 7 pm and 8 pm After the post-mortem took place.
Speaker 1:Now the detectives embarked on one of the most enormous cases of their career, which unfortunately would span across many years until justice was served. Also, the community was shaken by the level of brutality of this crime and, of course, the parents of the girls were absolutely devastated. Within a couple of weeks, police received nearly 3,000 calls, interviewed 2,000 people and took around 700 statements. At first they invested over 3,000 officer hours to different duties, from taking statements from neighbors, motorists, recreating the girls' steps that day and many other tasks, creating the girls' steps that day and many other tasks. But about a month into the investigation, a series of two other unrelated murders halved the task force.
Speaker 1:Now, with much less support, the investigation started to slow down. But one thing they were sure of they knew the murderer was close to the girls. The girls were murdered in the same place where they were found, which means they would have went there with someone they knew. Knowing this, they started to focus on a few key suspects. However, they were not ready to move with an arrest yet and, as with many inquiries, they would look at close family and friends, in particular male. So their main suspects were Barry Fellows, dougie Judd the two boys who found the girls and Russell Bishop. You're probably thinking now Barry Fellows, as in Nicholas' dad, but how Well. I believe this was mainly related to Barry not being present at the search when the girls were considered missing to begin with. As well as being known as having quite an aggressive character, barry was able to clear the timeline of his whereabouts that evening and he did maintain he would never hurt the girls. So, with that cleared and verified by the police and many other lines of inquiries they had opened at that time, drawing a blank, they would come back again to Russell Bishop.
Speaker 1:Bishop was asked for an interview at the police station six days after the murders. This interview was interesting. His accounts of events from the evening when the girls went missing now were all over the place. Barry Evans, the investigator on this case, was an extremely skilled interviewer and was able to extract vital information such as he was claiming being in two places at once around that evening. At 6 pm he was either at home or in the park smoking near a police box. Police by this point were quite sure something is not adding up here and either Bishop has something to do with the murders or he knows who is responsible. Since the timeline of events was very narrow, they needed to make sure they are very precise and can account for everyone's whereabouts at that time. The girls were last seen at 6.45pm and, according to the pathologist, they were killed between 7 and 8pm pm.
Speaker 1:Bishop was last seen in the park smoking near a police box at 6 pm and leaving the area at 6.30 pm. This was confirmed by two witnesses. Now they needed to clearly determine his whereabouts between 6.30 pm and 8 pm. Bishop in the first instance said he was due at someone's house after he left the park, but he never made it there. He now said he was returning to his flat and on his way he stopped at a news agent to buy something but realized he didn't have any money on him.
Speaker 1:Jenny, his pregnant girlfriend, who they shared a flat, was also invited for an interview in the hopes of clarifying this timeline. Jenny told the police that she picked up their son that evening from a friend's house and then returned to the flat. At 8.40pm she found Bishop at home and she noted he has changed his clothes and also took a bath. Also, it looked like he did a load of laundry as well. He told later the police that he did this as he fell in Dogpu. The police checked also with the news agents to verify if they have indeed seen Bishop that evening. They confirm he hasn't been there. Bishop that evening. They confirm he hasn't been there.
Speaker 1:Next they asked about his whereabouts on the day the girls were found. If you remember, he was one of the people to first see where the girls were and also said to the investigators at that time that he checked the girls for a pause and that he was able to see they are dead. The two boys who actually found the girls were clear that he did not see the girls as, if you remember, he was stopped by one of them from going into the area. When asked about this now, he said he did not see, nor he checked the poles. That was only his intention at that time, but he didn't actually do it. That was only his intention at that time, but he didn't actually do it. When he was confronted with his signed statement, he said he didn't actually read it when he signed it and, basically implying the police wrote down the wrong facts. By this point, as you can probably imagine, the investigators knew that something is not adding up. He was now their prime suspect.
Speaker 1:At the time this was happening, all the forensic evidence collected were being analyzed as well. Amongst the evidence collected from the area nearby was a sweatshirt. This sweatshirt was found on the path leading to Bishop's house, and the reason it was collected it was because it looked like it had blood on it. There was loads of scrutiny down the line in regards to how this piece of evidence was handled. This was taken for testing, specifically testing if the blood on it is human. However, this was supposed to be done in a lab environment instead of a quick blood test performed then and there. When the test came back as faintly positive, the sweatshirt was then bagged correctly and marked as evidence. The scrutiny was around, of course, cross-contamination. The officer handling the evidence was scrutinized for potentially exposing it to other exhibits in the same space. This would cost them dearly down the line.
Speaker 1:Three weeks after the girl's discovery Bishop was asked to come back for yet another interview After yet another version of events being given to the investigators. The lack of alibi during the time the girls disappeared, as well as combined with the lies about checking for the poles being able to tell the girls are dead. Even if he was invisible from where he was standing in the clearing, he was arrested on suspicions of murder of Karen and Nikola. For the next three days he was subjected to lengthy interviews as well as having a fully invasive medical examination where samples of saliva, blood and hair were taken. In the interviews with the investigators he changed his story once more about the time between 6.30 and 8.40. As the newsagent denied seeing him. He now said he went to buy some drugs and he lied to protect himself and the drug dealer, which is fair. But they now checked with the drug dealer and she confirmed to them she has sold drugs that day, but not to him. She hasn't seen him. No surprise. But he again changed his story, saying he just went home after 6.30.
Speaker 1:He was asked again what clothes he was wearing that day. He said he has shared with him all the clothes he was wearing that day, of course not before doing a load of washing that evening, which in itself it's fine, it's just a normal chore. If he indeed fell in dog poop, of course that is the first thing anyone would do. Those stinky poos can linger. But and this is only based on what others who knew him said of him as well as Jenny he fancied himself a bit of a manly man. Domestic tasks such as washing, cleaning and so on, he felt, were not for him to do. That would have been Jenny's job. So she indeed found it weird when she came home and he was doing laundry. So she indeed found it weird when she came home and he was doing laundry. Police suspected he was trying to get rid of evidence by taking a bath and washing his clothes. But was he wearing that sweatshirt that evening, the one found on the way to his house with blood spatters on it? Well, he said no, but his partner, jenny, said in her statement that he was his and he was part of a set with trousers as well. We are not done yet with this sweatshirt, but let's put a pin on it for now.
Speaker 1:Bishop was held in custody for three days and he was then released on bail For the next month. Police would embark once more in checking everything he stated in these interviews. Although nothing was made public by that point, gossip was going around about his arrest and he fled to Wales during this month. He was fearful he would be attacked by the parents and the angry community. During this time, the forensic was working on analyzing the sweatshirt and everything else collected. It was discovered that what was believed to be blood spatters was actually paint, and maybe we would think that's that not connected with the murders. But Bishop was known to work with paint, specifically paint stored on cars, graffiti doors and walls and so on.
Speaker 1:So they kept pushing with the analysis. They were able to find that the sweatshirt had some traces of ivy planned, which was also present in the area where the girls were found. These traces of ivy were also found on the girls. So the sweatshirt was definitely connected with the location of the crime. Proving Bishop was wearing it during a time where DNA couldn't prove this conclusively would be yet another pickle the investigators had to solve. This is where we're also starting to see another mistake in the investigation. This is where we're also starting to see another mistake in the investigation. From Nicola, three hairs and a fiber were collected. For some unknown reason they were not analyzed. This could have given the police the physical evidence connecting him to the girls. This mistake is unforgivable.
Speaker 1:Bishop returned back to Moleskbe a few weeks after his initial arrest and he decided he needed to talk with Barry Fellows and explain the situation. Obviously Barry wasn't very happy and, after listening to him for a few minutes, decided it's best that the conversation stops and he informs the police. The audacity this man had to approach the grieving parent it's unbelievable. Bishop was requested to return after his bail one day early, on 3rd of December 1986, and by this time he also changed his lawyer to Ralph Hames. Ralph is a character we will see later on what he is up to. Bishop was remanded in prison now until his trial, and he had a horrible time there. Child murderers, although not convicted yet, are not very well liked in prisons. Four months after the girls were discovered, the family was finally able to put them to rest. The whole community was saying their goodbyes to these angels. The parents and family and friends were heartbroken, skipping forward to over a year later since the discovery of this horrific murder.
Speaker 1:The discovery of this horrific murder, the trial of Russell Bishops for the murders of Karen and Nicola has finally started on 11th of November 1987. It's, needless to say, the interest media and the public had in the ongoings of this trial. Bishop, if accused, was facing a life sentence. A life sentence as a child murderer and rapist in prison systems would be hell, for the prosecution was Brian Leary and in his opening statement he talked over the events of that day to the jury. He talked about the families, the community and everyone who tried to help and then he moved to the facts. Bishop was seen around the area. He changed his story about his whereabouts several times. He owned a sweatshirt and he had no verifiable alibi for the time. The girls were killed, unfortunately, just a few days later.
Speaker 1:The first hiccup happened when one of the jurors fell ill and they had to restart the trial. Selecting happened when one of the jurors fell ill and they had to restart the trial, selecting a whole new set of jurors. Unsurprisingly, the parents were upset. This has dragged already for so long and they wanted justice for what was done to their girls. Luckily, the jurors were selected quick and the trial restarted the next day. Jury were selected quick and the trial restarted the next day. First to talk was Susan Fellows. She told the jury in detail her recollection of what happened that day, where the girls went and the pain of losing them. She also told the jury that someone on the estate has accused Barry of being the murderer and someone has written on their house all sorts of offensive statements. The defense also pushed on the whereabouts of Barry and Dougie Judd that evening, although this was previously cleared, starting what would be the foundation of their strategy to instil doubts in the mind of the jurors. This strategy actually started way earlier.
Speaker 1:A few months after Bishop was arrested, his lawyer appeared one early morning at the police station with two girls claiming they heard a third person saying they knew Barry killed the girls. Police promptly went straight to the girls' house who claimed this, and they understood this to be a fabrication. The girl had development issues. When asked how she knows he's the killer, she said, and I quote Barry did it as he's ugly. The policeman apologized to the parents and to the girl for disturbing them and left for disturbing them and left. Barry was next and the defense once more tried to insist on him having a violent behavior and that he has shown distemper towards Nicola as well. They needed to make sure the jury suspected him. So they tried everything. Karen's parents gave their recounting of events as well, but they were not pushed too much. The defense was clearly focusing on Barry.
Speaker 1:Only On day five is where things kicked off. That was the day of the trial where Jenny Bishop's partner would be called on the stand. If you remember, she was the one to give the statement about the sweatshirt and that he was at home at 8.40 doing laundry after he took a bath, although she was a witness called by the prosecution by the time she got on the stand. She has changed her story Now. Jenny painted the picture of having an incredible stable relationship, I guess despite him going around with his teenage girlfriend. Jenny then recounted her previous statement regarding the sweatshirt belonging to Bishop. She claimed this was due to her poor eyesight. When asked about the signed statement, she claimed she never read what was written there and she signed it hastily as she was still very angry with Bishop after finding out about his affair. This fueled the defense theory that this was all a police conspiracy. Russell was never guilty of anything and they cannot prove he has harmed the girls.
Speaker 1:This is also where all those mistakes the investigators and the forensics made earlier regarding the handling of evidence would be brought up, and, unfortunately, it would all end in Bishop's favour. The biggest mistake, though, came straight from the prosecution. They claimed, for some unknown reason, the girls must have been dead by 6.30pm. This mistake was easily picked up by the defence, and they fully honed in the fact that Russell Bishop was seen by witnesses in the park smoking between 6 and 6.30pm. So how could he have killed them? There were several other expert witnesses from both sides, but nothing really important came out of it.
Speaker 1:Now, with the trial coming to a close, prosecution summed up by reminding the jury of all the evidence presented, regardless of being questioned in the trial. All the defense has done in the closing statement was to offer alternatives to the jurors, which was actually a very smart strategy. They would hone in once more to the fact that Barry Fellows, or any other of the suspects they had at the start of the investigation, could have been the killer. At that point, barry stormed out. What a sick statement to make about a grieving father. When it was proved Barry wasn't involved With that, both parties rested. The judge then set the jury with three important questions. If they are not sure the girls were dead by 6.30pm, to acquit. If they are not sure that the sweatshirt was worn by Bishop to acquit. And, lastly, if they are not sure if the sweatshirt was worn by the murderer, assuming that wasn't Bishop to acquit.
Speaker 1:The jury went out on December 10, 1987, and everyone believed Russell Bishop would be found guilty. But everything was about to turn upside down as the jury came back four days later with a verdict of not guilty. Everyone was shocked, despite the evidence and his ever-changing story was shocked. Despite the evidence and his ever-changing story, the defense has put doubt in their minds. So with that, he was free. This acquittal bewildered everyone, and the community was again in fear that a child murderer they don't know of might be roaming around free. The girls' families never stopped advocating for Nicola and Karen to bring them justice. Russell Bishop moved back in the same area and was gloating around by the fact that he was vindicated. He also sold his story to a newspaper and cashed in. Knowing how this ends, he's so delusional. For the next 30 years, the family did everything they could to keep the memory of the girls alive and to persuade the police to find the person responsible for this. Justice will finally come in 2018, 32 years later, but first we need to go to 1990, three years after this trial. First, we need to go to 1990, three years after this trial. On 4th of February 1990, the community would be reminded once more that a criminal is out free roaming their streets.
Speaker 1:When seven-year-old Rachel Watts went missing At 3.30pm that day, rachel was roller skating with four of her friends near White Hawk. White Hawk and Moleskine, the place where Karen and Nicola lived. It's within the same area, around 10 minutes drive or 50 minutes walk. They're basically close neighborhoods. At around 4pm Rachel went back home and asked her dad for some money to go buy something from the shop. When Rachel did not return home and her dad could not find her, he panicked and he called the police. Rachel would have never ventured in places where she wasn't allowed. She was also scared of the dark.
Speaker 1:A full-scale search began immediately. At 5 pm the same day a couple was walking around the bank of a river near a place called Summerdown. This place is about 10 miles away from where Rachel lived. All of a sudden a couple spotted a girl coming out of the bushes. She had no clothes on. This was Rachel. The couple immediately wrapped Rachel into a jacket and informed the police. Everyone was relieved Rachel was alive, but unfortunately the ordeal she went through would leave lifelong scars.
Speaker 1:Rachel was able to tell the investigators that she was snatched and put in a boot of a red car. The man had a moustache and she was able to remember that there were tools in the boot of the car. Police started investigating immediately and, as they knew, bishop had a red car went to talk to him. When the police arrived he was cleaning up his car interior, probably trying to clean anything that might tie him to Rachel. He was able to provide alibis of his whereabouts that day. But when the police was later informed that he and the red car were seen in the White Hawk area earlier that day, he was arrested.
Speaker 1:The investigators did not want to repeat the history from three years earlier. So everything, every lead, every piece of evidence was to be handled by the book. No shortcuts. This time they had two witnesses, a mother and daughter, which were walking on the same road where Rachel was taken from. The daughter remembered seeing Rachel cleaning her roller skates, a red car stopping and she heard a scream At that time they believe it was boys racing on the streets as the car sped away. But when they found out the news about Rachel later that day they just realized what they have witnessed earlier. His car was distinctive as he had the for sale sign on the window and due to him prancing around like a hero after the first trial acquittal, most of the people knew who he was. Basically he was easily recognizable. His defense leaked the story to the press, hoping this would work against the police. Luckily they were very wrong, as this time they had Rachel. She was within an inch from death, having been strangled, but she survived and she was able to pick up Bishop from a lineup. Rachel is so brave. They had an overwhelming amount of forensic evidence as well connecting him with the crime and this time they could prove it was handled by the book no errors, no shortcuts. On 8th February, bishop appeared in front of the magistrates and pleaded not guilty. No bail was requested, so he was sent to prison awaiting trial. No bail was requested, so he was sent to prison awaiting trial.
Speaker 1:Bishop trial for kidnap and assault of Rachel Watts began on 14th of November 1990. In an amazing display of courage, rachel decided to testify in person instead of video link. She was able to recount perfectly what happened that day, how she was kidnapped by Bishop. She described him in detail. She described how she was thrown in the boot of the car and unfortunately, she also remembered being strangled in the car. The defense was on a mission to throw mud at every single witness and forensic detail. Their argument was that this was a setup by the police and that they wanted to frame him. Bishop also took the stand to justify how his semen and DNA were found at the scene. He said the police went as far as stealing a used condom from the trash in his house and used that at the scene. Obviously, this is ridiculous. The defense closed by telling the jury every single piece of evidence and fiber was manipulated by the forensic team to bring Bishop down for crimes he didn't commit.
Speaker 1:This time the jury was on the fold. After 21 days of trial he was found guilty on all accounts. Bishop was in tears, most likely knowing what will happen to him in prison as a child sex offender. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 14 years, but police couldn't celebrate this as he was free and he hurt Rachel because of what happened three years earlier. This sentence only came at a very expensive price, paid by Rachel, a seven-year-old girl who went through hell. Karen and Nicholas' families struggled heavily with coming to terms with what happened. Unfortunately, lee Karen's father suffered with depression and became homeless and addicted to prescription pills. He passed away 12 years after his daughter's death in 1998. Both couples separated in 1992.
Speaker 1:Although in prison, bishop was not ready to give up on his pursuit of punishing the police. Four years after his incarceration he started a civil lawsuit against the police for the arrest in 1986, with him as a witness. He crumbled under the questioning of Rachel Camden, which was defending the Sussex police. Bishop asked in day two to drop the lawsuit. He claimed he felt overwhelmed with the court and the lawyers. Moving to 2005, double jeopardy laws changed in Britain, which means Bishop could be retried once more if enough new evidence could be presented. The families pushed hard for this, but unfortunately in 2006, the High Court decided there wasn't enough new evidence for Bishop to be retried. He must have thought that's it, I'm out of the woods. But no, there isn't anything like a parent who wants justice for their child. They have consistently tried to persuade the police to reopen the case.
Speaker 1:In 2012, dci Adam Hibbert comes in the scene. He was well aware of the case and the 2006 High Court rejection of double jeopardy. But he knew science has come a long way since 1987. When the case was revisited in 2005, scientists found new fibers on the sweatshirt. If you remember, the sweatshirt was the focal point during the first trial. Adam brought in Roy Green, a leading forensic scientist who worked on high-profile cases in Britain, to specifically look over all this evidence one more time. So the lengthy process started and in 2013, dci Adam was about to get the news he expected for over a year.
Speaker 1:After Roy tested the sweatshirt for DNA and compared it with Bishop's DNA from the 1990 trial, there was a strong possibility it was a match. This confirmed what everyone knew for so many years he owned that sweatshirt. Everything was starting to connect now and, bringing SIO Jeff Riley, they would embark in an investigation which would span across several years. The families were told in November 2013 about the DNA findings and were asked not to disclose. Nothing was to be left to chance this time.
Speaker 1:The investigation took years and Jeff and his team needed to be sure that the DNA evidence cannot be challenged in court, especially considering the ambiguity regarding how the evidence was handled back in 1987 and the cross-contamination. Unfortunately, although the lab was able to confirm Bishop's DNA was on the cuff of the sweatshirt. Looking at the chain of custody and how the sweatshirt was preserved over these years, they were not ready to 100% confirm there wasn't transferred DNA. This broke the team at that point. This was the best evidence they had in so many years. But once more they wouldn't give up. So they revisited all the fibers and other forensic evidence taken back in 86. Especially the fibers taken from the girls' bodies. Remember those fibers that no one bothered to look into 27 years earlier? Luckily these fibers, alongside with paint flakes, were preserved perfectly and there couldn't be any cross-contamination.
Speaker 1:Roy Green, after a very lengthy process reviewing every single fiber collected, managed to find that fibers from the sweatshirt match fibers from Bishop's flat. His team was also able to link the paint from Bishop's clothes to paint chips taken from the girls' bodies and clothes. Additionally, some paint from Nicholas also matched the paint from the sweatshirt and, probably one of the most important findings paint from Bishop's flat matched the paint on the sweatshirt. The most important evidence would come after Roy's green analysis on the fibers and tapings from the girls' bodies. He hoped the tapings, alongside with the fibers and other material, would also have cellular material which can be tested for DNA, and he was right. On one of the tapings from Karen's arm, he found skin flakes. Upon testing, he found DNA from at least two profiles. Obviously, one would be Karen's, another one which wasn't identified, and the third one would be Bishop's. Roy also looked into other tapings taken from the inside of the sweatshirts and the results, although not as strong, contained DNA profiles from both Jenny and Bishop. They had what they needed. Bishop has been the one to wear the sweatshirt which was at the scene of the crime. If you remember, the ivy plants from the clearing were also found on the sweatshirt, and his DNA was found on Karen's arm. This is all what Jeff Riley and his team were waiting for. At last.
Speaker 1:On 10th of May 2016, bishop, still incarcerated, was brought to the Durham Police Station where he was informed he is being arrested for the murders of Karen and Nicholas. He again completely denied being involved in the murders. The prep for this trial was a very lengthy process and it finally started on 15th of October 2018, 32 years since the murders of Karen and Nicholas. That was the day the family so eagerly awaited, and likely. This time this weasel wouldn't escape again. The DNA evidence, combined with all the fibers and his lack of alibi during the time of the death was enough for the jury to finally convict him. This time, the investigators and forensic left nothing to chance and have done an outstanding job. He was found guilty on 10th of December 2018 for the 1986 murders of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hathaway. He received two life sentences with a minimum of 36 years. He would never leave the prison, as on 20th of January 2022, he died of cancer at the age of 55.
Speaker 1:This is the story of Nicola and Karen, two girls full of life and potential, loved by family and friends, whose lives ended tragically at the hands of pure evil. Stay updated on all things Clue Trail. You can find us on Instagram, facebook and TikTok on Clue Trail Podcast and if you want to support the podcast and get even more content, check out our Patreon Members. Get access to an exclusive bonus episode every month. Just head over to Patreon and look for ClueChall. Thank you.