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sold [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
00:01:45
time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for confidential support
00:01:51
please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website this episode contains graphic
00:01:59
descriptions of child abuse it won't be suitable for all listeners [Music] on the evening of Sunday August 2 1992
00:02:12
Gloucester Constable Stephen Burnside was patrolling his local bead along Cromwell Street
00:02:19
at around 6 pm he was approached by a 13 year old girl called Sarah not her real
00:02:25
name Sarah asked the constable what would you do if a friend was being assaulted
00:02:33
Sarah had been tormented over the past few days after hearing a harrowing confession from her best friend
00:02:41
visibly upset and feeling she had no one else to turn to Sarah's friend had divulged that she'd been raped
00:02:49
for legal reasons this victim could not be named the first attack happened inside the
00:02:56
victim's home her father had summoned her to an upstairs room he made her sit on a couch
00:03:02
and ordered her to keep her eyes fixed on any by television he then raped her capturing the entire
00:03:09
ordeal on a video camera he'd set up nearby later he took her out into the back Garden
00:03:17
he explained that he quote hadn't done it properly and it would cause the victim medical problems if he didn't
00:03:24
finish the job he then took her back to the same room as the initial attack and raped her
00:03:31
again afterwards the victim sought help from her mother who was at home at the time
00:03:39
she just told her daughter oh well what do you expect you were asking for it the next morning the victim's father
00:03:50
took her to a warehouse that he was painting as part of his job the building was deserted when he took
00:03:56
her inside and raped her for the third time when it was over he patted his daughter's thigh and remarked
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I'll leave it alone now he warned her you mustn't say anything I'll go to prison for five years we'll all be split
00:04:15
up and you need a mum and dad at your stage of life Weeks Later the victim confided in her
00:04:23
school friend Sarah about what she had endured Sarah agonized over what to do with the
00:04:30
information she didn't want to go to the police but felt there was no alternative
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Constable Burnside was a familiar presence on Cromwell Street so when Sarah saw him she shared what she knew
00:04:45
Burnside listened carefully as he jotted down notes he then returned to the station and reported the information to
00:04:52
the sexual offenses unit days later on the morning of Thursday August 6 a team of two detectives and
00:05:02
four police officers arrived at a residential address on Cromwell Street While most buildings in the area
00:05:09
retained their original red brick exteriors this house had been rendered with sand colored concrete giving it a
00:05:16
bland flat and featureless appearance each of its three stories were defined by a sash window with a pea green
00:05:25
colored frame that overlooked the street they were perfectly aligned one on top of another
00:05:33
neck curtains hung behind them the house itself had seen better days with leaking gutters leaving dark
00:05:41
streaks of rain water on the walls unlike neighboring homes which had front doors that opened directly under the
00:05:49
street the front door was on the right side behind a low black metal gate with gold spear tips
00:05:57
it spanned the width of a narrow driveway that separated the house from a Seventh-Day Adventist Chapel next door
00:06:05
a second Iron Gate had been installed several feet behind the small black one this one was ornate and six feet tall
00:06:16
a handmade wrought iron plaque was affixed to the wall by The house's entrance spelled out in white letters was the
00:06:25
property's address 25 Cromwell Street the home of the West family [Music] [Music]
00:06:56
at first glance the wests appeared to be a model family neighbors viewed patriarch Fred as a
00:07:03
good man who was modest and kind he was always willing to help out with odd jobs around the neighborhood
00:07:11
soft-spoken he never raised his voice or showed a temper he rarely drank and didn't do drugs
00:07:19
one neighbor said if you asked anybody in the street you couldn't wish for a better fellow
00:07:27
another remarked you would have invited Fred West into your home with open arms he was so nice
00:07:36
perhaps the worst anyone could say about Fred West was that he was territorial it was in a casual unassuming way but he
00:07:45
seemingly knew everything about everyone who lived on Cromwell Street yet he was
00:07:50
fiercely protective of his own home life whenever he had visitors he'd follow them around his house and into his back
00:07:58
patio Garden never permitting them to wander about on their own it gave them the feeling that they were
00:08:05
always being watched as his family's Breadwinner Fred worked hard although he bounced between jobs he was
00:08:15
never unemployed and often worked on construction sites in the local area his wife Rose stayed at home running the
00:08:23
household and caring for their children on the rare occasions that she ventured out she was described as presentable and
00:08:31
attractive by August of 1992 the wests had lived on Cromwell Street for over 20 years
00:08:41
during that time Fred and Rose had grown their family to include eight children the oldest was Anna Marie who was the
00:08:50
daughter of Fred and his former wife Reina Fred and Rose's first child together was
00:08:56
Heather their daughter May was born within months of the West's moving to Cromwell
00:09:02
Street the couple's long-awaited first son Stephen came the following year over the next decade Rose bore five more
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children Tara Louise Barry Rosemary Jr and Luciana given how many children lived there 25
00:09:23
Cromwell Street was known to be surprisingly quiet the wests weren't entirely unknown to
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police over the years officers had visited the home to inquire with Fred West about
00:09:36
stolen goods additionally some lodges who lived upstairs had been reported to police for
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cannabis possession 25 Cromwell Street had been raided by police in search of illicit drugs on at
00:09:50
least three occasions the wests remained composed during the raids and nothing incriminating was ever
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found as for Rose West her criminal record was almost entirely clean she had a single conviction from 1973
00:10:09
that she shared with her husband it was for the indecent assault causing actual bodily harm of their former
00:10:17
live-in nanny Caroline Owens when police arrived at 25 Cromwell Street to investigate the allegations
00:10:26
that Fred West had raped one of his daughters he had just left for work his wife Rose answered the door
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she was informed that detectives had a warrant to search their premises for pornographic material following a
00:10:41
serious allegation of child abuse Rose immediately lashed out she began kicking and screaming and had
00:10:50
to be physically restrained as it was the summer holidays the five youngest West children were all at home
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their ages ranged from 9 to 16. still in their pajamas the children sat in front of a television in the living
00:11:07
room they watched as their mother was placed under arrest for aiding and abetting
00:11:13
rape and for obstructing the police as Rose was led from her house she yelled to her children
00:11:21
don't you dare say anything Fred was arrested on a building site later that day unlike his wife Fred didn't resist
00:11:34
he told onlookers nothing you need to worry about he was placed in a police car and
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informed of the reason for his arrest absolute rubbish Fred scoffed lies all lies I never touched her
00:11:56
Fred West was interrogated by police for hours he talked a Non-Stop in a manner that
00:12:03
was described as a verbal diarrhea he didn't seem at all concerned about the situation he found himself in
00:12:10
instead he chatted casually presenting himself with charm confidence and humor he had no internal filter and spoke
00:12:20
openly to detectives about his private life saying quote me and my wife lead an active sex life
00:12:28
we make love every night I mean perhaps twice it just depends on what happens you'll find harnesses you'll find bloody
00:12:37
God knows what in my home that we make up and things that we do you'll find tapes where we've been
00:12:43
making love and we're not frightened to show it we enjoy our sex life but not with our children
00:12:53
Fred said that he and Rose had everything so they didn't need to mess with their kids
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he accused his children of ganging up on him and making the accusations up saying
00:13:06
there ain't one blade of Truth in it as far as I'm concerned Fred remained in custody overnight
00:13:16
by the end of Friday his demeanor had changed his eldest son 19 year old Stephen West
00:13:24
paid him a visit Fred looked as though he was scared to death he had worked himself up into tears
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making it the first time Stephen had ever seen his father cry Fred admitted to his son that he had
00:13:40
done some stupid things at night when everyone was in bed then in the same breath he swore he
00:13:46
hadn't done anything and claimed the police were setting him up they're going to have me for it he told
00:13:54
Steven Fred begged his son to take the blame by saying it was actually Stephen who
00:14:01
carried out the abuse Stephen refused Fred's face hardened he made a comment that implied to
00:14:10
Stephen you either do it or I'll kill you reluctantly Steven did as he was told but investigators immediately knew that
00:14:21
Stephen was lying to protect his father they charged Fred with three offenses of
00:14:28
rape and one of buggery and he was reminded in custody Rose West was interviewed and held
00:14:34
overnight but released the next day 28 year old Anna Marie West no longer lived on Cromwell Street
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on the morning of Friday August 7 her phone and a doorbell rang simultaneously as the phone was closest Anna Marie
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answered that first it was her stepmother Rose West the very sound of her voice sent a chill
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through Anna Marie Rose wasted no time with Greetings or preamble she demanded if you think anything of me or your dad
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especially your dad you'll say nothing and keep your mouth shut she then slammed it down the phone
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Anna Marie gathered her thoughts and went to answer the door there was a woman in plain clothes
00:15:35
standing before her her name was Hazel Savage and she was a detective Constable for gloucestershire
00:15:42
police described as one of the most tenacious female police officers in Gloucester
00:15:50
Constable Savage was a veteran of numerous major inquiries many involving women and children
00:15:57
when Fred West was accused of abusing one of his daughters Constable Savage was assigned to the case
00:16:05
her principal job was to interview members of the West family Constable Savage had a history with the
00:16:13
family that dated all the way back to the mid-1960s her first encounter with the wests was
00:16:20
through Fred's first wife Rina at the peak of the couple's tumultuous marriage at the time Fred had custody of their
00:16:29
two daughters Charmaine and Anna Marie Reina worried about them all the time and constantly battled Fred over the
00:16:38
matter Constable Savage was a sympathetic listener and Reina soon divulged that Fred West was violent sexually depraved
00:16:47
and quote probably quite mad [Music] she explained that her husband was pursuing a relationship with a teenager
00:16:56
named Anna mcfaul two weeks later Constable Savage met Fred West for the first time
00:17:05
she thought he was rather strange looking with a face she didn't never forget Constable Savage had no further
00:17:13
interactions with Rena or Charmaine West yet she came to know Fred quite well when he moved into Cromwell Street with
00:17:21
his second wife Rose this was due to his proclivity for theft and for the minor offenses carried out
00:17:29
by The Lodgers who lived in his home Constable Savage also knew Anna Marie West she had come to the attention of police
00:17:40
in her mid-teens for being uncontrollable she'd run away from home become involved
00:17:46
with gangs and was known to carry a knife but Anna Marie's life had settled since
00:17:52
her time at Cromwell Street she had moved to the White City estate in southern Gloucester where she was
00:17:59
raising two young daughters as a single mother Constable Savage asked Anna Marie if she
00:18:07
knew of anything in proper happening at 25 Cromwell Street Anna Marie was sickened at the thought
00:18:15
that someone else could be suffering the same way she had it was a fear she'd carried for many
00:18:22
years but she'd reasoned that by enduring the abuse she'd prevented others from being harmed
00:18:29
now faced with the prospect that one of her younger sisters was forced to live the same nightmare Anna Marie was
00:18:36
determined to put a stop to it after nearly two decades Anna Marie finally opened up about her experience
00:18:45
of being raised by Fred and Rose West it was the first time she'd made these admissions to anyone
00:18:53
as she spoke she was so overcome with shame that she struggled to make eye contact with Constable Savage
00:19:07
one summer's day during their first year at Cromwell Street Fred and Rose LED eight-year-old Anna Marie down into the
00:19:14
cellar it was a dingy damp and sparsely lit space that had been split into three
00:19:21
interconnecting rooms in the Central Area was the staircase the front room served as a play area for
00:19:29
the children while Fred's Workshop was at the rear Anna Marie noticed several items had
00:19:37
been laid out on the floor including a mattress some adhesive tape and a sex toy
00:19:44
Anna Marie wasn't overly concerned she didn't know what the sex toy was or what the collective items signified
00:19:53
she asked what the objects were for Fred and Rose just died each other Rose had a strange smirk on her face
00:20:03
which looked to Anna Marie as though quote she was really going to enjoy herself but wasn't going to say why
00:20:14
the couple locked the Cellar Door behind them Fred explained that what he was about to
00:20:21
do was his duty as a father just do as you're told he said as Anna Marie was ordered to remove her clothes
00:20:30
when she didn't move fast enough Rose violently tore Anna Marie's dress off and threw it aside
00:20:37
Fred and Rose then pinned Anna Marie onto the mattress where she was restrained and gagged
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as Anna Marie later described in her book out of the Shadows I was absolutely terrified
00:20:53
I was eight years old and had no understanding of what was about to happen to me but I knew it was something
00:20:58
awful and that it was going to hurt my father said very little but Rose was encouraging him to get on with it
00:21:08
she had this evil look in her eye there was no emotion at all just that all-consuming look of Pure Evil
00:21:19
Rose sat on her stepdaughter's head to stifle her cries she laughed as Fred proceeded to rape
00:21:26
Anna Marie Fred told his daughter it is going to help you later in life he said it would prepare her for her
00:21:37
future husband and having children when the attack was finally over Fred and Rose left Anna Marie alone in the
00:21:46
cellar restrained and naked her screams and sobs attracted no attention Fred had soundproofed the
00:21:55
space in preparation later Fred and Rose reappeared and resumed the assault afterwards they sent Anna Marie to the
00:22:06
bathroom to clean up it was obvious that she was in pain Rose simply laughed acting as though
00:22:15
Anna Marie was making a huge fuss about nothing Rose told her everybody does it to every girl it's a
00:22:24
father's job don't worry and don't say anything to anybody it's something everybody does
00:22:31
but nobody talks about after this Fred and Rose sexually abused humiliated and tormented Anna Marie on
00:22:45
countless occasions Fred made sexual remarks about all of his daughters he told them that they needed a good man
00:22:54
to sort them out and that he'd do the job himself he'd single one of his girls out and say
00:23:02
it will be your turn next despite these comments Anna Marie believed she was the only one of her
00:23:10
sisters who was being sexually abused by Fred and Rose it continued on a near daily basis
00:23:17
throughout her childhood and dwell into her teenage years Fred would say I made you you are my flesh and blood I
00:23:27
am entitled to touch you if Anna Marie complained she was severely beaten and the torture only
00:23:35
increased over time the abuse became more depraved Fred was obsessed with the idea of
00:23:44
producing the perfect child which he viewed to be dark-skinned he began saving the used condoms from
00:23:52
Rosa's Liaisons with black men tying off the condoms to secure their contents he then forced Anna Marie to
00:24:01
store them inside herself to keep them in quote Optimum condition once ready Fred combined to the semen
00:24:10
from different men and injected the liquid into rows using a homemade device Rose ultimately bore four children that
00:24:20
weren't biologically Fred's Tara Louise Rosemary Jr and Luciana much to Fred's Delight three of them
00:24:30
were mixed rice he referred to them as his love children [Music] Fred and Rose constantly assured Anna
00:24:41
Marie that what she was enduring was normal she didn't tell others about the abuse
00:24:46
partly due to shame and partly because she was under strict orders not to reflecting on her childhood Anna Marie
00:24:55
West said I used to look out the window at children playing in the street laughing
00:25:01
and running around and wonder how they could look so happy when they must be suffering as I was
00:25:08
I could only think that they were stronger characters and that my stepmother was right I had a difficult
00:25:15
wimpish nature and I was inclined to whinge these other kids obviously just got on
00:25:22
with life so I should try and do the same when Anna Marie was 12 years old she was
00:25:33
initiated into Rose's room the bedroom inside 25 Cromwell Street where Rose carried out sex work
00:25:41
Anna Marie was forced into the trade sometimes Fred watched from the doorway while Rose was always in the room as
00:25:50
though making sure Anna Marie wouldn't seek Hope from the male clients Anna Marie did what was expected of her
00:25:58
too scared to disobey she later explained fear was enough to keep me under Rose and Fred's control
00:26:10
life inside the West home was like a prison all the internal and external doors were
00:26:17
kept locked as was the tall Iron Gate that led out onto the street Rose wore the keys on a necklace or a
00:26:25
big ring clipped around her waist no one was allowed to visit without her or Fred's permission
00:26:33
the West children were confined to The Back Garden or the cellar and were forbidden from playing in the street
00:26:41
they were permitted to go to school provided they had no visible injuries and came home immediately after
00:26:49
if they were late they received a beating the children were only taken to see relatives if Fred and Rose went too
00:26:59
Fred told his children we don't want to have anything to do with people outside we don't need them
00:27:06
there are people out there who will hurt you you're with people who will protect you
00:27:16
one day at school a teacher noticed a bruising on Anna Marie's legs she asked Anna Marie to roll down her
00:27:23
socks and hitch up her skirt for a closer look the teacher gasped in horror at the
00:27:30
extent of the injuries the teacher asked Anna Marie did you have an accident or did someone
00:27:37
do it to you Anna Marie desperately wanted to reveal that her stepmother had caused to the
00:27:44
injuries she opened her mouth in preparation for the truth but her fear of Rose was too
00:27:50
great instead Anna Marie lowered her head and said I fell over Miss I just fell over
00:28:02
privately the teacher contacted the welfare department later that day a social worker arrived
00:28:09
at 25 Cromwell Street to investigate the matter Rose answered the door and was informed
00:28:16
that there were concerns about Anna Marie Rose remained cool-headed and invited the social worker inside
00:28:24
she told the woman a story about Anna Marie falling down the stairs Anna Marie overheard the social worker
00:28:32
reply oh well that's fine Mrs West then she left never to return again once she was gone Anna Marie received
00:28:44
one of the worst beatings of her life all of the West children experienced abuse to some extent but Anna Marie was
00:28:54
singled out for the cruelest of treatment she explained that Rose inflicted pain
00:29:00
with either a detached indifference or a calculated and controlled excitement Anna Marie suspected Rose resented her
00:29:10
for being the only child in the household who wasn't biologically hers there was a competitive element too as
00:29:18
Anna Marie was Fred's favorite in contrast to the sadistic domineering and cruel way that Rose treated Anna
00:29:28
Marie Fred was affectionate he'd force himself onto her then say he loved her Anna Marie felt that her father saw her
00:29:39
more as a girlfriend than a daughter yet Fred witnessed to the abuse from Rose firsthand and never stepped in to
00:29:48
defend Anna Marie on the contrary he chuckled at what his wife was doing whenever Anna Marie told her father how
00:29:57
Rose treated her he'd reply your mom is doing that because she loves you it's for your own good
00:30:08
Fred eventually developed a violent streak of his own his eyes would roll to the back of his
00:30:14
head and he'd start hitting kicking and throttling Rose and his children all the
00:30:19
while spitting out death threats he once left Anna Marie bloody after kicking her in the face with
00:30:27
still-capped boots Rose just laughed and said you [ __ ] ride in the summer of 1979 Rose took 15 year
00:30:43
old Anna Marie to see a doctor Anna Marie was visibly nervous and gave quiet answers to the doctor's personal
00:30:52
questions the doctor then told her to lie on an examination table where he began poking
00:30:59
and prodding her stomach his expression was Stern as he engaged in a private conversation with rose
00:31:08
Anna Marie was pregnant the pregnancy was ectopic meaning the fertilized egg had implanted outside of
00:31:16
the uterus ectopic pregnancies can't proceed normally so Anna Marie was taken to
00:31:22
hospital for a termination despite being underage none of the hospital staff reported Anna Marie's
00:31:31
situation to authorities she suspected they viewed her as a quote fifteen-year-old [ __ ] who had got what
00:31:39
she had been asking for and didn't deserve any sympathy [Music] the truth was the man who had
00:31:47
impregnated Anna Marie was her own father Fred West he had a saying that he'd repeat to his
00:31:55
daughters your first baby should be your dad's days after the termination Rose made
00:32:04
Anna Marie perform housework despite her still being in recovery and bearing stitches from her surgery
00:32:12
Anna Marie kept her head down like always avoiding anything that might ignite Rose's Wrath
00:32:19
yet as she dusted polished and vacuumed she could sense tension Rising Anna Marie explained
00:32:28
something had upset Rose nothing I did would be right suddenly Rosa's eyes filled with her age
00:32:38
behind them was the familiar strange dead look she pushed Anna Marie to the floor and
00:32:45
kicked her in the stomach right in the stitches in immense pain Anna Marie fled to her
00:32:52
room when her father returned home later that day he told her you shouldn't provoke and upset your mum
00:33:01
like that night Anna Marie wept quietly into her pillow [Music] she had reached her limit
00:33:12
one night shortly after this Anna Marie put a long considered plan into action she took one last look at her sparsely
00:33:21
furnished room then grabbed a bag of belongings and made her way to the front door
00:33:27
her bag hit a chair and the floor creaked in her haste but Anna Marie managed to slip through the house
00:33:34
without waking her parents she got past the locked Gates and ran along Cromwell Street
00:33:42
she hadn't put much thought into what to do next she had a little money nowhere to go and was terrified that her father
00:33:50
would come looking for her she was also regretting leaving her siblings behind none of whom knew about
00:33:58
her plan to flee but Anna Marie focused on the fact that she was free telling herself quote
00:34:07
I would never go back no one could abuse me again no matter what happened from now on it
00:34:14
couldn't be any worse than my life so far [Music] Anna Marie's harrowing statement added
00:34:26
validity to the accusations that Fred and Rose West had a history of child sexual abuse and incest
00:34:34
Rose was charged for causing or encouraging the commission of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and
00:34:40
cruelty to a child she was granted bail under the condition that she not communicate with her
00:34:47
younger children the night she returned home Rose was rushed to Gloucester Royal hospital to
00:34:54
have her stomach pumped she had taken 48 painkiller pills washed down with alcohol
00:35:03
the underage West children Tara Louise Barry Rosemary Jr and Luciana were put under emergency protection orders
00:35:13
Fred and Rose were forbidden from contacting them and weren't told where they were being held
00:35:20
the couple were eventually allowed to see their children but only if the child themselves requested the meeting and a
00:35:27
social worker was present Fred and Rose refused to see their children unless they could see them
00:35:33
alone in the lead-up to the couple's trial Fred West was sent to a bail hostel in
00:35:42
Birmingham 60 miles north of Gloucester Rose visited him two or three times a week sometimes with their older children
00:35:51
may or Stephen during visits Fred and Rose wandered the grounds and had sex in view of
00:35:58
passers-by and their own children Rose wrote Fred a letter during his time away it was adorned with their names and a
00:36:09
drawing of a large love heart with an arrow through it remember I will always love you she
00:36:16
wrote and everything will be all right in custody Fred's Behavior was described as exemplary
00:36:26
he was consequently transferred to another bail hostel with even more relaxed conditions
00:36:33
staff only checked on him every three days which gave Fred time to go to Gloucester and back without anyone
00:36:39
knowing he had gone the younger West children began sneaking out of their foster homes and meeting
00:36:47
Fred at Gloucester Park he eventually coaxed them back to Cromwell Street Fred worked to convince his children
00:36:58
that the authorities were wrong and Evil he warned them to keep their mouths shut
00:37:04
otherwise the police would take them away from those who loved and protected them
00:37:11
when Fred and Rose went to trial in early June 1993 the West children had been prepared to give evidence against
00:37:19
them but when asked if they were ready the children all declined to proceed it was a complicated case from the
00:37:30
outset the West adored her at the center of the allegations denied that her father would
00:37:36
ever do any of the things he was accused of furthermore Anna Marie West retracted
00:37:43
the statement she'd made to detective Constable Hazel Savage making this statement had brought up a
00:37:51
lot of repressed trauma for Anna Marie and she was left shaken and anguished she was still terrified of rose and
00:37:58
feared what would happen once Rose saw her statement Anna Marie sought police protection but
00:38:06
they couldn't understand why she thought it was necessary to Anna Marie had felt like everyone
00:38:12
thought she was making a fuss over nothing she thought about Rose's temper all those years of vicious beatings abuse
00:38:21
and the men she was forced to have sex with wanting to forget it all Anna Marie claimed the whole story was a figment of
00:38:31
Her Imagination because she didn't like Fred or Rose when Constable Savage learned about this
00:38:38
she confronted Anna Marie and said tell me to my face this isn't true unable to meet the Constable's gaze Anna
00:38:49
Marie responded it's not true I made it all up Constable Savage wasn't convinced
00:38:59
she warned Anna Marie that she could be charged for wasting police time and making a false statement
00:39:06
but Anna Marie remained steadfast with her younger siblings now safe from Fred and Rose in foster care Anna Marie
00:39:15
had the safety of her own children to think about the only piece of physical evidence that
00:39:28
could help secure a conviction now was the videotape that allegedly contained footage of Fred raping his daughter
00:39:36
police had caused thousands of pounds worth of damage tearing 25 Cromwell straight apart trying to find it
00:39:44
it had been no easy feat given that the inside of the property resembled a building site
00:39:50
tools wood sand cement electrical cables water mains Lino copper pipes carpet and
00:39:58
paint tins were piled throughout the police broke Furniture sifted through vacuum cleaner bags and searched
00:40:07
behind skirting boards and under floorboards they uncovered a large amount of sex
00:40:14
paraphernalia some of which was crudely handmade with scrap wood and metal police also uncovered a large collection
00:40:22
of hardcore pornography magazines sex toys bondage gear whips chains buckles straps and flails as well as rubber
00:40:32
suits and masks there were dozens of photographs that Rose and Fred had taken of other
00:40:38
people's genitals in total police uncovered 99 pornographic videos both homemade and
00:40:48
Commercial the homemade footage was captured on eight millimeter film by Fred West
00:40:55
it depicted Rose performing explicit sexual acts with quote just about anything she could get her hands on from
00:41:04
domestic implements to fruit the footage also captured Rose having sex with multiple people
00:41:12
sometimes it was consensual amateur pornography other times it was filmed via a peephole as though in secret
00:41:22
there was footage of Rose urinating on her bed her sofa and the kitchen table she was captured getting dressed in
00:41:31
preparation to meet other men for sex then later showing off her stained underwear
00:41:38
Fred also recorded himself performing gynecological examinations on his wife with many gratuitous close-ups
00:41:46
but none of the videos contained the alleged child abuse with no physical evidence or
00:41:55
corroborating Witnesses the judge made the decision not to proceed with the trial
00:42:01
as a result Fred and Rose West officially received a verdicts of not guilty the couple hugged each other in the dark
00:42:11
and for the second time in their marriage they walked free from Court together case File will be back shortly thank you
00:42:32
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month that's better h-e-l-p.com slash case File [Music] for detective Constable Hazel Savage the
00:45:33
West Case wasn't over during her investigations into the family she had managed to track down
00:45:40
each of Fred and Rose's older children except for one all leads to locate the Now 23 year old
00:45:48
Heather West had resulted in dead ends one of the last confirmed sightings of Heather occurred on Wednesday June 17
00:45:58
1987 when she was four months shy of turning 17. Witnesses recalled the exact debate as
00:46:07
it was the day that Anna Marie West had hosted a birthday party for her three-year-old daughter
00:46:14
the party was held at Anna Marie's home in the White City estate it had been a pleasant summer day and
00:46:22
the house was abuzz with children Anna Marie was surprised when her typically anti-social father and
00:46:29
stepmother showed up she was even more shocked to see that they'd brought all the younger West
00:46:36
children with them as family outings were incredibly rare Heather West had always been quiet but
00:46:45
partygoers noticed she was particularly distant that day she spent most of the afternoon alone in
00:46:52
the back Garden looking sad and lethargic if anyone approached her Fred or Rose would be by her side in an instant
00:47:03
Rose explained to the other guests that there had been problems with Heather before they left for the party
00:47:10
Fred bullied Heather throughout the event saying don't [ __ ] stand there like a lemon a
00:47:17
derogatory word he used for lesbian Heather retorted angrily why don't you just [ __ ] off and leave me
00:47:25
a [ __ ] loan Anna Marie tried to find out what was going on but Heather was tight-lipped
00:47:35
she actively avoided being in any photos or videos taken during the day one photo captured her in the garden as
00:47:44
she was mid-turned trying to avoid the camera standing nearby was Fred with a big
00:47:50
smile [Music] at the time Heather was making arrangements to move to Torquay a Seaside Town 130 miles from Gloucester
00:48:02
she had applied for a job as a cleaner for a Holiday Camp there the prospect excited her
00:48:11
then the night after Anna Marie's daughter's birthday party Heather received a phone call
00:48:18
the woman on the other line apologized saying that Heather's job application hadn't been successful
00:48:25
Heather was devastated she kept her siblings up all night with her sobbing the following day of Friday June 19 the
00:48:41
West children returned home from school to find that Heather wasn't there Fred and Rose explained that Heather had
00:48:49
received some good news the job in Torquay was back on she'd packed a bag and got a lift with a
00:48:57
friend leaving 25 Cromwell Street for good Fred was calm as he spoke about Heather's abrupt departure
00:49:06
then he approached his son Stephen and asked for help digging a hole in the back Garden
00:49:13
Fred explained he wanted to install a fish pond Stephen did as he was told but a couple
00:49:20
of days later he noticed that the hole had been filled in no one heard from Heather West again
00:49:29
over the years Fred and Rose gave conflicting stories as to her whereabouts to some they said that Heather had run
00:49:38
away or left to start a new job they told others that she'd become a drug dealer was involved in credit card
00:49:45
fraud or had fallen in with the wrong crowd Rose mentioned having a quote hell of a
00:49:53
rare with Heather before she left over Heather being a lesbian the couple constantly provoked Heather
00:50:01
about being gay even though there was no indication that she was and Rose herself
00:50:06
had numerous affairs with women it didn't matter anyway as Fred later told others that Heather had run off
00:50:15
with a boyfriend at one stage Anna Marie West traveled to Torquay in search of Heather but no one
00:50:25
she spoke to had ever seen or heard of her half-sister Stephen and Mae West also made various
00:50:32
attempts to locate Heather including reaching out to television shows that specialized in finding missing people
00:50:40
at one stage the siblings told Fred they were going to report Heather missing Fred talked them out of it
00:50:49
he said that Heather was involved in some illegal business and if they alerted police they'd be snitching
00:50:57
Rose said that if Heather wanted to contact them she would every so often Fred claimed to have both
00:51:07
seen and spoken to Heather at one stage he said she was working for a community center in Gloucester
00:51:15
Anna Marie looked into this claim but to no result Fred conceded that Heather must have
00:51:22
quit and moved on whenever Fred told any story pertaining to seeing Heather Rose would warn him to
00:51:31
shut up whatever the explanation Fred and Rose were adamant that Heather was fine
00:51:38
they told others that they'd filed a missing person report but this wasn't true Fred would say
00:51:48
Heather's left us she's disappeared and that's it closed I don't want to hear any more about it
00:51:55
we won't mention it again I don't want you coming round in future if you do mention Heather
00:52:08
prior to Heather's disappearance a male guest was spending the night at 25 Cromwell Street
00:52:15
in the early hours of the morning he woke up to the sound of something rustling around the house
00:52:21
a young woman cried out no no please this continued on and off for the next 20 minutes
00:52:32
in the morning Rose West informed the man that it was her daughter Heather who suffered from nightmares
00:52:39
the man had noticed that Heather seemed a bit shy and down in the dumps the night before
00:52:46
Rose explained to that Heather was just quote backwards and didn't talk much on a separate occasion a female lodger
00:52:56
at 25 Cromwell Street heard screams coming from the cellar a girl helplessly shouted stop it Daddy
00:53:05
the lodger didn't investigate or report the matter but she believed the voice might have been Heather West's
00:53:14
other visitors recalled that Heather would stand in the corner of a room or in the doorway wearily watching her
00:53:21
father she bit her fingernails until they bled and rocked herself back and forth for
00:53:27
hours unable to sit still Heather had a very close friend at school called Denise Harrison
00:53:37
shortly before Heather went missing Denise noticed Heather was more morose than usual
00:53:43
one day Denise was walking near Cromwell Street when she spotted an upset looking
00:53:48
Heather sitting on a wall Denise asked what was wrong and Heather started to cry
00:53:56
Heather confided into Denise that she had been sexually abused her father would come into her room at
00:54:03
night and force himself on her he also beat her Denise asked haven't you told your mum
00:54:13
Heather explained that Rose refused to do anything about it Rose thought Heather was a quote little
00:54:21
[ __ ] who deserved the beatings Heather said she hadn't told anyone else because she was too frightened
00:54:31
Denise didn't doubt Heather for a second Heather refused to shower at school and
00:54:38
wore long slave to blouses with her socks pulled up to her knees but Denise had once caught a glimpse of
00:54:44
Heather's bare arms into legs they were covered in severe bruising Denise's mother knew Fred West and when
00:54:54
Denise told her about Heather's secret her mother refused to believe that Fred was capable of such horrible things
00:55:03
three weeks later Heather finished her last term of school Denise Harrison never heard from her
00:55:10
again by 1992 Heather West had been missing for five years detective Constable Hazel Savage
00:55:21
believed that Heather could provide further insight into the allegations that Fred and Rose West abused to their
00:55:27
children she worked diligently to track Heather down but by the time Fred and Rose faced
00:55:35
trial the following year Constable Savage had failed to find a single trace of her
00:55:41
but her suspicions were growing she had been informed of a West Family joke that the younger children had
00:55:49
repeated to their foster parents whenever they were naughty their father would tell them to behave or quote
00:55:58
end up under the patio like Heather Thursday February 24 1994 marked almost a year after Fred and Rose West's not
00:56:13
guilty verdict that morning Constable Savage arrived at 25 Cromwell Street accompanied by four
00:56:21
other officers 40-year-old Rose West answered the door she was informed that an inquiry had
00:56:29
been launched into The Disappearance of Heather West and was handed a search warrant
00:56:35
Rose immediately started screaming profanities and calling the officers offensive names
00:56:42
at that moment Stephen West arrived home he read the warrant it specified that the police's purpose
00:56:52
was to dig up the back Garden to search for the body of Heather West Stephen asked the officers to wait until
00:56:59
his father returned home they told him there was no time the officers marched into the house
00:57:07
armed with tools and Spades Steven called his father on his mobile phone and informed him what was going on
00:57:17
52-year-old Fred West was at a job site only 30 minutes away but it was almost three and a half hours before he arrived
00:57:26
home he never explained why it took him so long at home Fred maintained his composure
00:57:35
while Rose wept the couple spoke quietly in the kitchen before retreating upstairs to talk in
00:57:42
private shortly after Fred went to Gloucester Central police station Rose remained at home to take part in a
00:57:53
recorded interview she was belligerent throughout giving short sharp and evasive answers
00:58:01
she said she couldn't remember much about the circumstances of Heather's disappearance telling the interviewing
00:58:07
officer if you had any brains at all you could find her it can't be that Bloody difficult
00:58:16
when asked if she used to punish Heather when she misbehaved Rose explained I just sent her to bed
00:58:25
as for whether she thought Heather was alive Rose replied well why not unless something horrible has happened
00:58:34
to her the police informed Rose they were aware of the family joke about Heather being
00:58:43
buried under the patio in the rear Garden of 25 Cromwell Street consequently they were going to dig up
00:58:50
the entire area to look for her Rose responded there's nothing you will stop at is
00:58:58
there look the house is yours have it do what you're going to do at Gloucester Central police station
00:59:08
Fred West a voluntarily participated in an interview with Detective Constable Hazel Savage
00:59:15
and given the situation he seemed unusually calm and affable unprompted he announced that he had not
00:59:24
murdered his daughter Fred claimed that Heather was alive and that he'd recently seen her in
00:59:32
Birmingham a city 60 miles Northeast of Gloucester he said her hair was expensively styled
00:59:39
and she looked more ladylike Fred claimed that he and Heather were very close and that any of his family
00:59:47
members would attest to that but for reasons he didn't understand Heather had something against Rose and
00:59:55
was prone to insulting her Fred maintained that neither he nor Rose reported Heather missing because they
01:00:03
didn't want to get her in trouble he implied that Heather was involved in illegal sex work and changed her name
01:00:11
frequently as a result Constable Savage asked the outright where is Heather Fred
01:00:20
replied you find her and I'll be happy that's all I can say the garden at the rear of 25 Cromwell
01:00:35
Street was less than 30 feet long and 20 feet wide Fred had done extensive Renovations that
01:00:43
impacted the space over the years neighbors had heard him banging scraping and digging long into the night earning
01:00:51
him a reputation as the man who couldn't stop working he had demolished a garage and replaced
01:00:58
it with a ground floor extension that consisted of more rooms and a new kitchen in the back Garden he tore out the fruit
01:01:06
trees into chicken coop leaving just a row of tall thin Leyland pine trees that blocked his neighbor's View
01:01:15
he then completely paved Over the Garden with heavy stone slabs to form a patio searching the small area required great
01:01:26
effort and cost just as the sun began to set it started to rain the search was called off until the
01:01:35
following morning with a uniformed Constable standing guard in the patio overnight
01:01:41
that night Fred and Rose went for a walk in a nearby park which was completely out of character
01:01:49
when they returned Fred showered and sat down to watch the news it was the only thing he ever watched on
01:01:57
television never missing the one six nine ten o'clock or midnight broadcasts his need to watch it and know what was
01:02:07
happening bordered on obsession the following day a small excavator and mechanical Digger were brought to 25
01:02:17
Cromwell Street a team of 15 men in boiler suits crammed into the small patio and started digging
01:02:24
by machine and hand rain drizzled on and off throughout the afternoon as a small shed and a homemade
01:02:34
barbecue were dismantled the stone slabs were then lifted up and stacked to one side
01:02:41
under the slabs was across the layer of solid ground and gravel about a foot down was thick dark mud
01:02:51
that reeked of sewage underneath the sludge was dense in pervious gray clay officers dug six feet down and made a
01:03:02
discovery small bones and Bone fragments it was quickly concluded that they were
01:03:09
from dead animals the further they dug the more liquefied the mud became a pump was brought in but as soon as the
01:03:20
sludge was pumped out Moore seeped back in and flooded the hole the larger the hull became the worse the
01:03:28
liquid smelt it developed a thin custard-like consistency a detective standing on a wooden plank
01:03:39
that framed the edge of the dig site identified the unmistakable loader it was the stench of decomposition
01:03:56
Rose West was becoming increasingly rattled by the police work Fred settled her upstairs and then
01:04:04
approached detective Constable Hazel Savage can we go to the police station he asked
01:04:12
as soon as he was in the police car Fred said I killed her it had all happened on Friday June 19
01:04:23
1987. Heather West was 16 years old and had just found out that the job in Torquay
01:04:31
had fallen through given her Agonist to leave home Heather was crushed Fred said they'd talked it over for most
01:04:42
of the night before Heather retired to bed in tears the following morning Rose told Fred
01:04:51
let her go I will go draw out 600 pounds and give it to her and to let her go Fred replied
01:05:00
all right then don't hurry back give me a chance to talk to Heather he hoped he could persuade her to stay
01:05:11
Rose left for the shops the younger West children were already at school Heather's School turn had just finished
01:05:20
she had packed her bags and left them by the front door Fred called out to her Heather appeared looking smug with her
01:05:31
hands tucked in her pockets Fred asked what's this about you leaving home he told Heather she was too young and
01:05:42
that being a lesbian meant she would catch AIDS he told Heather I'm not going to let you go
01:05:52
she responded arrogantly if you don't [ __ ] let me go I'll give all the kids acid and they'll all jump
01:05:58
off the church roof and be dead on the floor Fred lost his temper he went to slap Heather's face but
01:06:07
quickly stopped himself he had once slapped Rose during an argument and subsequently dislocated her
01:06:15
jaw instead he grabbed Heather by the throat and tightened his grip I just wanted to shake her Fred told
01:06:25
detective Constable Hazel Savage I wanted to take that smirk off her face as Fred throttled Heather she began
01:06:36
turning blue he quickly Let Her Go she fell back against the washing machine then slid down to the floor
01:06:47
when Fred realized that Heather was no longer breathing he tried to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and chest
01:06:54
compressions but he'd only ever seen it performed on television and didn't actually know what
01:07:01
to do Heather's body turned cold and Fred noticed she had wet herself he thought to himself
01:07:11
what the hell's gone wrong I never intended this he dragged Heather to the bathroom
01:07:19
stripped her naked and placed her into the tub he then doused her in cold water in an
01:07:26
attempt to Rouse her Fred West recalled I can remember standing there and thinking how do you know when someone's
01:07:36
dead he took Heather's body out of the tub and dried it off he intended to dismember her but didn't
01:07:47
want her to quote suddenly come alive during the process so he tied a pair of tights around her
01:07:54
neck he also closed her eyes as he didn't want her looking up at him while he worked
01:08:02
Fred then cut Heather's neck with a serrated saw used for cutting ice blocks and frozen meat
01:08:09
he twisted off Heather's head he did the same thing to remove her legs he then stuffed Heather's body parts
01:08:17
into a bin liner and he hid them behind the patio shad it was Bin day so he collected Heather's
01:08:25
possessions and took them to an area where people disposed of rubbish confident that they'd be taken away
01:08:34
Rose came home an hour or so later she asked didn't you persuade Heather to stay
01:08:43
Fred said no that Heather decided she wanted to leave and that night under the cover of
01:08:51
Darkness Fred buried Heather's body in the back Garden about four feet under the Leyland Pines
01:08:58
not long after he extended the patio to cover the burial site with stone slabs by the time Fred told police this story
01:09:12
in just over six and a half years had passed he appeared calm and disassociated as
01:09:19
though he'd completely detached himself from the incident [Music] he maintained that it was an accident
01:09:25
that he didn't intend to kill Heather but his version of events was full of contradictions
01:09:33
he kept backtracking and revising his statements it was clear to the police that he
01:09:40
wasn't being entirely truthful as Anna Marie West once explained with my dad it's a case of you to listen
01:09:50
to what he'd say and then if you cut it in half and then half again you were somewhere near the truth
01:09:59
asked if there was a sexual motive for the killing Fred said no nothing like that
01:10:07
did anyone else know Heather was under the patio Fred said nobody that's a secret I've kept to
01:10:15
myself for years and never told anybody Fred was taken back to 25 Cromwell Street in handcuffs to point out exactly
01:10:27
where he had buried Heather by this point the excavation of the patio was well underway
01:10:35
Fred mocked the search team's efforts saying they were going to damage the roots of his Leyland Pines
01:10:42
but as he was led closer to the Deep wreaking pit his cold indifference faded away
01:10:49
he became dazed and unsteady he kept sliding in the mud and slipped on one of the wooden planks
01:10:58
Fred told the officers my head hurts and I keep saying Stars they gave Fred a seat and some water
01:11:10
Fred announced Heather is not in the garden Heather's alive and well she's possibly at this moment in the
01:11:19
Middle East she works for a drug cartel she's got no identification that's why you can't find her
01:11:27
there looked after like Queens I have no idea what her name is because I will not let her tell me
01:11:34
she contacts me whenever she's in this country now whether you believe it or not is
01:11:40
entirely up to you as far as I'm concerned I'd like to see them all still over there digging my
01:11:48
garden they can dig there forevermore nobody or nothing's under my patio [Music]
01:12:01
later that afternoon her Digger was searching directly below the bathroom window of the single story extension
01:12:08
that Fred West had installed at the back of his house it was a significant distance from the
01:12:15
main search site near the Leyland Pines as he dug he noticed something sticking out of the ground just below the surface
01:12:26
it was another bone but unlike the smaller animal bones found previously this one was large
01:12:34
dirty and old looking the bone was placed in a brown paper exhibit bag and taken to pathologist
01:12:42
Professor Bernard Knight for examination within seconds of viewing the bone Knight confirmed it was a human femur
01:12:53
he estimated that it hadn't been in the ground for long its curvature and length indicated it
01:13:00
came from a young woman between the ages of 15 and 25. as the dig at 25 Cromwell Street
01:13:09
progressed the pit became structurally unstable the sides kept crumbling resulting in
01:13:17
cave-ins the stench had become unbearable yet the shifting Earth exposed more bones near the Leyland Pines compelling
01:13:28
the diggers to persevere at 7 pm Professor Bernard Knight arrived on site and crouched down by the pit
01:13:38
he noticed traces of soapy off-white liquid in the dark mud another Telltale sign of decomposition
01:13:47
he observed the freshly Unearthed bones and immediately confirmed that they too were human
01:13:56
Professor Naya worked by touch inserting his hands into the slimy Earth and feeling around until he felt a bone
01:14:05
he slowly and methodically removed H1 before wiping the mark off to identify what part of the body it originated from
01:14:15
several leg bones were recovered first they had been removed from a torso which was found next
01:14:23
the victim's decapitated head was then pulled from the sludge the unique conditions in the ground had
01:14:31
worked to preserve the victim's remains her thick dark hair was still intact the body belonged to Heather West
01:14:43
her burial site was almost directly opposite Fred's Barbecue this meant he had corked and entertained
01:14:51
for his family and guests knowing his daughter was buried just a few feet away a black polythene bin liner was under
01:15:02
Heather's torso along with two long pieces of rope orange green and brown fibers were stuck
01:15:09
to it which matched tufted carpet from inside 25 Cromwell Street although Fred hadn't mentioned the robe
01:15:17
during his confession its presence suggested that Heather had been restrained prior to her death
01:15:24
the carpet fragments indicated that she'd likely been held against the floor in the process
01:15:32
during his excavation work Professor Knight pulled a second broken femur from the muck completing the pair with the
01:15:39
other that had been found earlier that day Professor Knight then noticed another
01:15:46
bone as he pulled it out he realized it was yet another femur well he announced to the detectives
01:15:57
gathered around either we have found the world's first three-legged woman or there's another
01:16:04
victim around here somewhere case File will be back shortly thank you for supporting us by listening to this
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you support casefile to continue to deliver quality content after being informed that human bones
01:18:57
had been Unearthed in his back Garden Fred West was taken in for a second police interview
01:19:05
detective Constable Hazel Savage got straight to the point she asked if anyone else had been buried
01:19:11
in any other part of Fred's Garden he sat in silence for a long moment before responding
01:19:19
that's a peculiar question to ask isn't it backtracking from his story about Heather working for a middle eastern
01:19:27
drug cartel Fred admitted Heather is in there and there ain't no more there's nothing else
01:19:37
Constable Savage informed Fred that three human thigh bones had been found again she asked if anyone else was
01:19:46
buried in his garden only Heather Fred maintained Constable Savage pressed on you've never said to us that you
01:19:58
scattered Heather all over the garden and Heather didn't have three legs the room fell silent
01:20:08
Fred was asked have you any knowledge of where this other bone might have come from
01:20:17
Fred pondered for a moment then answered Softly yes surely surely who Constable Savage asked
01:20:28
Robinson Fred elaborated the girl who caused the problem Fred West spotted Shirley Robinson in
01:20:39
Gloucester in 1977. the thin undernourished teenager was in the care of Social Services and
01:20:46
performed sex work to get by described by a social worker has extremely withdrawn and Sullen Shirley
01:20:54
was also lonely she had few friends and was known to latch onto people for companionship
01:21:01
so when Fred offered Shirley a place to stay at his home on Cromwell Street she gratefully accepted
01:21:08
however Fred waited until Shirley turned 17 and was no longer supervised by Social Services before the move took
01:21:16
place Shirley was settled in a small room towards the back of the first floor in time a three-way relationship began
01:21:28
with Fred and Rose West it wasn't a secret affair Fred introduced Shirley to guests as his
01:21:37
lover he was openly affectionate towards her playfully announcing that she was going
01:21:43
to be the next Mrs West within a year of her stay at Cromwell Street Shirley became pregnant with
01:21:51
Fred's baby Rose was excited about the pregnancy she'd cheerfully point at Shirley's
01:21:58
growing belly and tell Neighbors it's Fred's Shirley organized to have a professional
01:22:06
photo taken with Fred during her pregnancy he dressed for the occasion in a suit
01:22:12
and tie the pair held hands while smiling at the camera despite the age Gap they looked like a
01:22:20
loving couple Shirley sent the picture to her father with a letter that read this is the man I'm going to marry what
01:22:29
do you think of him dad I have never been so happy in my life the West children loved Shirley Robinson
01:22:42
she was silly and carefree which was a welcome change to their violent and abusive mother
01:22:49
but as Shirley's due date approached her demeanor changed she became emotional and nervous and no
01:22:57
longer wanted to live at 25 Cromwell Street tensions had risen in the west home Rose became jealous and increasingly
01:23:07
antagonistic and Fred seemed to enjoy provoking her on one occasion Rose lashed out
01:23:14
violently chasing Fred through the house with a carving knife he rushed into a room and slammed the
01:23:21
door shut behind him just as Rose brought the Knife Down the blade sunk deep into the door and
01:23:29
almost took several fingers off Rosa's right hand leaving them hanging by the tendons
01:23:36
rose wrapped her wounded hand up in a towel and simply told Fred right fella you've got to take me down
01:23:43
to the hospital the resulting damage prevented her from ever fully closing her right hand
01:23:51
she was told to return to the doctors to have the stitches removed but Rose just
01:23:56
plucked them out herself while Fred enjoyed watching Rose fight for him he felt that Shirley Robinson
01:24:04
was coming between them he told a friend Shirley once Rose out so she can take over and take her place I'm not having
01:24:14
that she's got to [ __ ] go [Music] surely grew fearful of the couple in an effort to wheeze the hostilities
01:24:24
Shirley spent some nights sleeping on a friend's couch by the start of May 1978 the now 18 year
01:24:32
old Shirley was eight months pregnant she attended a prenatal appointment as she readied herself for the birth
01:24:41
on Tuesday May 9 Shirley met a friend at a cafe for a cup of tea her friend noticed that she seemed
01:24:49
fatigued and depressed after that Shirley was never seen again Fred and Rose told others that Shirley
01:25:01
had gone to live with her father in Germany and probably wasn't coming back Fred indicated that Shirley had bailed
01:25:09
without paying rent and implied that he didn't care about their baby Rose was seen rummaging through the
01:25:16
clothes Shirley had left behind keeping the pieces she liked and tossing out the
01:25:21
rest nobody reported Shirley missing or went looking for her after all the conflict that had Arisen
01:25:30
during Shirley's time at 25 Cromwell Street Fred and Rose were noticeably happy in her absence
01:25:40
[Music] thirteen years later upon the discovery of a second set of human remains in the
01:25:46
West's backyard Fred admitted to police that the bones belonged to Shirley Robinson
01:25:53
he claimed that Shirley had been supplying drugs to his children so while Rose was away he strangled surely to
01:26:01
death in the hallway of his home he then dismembered her and buried her in the back Garden
01:26:09
Fred was taken back to 25 Cromwell Street and Led Out to the patio he paused looked around and then pointed
01:26:18
to the ground directly in front of the back door it was a small area wedged between the
01:26:24
doorstep and the wall of the neighboring Chapel this was where he'd buried a Shirley
01:26:30
Robinson police had been walking back and forth over this very area since the search
01:26:36
began a dig revealed that the ground wasn't as liquefied here as other areas of the
01:26:45
garden Professor Bernard Knight squatted by the edge of the hole and identified the back
01:26:50
of a human skull [Music] Professor Knight retrieved some vertebrae followed by some leg bones
01:26:58
they feature distinct to deep marks indicating that Shirley's body had been violently hacked with a heavy Cleaver
01:27:05
hor ax as Professor Knight uncovered other larger bones he also removed several Matchstick sized ones
01:27:16
they were the skeletal remains of a nearly full-turned fetus when Fred West was asked what he did
01:27:23
with the Shirley's unborn baby he responded frankly without a hint of remorse quote
01:27:30
I packed her up I didn't have much room to put it in so it had to be packed just
01:27:36
pushed her in with a spade the discovery of Shirley Robinson's remains raised more questions
01:27:45
Heather West was found by the Leyland Pines Shirley was buried by the back door the third unidentified FEMA that led to
01:27:54
Fred confessing about Shirley was found in a different area entirely under the bathroom window
01:28:02
Fred didn't hesitate to clear up the confusion he pointed to the bathroom window and
01:28:08
told police this is where they'd find Shirley's quote mate Fred acted as though he couldn't
01:28:19
remember the name of the third victim he just kept referring to them as Shirley's
01:28:25
mate or her lesbian lover all he knew was that she came from Bristol Fred claimed that the woman had shown up
01:28:35
at Cromwell Street looking for Shirley once he informed her that Shirley no longer lived there the woman left only
01:28:44
to return a few weeks later this time she accused Fred of killing Shirley and threatened to go to the
01:28:52
police Fred persuaded her not to and offered her a lift back to Bristol as they drove out of Gloucester Fred
01:29:01
stopped in a lay-by on the side of the road he proceeded to strangle the woman with
01:29:07
his bare hands afterwards he took her body back to his home dismembered it then buried the
01:29:14
remains in the back Garden in a bid to identify the victim investigators scoured records of young
01:29:24
women who had been reported missing around the time that Shirley's mate crossed paths with Fred West
01:29:31
one name in particular kept cropping up Jordan's brook house was a Gloucester institution that housed the vulnerable
01:29:40
adolescents who had been removed from other forms of care and who typically had severely unstable and abusive
01:29:47
childhoods Jordan's Brook aimed to rehabilitate the troubled youths by providing stability
01:29:54
and training that would help them find employment it was a strict institution and
01:30:00
therefore it wasn't unusual for residents to abscond and to later be brought back by police
01:30:08
it became common knowledge among Jordan's broker girls that Sanctuary could be found with a local couple named
01:30:14
Fred and Rose West the pair offered a girl's lifts and would sometimes invite them to their
01:30:21
home on Cromwell Street for juice and biscuits Fred and Rose were considered to be fun
01:30:28
and lovely Rose established a rapport with the girls her she had spent a part of her
01:30:34
youth in care and could relate to their experiences she listened sympathetically and with
01:30:41
understanding to their stories word spread among Jordan's Brook residents that 25 Cromwell Street was a
01:30:49
safe place sixteen-year-old Alison Chambers had been placed into Jordan's brook house
01:30:58
after her divorced parents were unable to care for her a known Daydreamer with an active
01:31:05
imagination Alison escaped the difficulties of her Daily Life by composing romantic poetry into drawing
01:31:12
pictures although the home had helped her secure a trainee position at a solicitor's
01:31:18
office Alison wasn't happy at Jordan's Brook as she was often mocked by her peers
01:31:25
Alison began retreating to Cromwell Street where she would talk to Rose over squash and biscuits
01:31:33
over time she began spending the night [Music] Ellison soon began telling others that
01:31:45
she'd fallen in love with an older man he'd given her various gifts including a gold necklace with her name on it
01:31:53
he'd also promised to take her to his farm in the countryside where she could lay in the grass and write poetry
01:32:01
Allison even had a picture of the farm which he stared at longingly it was clear to others that the image
01:32:08
had been cut from a real estate brochure they thought the older man was a figment
01:32:14
of Alison's imagination created as a coping mechanism however they also noticed that Alison
01:32:21
had been given her very own key to 25 Cromwell Street on Sunday August 5 1979 Alison Chambers
01:32:32
packed up her things and absconded from Jordan's brook house it was the eighth time in nine months
01:32:39
but this time she didn't come back Alison was reported missing and because she was underage and had been in care
01:32:48
police were obligated to search for her however she turned 17 two weeks after she went missing meaning she was
01:32:57
automatically released from care and was no longer considered vulnerable even though her whereabouts were still
01:33:05
unknown police were no longer required to actively search for her two months after Alison went missing her
01:33:15
mother received a letter in it Allison explained that she was living with a very homely family whom
01:33:23
she was helping by providing child care and housework she apologized for causing any concern
01:33:29
and told her mother that she would write again soon but she never did despite this police took the letter as
01:33:39
evidence that Alison was alive and well and no further inquiries were made Fourteen and a half years later the
01:33:48
third femur bone found under the bathroom window at 25 Cromwell Street was identified as belonging to Alison
01:33:55
Chambers foreign the garden space was respectfully quiet as Professor Bernard Knight began the
01:34:05
process of uncovering the rest of Allison's remains the burial site was too small for the
01:34:12
pump to be used so black slime continuously seeped back in as Professor Knight trolled Through The Mark with
01:34:19
handheld tools the tip of Alison's head became visible her hair still attached as Professor Knight worked to excavate
01:34:30
it he noticed something was wound under Alison's chin he realized that it was also wound
01:34:37
around the top of Alison's head and gently Professor Knight scraped the mark away with his fingers until he
01:34:46
revealed the item to be a wide belt although Fred hadn't mentioned a restraining or gagging Alison at any
01:34:54
point the way the belt was positioned meant it had been used to prevent Alison from opening her mouth
01:35:02
by the time Professor Knight had retrieved Alison's remains he was paddling around in two feet of filthy
01:35:09
water despite Fred indicating that Alison Chambers was Shirley Robinson's mate and
01:35:17
a lover no connection between the pair was established it was clear to police that Fred West
01:35:24
was a compulsive liar they had to treat any information he offered with a high degree of caution
01:35:35
obtaining information from Fred was an arduous and time-consuming task he kept Meandering and telling
01:35:42
meaningless along-winded stories many of which were obviously fantasies as the hours slipped by interviewing
01:35:51
officers became increasingly impatient Fred West was a masterful manipulator and it became obvious that he was
01:36:00
controlling the interview a smug grin often spreading across his face so far Fred had confessed to killing
01:36:10
three young women Shirley Robinson in 1978 Alison Chambers in 1979 and his own daughter Heather
01:36:19
West in 1987. while the level of detail he offered about each incident varied he was
01:36:27
adamant about one thing Fred told investigators the thing I'd like to stress Rose knew nothing at all she hasn't done
01:36:39
anything [Music] Rose West was in the words of her husband the perfect mother [Music]
01:36:50
to be continued next week on a chilly night in 1991 a group of teenagers gathered in their usual
01:37:19
hangout a Barren stretch of desert next to a busy highway near Bakersfield California a dismal spot littered with
01:37:27
trash and shell casings by Nightfall it turned into a sort of Lover's Lane where
01:37:32
high school kids drank and smoked when two boys left their group and headed into the darkness They Came Upon
01:37:40
a horrific scene the body of a young woman murdered just hours before she had no enemies besides girls at school
01:37:48
teenage stuff not any kind of trouble that someone would murder her this 1991 murder made news headlines for years as
01:37:56
it shocked and divided a quiet working class community of course I knew about Maria's case everyone in Bakersfield
01:38:03
knows about Maria's case people were just they were glued to their TV sets and read the paper every day there was a
01:38:10
lot of speculation in Alaska that maybe he was not the all-around athlete that people thought he might be
01:38:17
when he lied about being her boyfriend I feel like he had something to do with it
01:38:22
justice took its course in a twisted and controversial case that captivated many
01:38:27
but what if the real killer were yet to be discovered because he warned me that he told me that after detected that he
01:38:34
was here when he wasn't really here if you ask the sheriff's department and if you ask the prosecutor's office they
01:38:40
would say yeah we solved it it's just unfortunate how things ended up in this series we will hear brand new
01:38:47
Clues interview people that have never spoken publicly before and discover family secrets that shed light on who
01:38:55
may have killed Maria Rodriguez and why I kind of want all of our families hidden secrets and all of the dark past
01:39:03
I want it to come out to light I'm Octavia McHenry for case File presents and this is in the shadows the story of
01:39:11
Maria Rodriguez