Sex offender found stabbed to death in his caravan

12-8-2008 United Kingdom:

A convicted sex offender was stabbed to death and had his genitals mutilated during an attack in the caravan where he lived on an industrial estate in south London.

Andrew Cunningham, 52, died of multiple stab wounds to the head, neck and chest on Wednesday. Police confirmed he had previously been on the sex offenders register for an offence committed in 2000 but his name had been removed in March. He was convicted in 2001 and served a four-month prison sentence.

Detective chief inspector Nick Scola, the officer leading the investigation, said Cunningham had been the victim of a "vicious and brutal attack" and he had been stabbed in the groin. Reports that he had been killed by a vigilante mob were unfounded. It is understood that Cunningham had been convicted of having unlawful sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl. Police said it was clearly possible that this was a motive for the murder.

Scola confirmed that the Wandsworth home where Cunningham had previously lived with his now-estranged family had been attacked five years ago but that the incident involved a binliner being set fire outside the door.

"The fact that his genitals were mutilated, and that there was damage to the groin, is one consideration, but it could have been done to confuse the investigation," Scola said. "People in the local area did know of his past. He had been living in that caravan for some months."

The Sun reported that Cunningham had been targeted by a mob of angry locals who chanted "die, paedo die" but officers have discovered no evidence that this was the case. The paper claimed that drinkers in a local pub accused him of fondling the landlady's two-year-old daughter.

"There are no reports whatsoever of a group of people being seen in the area, no reports of anyone chanting, shouting or unusual activity," said Scola.

Cunningham was last seen alive at 6.10pm on December 9 when he was seen in his caravan, which was parked on a private road. He was known to frequent pubs in the local area but yesterday local drinkers refused to talk about the case.

A lorry driver for a haulage company, Cunningham lived next to the yard from which he worked. Alan Hawkins, the owner of a neighbouring yard, said: "He was like your average bloke. I didn't know too much about his history but there were whispers."

Cunningham is known to have locked his caravan from the inside. Scola said: "There was no forced entry and he could well have invited his killer into the caravan."

He added that the killing could never be justified, in spite of Cunningham's history. Police had no reports of further sexual offences committed by him.

"Regardless of who he was or what he may have done, Andrew was the victim of a vicious assault which ended his life," said Scola. "This was a vicious and brutal attack on him and whoever did it is still out there and could easily attack someone else."

A father of five, Cunningham had separated from his family and it is believed that they declined to identify his body.

He was found by his employer when he failed to turn up for work on Wednesday morning.

Police are studying CCTV footage from cameras around the industrial estate which is sited next to Wimbledon dog track.

Scola said he was particularly keen to find out more about Cunningham's movements last Tuesday evening and aspects of his daily life.

He said: "It is vital we establish where he was and who he was with. Many people knew him and he used several pubs in the area."

Sara Payne, the campaigner whose daughter Sarah was murdered by a convicted paedophile in 2000, said the attacker or attackers were "no better" than the man they had killed and that his murder would set back her campaign for the names and addresses of sex offenders to be made available to the public. ..Source.. by Audrey Gillan

Woman chops off head of alleged attacker

10-17-2008 India:

A woman, armed with a sickle, beheaded a man who allegedly tried to attack her and then paraded the head through a market in northern India, police said Friday.

Police arrested the woman late Thursday after receiving calls from frightened witnesses who reported a blood-soaked woman holding a severed head was walking through the village, said police officer Ram Bharose.

The woman, 35, told police she had gone to a nearby forest to cut grass for fodder for her cattle when a man attacked her from behind.

In a bid to save her dignity she beheaded him with a sickle,“ Bharose said, adding that the woman had bite marks on her neck and cheek.

The woman also told police that the man had been harassing and stalking her for three months and she had no regrets about killing him, he said, adding that she would probably be charged with culpable homicide.

The incident took place in Makkapurva village, some 125 miles (200 kilometers) southeast of Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh state. ..Source..

See also: Woman beheads alleged stalker after attack

UK- Life term for cellmate sex killer

5-21-2009 United Kingdom:

A man has been jailed for life for the sexually motivated murder of a fellow prison inmate in Nottinghamshire.

Neil Wilkinson, 29, admitted smothering cellmate Stephen Hartley, 28, with a pillow during the attack at HMP Whatton on 25 August 2008.

Wilkinson was told he must serve a minimum of 24 years in prison by the judge at Nottingham Crown Court.

In a statement, Hartley's mother said her son should never have been put in a cell with Wilkinson.

Hartley had only shared a room with his killer for two days after a cell-sharing policy was introduced at the category C prison for adult male sex offenders.

Wilkinson, originally from the Greater Manchester area, was in jail for raping a man at knifepoint, while his victim, a former soldier, was serving a sentence for grooming a 15-year-old girl over the internet.

Earlier in the day, Wilkinson had boasted to other inmates about how he planned to have sex with heterosexual Hartley "no matter what", the court heard.

Hartley's mother, Janet, said she hoped someone would investigate the way prisons were run following her son's death.

She said: "How can my son or anyone else be placed in a cell with Neil Wilkinson?

"It seems clear to me that he is a dangerous person and my son has lost his life at his hands." ..Source.. by BBC

Accused paedophile mobbed and killed

12-15-2008 Jamaica:

A man accused of being a paedophile and robber, was mobbed and killed in Westmoreland early Wednesday morning.

RJR News understands that Kemar Russell, 21, an ex-convict of Toro, in Burnt Savannah was being sought by the Frome Police in connection with several sex crimes and burglaries in that division.

But just after 5o'clock, residents took matters into their own hands.

He was reportedly caught breaking into a business place in Toro when he was set upon and beaten to death.

Mr. Russell had been released from prison earlier this year after serving a two year sentence for sexually assaulting a 9-year-old boy in Toro.

RJR News also understands that DNA samples will be taken from him to ascertain whether he had been involved in the carnal abuse and murder of two Westmoreland girls three years ago in the nearby community of Townhead.

The bodies of 9-year-old Shanika Shakes and 8-year-old Shana-Kaye Ledgister were found in a cane field on June 29, 2004.

Since the death of the little girls, 14 persons have been detained but later released for lack of evidence.

Residents remember the young friends every year in candle light vigils and remain confident that there will be a breakthrough in the case.

Recently a wave of panic swept through sections of Westmoreland due to an increase in reports of abductions and attempted abductions.

Parents have reportedly increased their visits to schools in order to monitor their children. ..News Source.. by Radio Jamaica.com

UK- Murdered man 'was sex offender'

12-30-2008 United Kingdom:

A man who police believe was murdered - even though they have not found a body - was a registered sex offender, officers have confirmed.

Blood found at a house on 21 December on Stockbridge Road, Padiham, matched that of Alan Street, 26, although his body has not yet been discovered.

Keiran Davison, 20, of Stockbridge Road, has been charged with his murder.

Police are searching for Alan Palmer, 43, and Peter Leonard, 51, who they say "could be anywhere in the country".

Lancashire police confirmed that Mr Street was a registered sex offender, but were not releasing further details.

Det Supt Neil Hunter, of Lancashire police, said: "We need to speak to both Mr Leonard and Mr Palmer in relation to this incident as a matter of urgency.

"I would urge them both or anybody who knows of their whereabouts or has been contacted by them or been in their company recently to contact police immediately. I do believe that the two men may be together.

"I would like to make people aware that Mr Palmer is a long distance lorry driver and has strong connections in Padiham and Oswaldtwistle, but due to his employment I cannot rule out that he and Mr Leonard may well have travelled out of the county and could be anywhere in the country."

Police also want to trace Mr Palmer's car, a blue five-door Mitsubishi Colt saloon, registration PE58 OJY.

Mr Leonard is white, about 5ft 8ins tall, of medium build with blue eyes and light brown hair, cut very short.

Accused remanded

He has a two-inch scar on his nose and the words "LOVE" and "HEIDI" tattooed on his hands.

Mr Palmer is white, 5ft 11ins, of medium build, with receding dark brown hair. He has brown eyes and several tattoos on his left arm, including a snake head, a bull, an eagle and a swallow. On his right arm he has tattoos of a snake and a skull, as well as the words "MAM" and "LUCKY".

Mr Street is described as being of medium build, about 5ft 11ins tall with blue eyes and light, straight brown hair, which was cut short. He had a local accent.

Police know he went from Burnley to Oswaldtwistle on 19 December and are appealing for anyone who saw him to contact them.

Mr Davison has been remanded in custody to appear at Preston Crown Court on 18 March. ..News Source.. by BBC

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UK- 'Suspects On The Run With A Body'

1-5-2009 United Kingdom:

Detectives investigating the murder of a sex offender in Lancashire believe his attackers may be on the run with his body.

Blood and DNA found in a house near Burnley in December have convinced police that Alan Street, a convicted rapist, was beaten to death.

Officers were called to an address at Stockbridge Road, Padiham, after blood-stained clothing was discovered.

They believe the attackers may have taken the body with them and are currently on the run.

Long-distance lorry driver Alan Palmer, 43, and Peter Leonard, 51, have not been seen since December 20 - police think they may be together.

Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter said: "I would urge Mr Leonard and Mr Palmer, or anybody who knows of their whereabouts or has been contacted by them or been in their company recently, to contact police immediately. We need to speak to them as a matter of urgency.

"Due to Mr Palmer's employment, I cannot rule out that he and Mr Leonard may well be anywhere in the country."

Police would not comment on Street’s criminal history, but Sky News has learned he has a conviction for rape.

Palmer has several tattoos on his left arm of a snake head, bull, eagle and swallow.

On his right arm he has a snake and skull with two flower designs featuring the words 'Mam' and 'swallow'.

Leonard has a two-inch scar on his nose and the words 'love' and 'Heidi' tattooed on his hands. ..News Source.. by Mike McCarthy, North of England correspondent

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UK- Body Found After Rapist Vanishes

1-19-2009 United Kingdom:

Detectives investigating the murder of a convicted rapist have found a body in Lancashire.

Blood and DNA discovered in a house near Burnley in December have convinced police that sex offender Alan Street was beaten to death.

Underwater search specialists discovered the corpse in a culvert after they were alerted by Environment Agency contractors.

Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter, who is leading the murder investigation, said: "As a result of a call made to police, the underwater search team was brought in.

"They entered the culvert and located the body before successfully recovering it. It has now been taken to Blackburn mortuary where identification and post mortem will take place."

Police say it’s too early to tell whether the body is Alan Street, who they say was subjected to a "sustained and prolonged attack" at the house in Stockbridge Road, Padiham.

One man has already been charged with Street's murder while detectives wish to speak to two other suspects in connection with the death of the 26-year-old.

Alan Palmer, 43, who lived at the scene of the attack in Stockbridge Road, and Peter Leonard, 51, have not been seen since Street went missing.

Palmer has several tattoos on his left arm of a snake head, bull, eagle and swallow.

On his right arm he has a snake and skull with two flower designs featuring the words 'Mam' and 'swallow'.

Leonard has a two-inch scar on his nose and the words 'love' and 'Heidi' tattooed on his hands.

Early in January detectives said Palmer and Leonard were believed to be on the run with Street's body.

Police said Street’s family have been told of the latest developments.

A post mortem examination is due to be carried out. ..News Source.. by Tessa Chapman, Sky News

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UK- Fears of vigilante killing after missing rapist's body is found in underground drain

1-20-2009 United Kingdom:

Detectives investigating the murder of a convicted rapist today confirmed his body was found in an underground drain.

Alan Street is thought to have been killed by a vigilante mob at a house in Padiham, Lancashire, last month after police found blood matching his DNA.

Police believe a 'sustained and prolonged attack' took place at the property in Stockbridge Road in the early hours of December 21.

Street, 26, from Oswaldtwistle, was convicted of rape in 1999.

He was jailed and placed on the sex offender register but repeatedly ignored court orders by drifting between addresses.

It is believed his killers discovered his past when Street turned up in Padiham.
Lancashire police today confirmed a body recovered from a culvert in Accrington was Street.

Contractors working for the Environment Agency alerted police yesterday after finding the body during a routine CCTV inspection of Woodnook Water, Mount Street.
Street's body was recovered by underwater search teams and a post mortem examination took place late last night.

Police said further tests were needed to establish the exact cause of death but confirmed Street did not die of natural causes or accidental injuries.

Kieran Davison, 20, of Stockbridge Road, and Ian Palmer, 45, of Whitegate Close, both Padiham, have been charged with murder.

Detectives are still trying to trace two men, Alan Palmer, 43, and Peter Leonard, 51, in connection with Street's death.

It is believed both men may have left the county as Mr Palmer is a long-distance lorry driver.

Detective Superintendent Neil Hunter, of Lancashire Police, who is leading the investigation said: 'I still want to question Palmer and Leonard.

'We are as committed as ever to finding them.'

Mr Palmer is white, 5ft 11ins, of medium build, with receding/skinhead dark brown hair.

He has brown eyes and several tattoos on his left arm of a snake head, bull, eagle and swallow.

On his right arm he has a snake and skull, and two flower designs with 'MAM' and 'LUCKY' with a swallow.

Mr Leonard is white, around 5ft 8ins, of medium build, with blue eyes and light brown hair, which is cropped very short.

He has a two-inch injury scar on his nose and 'LOVE' tattooed on the knuckles of his left hand with 'HEIDI' on the back of his left hand.

Anyone with any information is asked to call Burnley police on 01282 425001 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. ..News Source.. by Daily Mail Reporter

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Three men deny murder of rapist

5-22-2009 United Kingdom:

Three men have denied murdering a convicted rapist whose body was discovered in a drain.

Alan Street, 26, is believed to have suffered a "sustained and prolonged attack" at a house in Padiham, Lancashire in December last year.

His body was discovered in a culvert in Accrington in January.

Kieren Davison, 20, Ian Palmer, 45, also of Padiham, and Peter Leonard, 51, of Trinity Street, Oswaldtwistle, denied murder at Preston Crown Court.

A fourth man also accused of murdering Mr Street, Allan Palmer, 44, of Stockbridge Road, Padiham, has not yet entered his plea.

Mr Street, 26, from Oswaldtwistle, was convicted of rape in 1999.

The murder trial is scheduled to begin on September 14 and is expected to last up to four weeks.

All four murder accused were remanded in custody.

Four men and one woman were also accused of assisting an offender.

Sean Jackson, 37, from Accrington, Paul Dougill, 39, from Bolton, Michael Helm, 39, from Accrington, and Keith Birtwell, 29, also from Accrington, will all enter pleas on June 26.

A separate trial will be held for those four men and has been provisionally set for October 19.

Nicola Street, 35, from Accrington, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender. ..Source.. by BBC

UK- Paedophile found stabbed to death in caravan home

UPDATED: See below..

12-12-2008 United Kingdom:

London A 52-year-old man who was understood to be a convicted paedophile has been found stabbed to death in southwest London.

Andrew Cunningham died from multiple wounds to the head, neck and chest at his caravan in Wandsworth, which was parked at the haulage depot where he worked. Stab wounds were also found to his genitals, a police source told The Sun. “He was loathed by a large number of people so we have a lot of potential suspects,” the source said.

Cunningham spent four months in jail in 2001 for raping a girl aged under 13 and was arrested again in 2002, although no charges were pressed. He had reportedly been targeted by vigilantes before. His former house had been set on fire soon after he was released from jail, the paper said. ..News Source.. by The Times



Convicted paedophile stabbed to death in 'vigilante' attack

A murder hunt is under way after a former child sex offender was found brutally stabbed to death.

The victim, thought to be Andrew Cunningham, 52, who had been convicted of raping a schoolgirl, died from multiple knife wounds to the head, neck and chest.
He also suffered ‘non-fatal injuries’, according to the police, which was said to include damage to his genitals.

The truck driver was found in blood in his caravan where he worked at the Riverside Haulage company in Wandsworth, South West London.

The Metropolitan Police said the gruesome discovery was made at 8am on Wednesday.
Cunningham’s employer, who would not give his name, found the body and said there was no sign of forced entry.

He added: 'He had a stab wound in his neck and there was blood everywhere. The bed was soaked with it and his head was lying in it.'

‘The post-mortem revealed non-fatal injuries to other parts of his body but we are not discussing these further for operational reasons,’ a police spokesman said.
Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola, leading the investigation, said: ‘We’re currently at an early stage in our inquiries and are keeping an open mind about the circumstances of this man’s death.

‘I would ask anyone who was in the area last night or in the early hours of this morning and saw or heard anything suspicious to get in touch with us.’

Cunningham had been targeted by hate mobs who had yelled ‘Die, paedo, die’ at him, according to The Sun.

A police source told the paper: ‘He was loathed by a large number of people so we have a lot of potential suspects.’

Cunningham, a father of five estranged from a former partner, spent four months in prison in 2001 for raping a schoolgirl under 13.

He was arrested again in 2003 but no charges were pressed.

Soon afterwards vigilantes set fire to his former home in a Wandsworth street after it was claimed he was grooming children.

And drinkers at a pub recently accused him of fondling a barmaid’s two-year-old daughter.

The police source said his murder was ‘almost certainly connected to new offences rather than those that took place in 2001’.

Detectives, who believe more than one person was involved in the killing, reportedly had to identify him using fingerprints because none of his relatives would go to the morgue.

Officers are studying CCTV film from around the murder scene. And they appealed for anyone who saw anything suspicious to come forward. ..News Source.. by Daily Mail Reporter



Police 'no nearer to solving' Earlsfield sex offender Andrew Cunningham murder

7-17-2009 United Kingdom:

A 50-year-old man was arrested in connection with the murder of Earlsfield sex offender Andrew Cunningham - but was later released.

The arrest took place at 9am on Thursday, July 9, but he was then bailed while police continued their inquiries.

Despite a £20,000 reward issued in June for information leading to the killer, police say they still have nothing concrete to go on.

Detective Chief Inspector Nick Scola said: “We are still appealing for witnesses. We are no nearer to solving the case.”

Mr Cunningham, who was convicted of unlawful sex with a 15-year-old girl in 2001, was last seen at 6.10pm on Tuesday, December 9, outside his caravan in Riverside Road.

The 52-year-old was found dead the next day with his genitals mutilated and with stab wounds to the head, neck and chest.

Police later said raiders had ransacked the caravan, opening Christmas presents and stealing a wallet containing up to £6,000.

A Scottish £100 note was also missing, but no far no-one has come forward to say they have seen it.

In June an audio clip was played on Crimewatch but it lead to yet another dead end.

Although locals assumed the murder was connected with Mr Cunningham’s sex conviction, police have said they believe it was a burglary that turned violent.

Officers are still looking at CCTV footage, forensic tests from the caravan and the background and lifestyle of the victim.

Two people were arrested at the beginning of the investigation, but later released.

The third man was bailed to return to a south London police station in early September. ..Source.. by This Is Local London

Child molester killed in Canadian prison

11-11-2008 Canada:

The inmate killed in a riot at a Canadian prison was a convicted child molester serving an indefinite sentence, officials said Sunday.

Michael Gibbon, 39, was the only prisoner to die in the riot Saturday night at Mountain Institution, a medium-security prison in British Columbia, the Toronto Globe and Mail reported. Dave Lefebvre, a spokesman for the Correctional Service of Canada, said another inmate was hospitalized.

Gibbon, a lifelong resident of Chilliwack, a city west of Vancouver and a few miles north of the U.S. border, was sentenced to three months in 1992 for molesting a boy. He was imprisoned in 1997 for child pornography and sexual assault.

Inmates began breaking windows in the gymnasium at about 9:45 p.m., Lefebvre said. As the riot escalated, they began attacking each other.

Homicide investigators from Vancouver were called in to investigate Gibbon's death. The Correctional Service and the coroner will conduct independent investigations, Lefebvre said. ..News Source.. by UPI

Accused molester shot dead

10-30-2008 Jamaica:

An 18-year-old youth, who had been accused of molesting a five-year-old relative, was shot dead in Montego Bay, St James, on Tuesday.

It is believed that his death might have been a reprisal.

Dead is Keneil 'Ticky' Simons of Salt Spring, Montego Bay, St James. He was shot dead at the Cornwall Courts housing scheme in the parish.

Reports are that at 4:35 p.m., Simons alighted from a taxi at the housing scheme and was approached by a lone gunman who asked his name. Shortly after he responded, the gunman opened fire, hitting him several times.

He died on the spot. The police were alerted, the crime scene processed and the body removed to the morgue for post- mortem. The Montego Bay CIB is investigating.

What is this world coming to?

A man, who pleaded guilty to wining on his six-year-old grand niece until he had an orgasm, was remanded when he appeared in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

The accused appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Glen Brown where he pleaded guilty to indecent assault.

The court heard that the accused wined on the child until he ejaculated.

His fingerprints were ordered taken and he was ordered remanded until December 2 when the matter is to be sentenced. ..News Source.. by The Jamaica Star Online

NZ- Murder-accused admits razing stepfather's house

10-21-2008 New Zealand:

A man accused of murdering his convicted sex offender step-father has admitted burning down his house.

Jamie Stewart Davies, 31, of Raglan, yesterday admitted a charge of arson at the start of his murder trial in the High Court at Hamilton.

Davies is charged with murdering his stepfather, Allan Wallace Davies, 57, whose body was found in his burned-out house in Struve St, Ngaruawahia, on September 28 last year.

Police arrested Davies four days later, in Tauranga.

An autopsy on Allan Davies showed he died before the fire, allegedly from injuries inflicted by the accused.

In his opening address, Crown prosecutor Ross Douch said Jamies Davies had arrived at his stepfather's home in the early hours of September 28 with the intention of confronting him.

The court heard that Allan Davies was due to be sentenced in the Hamilton District Court for historic sex offending. He had earlier been found guilty of five representative charges of committing indecencies with a girl under the age of 12.

Mr Douch told the court that in a taped interview at the Tauranga police station on October 2, Davies said he had "lost control" when confronting his step-father over his historic sex offending.

Davies admitted punching Allan Davies between 20 to 40 times.

During the taped interview, however, Davies insisted he had not gone round to the house to kill his stepfather but instead "to talk to him".

Mr Douch - citing a pathologist report - said Mr Davies' injuries included a 4cm fracture across his breast bone, an injury to the back of his head and neck injuries consistent with strangulation.

He said Davies had meant to cause the death of his step-father.

"He wanted him dead," Mr Douch told the jury.

The Crown is expected to call 18 witnesses, including a taxi driver who drove Davies to his stepfather's home on the day of the incident.

Defence counsel Paul Mabey QC, in his opening address, told the court that while Davies denied murdering Allan Davies, he did not deny killing him.

Mr Mabey said it was the jury's task to decide if Davies was guilty of murder or the lesser charge of manslaughter.

He said it was not a case of whether Davies could walk away free at the end of the trial.

The trial, before Justice Lang and a jury of six men and six women, continues. ..News Source.. by AARON LEAMAN

UK- Strangled paedophile may have been the victim of a vigilante

10-10-2008 United Kingdom:

A convicted paedophile who was found strangled and dumped in a wood may have been the victim of a vigilante attack.

Gordon Boon, 73, was found by walkers who saw his body partly hidden under old fencing panels in an area popular with fly-tippers.

The former cider factory worker, from Norwich, was jailed for six years in December 2001 for indecent assaults on a girl aged eight and two others aged 13.

He had plied one of the 13-year-old girls with alcohol and played strip poker with her, before taking explicit photographs and subjecting her to sexual abuse.

Boon admitted indecent assault and two serious sex offences against the youngster, two assaults on the second girl and one on the third.

But after his case was heard at Norwich Crown Court Judge Paul Downes told him that he had "failed to accept" responsibility for his actions.

He was jailed then placed on the sex offenders register for life and ordered to serve an extended licence of five years on his release. Police would not confirm how long he had been out of prison.

Detectives are keeping an "open mind" about the motive but are looking into the possibility that he could have been killed in a vigilante revenge attack.

A Norfolk Police spokesman said: "His past is a natural line of inquiry."

It is believed Boon, who was married, was reported missing by his son when he failed to meet for a drink as arranged. He was last seen on Friday October 3.

His body was found in Great Witchingham, just yards from the Bernard Matthews turkey factory, at about 12.45pm on Monday October 6. He had one sock and one shoe missing and there was blood around his nose and mouth. A post mortem later found he had been strangled.

Det Ch Insp Steve Strong, of Norfolk Police, said: "The investigation into the death continues and officers are following up a number of lines of inquiry." ..News Source.. by Lucy Cockcroft

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Phone and t-shirt of murdered sex offender found in park

10-24-2008 United Kingdom:

documents believed to belong to murdered paedophile Gordon Boon have been recovered from Eaton Park.

Officers carried out a search of the South Park Avenue area found the collection of items near to the tennis courts. The documents included a band card, a rent card and shopping receipts.

The 73-year-old strangled to death and his body was discovered at Rabbit Lane in Great Witchingham on Monday, October 6.

Mr Boon was last seen alive near the Maids Heads Hotel in Norwich on Friday, October 3.

DCI Steve Strong, who is leading the investigation, said: “We'd appeal to anyone who saw this property being discarded in the area to come forward and tell us. You may be someone who found it in another location and moved it, leaving it in the Eaton Park area or you may remember seeing the property lying on the ground while passing the location.”

Police have now reopened up the area of Eaton Park which had been cordoned off as part of the investigation.

DCI Strong added: “At this stage the motive for the murder of Gordon Boon is unclear. It is very important that we catch and charge the person responsible for this crime.

“Your information could lead us to identify the murderer, bring that person to justice and remove a dangerous criminal from our communities. Whilst the public can be reassured that an individual has been arrested, I need the assistance of the public to further this enquiry.”

Detectives are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen Mr Boon in and around Eaton Park between Friday, October 3 and Monday, October 6. Anyone with information should call DCI Strong on 0845 456 4567. ..News Source.. by LUCY BOLTON

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Police plea over paedophile murder

10-26-2008 United Kingdom:

A detective leading the investigation into the murder of a 73-year-old paedophile last night pleaded with the public to forget his past, saying: “we cannot allow vigilante rule on our doorstep”.

It has now been more than three weeks since Gordon Boon's body was found discarded beneath a pile of rubbish on Norfolk wasteland but officers are still struggling to piece together exactly what happened.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder and released on bail but Norfolk police's major investigation team admit progress has been slow as potentially key witnesses are reluctant to come forward, apparently lacking sympathy for the registered sex offender.

But Det Chief Insp Steve Strong spoke out to encourage witnesses to speak to the police saying that, no matter what people thought of Mr Boon's past, a dangerous killer is on the loose.

He added: “Whilst I can understand some people's disinterest in this investigation given Mr Boon's history, a murder has been committed and we need to solve this case.

“As things stand a killer whose motive remains unclear is still out there and while they remain at large there must be serious concerns for the public in general. If this person has killed once, they may well kill again and there is nothing to suggest that they don't pose a threat to the rest of the community.

“We cannot live in a vigilante society and law and order must be maintained. Whatever the circumstances, we cannot minimise any murder.”

Mr Strong added that, as well as being put off coming forward by concerns about Mr Boon's past, some witnesses may be under the mistaken belief that because an arrest as been made, the case has been solved.

He said: “We have identified a suspect but we need as much evidence as possible if we are to bring a successful prosecution and get this person off our streets.”

Mr Boon, of Westwick Street, Norwich, was found dead on October 6 at Rabbit Lane, Great Witchingham. He had been strangled and buried beneath fence panels and a car wheel.

Police say the isolated spot is regularly frequented by dog walkers, horse riders, fly-tippers and couples. They are keen to speak to whoever may have dumped the items used to bury Mr Boon - and have promised immunity from prosecution to any fly-tippers who come forward.

The victim was last seen near the Maids Head Hotel in Norwich on October 3 and it is thought he died that day or the following day.

Property belonging to Mr Boon has since been found in the Eaton Park area and officers would like to speak to anybody who saw him during his final days.

Mr Strong said: “We need to hear from friends, acquaintances or anybody who knew Mr Boon in anyway. Even if you don't think you have any information that can help, you may have one small detail which could prove crucial.”

Contact the major investigation team at Norfolk police 0845 4564567 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111. ..News Source.. by BEN KENDALL

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Norwich sex offender murder accused had killed before

3-4-2010:

A man accused of strangling a man in Norfolk had been jailed in the 1980s for killing a teenage boy, Norwich Crown Court has heard.

Jurors were told Royston Jackson, 43, of Pettus Road, Norwich, was convicted of murdering Stephen Raven in Dagenham in 1989.

He denies murdering Gordon Boon, 73, a convicted sex offender, in 2008.

His body was found under fence panels in a remote lane near Great Witchingham, the court heard.

Partially clothed

The men met at a bail hostel in Norwich following Mr Jackson's release from prison and both had moved out to separate properties shortly before Mr Boon's death.

Prosecutor Timothy Spencer QC said Mr Jackson murdered Mr Boon by strangulation on 3 October.

His partially clothed body was found three days later.

"This defendant drove the dead body to the remote location, dumped it and then covered it with some fence panels - no doubt in an attempt to cover it up for a short while at least," he added.

He told the jury that only Mr Jackson knew why Mr Boon was killed.

"We suggest that a possible motive is that there is some sort of sexual overtone given Mr Boon's state of undress," he added.

"We know that Royston Jackson had made sexual approaches to other males he had been at the hostel with, which had been rebuffed."

Speaking of Mr Jackson's earlier conviction, Mr Spencer said: "There are a number of important similarities between the death of Stephen Raven and Gordon Boon.

"Both were males - of course there is a big difference in age - Stephen Raven showed signs of attempted strangulation and we know how Gordon Boon was killed.

"Stephen Raven's clothing had been interfered with; although he was wearing clothes, they had clearly been taken off prior to his killing because his underpants had been put on inside out and back to front.

"Both men had been dumped in remote country lanes."

The trial continues. ..Source.. by BBC

Child abuse suspect killed by cop escort

9-19-2008 Philippines:

Lawman says shooting was accidental

MANILA, Philippines – A 23-year-old suspect in a child abuse case was killed when he allegedly tried to grab the service firearm of his police escort early Thursday morning in Manila.

The fatality, Raymund Benedict Burgos, an alleged member of the dreaded Sputnik Gang and a resident of Leyte Street, Singalong in Manila, succumbed to a gunshot wound on the neck.

Burgos was reportedly shot by PO1 Jupiter Tajonera, 34, assigned at the Manila Police District-District Special Police Unit (DSPU) at the Manila City Hall. Burgos was an inmate at the DSPU.

The lawman claimed the suspect tried to grab his gun, according to Chief Insp. Dominador Arevalo, head of the MPD homicide division.

Arevalo said Tajonera voluntarily submitted himself for investigation and surrendered his firearm.

An investigation showed that the incident happened around 4:35 a.m. on the southbound lane of Roxas Boulevard near the corner of Kalaw Street in Ermita.

Tajonera, along with PO1 Aurelio Neral III who was driving the patrol multi-cab, was taking Burgos to the Ospital ng Maynila for a checkup.

Senior Insp. Marcelo Reyes, chief of the MPD-DSPU, said that prior to the incident, the inmate complained of severe stomach pains.

Tajonera said he and Burgos were seated behind the driver when the suspect suddenly grabbed his gun, leading to a scuffle inside the vehicle.

The gun accidentally went off, hitting Burgos on the neck, according to Tajonera.

The suspect was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Investigators said they would look further into the case.
..News Source.. by Tina Santos, Philippine Daily Inquirer

Primal rage: 'pedo' stomped to death

7-22-2008 Australia:

A convicted pedophile represented everyone who had ever abused the young Adelaide man who killed him in a primal rage, a court was told today.

Timothy Hemi Schaefer, 19, went to the home of Jeffrey Edwin Payne, 56, in Adelaide in April 2007, called him a "pedo", punched him and stabbed him in the leg.

Drunk and taunting his victim, Schaefer followed Payne across parklands before strangling and stabbing him and stomping on his head, the South Australian Supreme Court has heard after Schaefer pleaded guilty to murder.

Prosecutor Jane Powell said there was an element of "sanguinary" to the crime, with Schaefer stopping to smoke a cigarette during the brutal and prolonged attack.

Schaefer had never expressed remorse for killing Mr Payne, who was an extremely thin man, weighing just 47 kilograms, with ulcers and emphysema, she said.

"In fact, during his interview with police he referred to Mr Payne as a sack of shit," Ms Powell said.

"He would have had to hear and feel the sounds of the bones fracturing under foot."

Schaefer's lawyer Greg Mead said there was no clear motive for the crime.

But it appeared that, in Schaefer's drunk and enraged state, Payne had come to represent all the people who ever had abused him.

"He snapped ... he said to police, 'I just got heaps angry,' " Mr Mead said.

One of nine children, Schaefer suffered "a living hell" at the hands of a violent, alcoholic father who beat him every day, his lawyer said.

After his mother left, his father would abandon the children for weeks at a time, leaving them at the mercy of two friends who would sexually abuse some of them.

"He was fed rotten meat, his father would have to scrape the slime off," Mr Mead said.

"It was the cruelty and brutality of those early years that led to this almost primal expression of rage."

Judge John Sulan said the crime had "all the characteristics of a frenzied attack" and Schaefer could expect to be jailed for a long time.

He also said Schaefer had been "destroyed" by his appalling early life.

He ordered a neurological report to investigate possible damage from Schaefer being beaten with hammers in an earlier, unrelated attack.

Schaefer, who faces a possible life term, was remanded in custody for sentencing at a date to be set. ..News Source.. by smh.com

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Abused teenager jailed for murdering pedophile

10-7-2008 Australia:

STATE welfare authorities "failed" an abused and damaged teenager who went on to viciously murder a convicted pedophile, the Supreme Court has heard.

Timothy Hemi Schaefer was today described as a "damaged little boy" whose pent-up anger erupted in a prolonged and barbaric attack on convicted sex offender Jeffrey Edwin Payne, 56.

Schaefer, 20, will spend at least 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to Payne's murder outside his Northfield home in April 2007.

The convicted sex offender had been throttled unconscious, stabbed in the leg and face and had his skull crushed in the late-night attack.

Schaefer took time to smoke a cigarette during the brutal assault and later described his victim as a "sack of shit" during a police interview.

Justice John Sulan said Schaefer and a number of other boys had regularly gone to Payne's home in the years leading up to the murder.

"For a number of years (Payne) was regularly visited by young boys and he provided them with cigarettes alcohol and marijuana in exchange for sexual favours," Justice Sulan said.

"He had convictions for offences of a sexual nature against teenage boys and had been imprisoned in the past for sex offences against young boys."

Payne was mentioned during sentencing submissions for convicted Snowtown serial killer James Vlassakis, who is serving a life jail term for four murders.

Justice Sulan said Schaefer was drunk and angry when he went to Payne's home on the night of the killing and found there were "sexual connotations behind the attack."

Justice Sulan said Schaefer had endured a chaotic and dysfunctional childhood with an alcoholic mother and an abusive father, who routinely beat his five children and fed them rotten meat.

The judge referred to a letter from Schaefer's aunt, who described him as "a bright and intelligent child who grew up in circumstances of chaos and dysfunction" and became a "damaged little boy."

"In my opinion the state failed him as a child," the letter said.

Justice Sulan said Schaefer's problems were compounded when he suffered serious head injuries when assaulted with a hammer as a 17-year old.

He said Schaefer needed intensive psychiatric help to overcome his many problems.

"Sadly, it appears that you will not receive the treatment that you require while you are in custody," he said. ..News Source.. by ANDREW DOWDELL, COURT REPORTER

UK- Man murdered his brother over sex abuse claim

7-10-2008 United Kingdom:

A MAN who murdered his brother because he believed he was a sex offender has been given a life sentence at the High Court in Glasgow.

David Thomson, 38, admitted killing 35-year-old John Thomson at the home they shared in Carstairs Junction in January.

He strangled his brother with a boot lace and stabbed him 15 times after an alleged confession to a sex offence.

Thomson was told that he would serve a minimum of 14 years for the murder.

The court heard John Thomson had allegedly sexually abused a young girl 20 years ago.

Defence QC Neil Murray told the court that Thomson claimed his brother, who had always previously denied the allegation, confessed to him that night that he had committed the offence.

The defence lawyer said Thomson, who described his brother as “his best friend” was profoundly upset by his death and “accepts what he did was totally inexcusable”.

Judge Lord Mackay of Drumadoon told Thomson that the only possible sentence was life imprisonment.

He said if it had not been for his early guilty plea he would have fixed the punishment part at 17 years. ..News Source.. by George Topp, Lanark & Carluke

UK- Former policeman on child pornography charges stabbed to death

A former police constable who was stabbed to death outside his home had faced pressure from villagers to leave his home after being charged with child pornography offences, it has been disclosed.
6-9-2008 United Kingdom:

Geoffrey Harries, 49, appeared in court in May accused of possessing more than 2,000 indecent images of children, and was due to stand trial next week.

He was stabbed at about 1.45am on Saturday in the street outside his home in the village of Trimsaran, west Wales. He died later in hospital.

Dyfed Powys Police are questioning a 30-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

A neighbour said residents in the village had drawn up a petition demanding he leave, and handed it to him and to police. Mr Harries, who was married to his wife Elizabeth, and was on bail, moved in with his widowed mother in the village as he awaited trial. He was said to have been driven out of a previous address.

Neighbours said Mr Harries had gone out to confront two men who were allegedly slashing his car tyres, and was stabbed several times in the chest.

One said: "He heard a noise and ran out and confronted the men. I don't believe they or any members of their families were ever victims of any crimes committed by Harries.

"But people here felt very strongly that they did not want him living in the area. There are many young families here.

"Some of the locals signed a petition and handed it to him and the police. It demanded his immediate departure from the village, but he refused to go.

"Some of the locals even went to the house on one or more occasions threatening him."

Another resident Christine Davies said: "Many people felt uneasy about the fact that Harries was living in their midst. I was talking to people when I took the bus today and some were saying 'Good riddance'."

She added: "I feel sorry for his mother above all. She is a nice woman and does not deserve this."

Adrian Jones, a local cockle-picker, said: "There is a feeling that he only got as good as he deserved if he is guilty."

Police are trying to establish a motive for the attack. A spokesman said: "The motivation is part of our investigation."

Mr Harries resigned from the Dyfed Powys force in March, after his arrest. He appeared at Cardiff Magistrates' Court in May charged with 15 offences of making indecent images of children between May 2005 and December 2007. He was also facing one charge of possessing indecent images on Nov 26 last year.

He was alleged to have had 2,082 images on his computer. The court heard nine of the images found on the computer were classed as level five, the most serious on the scale.

Mr Harries was released on bail pending a trial which was due to start at Cardiff Crown Court next Monday.

The case was brought following an investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. ..News Source.. by Richard Savill



DID VIGILANTE KILL PAEDO CHARGE COP?

6-10-2008 United Kingdom:

An ex-PC accused of child porn offences has been stabbed to death in a feared vigilante attack.

Married Geoffrey Harries, 49, was knifed repeatedly in the chest as he investigated an early morning disturbance in his drive.

The officer, hounded from his previous home, was due in crown court next week after being found with 2,000 indecent images of children.

It is now suspected he may have been murdered by an attacker revolted by his alleged crimes.

AdvertisementAn elderly neighbour who did not want to be named said yesterday: "A lot of people think that he was targeted, especially because he was a former policeman. It makes you think it was not a random attack."

Resident Christine Davies added: "If he was really guilty of what he was accused, a lot of people round here are saying 'good riddance'."

Harries - who resigned from the Dyfed-Powys force, West Wales, three months ago - had 2,082 child porn images on his police computer.

After being charged with making and possessing images he faced such hostility from locals in his home village of Pembrey, Carmarthen, he moved to Trimsaran three miles away.

But the stain of suspicion followed him and a protest meeting was arranged by residents "uncomfortable" that he was living alongside them. Harries was killed before the meeting could go ahead. A petition was already calling on him to quit the area. One neighbour said: "No one likes having an alleged paedophile in your street."

Harries was attacked early on Saturday. He died five hours later.

Yesterday his home was taped off as police examined the scene.

A family spokesman said last night: "This tragedy marks the end of many months of anguish and heartache.

"Geoff was a gentle man and loving husband and son. At the time of his death he wasn't convicted of any offences and we mourn his loss."

Police said yesterday there was no evidence so far of vigilantism. A man in his 30s is being questioned. ..News Source.. by Geoffrey Lakeman

UK- HE CAN'T HURT ANYONE ELSE

5-24-2008 United Kingdom:

The killer of a Cheltenham woman has been found dead in his prison cell.Shirley Cotton-Betteridge's family now say justice has been done.

The barmaid was 22 years old when psychopath Paul McMilan stabbed her more than 40 times.

McMilan was sentenced to life in Broadmoor psychiatric prison in 2002.

But on Thursday morning he was found unconscious in his cell, dying minutes later.

Speaking from his home in Whaddon, Shirley's stepfather, Graham Morgan, described it as "brilliant news".

He said: "I was sat in my van when I got the call.

"My first gut feeling was 'they are going to release him'. So when they said he was dead, I thought it was great. At least now he won't hurt anyone else."

Graham became stepfather to Shirley and her sisters Anna, Christie and Lucy when Shirley was four years old.

Cheltenham-born Shirley went to St Benedict's School and trained as a hairdresser at Gloscat, working in His Knibbs.

"People just don't realise what we've been through and are still going through," Graham said.

"Not a night goes by when I don't talk to Shirley.

"We don't speak about her much, because we don't want to upset each other.

"Sometimes I see a girl in the street who looks just like her, and I want to go up to her and speak to her as if it's Shirley but I don't.

"You couldn't have asked for a better daughter.

"She was the typical girl next door, you could have a laugh with her and nobody had a bad word to say about her."

Shirley was working as a barmaid when McMilan, who she knew from work, followed her into the office of the Figureheadamp; Firkin pub in Bristol on August 29, 2001.

He punched and kicked her to the ground before stabbing her to death.

Builder Graham didn't work for nearly a year after her death, and still visits Shirley's grave every Sunday to take flowers and make sure it is spotless.

Graham said he and Shirley's mother, Anita Nelder, were still angry at the justice system for releasing McMilan early from a previous sentence, leaving him free to kill.

He was convicted of indecently assaulting a girl when he was 17 and sentenced to three years behind bars in 1999, but he was released on August 30, 2000 after serving 16 months.

After release he failed to attend a sex offenders' course, meetings with his probation officer and a mental health assessment before killing Shirley.

Graham said: "They let Shirley down and then they let us down.

"If it wasn't for them, she would still be here.

"We would probably have had grandkids by now. They have taken everything from us."

But he reserved most of his anger for McMilan, saying he could never forgive him for what he had done.

"I wish the death penalty had still been around for the likes of him," said the distraught dad.

"Paul McMilan has never, ever given a reason for what he did, and that's what really hurts.

"I promised Shirley I wouldn't let this happen to any other girl and now I feel like I've kept my promise."

Shirley's sister Laura, 25, said she hoped people would learn from her death. She told the Echo: "I'm sad for his parents but happy about him because he's not going to do it again.

"If he hadn't been released in the first place two lives would have been saved." ..more.. by RIC SUMNER

Teen stabs to death alleged molester

3-11-2008 Jamaica:

A man who allegedly fondled a 15-year-old boy is dead after the youth stabbed him with an ice pick in St. Elizabeth on Sunday.

Dead is Everton Ramoney, 47, of Leeds in St. Elizabeth.

His body was found at a house on School Street in Black River.

It is reported that the teenager was at Mr. Ramoney's house when he allegedly touched the youth in an inappropriate manner.

The teenager used an ice pick to stab Mr. Ramoney several times.

He then wrapped the body in a tarpaulin.

The boy later turned himself over to the Black River Police. ..more.. by RadioJamaica.com

American Suspect of Child Porn and Pedophilia Murdered with 7 Shots in Brazil

1-23-2008 Brazil:

Brazil's police are investigating the murder of American Gerald Gusta Cisco, 61, in Natal, the capital of the Brazilian northeastern state of Rio Grande do Norte. Cisco whose body was found buried in a vacant lot on Monday, January 21, used to live in a house in the Ponta Negra neighborhood.

Policemen found candy wrappers, toys and hundreds of pictures of naked children some as young as two and teens at his place as well as studio spotlights and Viagra pills. Neighbors told investigators that they usually saw little girls coming in and out of the American's house. They usually left carrying candy, chocolate and ice cream, according to these witnesses.

Authorities say the American's body had signs of seven shots. The police still don't know it the crime is related to the pedophilia charges being leveled against Cisco.

Some of the little girls shown in the pictures have now been identified and are being heard by the authorities. According to the police, the last person to see Cisco, on the day before his body was found, was a caretaker who used to care for another property the American had in the Redinha beach.

"A scavenger who was picking up litter in the area on Monday morning saw the freshly dug ground and blood stains and went to the police," said a police spokesman. "We found the body in the afternoon with seven bullet wounds on the skull."

On Tuesday, when it went to the victim's house the police found the apartment's door broken and the whole place turned upside down. Several appliances and money seemed to be stolen.

The American's gardener and caretaker, Wilames Faria Albuquerque, was the one who recognized the body and then took the police to the victim's residence. Albuquerque used to visit Cisco every Monday to take care of the dogs and do maintenance work.

This last Monday he did just that, but didn't find the American. As he kept calling and nobody answered the phone he went back on Tuesday and then noticed that one of the American's pit bull seemed to have a broken leg.

Looking inside the house over the wall he also noticed through the window the mess inside the place. When he arrived at the police station to report the case he was informed that they had found a body that matched his description.

"The initial information," said police chief Nataneon de Freitas, "led us to believe that it was a case of robbery but the finding of pedophilia material now make us also probe a connection between the murder and the pictures found."

The American, according to a friend, had a girlfriend but lived by himself. He had lived in Recife, capital of Pernambuco, before moving to Natal. This friend also informed that he has family in California where his body is supposed to be sent for burial.

Among the goods police believe were taken are two TV sets, two DVD players, a computer, and a gas cylinder. A safe found at the upper floor had been pried open. The police was able, however, to seize some computer hardware that may tell them if Cisco's kid porn activity had any international connection.

The American's car, a gray Chevrolet Astra, is also missing. The robber seems to have used the garage's remote control to get access to the house. The front door was apparently forcefully opened with a crowbar. The police believe that the murderer went to the victim's place after the killing and took material related to child pornography. ..more.. by Francesco Neves