Fred West
Fred and Rosemary in the mid 1980s
Born	September 29, 1941(1941-09-29) Much Marcle, Herefordshire, England, UK
Died	January 1, 1995 (aged 53) Winson Green Prison, Birmingham, England, UK
Charge(s)	murder
Penalty	committed suicide before trial
Status	deceased
Occupation	Labourer, abattoir worker
Spouse	Rosemary West

Frederick Walter Stephen West (29 September 1941 – 1 January 1995), better known as Fred West, was an English serial killer. Between 1967 and 1987, he and his wife Rosemary are believed to have tortured, raped and murdered at least 12 young women, many at the couple's successive homes in Gloucester. Typically these women were lodgers and nannies who lived relatively transient lives and whose disappearance would not attract great police attention, but they also murdered their daughter Heather, although the police did not investigate her disappearance for seven years. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... Much Marcle is a small village in rural Herefordshire located at grid reference SO658327 between Ross-on-Wye and Ledbury. ... For the similarly named county in the East of England, see Hertfordshire. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... HM Prison Birmingham, known locally as Winson Green Prison is a Victorian local prison in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, England. ... See also Birmingham, USA, and other places called Birmingham. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... In classical economics and all micro-economics labour is one of three factors of production, the others being land and capital. ... Workers and cattle in a slaughterhouse. ... Rosemary Pauline West (born November 29, 1953 as Rosemary Letts) is an English serial killer, now an inmate at HMP Bronzefield, Ashford, Middlesex. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Serial killers are individuals who have a history of multiple slayings of victims who were usually unknown to them beforehand. ... Rosemary Pauline West (born November 29, 1953 as Rosemary Letts) is an English serial killer, now an inmate at HMP Bronzefield, Ashford, Middlesex. ... This article is about the city of Gloucester in England; for other uses see Gloucester (disambiguation). ...

West committed suicide in his cell at Winson Green Prison while awaiting trial for murder.^[1] For other uses, see Suicide (disambiguation). ... HM Prison Birmingham, known locally as Winson Green Prison is a Victorian local prison in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, England. ...

Biography

Early life

West was born in Much Marcle, Herefordshire, to Walter Stephen West and Daisy Hannah Hill, a poor family of farm workers. He was the eldest of 7 children, 4 boys and 3 girls. ^[2] Fred had an unusual upbringing, as incest was an accepted part of the West household. His father taught him bestiality from an early age and told him repeatedly "Do what you want, just don’t get caught doing it".^[3] He left school at the age of 15 and began work as a casual labourer. As a teenager he injured his head seriously in a motorcycle accident and also in a fall from a building's fire escape.^[4] Much Marcle is a small village in rural Herefordshire located at grid reference SO658327 between Ross-on-Wye and Ledbury. ... For the similarly named county in the East of England, see Hertfordshire. ... Incest is defined as sexual intercourse or any form of sexual activity between closely related persons, especially within the nuclear family. ... Look up Bestiality in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

West was a prolific petty criminal as a teenager and even made his younger sister pregnant. He moved from the family home to live with an aunt a hundred yards away until he moved to Gloucester, where he took a job in a slaughterhouse. He was fined for theft in Hereford in April 1961, and again in Newent in October that year. This article is about human pregnancy in biological females. ... For the Batman villain, see Abattoir (comics). ... A young waif steals a pair of boots Stealing redirects here. ... For other uses, see Hereford (disambiguation). ... Location within the British Isles Newent, Gloucestershire (originally called Noent) is a small Market town (population approx. ...

During this period West worked as an ice cream van driver in Glasgow. On November 4, 1965, he accidentally ran over and killed a four-year-old boy with his ice-cream van.^[5] For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. ...

Marriage to Rosemary Letts

At age 20, Fred West was a convicted child molester and petty thief. In November 1962, West married his former girlfriend, Rena Costello, who was pregnant by an Asian bus driver. Her daughter Charmaine was born in 1963, and a year later Rena bore Fred a daughter called Anne-Marie. While still married to Rena Costello, West met his next wife Rosemary "Rose" Letts on November 29, 1968; Rose's 15th birthday. In 1970, 17-year-old Rose gave birth to their daughter Heather. Fred West was imprisoned for theft around this time and spent Christmas 1970 behind bars. is the 333rd day of the year (334th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A young waif steals a pair of boots Stealing redirects here. ...

After Heather’s birth, it appears that Rose killed Fred and Rena Costello’s daughter Charmaine, and Rena Costello was later killed by West. In January 1972, the couple married and in June that year, Rose gave birth to their daughter Mae. Like Fred, Rose came from a family where incest was considered normal and even after the birth of her fourth child Rose's father, with Fred's approval, would often visit the Wests' for sex with his daughter.^[6]

During Rose and Fred's time together, a number of young women were killed, dismembered, and buried on their property. Their only known victim after 1979 was their daughter Heather, who was killed in June 1987 at the age of 16.

Investigation, arrest, and conviction

In May 1992, 50-year-old West raped his 13-year-old daughter at Cromwell Street and filmed it, and then raped her twice afterwards. She discussed the incident with her brothers and sisters, who told friends at school. On 6 August 1992, the police decided to investigate, eventually leading to Fred West being charged with 12 counts of murder, with Rose as an accomplice. She was also charged with child cruelty, and the remaining children were placed in foster care. is the 218th day of the year (219th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ...

The rape case against the Wests collapsed when the two main witnesses declined to testify at the court case on June 7, 1993. The police obtained a further search warrant in February 1994, allowing them to excavate the garden in search of Heather. They started searching the house and excavating the garden on February 24, 1994. After Fred's arrest, the police uncovered human bones.^[7] West confessed, retracted and then re-confessed to the murder of his daughter, denying that Rose was involved. Rose was not arrested until April 1994, initially on sex offences but later charged with murder. Further bodies were found and, on March 4, 1994, West admitted that he had carried out nine more murders, including those of his first wife and Ann McFall. is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... Sex crimes are forms of human sexual behavior that are crimes. ... is the 63rd day of the year (64th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ...

Fred and Rose West were brought before a magistrates court in Gloucester on June 30, 1994; Fred was charged with 11 murders and Rosemary with 10. Immediately afterwards Fred West was re-arrested on suspicion of murdering Ann McFall, whose body was found on June 7, 1994. On the evening of July 3, 1994, he was charged with her murder. The following morning he was returned to Winson Green Prison, Birmingham, where he had been held for several weeks before the hearing. A magistrate is a judicial officer. ... A trial at the Old Bailey in London as drawn by Thomas Rowlandson and Augustus Pugin for Ackermanns Microcosm of London (1808-11). ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... is the 158th day of the year (159th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1994 (MCMXCIV) The year 1994 was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by the United Nations. ... HM Prison Birmingham, known locally as Winson Green Prison is a Victorian local prison in the Winson Green area of Birmingham, England. ...

On January 1, 1995, Fred West committed suicide whilst on remand in his cell at Winson Green by hanging himself. His brief funeral was held in Coventry on March 29, 1995. West was cremated with only three of his children present. is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Hanging is the suspension of a person by a ligature, usually a cord wrapped around the neck, causing death. ... For other uses, see Funeral (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Coventry (disambiguation). ... is the 88th day of the year (89th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... The crematorium at Haycombe Cemetery, Bath, England. ...

The evidence against Rose was circumstantial; unlike her husband, she did not confess. She was tried in October 1995 at Winchester Crown Court, found guilty of all 10 murders and sentenced to life imprisonment.^[8] The trial judge recommended that she should never be released, and 18 months later Home Secretary Jack Straw agreed with this recommendation. Winchester is a historic city in southern England, with a population of around 40,000 within a 3 mile radius of its centre. ... Crown Court and County Court in Oxford. ... Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime, nominally for the entire remaining life of the prisoner, but in fact for a period which varies between jurisdictions: many countries have a maximum possible period of time (usually 50 years) a prisoner may be incarcerated, or require the... The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the United Kingdom Home Office and is responsible for internal affairs in England and Wales, and for immigration and citizenship for the whole United Kingdom (including Scotland and Northern Ireland). ... For other uses, see Jack Straw (disambiguation). ...

In October 1996 the Wests' house at 25 Cromwell Street, along with adjoining 23 Cromwell Street, was demolished and the site made into a pathway. Every brick was crushed and every timber was burnt to discourage souvenir hunters.

During questioning, Fred West had confessed to murdering up to 30 people, but the police have yet to name any more suspected victims, even though the police and several crime experts have spoken of their doubt that the 12 known victims were the only ones killed by the pair. This is mainly due to the fact that they were known to have killed 11 people between them in the first 12 years of their spree, but only one in the 14 years preceding their arrest.

In popular culture

• Harold and Fred (They Make Ladies Dead) was a 2001 comic strip in Viz, also featuring serial killer Harold Shipman. Extracts from the strip were subsequently merchandised as a coffee mug. Viz also featured a spoof advertisement for 'Little Ted West,' a "collectors' item" teddy bear with the hair and clothes of Fred West, which came complete with a teddy-scale shovel.
• The crime served as a loose basis for the ninth episode of the fourth season of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, titled "Resilience."
• In a 1998 interview with Charlie Rose, English novelist Martin Amis revealed that his cousin Lucy Partington, who disappeared in 1973, was a victim of Fred West and his wife.
• In the Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps episode "Croppity Crops", Johnny is planning on self-sufficiency and compares himself to "that guy off the telly, from the '70s -- always in the garden, curly hair" (meaning Tom from The Good Life.) "Fred West?" says Kelly. "That's the one", replies Jonny.^[9]

This article is about the comic strip, the sequential art form as published in newspapers and on the Internet. ... Cover of Viz (issue 57) Viz is a popular British adult comic magazine that has been running since 1979. ... Harold Frederick Fred Shipman (January 14, 1946 – January 13, 2004) was an English general practitioner who was one of the most prolific known serial killers in modern history. ... Cover of Viz (issue 57) Viz is a popular British adult comic magazine that has been running since 1979. ... Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - Season 5 DVD Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (also known as Law & Order: SVU) is the first of three spin-offs of Law & Order (the other two being Law & Order: Criminal Intent and Law & Order: Trial by Jury; all series are presented on the NBC... This article is about the American journalist. ... Photo of Martin Amis by Robert Birnbaum Martin Amis (born August 25, 1949) is an English novelist. ... Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps (commonly shortened to Two Pints) is a BBC sitcom written by Susan Nickson. ... Autonomy is the condition of something that does not depend on anything else. ... The following is a list of characters for the British television series, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. ...

Further reading

This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Faber and Faber, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. ... Jean-François Millet Le Semeur (The Sower) Simon & Schuster logo, circa 1961. ... For other uses, see Colin Wilson (disambiguation). ...

References

is the 194th day of the year (195th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• THE WEST MURDERS: DMP (Transcripts of interviews of Fred West & other related people)
• MEDIA INFORMATION PACK (detailed report by police)
• CourtTV Crime Library- Fred and Rosemary West
• A Horror Story by Theodore Dalrymple