Susan and Christopher Edwards shot Patricia and William Wycherley and buried them at the Wycherleys' home in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, in 1998. He usually met up with a business friend but as he was on holiday, Mr Stevens went alone, telling his wife he was going to the Albert Hotel. Convicted. Note: The naming of a defendant within this catalogue does not imply guilt Date: 1976-1980 Held by: The National Archives, Kew: Former reference in its original department: 1156/76: Legal status: His stepmother went to the police at the beginning of October, 2014. [1] Before 1907 the village was known as Hucknall-under . If the Edwards surrendered themselves to French police, they would remain under French jurisdiction, and police in Britain would have no power to arrest them. He was then spotted walking along Mansfield Road shortly after 2.15pm, possibly entering the Arboretum. He went on to add that the only evidence linking the 21-year-old man to the murder was that of Kevin Childerley's wife and noted that the whole case hinged on her memory, stating that after recovering from her injuries, she had had no recollection of the events to enable her to identify her assailant or assailants, even if they were known to her. They did this by diverting the Wycherley's pensions and benefits to themselves, and they even applied for loans and credit cards in the dead couple's name. 14 Feb. Police car rammed by stolen van on M1. A month after the murder investigation was launched in 2013, Det Ch Insp received a surprising email marked high importance it was from Christopher. With the British police having no jurisdiction in France, finding the couple and bringing them back to the UK could have taken months. The material is for general information only and does not constitute investment, tax, legal, medical or other form of advice. 53.125N 1.301W. The babysitter said that she was woken up by the sounds of Kevin Childerley's wife screaming and Kevin Childerley's moaning. The case was thrown into the spotlight in 2013 when builders converting the former Newark Police Station found a bag of evidence containing bicycle handlebars. So, I dont buy that this could have been a spur-of-the-moment crime. . They raised 5,000 from selling books and other items, borrowed 10,000 from work, and fled to live in an apartment in Lille. The police were alerted after Kevin Childerley was found by neighbours downstairs in a semi-conscious sate, moaning and covered with blood and with serious head and facial injuries. Sherwood Pines 854 Parks Forests Open now By annie_is_lovely We did the gruffalo trail with the kids which they enjoyed and also spent time in the play areas. View our online Press Pack. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. The most meaningful clue was that the killer was a hooded man. Kevin Childerley was an ex-miner. They were each handed a life sentence with a minimum of 25. However, his wife said that she did recieve 'funny phone calls' on the weekend before the murder. The couple's grim plot to get away with murder began with a bang on the May bank holiday weekend of 1998. 1729 Mansfield's first workhouse was built on Nottingham Road. It should have been her day off. Select tags from below. I picked it up. Kevin Childerley's wife was left blind in one eye from the attack. Her co-star, Harry Potter actor David Thewlis, added the truth was stranger than fiction. This information will help us make improvements to the website. The second set of remains belonged to a well-built white woman, who was aged 40 or older. Pleasley Colliery 146 Eventually the money ran out and their lies came crashing down as they asked another relative for cash. Gladys Godfrey was killed at her home on the Ladybrook estate in Mansfield in September 2002. The murderers next door | Crime | The Guardian As always you can unsubscribe at any time. The 19-year-old, of St Ann's, was chased from a city takeaway to the Two in the Bush pub, in Radford on Sunday, November 30, 1997. She said that she then heard a noise like a body falling from the bed and then silence. She said that the caller hung up when she answered the phone. Three days later, on Saturday, November 2, the pair appeared at Nottingham Magistrates Court charged with the murder of Patricia and William Wycherley. Around 100 detectives worked on the case but failed to turn up any leads. a town that lies within striking distance of Nottinghamshire's former coalmines, was a student . Please note that in certain circumstances the review process will take slightly longer. Her right eye was so badly damaged that it had to be removed. Speaking about the Sky Original drama, Thewlis said: "This is without doubt the very finest project I have worked on for many years. It was heard that her memory had come back to her ten months later after watching a Crimestoppers TV film and she had named the 32-year-old man as the assailant. Clearly, the Edwards knew that was a meeting which would never be able to happen. Something went wrong, please try again later. The remains of Patricia, 63, and William, 85, were soon discovered wrapped in duvets and buried on top of one another. The obvious tragedy of the case was that two innocent people lost their lives. And when his friends from St Ann's and Radford clashed with a rival group from The Meadows, the consequences were fatal. The house in Blenheim Close and (inset) Susan Edwards and Christopher Edwards. League Two. View the catalogue description for. David Thewlis as Christopher Edwards in Landscapers. Landscapers premieres on Sky Atlantic and Now TV on Tuesday 7 December at 9pm. And for 15 years, the Edwards had pretended the elderly couple were still alive as they stole their money, sold their house - and even sent fake Christmas cards to relatives to keep up the pretence. Just over two decades ago Susan and Christopher Edwards shot the former's parents dead on a quiet cul-de-sac in Mansfield. As part of the review we will consult the responsible government department. Mansfield garden bodies murders: Pair jailed for life - BBC News "They didn't lead a particularly lavish lifestyle," Det Ch Insp Rob Griffin, of the East Midlands major crime unit, told the BBC. Police crackdown on M1 drivers after motorist caught using elbow to steer transporter, National Highways released footage of the incident, Microwave 'thrown at officers' in Nottinghamshire as injured woman found in attic, The sound of people fighting was heard from outside the address in the early hours, Nottingham ex-street dealer now works for Network Rail and subject to drug tests, He made 'a terrible judgement at the time', Hucknall sex offender broke law after he left home 'with all his belongings', He is required to inform police if he moves, Cocaine and heroin found in Nottinghamshire drug dealer's bedroom, Christian Franklin was convicted of possession with intent to supply heroin and cocaine as well as possession of an offensive weapon, Nottinghamshire fraudster who said he was in 'vegetative state' caught walking on camera, Runaway driver hid in pond after leading police on dangerous chase through Mansfield Woodhouse. Some speculated that they were travelling or had emigrated. The court also heard that a 30-year-old hairdresser said that the 27-year-old man had told him that the police had offered him 5,000 to say that he had driven the 32-year-old man to Kevin Childerley's house. In March 2014, during an appearance at Nottingham Crown Court, Susan and Christopher Edwards admitted for the first time that they had buried the Wycherleys in the garden of the house in Blenheim. By means of forged signatures and the setting up of joint accounts in her and her mothers name, Susan did not just empty 40,000 from their building society account, she obtained loans and credit cards by the same method. Prosecutors say that he and his wife shot dead the couple, Patricia Wycherley, 63, and William. IT was not unusual for taxi driver John Landa to be out all night and as he got into his cab on Friday, August 13, 1982, he paused to share a joke with his daughter. Subscribe today for just 29 for 12 issues Saga Magazine is supported by its audience. The couple fled to Lille, but money ran short again, and Christopher called his stepmother to ask for a loan. Timed at 1.34pm and marked as of high importance, it was from Christopher Edwards, and said: "Later on today we are going to surrender ourselves to the UK Border Force Authorities at the Eurostar terminal at Lille Europe station. There, they quickly ran out of money and Christopher called his own elderly stepmother asking for cash, relaying a wild story about why they'd fled. Subscribe now for regular news, updates and priority booking for events, All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated, DPP - Records of the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP 2 - Director of Public Prosecutions: Case Papers, New Series, More information about the Freedom of Information review process, About our The chilling tale is now the subject of a four-part Sky Atlantic and Now TV mini-series, Landscapers, starring Olivia Colman and David Thewlis as the Edwardses. Stepmother convicted of killing three-year-old boy who died from head Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. When the couples assets were later investigated, Christopher had 17 in his bank account. Crime Statistics for Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, Nottinghamshire. Everything about Landscapers is magical, there is nothing like it.". The Edwards might have got away with their crimes if it hadn't been for the fact that Mr Wycherley - had he still been alive - would have been approaching his 100th birthday. He even claimed to recall watching the Eurovision Song Contest before bringing the bodies downstairs to bury them, which, if true, would mean the burials had taken place a week after the murders. The murder weapon believed to be a semi-automatic handgun was never found. He said: "I was amazed when I googled the real story to find out how much of it is completely true and actually the truth bits are the most bizarre bits.". The murder of the Wycherleys gave them the opportunity to get out of those difficulties. When she asked why they had gone to France, he told her what had happened, though he claimed his wife had shot her mother. The couple killed Susan's parents and buried them in the back garden, Never miss a crime story with our free email updates. Susan lost an appeal against her sentence in 2015, and the couple remain in jail today. Earlier this year, familial DNA was used to identify the suspected Golden State Killer, a man thought to have committed multiple rapes, murders and burglaries across California in the 1970s and . They were found guilty in 2014, with the judge calling Susan "an accomplished liar and a fantasist". The opinions expressed are those of the author and are not held by Saga unless specifically stated. Pair guilty of 1998 Mansfield 'garden bodies' murder - BBC News Despite the cash grab, they still ended up owing 160,000 to creditors at the time of their arrest thanks to splurging thousands on strange items including signed photos of 1950s film star Gary Cooper. Sherwood - the Nottinghamshire strike that divided a town Forest Town is a former mining village on the outskirts of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England.After continuous development it is no longer a separate entity, nowadays being simply an area within Mansfield. Police believe he was the victim of a robbery and was either forced into the Trent either by the robbers, or went into the river when he tried to flee them. Crime and Safety in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire - CrimeRate Sherwood: Real life grisly crossbow killing of ex-miner hacked - mirror Enter the tag you would like to associate with this record and click 'Add tag'. They did not live a lavish lifestyle, but instead splashed out thousands of pounds on Hollywood memorabilia, including signed photos and autographs of Gary Cooper, and stamps featuring Frank Sinatra. They also wrote letters and cards pretending to be the Wycherleys to keep the ruse rolling. 2 1 mickety Advanced Nottstalgian Members 1 148 posts Gender:Male Location:Nottingham In fact over just two years, Christopher Edwards spent 14,000 on mementos of movie star Cooper. Advert not found The murder of Colette sent shockwaves through the close-knit community and sparked one of the biggest murder investigations ever carried out by Notts Police. AT the time of Shane Thompson's death, gang culture was rife on Nottingham streets. Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry has recently taken over as regional lead for serious organised crime (SOC) with East Midlands Specialist Operations Unit (EMSOU . Police - who, as we shall see, already had a very good idea of the identity of the remains - initially only said that two bodies had been found by officers following up information received the previous week about an 'alleged incident' dating back to the 1990s. Her daughter Patricia Bass was first found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in February 1995 at Nottingham Crown Court. He was stabbed 14 times at the base of his skull as he walked the family's pet dog, Blackie, in the early hours of September 8, 1963. It was the horrified stepmother who went to the police at the start of October 2013. "She also reminded herself of the cynical and determined exploitation of the ill-gotten gains, consequent to the murders, which the appellant had enjoyed over years and in more than one jurisdiction.". The evening before Mr Wilson's death was a busy one. They had lived in a terraced house in Sherwood Street, Mansfield Woodhouse. It was heard that they were charged mainly on Kevin Childerley's wife's memory coming back to her ten months later, but at the trial it was heard that it was unlikely or impossible that her memories could have been real. But we took it seriously and that is when the investigation started. "Its staggering to think that's what they spent their money on, but that's what they did.".