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Colin Pitchfork (born March 23, 1960) is a British double child-murderer and rapist. He was the first person convicted of rape and murder using
DNA profiling DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's DNA characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is called DNA barcoding. DNA profiling is a forensic t ...
after he
murdered Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse, especially the unlawful killing of another human with malice aforethought. ("The killing of another person without justification or excuse, especially the ...
two girls in neighbouring
Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire ...
villages, the first in Narborough, in November 1983, and the second in Enderby in July 1986. He was arrested on 19 September 1987 and was sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes fo ...
on 22 January 1988 after pleading guilty to both murders, with the judge giving him a 30-year minimum term (only for Pitchfork to challenge the minimum term and see it reduced to 28 years on appeal). He was granted parole in June 2021, and was released on licence on 1 September that year. On 19 November the same year, he was recalled to prison for breach of licence conditions.


Life

Pitchfork lived in
Newbold Verdon Newbold Verdon is a village and civil parish in the county of Leicestershire, England. The parish includes Newbold Heath to the north and Brascote to the south. Originally an agricultural centre Newbold Verdon grew in size during the 1850s with ...
, attending school in
Market Bosworth Market Bosworth is a market town and civil parish in western Leicestershire, England. At the 2001 Census, it had a population of 1,906, increasing to 2,097 at the 2011 census. It is most famously near to the site of the decisive final battle o ...
and
Desford Desford is a village and civil parish in the Hinckley and Bosworth district, west of the centre of Leicester and around 7 miles north east of Hinckley. Situated on a hill approximately 400 feet above sea level, the parish includes the hamlets ...
, until his marriage in 1981 to a social worker, after which he lived in Littlethorpe. The Pitchforks had two sons. Before his marriage, Pitchfork had been convicted of
indecent exposure Indecent exposure is the deliberate public exposure by a person of a portion of their body in a manner contrary to local standards of appropriate behavior. Laws and social attitudes regarding indecent exposure vary significantly in different ...
and had been referred for therapy to the
Carlton Hayes Hospital Carlton Hayes Hospital, Narborough, Leicestershire was the psychiatric hospital of Leicestershire from 1907 to 1995. History The complex was built to the designs of Samuel Perkins Pick (1858-1919), a well-known Leicester architect, in the Art ...
, Narborough. Pitchfork had obtained work in Hampshires Bakery in Leicester, in 1976, as an apprentice. He continued to work there until his arrest for the murders. He became particularly skilled as a sculptor of
cake decoration Cake decorating is the art of decorating a cake for special occasions such as birthdays, weddings, national or religious holidays, or as a promotional item. It is a form of sugar art that uses materials such as icing, fondant, and other edib ...
s and had hoped, eventually, to start his own cake decorating business. According to his supervisor, he was "a good worker and time-keeper, but he was moody... and he couldn't leave women employees alone. He was always chatting them up."


Crimes

On 21 November 1983, 15-year-old Lynda Mann took a shortcut on her way home from babysitting instead of taking her normal route home. She did not return and her parents and neighbours spent the night searching for her. The next morning, she was found raped and strangled on a deserted footpath known locally as the Black Pad. Using
forensic science Forensic science, also known as criminalistics, is the application of science to criminal and civil laws, mainly—on the criminal side—during criminal investigation, as governed by the legal standards of admissible evidence and criminal ...
techniques available at the time, police linked a
semen Semen, also known as seminal fluid, is an organic bodily fluid created to contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads (sexual glands) and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize the female ovum. Sem ...
sample taken from her body to a person with type A blood and an
enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products ...
profile that matched only 10% of males. With no other leads or
evidence Evidence for a proposition is what supports this proposition. It is usually understood as an indication that the supported proposition is true. What role evidence plays and how it is conceived varies from field to field. In epistemology, evidenc ...
, the case was left open. On 31 July 1986, a second 15-year-old girl, Dawn Ashworth, left her home to visit a friend's house. Her parents expected her to return at 9:30 pm; when she failed to do so they called police to report her missing. Two days later, her body was found in a wooded area near a footpath called Ten Pound Lane. She had been beaten, savagely raped and strangled. The ''
modus operandi A ''modus operandi'' (often shortened to M.O.) is someone's habits of working, particularly in the context of business or criminal investigations, but also more generally. It is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode (or manner) of o ...
'' matched that of the first attack, and semen samples revealed the same
blood type A blood type (also known as a blood group) is a classification of blood, based on the presence and absence of antibodies and inherited antigenic substances on the surface of red blood cells (RBCs). These antigens may be proteins, carbohydrates ...
. An initial suspect was Richard Buckland, a local 17-year-old with learning difficulties who, while innocent of both crimes, revealed knowledge of Ashworth's body, and admitted to the Ashworth crime under questioning, denying the first murder.


DNA profiling

In 1985,
Alec Jeffreys Sir Alec John Jeffreys, (born 9 January 1950) is a British geneticist known for developing techniques for genetic fingerprinting and DNA profiling which are now used worldwide in forensic science to assist police detective work and to resolve ...
, a genetics researcher at the
University of Leicester , mottoeng = So that they may have life , established = , type = public research university , endowment = £20.0 million , budget = £326 million , chancellor = David Willetts , vice_chancellor = Nishan Canagarajah , head_lab ...
, developed
DNA profiling DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's DNA characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is called DNA barcoding. DNA profiling is a forensic t ...
along with Peter Gill and Dave Werrett of the Forensic Science Service (FSS). Gill commented: Using this technique, Jeffreys compared semen samples from both murder victims against a blood sample from Buckland and conclusively proved that both girls were killed by the same man but not by Buckland. Buckland became the first person to have his innocence established by DNA fingerprinting. Jeffreys later said:
Leicestershire Constabulary Leicestershire Police is the territorial police force responsible for policing Leicestershire and Rutland in England. Its headquarters are at Enderby, Leicestershire. History Leicestershire Police was formed in 1839. In 1951 it amalgamated ...
and the FSS then undertook an investigation in which more than 5,500 local men were asked to volunteer blood or saliva samples. This took six months, and no matches were found.


Arrest and conviction

On 1 August 1987, one of Pitchfork's colleagues at the bakery, Ian Kelly, revealed to fellow workers in a Leicester pub (The Clarendon) that he had taken the blood test while masquerading as Pitchfork. Pitchfork had told Kelly that he wanted to avoid being harassed by police because of prior convictions for indecent exposure. A woman who overheard the conversation reported it to police. On 19 September 1987, Pitchfork was arrested. During questioning, Pitchfork admitted to exposing himself to more than 1,000 women, a compulsion that began in his early teens. He later progressed to
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act in which one intentionally sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their will. It is a form of sexual violence, which ...
and then to strangling his victims. Pitchfork said this was in order to protect his identity. The Crown rejected this, viewing the motivation for the strangulations as ‘perverted sadism’. During his interviews with the police he admitted his crimes, but lied about the level and nature of the violence he had inflicted on his victims. He pleaded guilty to the two rapes and murders in addition to another incident of sexual assault, and was sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes fo ...
. A psychiatric report prepared for the Court described Pitchfork as possessing a psychopathic personality disorder accompanied with a serious psycho sexual pathology. The
Lord Chief Justice Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...
at the time of his sentencing said: "From the point of view of the safety of the public I doubt if he should ever be released." The Secretary of State set a
minimum term Mandatory sentencing requires that offenders serve a predefined term for certain crimes, commonly serious and violent offenses. Judges are bound by law; these sentences are produced through the legislature, not the judicial system. They are inst ...
of 30 years; in 2009, Pitchfork's minimum term sentence was reduced on appeal to 28 years.


Parole reviews

On 22 April 2016, the
Parole Board for England and Wales The Parole Board for England and Wales () was established in 1968 under the Criminal Justice Act 1967. It became an independent executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) on 1 July 1996 under the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. The ...
heard Pitchfork's case for early release on
parole Parole (also known as provisional release or supervised release) is a form of early release of a prison inmate where the prisoner agrees to abide by certain behavioral conditions, including checking-in with their designated parole officers, or ...
. Pitchfork's advocates presented evidence of his improved character, noting that Pitchfork had furthered his education to degree level and had become expert at the transcription of printed music into
braille Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille displ ...
, for the benefit of the blind. The families of victims Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth opposed his release on parole. On 29 April 2016, the Parole Board announced that Pitchfork's application for release on licence had been refused, but recommended that he be moved to an
open prison An open prison (open jail) is any jail in which the prisoners are trusted to complete sentences with minimal supervision and perimeter security and are often not locked up in their prison cells. Prisoners may be permitted to take up employment w ...
. In June 2016,
Michael Gove Michael Andrew Gove (; born Graeme Andrew Logan, 26 August 1967) is a British politician serving as Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations since 2021. He has been Member of Par ...
, then Justice Secretary, agreed with the board's recommendation, and at some point prior to 8 January 2017, Pitchfork was moved to an undisclosed open prison. In November 2017, Pitchfork was seen walking around
Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, city, Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Glouces ...
, so it was assumed that he had been moved to
HM Prison Leyhill HM Prison Leyhill is a Category D men's prison, located in the parish of Tortworth in Gloucestershire, England. Leyhill Prison is operated by His Majesty's Prison Service. History Leyhill Prison was originally a United States military hospital ...
in
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of ...
. On 3 May 2018, Pitchfork was refused release on licence. The Parole Board said Pitchfork would be eligible for a further review within two years. Lynda's mother said the Parole Board had "listened to us before the murderer". In 2017, it emerged Pitchfork would be released from open prison on unsupervised days out.


2021: release and recall

On 7 June 2021, Pitchfork was granted release on conditional licence. However, under the terms of the Parole Board Reconsideration Mechanism, introduced in 2019, the Secretary of State for Justice, Robert Buckland, had a short time to apply for a review if it was believed the decision was "procedurally unfair" or "irrational". Buckland did apply for a review, and Pitchfork remained in custody pending the outcome. On 13 July 2021 it was reported that the review had been refused and that Pitchfork would therefore be released. He was released on 1 September 2021. In November 2021, Pitchfork was recalled to prison for breaching his licence conditions by "approaching young women" while on walks from his bail hostel, although he had committed no offences since his release. His second victim's mother, Barbara Ashworth, told
BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadc ...
that she was pleased "he's been put away and women and girls are safe and protected from him now". There are complaints that the Parole Board was insufficiently cautious in allowing Pitchfork's release.
Dominic Raab Dominic Rennie Raab (; born 25 February 1974) is a British politician who has served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Secretary of State for Justice, and Lord Chancellor since October 2022, having previously served from 2021 t ...
has promised a Parole Board review. David Baker, a former police detective who helped capture Pitchfork, believes Pitchfork could deceive the Parole Board and pretend it was safe to release him. Baker maintains Pitchfork is a
psychopath Psychopathy, sometimes considered synonymous with sociopathy, is characterized by persistent antisocial behavior, impaired empathy and remorse, and bold, disinhibited, and egotistical traits. Different conceptions of psychopathy have been ...
and it will never be safe to release him.


2022: consideration for release

In autumn 2022 the Parole Board is to consider releasing Pitchfork again. The options available will be to refuse his release, grant release or recommend he moves from a closed prison to an open prison. Local MP Alberto Costa opposes releasing Pitchfork.


Artwork

In April 2009, a sculpture that Pitchfork had created in prison and which was exhibited at the
Royal Festival Hall The Royal Festival Hall is a 2,700-seat concert, dance and talks venue within Southbank Centre in London. It is situated on the South Bank of the River Thames, not far from Hungerford Bridge, in the London Borough of Lambeth. It is a Grade I li ...
, ''Bringing the Music to Life'', depicted an orchestra and choir. The sculpture was exhibited as part of a venture by the
Koestler Trust Koestler Arts (formerly The Koestler Trust) is a charity which helps ex-offenders, secure patients and detainees in the UK to express themselves creatively. It promotes the arts in prisons, secure hospitals, immigration centres and in the commun ...
, having been purchased by the Festival Hall for £600. Following outrage in the papers and from victim-advocate groups, it was removed from display.


Drama

The killings features in a 2002 episode of '' Real Crime'' "Cracking the Killer's Code". Pitchfork was played by John Duttine. In 2014, ITV commissioned a two-part television drama, ''
Code of a Killer ''Code of a Killer'' is a three-part British police drama television series which tells the true story of Alec Jeffreys' discovery of DNA fingerprinting and its introductory use by Detective David Baker in catching the double murderer Colin Pi ...
'', based on Pitchfork's crimes and the creation of DNA profiling. It starred John Simm as researcher
Alec Jeffreys Sir Alec John Jeffreys, (born 9 January 1950) is a British geneticist known for developing techniques for genetic fingerprinting and DNA profiling which are now used worldwide in forensic science to assist police detective work and to resolve ...
and David Threlfall as David Baker, the lead police detective. Pitchfork was played by Nathan Wright. The drama was the first broadcast in two 90-minute episodes, on 6 and 13 April 2015. It was subsequently reformatted as three episodes and released on DVD. The ''
New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the ...
'' episode "Dark Chocolate" refers to Pitchfork several times and it is ultimately the similarities between Pitchfork's case and the case the UCOS team are currently investigating that leads to the criminal's arrest. Pitchfork's crimes are also the focus of an episode of the Sky series ''How I Caught the Killer''.


See also

* Beenham murders – led to one of the first voluntary mass blood tests in UK criminal history in 1966, and led to a similar outcome as in the Pitchfork case when the killer originally avoided the test before eventually being caught *
Kirk Bloodsworth Kirk Noble Bloodsworth (born October 31, 1960) is a former Maryland waterman and the first American sentenced to death to be exonerated post-conviction by DNA testing. He had been wrongfully convicted in 1985 of the 1984 rape and first-degree mur ...
– the first American sentenced to
death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...
to be exonerated post-conviction by DNA testing * Patrick Mackay – a British serial killer who confessed to have murdered up to 13 people, who has been considered for release since 1995 * Allan Grimson – British double murderer believed to have murdered up to 22 people, whose release is imminent *
John Cannan John David Guise Cannan (born 20 February 1954) is a British murderer, serial rapist, serial abductor and suspected serial killer. A former car salesman, Cannan was convicted in July 1988 of murder and multiple sexual offences, abductions and ...
– murderer and suspected killer of
Suzy Lamplugh Suzy may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Suzy'' (film), a 1936 film starring Jean Harlow, Franchot Tone and Cary Grant * "Suzy" (Fool's Garden song), a song by German pop band Fool's Garden * "Suzy", a song by French electro swing band Car ...
, eligible for parole in 2022 UK cold cases where the offender's DNA is now known: * Murder of Deborah Linsley * Murders of Eve Stratford and Lynne Weedon *
Murders of Jacqueline Ansell-Lamb and Barbara Mayo Jacqueline Susan Ansell-Lamb (21 September 1951 – 14 March 1970) and Barbara Janet Mayo (20 March 1946 – 12 October 1970) were two young women who were murdered in separate incidents in 1970. Both women were last seen hitch-hiking a ...
* Murder of Lindsay Rimer * Murder of Lyn Bryant * Murder of Janet Brown * Murder of Linda Cook * Murder of Melanie Hall * Batman rapist, subject to Britain's longest-running serial rape investigation


References


Cited works and further reading

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pitchfork, Colin 1961 births Living people 1983 in England 1983 murders in the United Kingdom 1986 in England 1986 murders in the United Kingdom 20th-century English criminals Blaby British people convicted of sexual assault Criminals from Leicestershire English murderers of children English people convicted of murder English people convicted of rape English prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment People convicted of murder by England and Wales People from Hinckley and Bosworth (district) Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by England and Wales Rape in the 1980s