I have let people down again. James Bulgers father Ralph Bulger (pictured) is fighting to keep Jon Venables in prison for life. On February 12, 1993, he was tragically murdered by two 10-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. PA Images via Getty ImagesA policeman stands guard at the entrance of the site where the body of James Bulger was found on a railway embankment in Liverpool. ROBERT Thompson abducted and tortured to death two-year-old James Bulger alongside his partner in crime Jon Venables when they were just ten years old. They went out that day to kill I truly believe that. This left her with the impression that he was faking remorse. But Denise Fergus, James's mum, does not support the proceedings and said her son's killer should keep his anonymity to avoid vigilante justice. Venables himself begged not to be released as he fears he will reoffend, a report in November last year stated. Some even saw the older boys punch and kick the two-year-old. She quickly found mall security personnel and described her son and what he was wearing. By now, however, his forehead was bruised and cut, causing Venables and Thompson to pull the hood of the toddlers anorak over his head to try and hide the injury. Clickhereto upload yours. A move abroad would cost, of course, but the thinking is it would be cheaper in the long run.. A life for a life.. These boys asked who the toddler was and Venables replied that he was Thompsons brother and that they were taking him home. In 2017, Venables was caught in possession of thousands of child pornography images and sentenced to a minimum of 40 months in prison. Security cameras caught the three children walking outside at 3:42 p.m. By that point, Fergus had already alerted mall security, who made several announcements to shoppers about the missing child. And in 2018, he was sentenced to 40 months after admitting to possessing more than 1,000 child abuse images and the pedophile manual. But on that fateful day, the two boys would take their crimes to a horrific new level by kidnapping and killing a child. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. But it was ultimately an anonymous phone call to the police that implicated Jon Venables and Robert Thompson as the James Bulger killers. The older boys Jon Venables and Robert Thompson seem like they could be the brothers of the toddler as some bystanders thought in the mall that day. After murdering Bulger, Thompson and Venables placed his body on the railway track in an attempt to make his death look accidental. In September 2008 he was arrested on suspicion of affray after a drunken brawl outside a nightclub and was given a formal warning by the probation service. My advice would be dont bother applying,she said. I shouldnt have let go.. In October 2020, a parole report stated that Venables was attracted to sexual violence and recommended that he remain in prison. Thompson and Venables were only 10 years old at the time of the murder, making them the youngest convicted killers in Britain. Nevertheless, Venables was released. So, when the eight years were up in 2001, both boys were released. An official Parole Board summary explained why Venables, who was said to use "sex and pornography as a means of coping", was not deemed safe to be released from jail. Thompson has been revealed to be in a relationship with a man who is said to know his true identity. 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Robert Thompson and Venables became Britain's youngest killers for 250 years, James Bulger was snatched from his mum in a shopping mall in Merseyside, Denise Fergus shows previously unseen family photos of her murdered two-year-old son for a new documentary 'James Bulger: A Mother's Story with Trevor McDonald'. Footage of the boy's two abductors was released to the public by police. Today, while Thompson is believed to be assimilating back into society and living a quiet life, the same cannot be said of Venables. However, Denise Fergus, James Bulgers mother, concurred with the judges ruling. Apparently satisfied with their explanation, the woman simply told the two boys to take the toddler down to the nearby Walton Lane Police Station. [Robert Thompson and Jon Venables] now 18, were sent to secure units in November 1993, after they were found guilty of abducting two-year old James Bulger and beating him to death, the Home Office has announced today that they will be freed after serving less than nine years of their sentence. Grainy CCTV footage shows them walking James away from the. His mother treated her depression with heavy drinking and once tried to commit suicide. And if they hadnt been caught I fear they would have struck again.. By this time, Denise was panicking. But with no further offenses, Thompson might be a great example of how a child who commits a horrific act of violence can be rehabilitated and live a productive life after being incarcerated. "But he has duped them once too often and now they have ruled against him. Official figures showed that Venables' attempt to keep his identity secret cost taxpayers more than 65,000. At some point, for reasons that still remain unclear more than two decades later, Venables and Thompson decided to steal someones child. Venables claimed he was acting in self-defence and the charges were dropped after he agreed to go on an alcohol-awareness course. Thompson hasnt reoffended per the terms of his release, but authorities believe he masterminded the plan that led to James Bulgers death. James Bulgers, Ralph, father petitioned to have information about Jon Venables publicized. From 1993 to 2001, Venables served time in the Red Bank secure unit in St. Helens, Merseyside. Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty ImagesJames Bulgers father, Ralph, stands outside Liverpool Crown Court after making a statement to the parole board in hopes of keeping Jon Venables behind bars. She turned to drink and fell into depression, as well as allegedly trying to take her own life with an overdose. We pay for videos too. Venables and Thompson abducted James from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside before brutally torturing and murdering the tot and left his body by a railway line. A two-year-old James Bulger was kidnapped and killed by the ten-year-old Robert Thompson and his partner Jon Venables. For other inquiries, Contact Us. In the wake of removing the baby from a mall in Bootle, Merseyside, two 10-year-old young men grabbed and killed him in 1993. tvguidetime.com The paint was showered in his eyes, blocks were flung at him, he was kicked, and batteries were embedded in his mouth. Though authorities initially thought Bulger had been abducted by an adult, CCTV footage revealed the shocking truth that he had been taken by two kids. Lawyers working for him were paid 8,100 in legal aid, with government lawyers working on the case costing an additional 57,300. The youngster had no record of violence before he was found guilty of killing two-year-old James Bulger. Within hours of that surveillance image being captured on the afternoon of February 12, 1993, 10-year-olds Jon Venables and Robert Thompson had tortured two-year-old James Bulger to death. But sometimes the unthinkable happens - children kill. The parole experts cited there would need to be several very strict limitations on Venables and his contacts, movements and activities would need to be limited. A woman passing by noticed Bulger but did nothing. Both of them served their eight-year sentences and earned release from prison in 2001 after they each had turned 18. After a three-week trial, the jury took only five hours to render a guilty verdict for the boys. The kid killers were condemned to an adolescent detainment office, where they resided until their parole in 2001 at 18 years old. Given that key areas of risk remained subject to continuing interventions, the panel considered that Mr Venables was appropriately located in custody where outstanding levels of risk could be addressed. Though not much is known about his current whereabouts, he is reportedly in a stable relationship with a man who is fully aware of his past. The UK's Ministry of Justice repeatedly declined to comment on claims. But no one did anything. The reports said that Robert is openly gay and is in a long-term relationship with a partner who knows his real identity. Both were found guilty of the heinous crime, with the judge at their trial in November 1993 branding James' murder an act of "unparalleled evil and barbarity.". The 36-year-old has not re-offended since being released on licence when he was 18 years old. Jon Venables was born on August 13, 1982. The woman began calling for her son and ran outside, where she found Venables and Thompson beckoning the boy to follow them. The youngster had no record of violence before he was found guilty of killing two-year-old James Bulger. Jon Venables was responsible for a sickening crime that horrified the nation. Jon Venables was 10 when he and Robert Thompson killed James Bulger The post was shared 627 times. When officers arrived at his flat, Venables was attempting to remove or destroy the hard drive of his computer with a knife and tin opener. Meanwhile, after Venables, Thompson, and Bulger had left the mall, the toddler began crying out for his mother. Though Thompson was believed to have been the leader of the James Bulger murder plot, he has never reoffended since hes been released. Both boys were ordered to be imprisoned until review when they turned 18. It wont be a slap on the wrist for me.. The killer was 10-years-old when he and Robert Thompson murdered two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, which is. In 2006, reports claimed Thompson was in a stable gay relationship at age 23 and had settled well into his local community in the North West. Three months later, he got off with a warning after police caught him in possession of a small amount of cocaine. On November 24, 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were found guilty of the abduction and murder of James Bulger, making them the youngest convicted killers in modern British history. Once those CCTV images were released to the media, the story went nationwide and the search for Bulger intensified. Shed objected to Ralphs petition, saying: I understand the motivation for the application, but my concern is that if Venables were known by his own name, it could lead to vigilante action and innocent people being hurt. At the mall, James Bulger killers wandered from shop to shop, stealing anything they could get their hands on, then tossing their stolen booty down escalators just for the fun of it. After serving three years, he was released on parole. Not long after the elderly woman sent the boys on their way, Bulger was almost rescued yet again. His dad abandoned the family five years before Bulger's murder - leaving mum Ann devastated. A policeman stands guard at the entrance of the site where the body of James Bulger was found on a railway embankment in Liverpool. Here is what happened to Jon Venables after he was found guilty of murdering James Bulger. His current new identity came under threat in February 2018 after James Bulger's dad Ralph launched High Court proceedings against the order that allows him to live anonymously. Where is Robert Thompson now? Robert is now openly gay and is in a long-term relationship. The crimes of the 10-year-old killers horrified Britain. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Clickhereto upload yours. Both boys were ordered to be imprisoned until review when they turned 18. Outside the courthouse, people called for the blood of the James Bulger killers. "My decision is in no way a reflection on the applicants themselves, for whom there is a profoundest sympathy," he said. The child killer was released from a young offenders institution under licence in 2001 and has not re-offended since. Hes gonna be all right, Denise, I said. Venables was caged once again in 2010 after being found with a hoard of horrifying child abuse images on his laptop. June 24, 2011. By all accounts, Venables and Thompson showed no violent or aberrant behavior in prison but instead served their time for the James Bulger murder quietly and without incident. But this wouldn't be the only time Venables would have a brush with police. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, both 10, murdered him in cold blood. Sometimes you feel like youre having a heart attack, he said at the time. The murder of two-year-old James Bulger shocked Britain. He had passed five GCSEs, taken A-levels and enjoyed trips to the Lake District and even to the theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. It is believed Thompson remains in a long-term relationship with a man who knows his real identity. Mary Bell, the 11-year-old who killed toddlers and got off light. This valuable clue would lead to the arrest of Venables and his 10-year-old accomplice Robert Thompson (via Crime and Investigation). Venables, Thompson, and Bulger then walked into two different stores where they interacted with both shopkeepers who, though suspicious of the older boys, let them go. Feb 11 2021 On February 12th, 1993, two ten year old's, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, kidnapped, tortured, and killed two-year-old James Patrick Bulger in Liverpool England. Now 38, It is believed that he is still. Venables' new identity has been changed twice after he told friends he was a convicted murderer. A freak of nature. The tot was kidnapped, tortured, and sexually abused by the two ten-year-olds. Robert Thompson, now 36, said he is a "better person" thanks to his years in prison but. His body had been severed in two by a train. Venables was first imprisoned for possessing images of child abuse in 2010, but he was released in 2013. Rape survivor slams Gabby Petito Utah cop over handling of her case, 'Dark details' about boyfriend of US swim champ who mysteriously died, Disturbing red flags of Lindsay Clancy's psychosis before she 'killed 3 kids', Mysterious powder swamps US skies as residents report dust-covered cars, 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Jon Venables was ten years old when he was arrested for the torture and murder of two-year-old James Bulger, Chilling CCTV shows the moment James was led away from his parents, Venables was jailed for two years in 2010 after he admitted downloading and distributing indecent images of children, James Bulger killer Jon Venables charged over indecent images of children. As required by law, he will be eligible for another parole review in due course.. The report revealed that Jon had a new identity, a job in jail, and was a model prisoner. Just a couple of days later, Bulger was found on the same railway track where his killers had left him. With little to go on, Bulgers parents were suspects initially. James was taken from the Strand shopping center, . Robert Thompson, on the other hand, was not such an easy interview. After questioning Thompson and Venables, Detective Phil Roberts said, As far as Im concerned that day I stared evil in the face., Roberts continued, They were a match made in hell. Police were focused on other children who already had violent records, and they remained convinced that the two boys from the fuzzy CCTV footage looked 13 or 14, not 10. But they werent. The mother quickly found her daughter, but there was no sign of her son. Robert had no father figure as his dad abandoned the family five years before the murder. Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that Mr Venables should be transferred to open prison. But then Jon Venables and Robert Thompson turned back toward the privacy of the deserted railway. This caused various children to be identified as potential killers, with some parents even reporting their own kids. A woman would recognize one of the suspects, 10-year-old Jon Venables. ROBERT Thompson abducted, tortured and murdered two-year-old James Bulger alongside his partner in crime Jon Venables when they were just 10 years old. BWP Media via Getty ImagesJames Bulger at age two. But Blake Morrison, the author of As If: A Crime, a Trial, a Question of Childhood, a book on the trial, points out that Venables had a temper and had been known to lose control and had done some pretty weird things[and it was] just as likely that he was the instigator.. Venables and Thompson were tried in an adult courtroom by a jury. Thompson and Venables led Bulger away from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, after his mother had taken her . His health struggles detailed, Martina McClures story: Her injury and recovery, How did Simon Dunn die? In their bid to have Venable's identity disclosed, lawyers for Ralph and Jimmy Bulger argued certain details about the killer and his life are "common knowledge" and easily accessible online. Venables has now been caged for 40 months foradmitting having a paedo manual explaining "how to have sex with little girls" as well as over 1,000 vile child abuse images. During their November 1993 trial, the world was equally shocked and outraged that two young boys could have the capacity to viciously murder a toddler. Kill the bastards, people yelled. Police dropped the charges against him after he agreed to enroll in an alcohol awareness course. At trial in 1993, Thompson was painted as the ringleader, leading Venables on at every turn. He was 10 years old. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? 7 Oct 2021; Updated 13:36, 7 . He claimed that information about him already existed online. Over the course of interviews lasting several days, Venables eventually confessed. A staff writer for All Thats Interesting, Marco Margaritoff has also published work at outlets including People, VICE, and Complex, covering everything from film to finance to technology. Living under new names, they would both follow different trajectories. Who suggested it is unclear; later, after they were arrested, each blamed the other. On the outside, he finds it difficult to make friends or gain employment and he seeks out drink, sex and pornography as a way of adding excitement to this life and thats a potent mix.. It was also noted that Venables had not requested a release from prison or a transfer to an open jail. So the authorities secretly visited Robert Thompson who lived in Walton, not far from the murder scene with his mother and 2 younger brothers. 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