On February 12, 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables abducted a 2-year-old boy named James Bulger from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, England. I actually supported them being released at 18. He recalls: "The vast majority of Liverpool children probably had a worse upbringing than Venables. Jon Venables mugshot is one of the most recognisable and disturbing images in criminal history. He was then told that hed have to wait two more years before hed be eligible for parole again. i somehow think not. It is understood the alleged assault is the most serious in a series of violent incidents involving Venables, who is said to be a heavy drinker with a temper. Thompson has lived "incident free" yeah he just hasn't been caught.. Another investigator said Thompson "would cry whenever there would be an awkward situation," to avoid questioning. Youve got to get me one. From the outset he was treated as a star prisoner and played up to it. They were a match made in hell. Mrs Thompson said: 'They are all saying he told lies . and Is it the goriness? I know that and its best that they do but it doesn't mean i agree with it. Though Thompson tried very hard not to incriminate himself while he was speaking to the interrogators, he failed when he gave a detailed account of what James Bulger had been wearing on the day he was killed. I'm reluctant to say this because it will reveal a lot about where i am and who I'm talking about, but the UK public does know about this. It is believed Thompson remains in a long-term relationship with a man who knows his real identity. 0. Aged ten, Thompson arrived at the detention centre in the North of England the day after his arrest in February 1993, and remained there until his release in 2001. 121 Jon Venables Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE Collections Project #ShowUs Creative Insights EDITORIAL VIDEO BBC Motion Gallery NBC News Archives MUSIC BLOG BROWSE PRICING ENTERPRISE VisualGPS INSIGHTS BOARDS CART SIGN IN Editorial Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL Though they were known to be rule-breakers, they mostly dabbled in low-level criminal activity, like stealing small items from stores and throwing them down mall escalators. The pair posted pictures on Twitter and Facebook purporting to depict Jon Venables and Robert Thompson as adults. This Inmate is currently serving life for murdering and rape of 6 year old girl. And a lot closer to home than you'd think. you're alone and you face the world alone, the same as I'm doing now." Tina McGuire breached a worldwide ban on revealing Jon Venables's current identity by. But then it became apparent that he was what we call a typical care kid even though he hadnt been in care. Most people who worked on the case believed him to be the instigator in the abduction & what subsequently happened to little James. I remember looking at the crowds passing him and thinking, If only you knew! Ive also seen him out drinking in pubs. Thompson, 48, who started his new role as Laguna's top cop on Jan. 18, previously held the same position for the city of Dixon in Northern California. The images were logged two days after the 20th anniversary of the two-year-olds murder, who was killed by Venables and Thompson in 1993, aged just 10. Now Venables is reportedly terrified of being attacked or killed in jail, where he is serving time following a recent conviction for downloading child pornography, and has begged authorities for an operation to change his looks. To his amazement, he was working as a steward, shepherding crowds into a stadium. The trial is scheduled to start Nov. 30 in New London Superior Court. * ..and effectively granted them their freedom early 2001 subject to a Parole Board decision. 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. -. He was a 10-yr-old kid then. Thompson and Venables were 10. Jamess mother Denise Fergus has called on Gordon Brown to lift the blanket of secrecy over Venables parole breach, as has Jamess father Ralph Bulger. Toddler James Bulger disappeared on February 12 1993. Francis Giannelli, 28, is accused of murder in the Oct. 26, 2019 death of 35-year-old Robert Thompson of Preston. His dad abandoned the family five years before Bulger's murder - leaving mum Ann devastated. MORE: BULGER KILLER AFRAID TO LEAVE JAIL. Normally when the offenders are released, we know the date and have a chance to say goodbye properly. But he is not a murderer. This could of all been prevented if Robert Thompson was locked away in the first place! two men were given suspended prison sentences, Protest erupts after Projects Jesus sex joke, Trauma after cannibal killer crime scene. Some witnesses later reported that the older boys roughed up Bulger in plain sight, kicking, punching, and shaking him. 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. The 36-year-old has not re-offended since being released on licence when he was 18 years old. In addition, he is well known as a specialist in macro photography. James Bulger was two when he was murdered on 12 February 1993. Heres what will happen if you start a rumour on the where abouts of Robert Thompson So some one from the Isle Of Man, is the first person to be convicted of spreading lies about the whereabouts. "It terrifies me that this sends out a message that you can commit a crime as heinous as killing James and get away with it.". All the inmates had their own rooms which were locked at night. But it was never a case of brotherly hugs or anything like that. That was off limits. Let it go! He said: This is why I felt unable to admit my part in the murder. What are you going to do prosecute me for posting a picture? The now-36-year-old was co-accused in the crime and equally found guilty of luring James away from New Strand Shopping Centre in Liverpool, England on 12 February 1993 before beating him to death. After the. They should never have bee released and never been given new identities. Andrew Chapman for MailOnline, Bulger killer recalled to prison over 'child porn offence' as Straw continues to deny public the truth, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, Mark Gordon arrives at Crawley Police Station after remains found, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' The social worker, who would later chaperone the boy on trips to shopping centres and parks, recalled his first day. A Match Made In Hell: How Robert Thompson And Jon Venables Became Killers At Age 10. Robert was by no means alone in having committed a horrific crime, said the social worker. Both boys were soon arrested, and it didnt take long for them to turn on each other. They first attempted to lure a three-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother away from their mother. After murdering Bulger, Thompson and Venables placed his body on the railway track in an attempt to make his death look accidental. "My decision is in no way a reflection on the applicants themselves, for whom there is a profoundest sympathy," he said. Although he had been locked up for four years, Thompson didnt find his first foray on to the streets in any way alarming. We deep dive, on Mamamia Out Loud. It was ridiculous. James Bulgers father Ralph Bulger (pictured) is fighting to keep Jon Venables in prison for life. Wait, I'm confused. The Guardian reports when he was five years old, his father abandoned the family, leaving his mother, Ann, devastated. Peter Byrne/PA Images/Getty ImagesJames Bulgers father Ralph Bulger (pictured) is fighting to keep Jon Venables in prison for life. Images; Galleries; . 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. A child psychologist explains why children aren't held responsible for their crimes, in documentary 'The Bulger Killers: Was Justice Done?' How does UK prison not know the names of its inmates? DetectivePhil Roberts was on Merseysides serious crime squad when he got a call at 6am on February 13, 1993, about a two-year-old boy who had gone missing from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle. Thompson claimed he pleaded not guilty to murder for fear of revenge attacks. 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. The pair, who posted the photographs on Twitter and Facebook, were given nine-month jail terms, which were suspended for 15 months. RM G55MHP - Jon Venables's lawyer John Dickenson outside the High Court in London, after the judgement of Lord Chief Justice Lord Woolf, who cut the minimum sentences to be served by the child killers of toddler James Bulger. If someone came at him he would quickly and clinically punch them back. The best of their '70s fetish records, Spoon's 'Gimme Fiction' is eleven impeccably-imperfect pop songs whose admixture of mysterioso slow burns, half-stoned character studies and Freedom Rock workouts feel as nervous and caustic as vintage Stones. He will hate what has happened with Venables, because it will bring it all flooding back, and once more put his name in the spotlight.. DIGITAL SPY, PART OF THE HEARST UK ENTERTAINMENT NETWORK. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. He very quickly became influenced by the staff around him and turned into something else, someone more likeable, although he always had an unnerving tendency to look straight through you. Menu. He was born. The media ban is on revealing the location/name/etc of Robert Thompson. Denise Fergus and her then-husband Ralph Bulger were worried sick. They went out that day to kill I truly believe that. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. He stood rooted to the spot in the lounge area. In Channel 5's two-part documentary Lost Boy: The Killing of James Bulger, one of the investigators who questioned Thompson said the young boy was "street smart" and "clever," and said the ten-year-old was "trying very, very hard to con me.". His identity is protected by a worldwide injunction - meaning that even trying to find out where he lives could land you in jail. But protected by draconian rules, Thompson, 27, has a new identity now, a new life, and according to someone who knew him well, is unlikely to make the same mistake as his former friend. He said: "I don't know how he was doing at school, but he was switched on and he was trying to con me, trying very hard". And when the subject of the toddlers murder was raised by staff or other children, it was always met with the same shrugged response: It was something that happened, and I dont want to discuss it with you.. Mrs Fergus, 45, said: I cannot condone these two men breaking the law by posting pictures of Venables or Thompson on the internet. This crime went to court where he either plead guilty or was found guilty and sentenced for life. They then led him to an area called Walton in Liverpool, where they tortured him, beat him to death, and abandoned his body on a railway track in an effort to make his murder look like an accident. The pair, who posted the. He was having a pretty good time inside and everything was done for him, he said. In case your not familiar with the murder of Jamie Bulger, here is a link to some information. Now my friend has signed confidentiality forms preventing him from going to the press, which doesn't really make a different because British law has prevented the media on revealing the location of Robert Thompson anyways. He simply fell into the routine and seemed to put it all behind him.. He took it all in his stride, said the social worker. Now he's here on a more permanent basis. Thompson and Venables eventually arrived near a railway track in Walton. Later, a TV and games console were added, and in his teenage years he decorated the walls with prints of paintings by L.S. Your friend, the prison warden, is full of shit. The allegations have revived interest in a case that shocked the nation ever since it emerged that Venables and his then friend, Robert Thompson, had abducted toddler James Bulger from a shopping . In November 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables became the youngest convicted murderers in British history. On March 4, 2019, it was announced Thompson's accomplice Jon Venables is to keep his anonymity after a judge ruled it would protect him from "serious violence". For other inquiries, Contact Us. If bruised by their parting, Thompson, typically, didnt let it show. ROBERT THOMPSON OBITUARY Robert Nile Thompson Fishers - Robert Nile Thompson, 84, of Fishers, Indiana passed away, Friday, June 5, 2020 surrounded by his loved ones. Browsing Robert Thompson; 3167; The kid killers were condemned to an adolescent detainment office, where they resided until their parole in 2001 at 18 years old. ROBERT LEE THOMPSON, 91, of North Little Rock, Ark., transitioned on the 20th of January 2021 at home surrounded by his family. Being in jail is no protection either. While growing up, his family moved around a lot, between Michigan, Indiana and Florida. Updated: 20:25, 29 Sep 2021. But in 1993, these two British boys became cold-blooded killers and murdered a toddler. As for Venables, he has been thrown in prison again on multiple occasions, most notably for possession of child pornography and a pedophile manual, which described how to abuse young girls in sickening detail. She knew exactly who Robert was, what he had done, but it didnt put her off.. See more results for Dale Thompson. Along with Venables, Thompson was found guilty of abducting James from a Liverpool shopping centre, then torturing and murdering him. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. There were punch-ups and it quickly became obvious that he was not to be messed with. After bringing in Thompson and Jon Venables for questioning, Phil said: As far as Im concerned that day 20 years ago I stared evil in the face. During his trial, he was obsessed with watching the reports of the case, seeing the van on TV driving him to court. August 10, 2022. "They got a first class education, counsellors and therapists while Jamess family was thrown to the wolves with our grief. The social worker suspects Thompson viewed his return to the outside world with some trepidation, although he didnt show it. , updated This was largely due to the fact that Venables appeared more emotional, while Thompson often appeared chillingly unfazed. :rolleyes: Poor woman, how? I dont think he has reoffended since his release, that would be very hard to imagine. The photographs, seen by news.com.au, were posted by a vigilante who has been circulating information about Venables and his co-accused Robert Thompson on Twitter since 2013. At least two images purporting to be recent snaps of Jon Venables, now 35, were leaked to Twitter along with his new name and the prison in which he is currently incarcerated. Imagine if you had a child that died, knowing that they could still be around if it wasn't for a stupid judge in another country who thought Robert Thompson was fit for the public. Venables and Thompson were tried in an adult courtroom by a jury. Statements made by Robert Thompson, the accomplice to Jon Venables in the murder of James Bulger, have been released and they reveal some startling and twisted comments made by the convicted murderer. But he didnt seem bothered. He was interested in sports shops and the latest trainers and would use the money hed saved up to buy a pair. If i found out down the line that my boyfriend was a murderer i'd be devastated but i guess what people don't know can't hurt em and all that huh? Hes watches Roberts Thompson everyday for a living! James Bulgers father Ralph Bulger thinks that if Venables were to be released now, he would be at risk of killing again. The place doubled in size in the time he was in there. Thompson is the more calculating of the two, and probably the one who is able to hide what he is up to. the hand of Jon Venables, one of two ten-year-old boys later convicted of his torture and murder. View our online Press Pack. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. The British government has reportedly spent in excess of $1.7 million of taxpayers money on at least four different identities for Venables. But when Venables was recalled to jail in 2010, it emerged Thompson had done well at Barton Moss secure unit, in Eccles, Lancs, showing a growing interest and talent in art. Facebook gives people the. Now the first cop on the scene has revealed what he saw. Sir John Thomas and Mr Justice Tugendhat, today sitting at the High Court in London, said that Liddle, of Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and Harkins, of Bridlington, East Yorkshire, knew they were breaking the law and it was no excuse to claim others were also identifying the killers. What would you do? If innocent, put back into society, hidden again. Its also reported that Ann used alcohol to cope and became depressed, even attempting to take her own life. Initially, he displayed the complete opposite in fact. Jon Venables. Indeed, if the reports are true, his behaviour improved considerably inside. There are interviews with boys that were in the same unit as JV, look into them. We were told that he found work in a pub but his mother compromised him by going in and talking loudly in a Scouse accent. Along with Robert Thompson, Venables was jailed for torturing and battering two-year-old James Bulger in Liverpool in February 1993. A lot of the staff thought the people running the unit used Thompsons presence to coerce the Home Office into improving facilities. Though many people on the streets believed that the three boys were siblings, others were concerned about Thompson and Venables aggressive behavior toward Bulger. It just wasnt in his make up.. This week 23 years ago, a NSW mum did the unthinkable.