The murder of Rachel Nickell 25 years on

[lookout]

I'd have liked a refund of my tax that has gone toward keeping the scumbag alive !!

He'd been treated better than the homeless and child migrants------It's insanity to keep the like of Brady alive and I can't understand the mentality of this justice system to allow it.

[Adam]

There was a documentary on this last night. The police made more mistakes than I thought.

I understand why Colin Stagg became a suspect. He lived near the location & several people suggested him to the police after a photofit was released on 'Crimewatch'.

DNA was being used then but there was no forensic evidence against Stagg. However the police still thought Stagg was their man. They had to release him however still released his name to the media. Stagg was now infamous.

After being questioned, released & his name made known to the media, the police then attempted their honey trap.

Surely Stagg would have spotted the honeytrap was a set up a mile off. Espescially after she started asking him about the Rachel Nickell murder. How did the woman get Stagg's address to start writing to him ? Stagg didn't confess during the honey trap.

Despite no confession & no evidence, the police still charged Stagg. While he was in prison waiting for trial, Samantha Blissett was murdered by Napper. It was suggested to the police the murderer could be the same person who murdered Rachel Nickell. But the police on the Nickell case still believed Stagg was their man. 

The judge threw out the case straight away, calling it entrapment by deceit. Interestingly, Stagg's lawyer believed Stagg would have been found guilty if a trial had gone ahead. Saying the public wanted to find a culprit for such a terrible crime.

Forensic psychologist Paul Brittain rejected any link between the Nickell murder with the Samantha Blisset case or the Green Chain crimes.

[Adam]

It says that Napper was linked to the Samantha Blissett case due to a finger print on a window frame.

Surprised they found nothing on or around the two dead bodies. Napper must have been careful but made a mistake when entering or exiting.

The police had previously twice asked Napper to attend a police station to give blood samples during the Nickell investigation. Napper didn't attend. Once Napper was identified as the Samantha Blissett killer, the police on the Nickell case could have then done a DNA, blood & finger print check on Napper. But waited 14 years.

[Steve_uk]

 Colin Stagg is a decent bloke. Napper is insane. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/who-killed-rachel-nickell-murderer-12130687

[Adam]

Another documentary said Stagg was on the common only a few hundreds away at the time Nickell was murdered. He was walking his dog.

This may be another reason Stagg was arrested. It wouldn't be hard to work out that Stagg would walk his dog on the common every day. 


I read that after Napper failed to attend two appointments to give a blood sample, two policemen went to Nappers house. Because Napper was polite & made them coffee & Napper looked shorter than the description, the police didn't bother taking a sample. Napper walked with a hunch.

[Jo]

I feel for Colin Stagg, I think many people still believe him to be a murderer and that must be hard to live with.

[Steve_uk]

New Channel 4 drama: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/rachel-nickell-killer-hid-in-plain-sight-for-12-years-after-murdering-her-in-front-of-son/ar-AANikXQ?ocid=msedgdhp

[Steve_uk]

Colin Stagg documentary 33 years on: https://youtu.be/qyxjyDvzlz0

[handymanz]

When reading this timeline, the different London Police jurisdictions involved were totally incompetent. There would appear to be a culture at the time of internal bickering & politicking and of jumping to conclusions. A similar culture at the time also probably existed within Essex Police.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/dec/18/rachel-nickell-robert-napper-crime

[Hardy Boy]

When reading this timeline, the different London Police jurisdictions involved were totally incompetent. There would appear to be a culture at the time of internal bickering & politicking and of jumping to conclusions. A similar culture at the time also probably existed within Essex Police.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/dec/18/rachel-nickell-robert-napper-crime

I couldn’t agree more, we can go further back and see how Taff jumped to conclusions that it was Sheila had shot everyone and committed suicide,  jumping to conclusions without the proper investigation, and This is the problem why we’re here today,  a proper investigation might have proved Sheila had done it, or it was Bamber after all?