The kid killers were condemned to an adolescent detainment office, where they resided until their parole in 2001 at 18 years old. Confidential Watch Now . He said: This is why I felt unable to admit my part in the murder. i somehow think not. 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. Though it was quickly dismissed by the Federal Police as a mistake and then the situation was swept aside never to be heard of again. Exact date yellow weather warning for snow and ice forecast to hit UK - will you be affected? Robert Thompson was just 10 when he and Jon Venables killed two-year-old James Bulger. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Mr Grieve said the public interest required the prosecution to guard against the very real risk of serious physical harm or death to anyone who might be identified, whether correctly or incorrectly, as being either of the killers. The decision was approved by the then Home Secretary, David Blunkett, and the pair were given new identities and moved to secret locations. I had a strange energy in me where I had to be doing something, getting chased, stealing something, getting into trouble, and Jon Venables with James Bulger was stopping me from doing this. Watch Now . Some witnesses later reported that the older boys roughed up Bulger in plain sight, kicking, punching, and shaking him. Otherwise it means Venables has got away with it again and other people have paid for his crime., Get email updates with the day's biggest stories. Kids Who Kill: Jon Venables and Robert Thompson A shocking story of two 10-year-olds who abducted and brutally murdered a 2-year-old, leaving the toddler's mutilated body on railway tracks for a train to run over. It's surprisingly easy to find out where at least one of the two are. I actually supported them being released at 18. I would like the police to open an investigation into his actions because it amounts to conspiracy with the men who reposted the pictures he published in the first place. Robert Thompson II calls Ft. Wayne, IN home, but was born in Ann Arbor, MI. He had a good sense of humour and picked up on staff jokes that the rest of the kids wouldnt get. 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. Even if i wanted money for this, it wouldn't make a difference would it? On 24 November 1993, Thompson and Venables, then aged 11, became the youngest convicted murders in modern British history. Why are we all so obsessed with True Crime? I believe the only way to prevent him from killing another baby like James is to keep him locked up for life, Ralph Bulger said in response to the parole boards decision. This latest alleged leak of images purporting to show what he looks like now could force authorities to give him yet another. 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. Though Bulgers mother Denise Fergus had been holding his hand, she had briefly let go to pay for groceries, only to look down with horror and realize that her child had vanished. If innocent, put back into society, hidden again. He wouldnt scream or shout like the others. And a lot closer to home than you'd think. All times AEDT (GMT +11). "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. What he has to say about Thompsons comfortable existence inside and the way the prison system danced in attendance around him will infuriate Jamess mother Denise Fergus. His dad abandoned the family five years before Bulger's murder - leaving mum Ann devastated. Is it the goriness? News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. When I found out, I told him it wasnt a good idea as he would be marked for life. Close friendships were forged and Thompson counted among his new pals a boy who had murdered his mother. The killing became the focus of Joe McGinniss' bestseller, Blind Faith. 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. Thompson was the Pied Piper. 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? . He also tried to get her in a side room but, again, the staff wouldnt allow this. If he committed a serious crime he'd be held, tried and if found guilty, sent to jail again. Is this just another stupid conspiracy theory? He was also close to the manager at the unit and theyd sit talking and laughing together. Wait, I'm confused. Oh for goodness sake! In addition, he is well known as a specialist in macro photography. He was born to Robert Sr. (a Vietnam Veteran) and Shelly (a medical professional). 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. I said to the other staff that we should take him back to his room and take away his TV or some other privilege, which was the procedure. At first, Thompson denied everything. We pay for videos too. The cops soon checked both boys homes. We pay for your stories! All this happened without a single person, not a court clerk, a juror, a government employee, a police officer no one, whispering a word of it to the media? During his trial, he was obsessed with watching the reports of the case, seeing the van on TV driving him to court. 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. While some adults stopped to ask the children a few questions, they all let the boys go on their way, apparently believing that Bulger was either being taken home or to the police station. And even by 2000, top child psychiatrist Sir Michael Rutter claimed the risk posed by Venables on his release was "trivial". Facebook gives people the. The Justice Department said last week simply that the decision to return Venables to jail was made because he had breached the terms of his release. They first attempted to lure a three-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother away from their mother. , updated Their horrendous crime was made more difficult to understand by the then-10-year-olds' silence. Meanwhile, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables led the toddler far away from the mall and toward another town. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were only 10-years-old when they became the country's youngest murderers in 250 years. Depends how much the Sun/Daily Mail were offering. 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. Robert Lee Thompson, 75, of North Little Rock, left this world unexpectedly due to heart complications, Sunday, January 15, 2023. "They got a first class education, counsellors and therapists while Jamess family was thrown to the wolves with our grief. Thompson and Venables were 10. I think Thompson was in charge, but they both attacked James. But in statements that convinced the Parole Board to free him in 2001, he said: I do feel aware I am now a better person and have had a better life and a better education than if I had not committed the murder. Debra Kane of the department's missing person's unit took an interest. Venables on the other hand, has been returned to prison twice for child pornography related offences. How can anyone say this monster is safe to live among us ever again?. Andrew Chapman for MailOnline He was never a trouble-maker, but he would square up to any kid who came at him, who wanted to make a name for himself by having a go at Robert Thompson. Thompson's was 18ft by 12ft with a bed, desk, chairs, table and bookcase and an en suite shower and toilet. Once, he was involved in a confrontation with another youth, and he was really angry, but in a controlled sulky way. How insane it is getting older. It's disgusting. Whats happened to Robert Thompson the "other" killer of James Bulger? The trial is scheduled to start Nov. 30 in New London Superior Court. . He also told the Mail he feels the pair have been "rewarded not punished" for the horrific attack. Thompson spent most of his teenage years in prison, released when he was 18 years old. Thompson claimed he pleaded not guilty to murder for fear of revenge attacks. A lot of the staff thought the people running the unit used Thompsons presence to coerce the Home Office into improving facilities. That was the biggest mistake of my life. The children were woken at 8.20am and, after getting showered and having breakfast, made their way to lessons. This crime went to court where he either plead guilty or was found guilty and sentenced for life. I should say permanent solitary confinement because apparently there was a "hit" placed on him by the other inmates because of the crime that he is in jail for. There was also a young rapist in his unit. I shouldnt have let go of his hand, Fergus later said. Join Facebook to connect with Robert Thompson and others you may know. I didnt feel able to give evidence.. By Jon Venables and Robert Thompson in their original police mugshots. He knew it wouldnt do him any good. Your friend, the prison warden, is full of shit. "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.". Both boys were soon arrested, and it didnt take long for them to turn on each other. The killers were jailed for life but released on licence with new identities in 2001. We all feared that a premature disclosure of information would undermine the integrity of the criminal justice process, including the investigation and potential prosecution of individuals. I made a representation to my superiors that he was being treated differently from the others but it was shrugged off. They left the toddlers body on a railway line for police to discover two days later. He must be 29 now. Two men who posted pictures purporting to show toddler James Bulgers killers as adults avoided jail today. Robert Thompson was born on August 23, 1982 - the fifth of seven children. A Match Made In Hell: How Robert Thompson And Jon Venables Became Killers At Age 10. Robert Thompson was born on August 23, 1982 - the fifth of seven children. "Pure evil, I will never change my mind about that.". After a three-week trial, the jury took only five hours to render a guilty verdict for the boys. I saved myself from Royal life, Harry says & insists 'sharing's an act of service', Love Island's Olivia Hawkins breaks silence as she returns to the UK, Loose Women star lined up to be Strictly's first contestant in wheelchair, Coronation Street fans horrified as Amy Barlow is raped in disturbing scenes, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Many of them would later express regret for not doing anything. Though many people on the streets believed that the three boys were siblings, others were concerned about Thompson and Venables aggressive behavior toward Bulger. Robert Thompson, Writer: The 'Devil. info@mindenpictures.com 831 661 5551 Login Register. The social worker suspects Thompson viewed his return to the outside world with some trepidation, although he didnt show it. News and Gossip. They were clearly very close.. Venables knows that there are plenty of people who are willing to do a life sentence to have him dead. In 2010 a social worker who looked after the boy described his behaviour in prison to the Daily Mail. They spotted Bulger in a butcher shop and grabbed him. My wife was appalled that I was looking after Robert Thompson and it was the same with the partners of the other staff. Thompson, who was seen as the more dominant of the two and, according to Venables police statement was the one who started throwing bricks at him (James) first, has not been in trouble since. The place doubled in size in the time he was in there. He and pal Jon Venables were ten when they abducted and mutilated James in Bootle, Merseyside, in 1993. 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. This image became the one we picture when the murder is discussed, just as Jon Venables became the focus of discussions about the crime and the trial. The Attorney General is considering bringing proceedings against other individuals for similar breaches in the Thompson and Venables case, but they are yet to be issued.