GUILTY UK - Arrest in 1987 'Bedsit Murders' of Wendy Knell, 25, and Caroline Pierce, 20, in Kent

[SaintGertrude]

Pembury woods surround the hospital. Before the new PFI hospital was built on the site it was called Pembury hospital. It was a former workhouse and a very old creepy building especially at night. It was several different blocks and later prefab buildings added. It was Maternity ,womens and childrens. Nurses home also on site in one of the old buildings. There was also a psych unit there at one time. You could walk straight into the woods from various points on the site at one time. I had all 3 of my babies there and several operations.

Thank you for your insight as a local Jackal67. It would be interesting to look at the woods on google maps. I hope there are no other victims of Fuller's murder sprees
The papers mention that Fuller often visited his Grandparents on his dads side who lived near the Romney Marsh
https://www.kent.police.uk/news/ken...s/guilty-plea-in-tunbridge-wells-murder-case/
Quote: Evidence also showed Fuller was very familiar with the New Romney area, near to where Caroline’s body was discovered. He holidayed there during the 1980s and as a child visited grandparents who lived nearby. Fuller was also a member of a cycle club and one of the routes members took went directly past the location where Caroline was found'.

Looking on Google maps Brockhill Country Park in Hythe, Kent would have been a familiar place for Fuller as well as Romney Marsh.

I am not sure when he lost the Grandparents on his fathers side of the family as the newspaper report just says 1980's was when he visited.

On his mothers side he would have been visiting Maidstone up until 1992 and his family also had a strong connection to Folkestone.

 

[Whitehall 1212]

Thank you for your insight as a local Jackal67. It would be interesting to look at the woods on google maps. I hope there are no other victims of Fuller's murder sprees
The papers mention that Fuller often visited his Grandparents on his dads side who lived near the Romney Marsh
Smiling face of the monster behind the notorious 1987 Bedsit Murders
On his mothers side he would have been visiting Maidstone up until 1992 and his family also have a strong connection to Folkestone. After 1992 he had no Grandparents left on his mothers side to visit. I am not sure when he lost the Grandparents on his fathers side of the family.

This article mentions the bloody fingerprint being matched to DF. Well it wasn't for the thirty-four years since the murders of Wendy and Caroline! If it had been matched with DF's fingerprints held on the National Fingerprint Database then DF should have been identified after Wendy's murder. I hope it is something that is incorrect in this report and not an error by the police!

 

[SaintGertrude]

A now deleted post shows that David Fuller may have been related to this historical person.
The East Sussex village home to 'Mad Jack' Fuller's fascinating follies
Another sleuth has pointed out to me that David was researching his family history almost every day before his arrest so another hobby to add to his list.

 

[SaintGertrude]

This article mentions the bloody fingerprint being matched to DF. Well it wasn't for the thirty-four years since the murders of Wendy and Caroline! If it had been matched with DF's fingerprints held on the National Fingerprint Database then DF should have been identified after Wendy's murder. I hope it is something that is incorrect in this report and not an error by the police!

A shame he didn't do a DNA test when he was on a popular site doing his genealogy. I am not sure if detectives are allowed to look at already stored DNA on family tree interest sites though.

 

[Whitehall 1212]

A shame he didn't do a DNA test when he was on a popular site doing his genealogy. I am not sure if detectives are allowed to look at already stored DNA on family tree interest sites though.

Police can apply for any data from a third party when investigating crime. It provides the third party with a lawful excuse under GDPR for disclosing personal data. The third party can refuse and the police would need to apply for a Production Order from a court, which may not be successful.

However, the genealogy approach you allude to, which has been used in the USA, is very unlikely to be considered in the UK and I think would provoke uproar with civil liberties groups.

 

[Chest_Rockwell]

This article mentions the bloody fingerprint being matched to DF. Well it wasn't for the thirty-four years since the murders of Wendy and Caroline! If it had been matched with DF's fingerprints held on the National Fingerprint Database then DF should have been identified after Wendy's murder. I hope it is something that is incorrect in this report and not an error by the police!

From what I understood, the fingerprint was partial and was left on a Millets plastic bag. Also, the forensics expert, who gave evidence at court, said the method used to find finger prints would have damaged or even destroyed further DNA evidence.

 

[jackal67]

This article mentions the bloody fingerprint being matched to DF. Well it wasn't for the thirty-four years since the murders of Wendy and Caroline! If it had been matched with DF's fingerprints held on the National Fingerprint Database then DF should have been identified after Wendy's murder. I hope it is something that is incorrect in this report and not an error by the police!

Why would his finger print be on the national data base though if he had no previous record? Or would it have been taken at the Portsmouth burglary charges?

 

[Dotta]

Why would his finger print be on the national data base though if he had no previous record? Or would it have been taken at the Portsmouth burglary charges?

Well, I think it is obvious that burglars have their fingerprints taken, no?
By the way, I missed the info if he was in prison for these crimes?

 

[OnlyS]

Well, I think it is obvious that burglars have their fingerprints taken, no?
By the way, I missed the info if he was in prison for these crimes?

Burglar spared jail at Portsmouth court went on to abuse 99 corpses in mortuaries

No, he wasn’t jailed.
Was going to try and get down today to look at the archive, but didn’t a chance. I will give the library a call during the week to see what they have as I couldn’t see what they had available when I looked online. Didn’t want to go and then find the newspaper stored somewhere else.

 

[Dotta]

Burglar spared jail at Portsmouth court went on to abuse 99 corpses in mortuaries

No, he wasn’t jailed.
Was going to try and get down today to look at the archive, but didn’t a chance. I will give the library a call during the week to see what they have as I couldn’t see what they had available when I looked online. Didn’t want to go and then find the paper stored somewhere else.

Thank you
Spared jail - I wonder why?

 

[Chest_Rockwell]

Thank you
Spared jail - I wonder why?

I suspect because he conveniently landed an MoD apprenticeship and so sending him to jail would doom him to a future of unemployment. DF no doubt had a good solicitor who probably advised DF to demonstrate that he's turning his life around etc. and to also admit other offences.

 

[Dotta]

I suspect because he conveniently landed an MoD apprenticeship and so sending him to jail would doom him to a future of unemployment. DF no doubt had a good solicitor who probably advised DF to demonstrate that he's turning his life around etc. and to also admit other offences.

What a cunning guy.
Taking advantage of goodwill of others.
Yes, it makes sense!

 

[Chest_Rockwell]

What a cunning guy.
Taking advantage of goodwill of others.
Yes, it makes sense!

See it all the time in the media. Young lad/lass gets busted for whatever but doesn't get sent down because he/she found an employer who is willing to give them a chance. I suppose Judges have to weigh up making someone long term unemployed by sending them to jail or giving them a "chance" to "change" via the work route. Obviously depends on the seriousness of the offence(s).

 

[Dotta]

See it all the time in the media. Young lad/lass gets busted for whatever but doesn't get sent down because he/she found an employer who is willing to give them a chance. I suppose Judges have to weigh up making someone long term unemployed by sending them to jail or giving them a "chance" to "change" via the work route. Obviously depends on the seriousness of the offence(s).

You are right.
As a teacher Im in favour of giving "the second chance"
But one must be careful not to be too gullible.

 

[SaintGertrude]

Fuller has now been eliminated from the Portsmouth case another sleuth mentioned
Killer 'eliminated' from murder investigation into Portsmouth barmaid’s death in 1986
He is still being looked into regarding Bedgebury I guess until we hear otherwise
Police investigating morgue monster in connection with two unsolved murders

Hopefully Fuller's DNA is also on the international database. There is an unsolved murder abroad which I won't go into detail about but have now asked a homicide team if his DNA is being checked against this. I will let people know if there is any news.

 

[Dotta]

Hopefully Fuller's DNA is also on the international database. There is an unsolved murder abroad which I won't go into detail about but have now asked a homicide team if his DNA is being checked against this. I will let people know if there is any news.

But you must be careful not to pin all murders home and abroad on him!
Just saying

 

[SaintGertrude]

But you must be careful not to pin all murders home and abroad on him!
Just saying

No I am only interested in Bedgebury Forest murders in the UK and one other murder abroad

 

[SaintGertrude]

I am trying to find photos David Fuller took of Cutting Crew. There is a FB group called Crewmates so hoping to find a snippet on there.
Has anyone else found any of the photos Fuller took as their unofficial photographer.

 

[Dotta]

No I am only interested in Bedgebury Forest murders in the UK and one other murder abroad

I know
The Canadian one, right?
Maybe you are right!

 

[Whitehall 1212]

Thank you
Spared jail - I wonder why?

First offences, pleaded guilty, admitted TIC offences, possibly juvenile offender (under 18) at time of first offences. Non-custodial disposal likely via community service or other "diversion".

I suspect that DF lied regarding his true motivation for the offences and said he was going to steal etc.

I guess even in the early 1970's custodial sentences were the preserve of persistent or known violent offenders.

Like everything else, the prison system is not what it could be, given some vision and financial backing. So many offenders could be properly diverted away from offending before they become persistent and with limited chance of reformation, or their psyche properly identified as a serious risk to the community and managed accordingly.

This is not all 'mum's apple pie stuff'......I've been directly involved in a scheme to diverting burglary offenders away from offending upon release. With support after release combined with rigorous enforcement at the first sign of slippage (back to prison) it is possible to have significant success and to reduce the burglary offences.

It takes an excellent cohesive partnership approach but it works. Unfortunately one can't quantify the burglaries that didn't happen, so the bean counters can't justify funding anymore!