Channel 5 is set to air a new two-part documentary that tells the definitive story of the murder of James Bulger, who was horrifically killed by Jon . But no one did anything. James Bulgers, Ralph, father petitioned to have information about Jon Venables publicized. In 2010, he was imprisoned for downloading images depicting various kinds of sexual abuse being inflicted upon male toddlers. But when she asked another woman nearby to look after her daughter while she did so, that woman refused because her dog did not like children. Not long after the elderly woman sent the boys on their way, Bulger was almost rescued yet again. 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. I did kill him, Venables said. 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. This left her with the impression that he was faking remorse. Thompson has been revealed to be in a relationship with a man who is said to know his true identity. WikimediaJames Bulger killers Jon Venables (holding the boys hand) and Robert Thompson (walking directly in front of the boy) abduct their victim just before killing him, as captured by a surveillance camera. "The reality is that the case for varying the injunction has simply not been made.". Finally, discover the story of Mary Bell, the 11-year-old who killed toddlers and got off light. On 24 November 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were found guilty of the murder of James Bulger, becoming the youngest convicted murderers in the 20th century. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? These boys asked who the toddler was and Venables replied that he was Thompsons brother and that they were taking him home. He was jailed for two years. 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. 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. In 2010, he was arrested for possessing images of child sexual abuse accumulated in over a year. Venables was released in 2001 and soon found himself running afoul of the law. Routine psychiatric examinations determined that he showed remorse for his crimes. The child killer was released from a young offenders institution under licence in 2001 and has not re-offended since. Both boys were ordered to be imprisoned until review when they turned 18. The older boys ignored him and continued down to a secluded area near a canal. "Don't bother," was Jacinda Ardern's message to the child murderer when a local news conference touched on the reports British officials were looking to potentially relocate him to New Zealand. Why Kissing The Blarney Stone Is One Of Ireland's Most Legendary Traditions, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. June 24, 2011. He had passed five GCSEs, taken A-levels and enjoyed trips to the Lake District and even to the theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. James Bulgers father Ralph Bulger thinks that if Venables were to be released now, he would be at risk of killing again. His health struggles detailed, Martina McClures story: Her injury and recovery, How did Simon Dunn die? The ex-convict has kept his bargain of the clause of his release. The next day, police searched the canal where the boys had been earlier in the afternoon because an eyewitness had reported seeing Bulger there. That was the biggest mistake of my life. At 18 years old, Venables and Thompson were both released from a young offenders institution under licence in June 2001. 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. It was suggested authorities believed paying for James Bulgers killer to go to a country like Canada, Australia or New Zealand would be cheaper than funding more failed new starts in the UK. At first glance, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables seemed like two ordinary 10-year-olds. Mary Bell, the 11-year-old who killed toddlers and got off light. In rejecting Ralphs petition, Judge Sir Andrew McFarlane argued that releasing Jons information would endanger his life. Moments later, her three-year-old daughter and two-year-old son were missing. James Bulgers parents, pictured one day before their child was found dead. Jon Venables was sentenced to three years and four months in prison, not far from half the amount of time he served for joining Robert Thompson in perpetrating the murder of James Bulger a quarter-century before. New Zealand's immigration department had not received any applications from Venables, she told media. After intensive rehabilitation, the pair were handed new identities. Motive aside, both Jon Venables and Robert Thompson were convicted, making them the youngest to be convicted of that crime in Britain in 250 years. But during separate police interviews, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson turned on each other. Ever since James was murdered so horrifically, the courts have bent over backwards to look after both Venables and Thompson. We pay for your stories! The Parole Board refused to recommend Venables for release for at least another two years, according to The Sun newspaper. He was arrested yet again in 2017 for the same crime. When Bulgers father, Ralph, saw that it was just two boys with whom his son had left the mall, he was relieved: I looked at Denise and smiled with relief. And even by 2000, top child psychiatrist Sir Michael Rutter claimed the risk posed by Venables on his release was "trivial". More than 25 years later, the surveillance image above remains etched in the minds of the millions familiar with the James Bulger case. Though nearly three decades have passed, the story of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables remains shocking to this day. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. But in 1993, these two British boys became cold-blooded killers and murdered a toddler. James Bulger was not the first child that the pair tried to abduct. It was a crime that shocked the nation and a story that will never be forgotten. Once free, Venables spent most of his leisure time playing video games and his probation office met a number of girlfriends over the years. Outside the courthouse, people called for the blood of the James Bulger killers. James Bulgers father Ralph said he could rest easy as one of his sons killers was refused parole, but feared he would re-offend if he was ever released. 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. Some witnesses later remembered seeing Bulger laughing while others remembered seeing him resisting and even screaming for his mother. Thompson was held at Barton Moss near Manchester, where he cultivated an interest in subjects like art and theater. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were arrested on February 18, 1993, a little less than a week after the murder. He became eligible for parole in 2013, at which time Ralph Bulger told the parole board that he couldnt forgive his sons killers and that Venables should not be released. At trial in 1993, Thompson was painted as the ringleader, leading Venables on at every turn. Dr. On one occasion, his probation officer made a home visit and saw that Venables was busy trying to destroy a hard drive from his computer. The Netline reports that Thompson has fully integrated into society and has "built a healthy relationship" inside the community in which he lives. Children are seen by society as innocent and pure, without malice. When Venables saw the mother, they told the boy to go back to her and they vanished. During his hearing, the court heard that upon his arrest he told cops in the police car: "This is my own fault. They walked down one of Liverpools busiest streets. Officials said: "Mr Venables indicated, through his legal representative, that he was benefiting from ongoing psychological work and did not ask the panel to direct his release or recommend a transfer to open conditions at this stage.". The youngster had no record of violence before he was found guilty of killing two-year-old James Bulger. 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.". The body of two-year-old James Bulger was discovered near a set of railroad tracks in Liverpool, England on a cold February day in 1993. 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". A freak of nature. Jon Venables was responsible for a sickening crime that horrified the nation. I think Thompson was in charge, but they both attacked James. Witnesses would later testify in court that they saw a crying Bulger being dragged along the two-and-a-half-mile route between the Strand and the railroad tracks where he would be eventually found. Finally, the boys hit Bulger over the head with a 22-pound iron bar, which resulted in 10 skull fractures. Venables' new identity has been changed twice after he told friends he was a convicted murderer. "This is, therefore, a wholly exceptional case and the evidence in 2019 is more than sufficient to sustain the conclusion that there continues to be a real risk of very substantial harm to (Venables).". The Mirrorreports that authorities considered relocating Jon to Canada, Australia, or New Zealand to reduce the cost of keeping him in the UK. A source said: Hes been relocated all over the country a large number of times costing a fortune. And still he followed. Thompson hasnt reoffended per the terms of his release, but authorities believe he masterminded the plan that led to James Bulgers death. June 24, 2011. The report revealed that Jon had a new identity, a job in jail, and was a model prisoner. All of the instruments used in the attack were found strewn around the area the iron bar, stones, and bricks all covered in the boys blood. Meanwhile, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables led the toddler far away from the mall and toward another town. In addition, they thought that the kidnappers mightve been 13 or 14 years old, which threw them off track. Then, dive into the maddening mystery behind the Atlanta Child Murders. In one of the most chilling photos in recent times, Venables was captured holding the 2-year-old James Bulger as Robert walked ahead of the pair. Nevertheless, additional passersby could still see the partially-covered forehead injury, and one person even saw a tear on Bulgers cheek. Hes gonna be all right, Denise, I said. In January 2018, James Bulger's mum Denise Fergus backed calls for a public inquiry into the toddler's murder. Robert had no father figure as his dad abandoned the family five years before the murder. 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". Robin Makin, the advocate for the petitioners, protested the decision, stating that the court failed to consider the risk Jon poses to others. Rumours had spread widely on social media that Jon Venables, who murdered James Bulger in 1993 along with Robert Thompson, had had his eyes ripped out in prison . March 10, 2021 - 20:29 GMT Eve Crosbie. But unfortunately, their story didnt end in 1993. The seven years he spent in detention helped Robert as he is yet to reoffend or violate the terms of his release. Malcolm Croft/PA Images/Getty ImagesJames Bulgers parents, pictured one day before their child was found dead. A woman concerned for the toddler told Venables and Thompson that she would take the child to the police station herself. [B]ut, in the end, he shot himself in the foot by giving me a detailed account of what James Bulger was wearing. Nevertheless, throughout the whole process, Thompson remained chillingly unfazed, earning him the nickname the boy who did not cry from the press. All in all, Bulger sustained 42 injuries to his face, head, and body. He and his second wife Natalie McDermott, welcomed a baby girl in 2014. 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. He is an arch manipulator and knows how to play the authorities. Both of them served their eight-year sentences and earned release from prison in 2001 after they each had turned 18. BWP Media/Getty Images Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, pictured after their arrest for the murder of James Bulger. In 2013, the parole approved his release from prison. The murder of two-year-old James Bulger shocked Britain. "Perhaps the parole board have finally seen through his lies and deceit. Shockingly, James Bulger wasnt the first child they targeted that day. The toddlers heartbreaking final words were: I want my mum.. Venables was given a new identity with a fabricated passport, qualification certificates and medical records. Despite this evidence, however, Venables and Thompson werent initially the authorities prime suspects. She was also bothered by the fact that Thompson would cry, but there wouldn't be any tears. "I have had urges, inquisitive. James Bulgers mother, Denise, was able to locate Robert Thompson in 2004 but was paralyzed with hatred and could not confront him. Venables and Thompson were tried in an adult courtroom by a jury. Nine months later, the trial began. His body had been severed in two by a train. With some evidence in hand and the knowledge that the James Bulger killers were likely two children, the police checked nearby schools absentee lists for the day of the disappearance. 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. James Bulgers father Ralph Bulger (pictured) is fighting to keep Jon Venables in prison for life. The search ended two days after the disappearance when four children discovered Bulgers body on the railway track just 200 yards from the nearest police station. 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. Retired detective Laurie Dalton recalled her feeling that Thompson was "pure evil" (via The Sun) and would try to manipulate the police during questioning. [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. Though a train came and severed Bulgers body in two it was obvious that his demise was no accident. His identity is protected by a worldwide injunction - meaning that even trying to find out where he lives could land you in jail. A freak of nature. He was so badly battered, authorities later concluded, that there was no way to tell which injury represented the fatal blow. Closed-circuit camera footage revealed that a child fitting Bulger's description was led away from the shopping center by two young boys. A life for a life.. The panel listed as risk factors those influencers that made it more likely that Mr. Venables would reoffend in the future,the report read. Something went wrong, please try again later. The UK's Ministry of Justice repeatedly declined to comment on claims. They spotted Bulger in a butcher shop and grabbed him. Official figures showed that Venables' attempt to keep his identity secret cost taxpayers more than 65,000. And if they hadnt been caught I fear they would have struck again. Updated: 15:25 ET, Sep 29 2021 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. 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. His father had abandoned the family early on, causing his depressed mother to turn to alcohol and even attempt suicide. 3 But as they scanned the lists of children who had been absent that day from local schools, they soon received an anonymous phone call that blamed Venables and Thompson for the crime. 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. 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. James Bulger was seized and killed by Robert Thompson and his accomplice Jon Venables. Robert Thompson, on the other hand, was not such an easy interview. Another investigator said Thompson "would cry whenever there would be an awkward situation," to avoid questioning. Ten-year-old Robert Thompson, one James Bulgers killers, poses for a mugshot for British authorities on February 20, 1993. Lawyers working for him were paid 8,100 in legal aid, with government lawyers working on the case costing an additional 57,300. He was sent back to prison with a new identity as hed divulged who he was to staff and inmates. He added: "As Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss held, (Venables) is 'uniquely notorious' and there is a strong possibility, if not a probability, that if his identity were known he would be pursued resulting in grave and possibly fatal consequences. His dad abandoned the family five years before Bulger's murder - leaving mum Ann devastated. But in November 2017, Jon Venables was again imprisoned when more child abuse images and a pedophile manual that provided instructions on having sex with kids were discovered on his computer. I think Thompson was in charge, but they both attacked James. In September 2013, Venables was released from prison after a parole board approved the move two months before. 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. Robert is now openly gay and is in a long-term relationship. But she pulled her curtains and blocked out the scene. Eventually, Venables and Thompson placed Bulgers dead body (a forensic pathologist later concluded that he was dead at this point) across the train tracks, in hopes of making the whole thing look like an accident, and abandoned the scene before a train came along and severed the toddler in two. Jon Venables was responsible for a sickening crime that horrified the nation. The boys hesitated, perhaps reconsidering what they were about to do, and did briefly turn away from the embankment. On February 12, 1993, he was tragically murdered by two 10-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. But this wouldn't be the only time Venables would have a brush with police. The twisted child killer,. But the President of the Family Division Sir Andrew McFarlane rejected the bid, saying it was in place to protect Venables from being "put to death". The pair recollect a few details in which James Bulger was brutally tortured and murdered in February 1993. Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, pictured after their arrest for the murder of James Bulger. I shouldnt have let go.. He was visited regularly by his parents and was kept at Red Bank for the full eight years because of good progress, despite the facility only being a short-stay remand unit. It was also noted that Venables had not requested a release from prison or a transfer to an open jail. 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.". Daniel Rennie is a freelance writer residing in Melbourne, Australia. 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. Toddler James Bulger disappeared on February 12 1993. 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. Ralph and James's uncle Jimmy had launched a bid to have Venables' anonymity removed, arguing certain details about him were "common knowledge" and easily accessible online. 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. Not only had both boys been truant that day, but Venables had also been seen with blue paint on his jacket (the same color that had been used to blind Bulger during his torture). As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 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. 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. Where Are Robert Thompson And Jon Venables Now? In 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables abducted, tortured and murdered the toddler after leading him away from a shopping centre in . This time, he also had a pedophile manual.This is my own fault,he allegedly told police. 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. Learn more about it in the article below. A three-page document also noted Venables had not requested a release from prison or a transfer to an open jail. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Venables and Thompson were found guilty of Bulger's abduction and murder on November 24, 1993 - makingthem the youngest people to be jailed for murder in 250 years. Now 38, It is believed that he is still. Both boys were soon arrested, and it didnt take long for them to turn on each other. The caller told the police that Venables and Thompson were both absent from school on Friday and that they themselves had seen blue paint on the sleeve of Venables jacket. Denise Fergus and her then-husband Ralph Bulger were worried sick. I have let people down again. In October last year, a parole report warned that Venables has an "attraction to sexual violence" and "thinks about sex a lot". Jon Venables was born on August 13, 1982. Later that night, one of the women saw the news that Bulger was missing. ONE of James Bulger's killers says he has had a better life as a result of murdering the toddler. Venables himself begged not to be released as he fears he will reoffend, a report in November last year stated. In 2008, Jon Venables was given a formal warning for a drunken fight & was also arrested for a cocaine offence. Robert Thompson was born on August 23, 1982 the fifth of seven children. 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. In 2010, reports stated that Robert had reintegrated into society and had built a healthy relationship with a community in the North West. Like Thompson, Venables parents were separated. Instead, they were the toddlers abductors and, soon, his killers. This indefinite sentence has no maximum but does have a minimum to be determined on a case-by-case basis. 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". Thompson and Venables were only 10 years old at the time of the murder, making them the youngest convicted killers in Britain. However, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern issued a short and sharp response to reports Venables could apply to relocate to the country. In his confession, Jon stated that it was Roberts idea that they kill Bulger. At first, Thompson denied everything. And in 2018, he was sentenced to 40 months after admitting to possessing more than 1,000 child abuse images and the pedophile manual. Footage of the boy's two abductors was released to the public by police. Several shoppers later remembered noticing the trio as they walked through the mall. 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