Jun 20, 20207 min read

Fred and Rosemary West: Story Behind Deadliest Serial Killer Couple who killed their Own Daughter

In the world of crime and murders, there is always notorious psychology. Fred and Rosemary West, second wife of Fred West, were among the most dangerous serial killers in the United Kingdom.

They murdered at least 12 - 13 people in the garden of their house in 25 Cromwell House Street in the year of 1967 to 1987. "House of Horrors" is the name of their house. Read the whole article and know how they could be so dangerous and kill 13 people.

Biography

Fred West

Fred West was born on September 29, 1941, in Much Marcle in Herefordshire, United Kingdom. Though never proved, Fred's family had a history of sexual abuse. He asserted his dad had sexual associations with his girls. Fred's mom began sexually abusing him when he was twelve.

But, he never admitted to any of it, and it is not confirmed. Rumours have it that Fred was also engaged in incest. He even impregnated one of his sisters. Fred's relation with his mother was very good. In 1956, he left his school and worked as a labourer at Moorcourt Farm. He had little enthusiasm for his school life.

When Fred West was 17 years old, he faced a motorcycle accident that was the cause of his head injury. A metal plate in his head has affected his impulse control. Another head injury occurred when he was falling off a fire escape at a local youth club. That was the injury and cause of his permanent brain damage. After that, he would become a criminal.

Rosemary West

In Northam, the United Kingdom, Rosemary Letts, his second wife, was born on November 29, 1953. Walter Stephen and Daisy Hannah Hill, belonged to a poor family and worked as farmworkers. Her mother suffered from depression, and they separated. Also, her father suffered from Paranoid Schizophrenia.

He assaulted Rosemary as she was not bright and was overweight. Rose assaulted her younger brother Graham at the age of 12. "Osgodby School 1868- 1923", "She Must Have Known", are some of the most famous books based on the life history of Rosemary West.

How they started and Why they started

Fred and Rosemary West both were born in a poor family. Fred West's relation with his family members was good. He had two wives. His first wife was Catherine Costello (married in 1962 – murdered in 1971) and the second wife was Rosemary Letts (married in 1972 - 1995)

Fred West left his school at the age of 15 and started work as a labourer at Moorcourt Farm. In June 1961, Fred's 13-year-old sister told her mother that Fred raped her since the previous December. Then Fred admitted to police that he had been molesting young girls since his early teenage. That was the initial phase of his crime.

Victims

Charmaine

Rosemary West worked as a prostitute after her marriage. She gave birth to 3 children of her clients. But, Fred accepted them as his children. On June 24, 1971, she killed her 8-year-old stepdaughter Charmaine. That was her first murder. Patellae, wrist, ankle bones were missing in his body. Later, Fred West buried her in the back of the cellar, where the police kept Fred West.

Rena Costello

Also, another important murder was Fred's first wife, Rena Costello's murder. Rena and Fred separated, and Rena came to meet with her children and discuss with Fred about children's custody in August 1971.

Then assaulted, murdered, and buried her beneath a tree, named "Yewtree Coppice" at Letterbox Field. Fred's sister-in-law Christine told that Rena was very tense about her children, and in August 1971, she was alive for the last time.

Lynda Gough

The couple committed their next murder in early 1973. The victim was a 19-year-old girl. Her name was Lynda Gough. Fred and Rosemary West became acquainted with her through a male lodger. When the police found her body, many bones were missing. They buried her beneath the garage, which was a common type of murder included in those done by the two dangerous killers.

After the murders

On January 29, 1972, Fred and Rosemary got married, and they moved to 25 Cromwell Street. Later, Fred bought the property for 7000 pounds. On June 1, the following year, Rose gave birth to her second child.

She advertised it in a local contact magazine. Fred always inspired Rose to seek for more clients. She engaged in sex with both males and females, which is the cause of increasing her brutality.

The couple engaged in a threesome, and the pain of the partner makes Rose much happy. They also made 99 pornographic videos. They discovered these videos during the 1994's investigation, including child abuse.

Rose engaged in sex with the people of Gloucester West Indians. In 1977, when her father came to visit them, he knew about Rose's profession. Then, he also went there to please himself by having sex with her daughter. Fred and Rose knew many lodgers who visited them.

Through one male lodger, they met with Lynda Gough, who was the first victim of the notorious couple killer. Information about the murder has mentioned before in the article. The money Rose earned by prostitution, she used it to improve the house. Later, she attached a bar to their house.

Rose has a total of 8 children. Her clients were the reason for at least 3 of them. As the children's skin colour was black, they told people that it was because Fred's grandmother's skin colour was black. Her children's names were Heather Ann West, Anne Marie West, Mae West, Lousie West, Charmaine Carol West, Stephen West. In which, Rose killed Charmaine, Fred raped Lousie West at the age of 13, Rose and Fred West killed Heather.

All the murder locations were near about 25 Cromwell Street. Then Fred and Rosemary West committed murders again and again. For example – November 10, 1973, 15 years old Carol Ann Cooper, April 1975, 18 years old Juanita Mott. They also murdered their own, In the history of crime, Fred and Rosemary West are notorious.

Investigation

Fred and Rosemary West killed 9 murders together. Fred West murdered 3 women, and Rosemary killed 2 women ( July 1967 – June 1987). They at least murdered 12-13 people.When investigators came to Fred's house. He confessed 6 bodies, 5 bodies from the garden, and 1 under the washroom. After torture and rape, they buried the bodies. A lot of evidence where discovered like some bones were missing in the bodies, which was the great evidence of torture.

He also killed her first wife, Rena. He had promised Annie McFall to marry when she was 18 years old and pregnant with Fred's child, but she disappeared. Fred always denied killing her, but she was buried in the confluence of Much Marcle and Kemply. In 1994's investigation and also phalange bones were missing, and also she cut her unborn child. This is very common to all the victims of the notorious couple.

The couple was also murdered in 1973. Her body was missing too. She visited the couple at 25 Cromwell Street. They buried her beneath the garage. Phalange, Patellae bones were missing in her body too, and her burial was an image of torture.

On August 5, 1979, a 16 years old girl, Alison Chambers, lived in their house for some weeks before her murder. She was also found in the garden of Cromwell Street. After doing all these, the couple posted a letter to the Chamber's family from Northamptonshire Post Box. Chambers wrote that letter. Also, they murdered their own people Costello Rena and Charmaine, as we mentioned before.

Fred West killed 8 out of 12 victims by sexual gratification and include rape, torture, and mutilation. It became known as "House of Horrors." Rosemary murdered Fred's stepdaughter, Charmaine. In this common way, they murdered at least 12 two 13 women, which is very dangerous.

Fred and Rosemary West murdered all the victims at the same pattern and near about 25 Cromwell Street. But as the most interesting fact, Fred confessed all these within a night, which is out of belief. What is the cause and incident behind his change of notorious mind that worked within some hours! On the other side, Rose denied all these.

"Appropriate Adult" is a British crime drama television film shown in two parts on ITV, on 4 and 11 September 2011. The show focused on the true story of dangerous Gloucester serial killer Fred West and his wife, Rosemary West.

Arrest and Aftermath

In May 1992, Fred West raped her 13-year-old daughter in the absence of his wife. This was the last victim of Fred West's cruelty. This case collapsed in June 1993.

When the police came to investigate that case and searched their house, the police got some stolen things. Also, they got 99 pornographic videos, but the rape video of Fred's daughter was not found. Fred raped one of his daughters at the age of 11.

In fact, Rosemary knew that and threatened them by saying that they would also be buried under the patio. Rosemary got arrested for child cruelty. When the police asked her about their eldest daughter, she said that Heather West left the house. He did not keep contact, which was the cause of Rosemary West's bail.

In Fred West's trial in Birmingham, their daughter Anna Marie testified to Detective Constable Hazel Savage. She had been mentally and sexually abused by her father when she was at a young age.

Her husband, Chris Davis, told her that Heather was very unhappy before missing. Still, she had not told her anything about her father. As Louise, 13 years old daughter of a West couple did not want to see. Her father charged, police focused on tracing Heather, but that did not work as they withdrew that case. The police kept the children in foster care.

Besides it, the cases Rena and Charmaine missing in 1971 also came in front of their eyes. Last, Gloucester Police prepared a search warrant on 23 February 1994 for Heather's disappearance, but it didn't work.

On 26 February 1994, the next morning, Fred decided to sell the house, and he finally confessed to his son Stephen and the police. Then, he had been arrested for Heather's murder and went to Bearland Police Station to confess everything.

Then, investigators discovered fingernail, thigh bones. After all that, those were identifying as Heather West's due to the Dental Record. Leaving this case, the police found another 6 bodies from the garden.

On 25 April 1994, the court charged Rosemary West was for Lyna Gough's murder. Though she denied all these. On 30 June 1994, the police took her to Magistrate's Court and charged for 10 murders.

On January 1, 1995, at Winson Green Prison in Birmingham, Fred West committed suicide by hanging on himself. Rosemary West was convicted in November 1995 of ten murders and sentenced to ten life terms with a whole life order.

Here is all about the notorious Fred and Rosemary West. How dangerous they were and how many children lost their lives because of them!