Casefile True Crime - Case 84: Lesley Molseed (Part 1)

Episode Date: May 12, 2018

[Part 1 of 2] On October 5 1975, April Molseed sent her 11-year-old daughter Lesley Molseed to the nearby corner store in Rochdale to buy a loaf of bread. Hours later, she still hadn’t returned. Fears quickly escalated when it was discovered that Lesley never made it to the shop at all.   --- Episode researched and written by Milly Raso Additional edits by Tayla Vos  For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-84-lesley-molseed-part-1

Our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents. If you feel at any time you need support, please contact your local crisis centre. For suggested phone numbers for confidential support, please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on our website. Today's episode deals with a crime committed against a child that won't be suitable for all listeners. On Sunday October 5th 1975, April Moleseed was making her way through a list of chores in her home on Delamy Road in Rochdale, a town at the foothills of the Moor countryside

in Northern England. As she prepared supper that day around noon, April realised she didn't have any bread, so she decided to send one of her kids on a quick errand to the nearby corner store. The Moleseed family had a job roster in place for the three children, Laura, Fred and Leslie. It listed certain chores each one was responsible for to help out around the house. According to the roster, it was 12 year old Fred's turn to run errands. However, Fred wasn't home that afternoon. He was at football practice.

The next in line for the job was 11 year old Leslie. April shouted for Leslie, whom she affectionately called Lell. A familiar Scottish accent rang out to where Leslie played with her 13 year old sister Laura. Moments later, Leslie appeared before her mother. April instructed Leslie to go fetch bread and air freshener. Leslie kicked her feet and protested. It wasn't her turn to go to the shops. It was Fred's.

April encouraged Leslie with a small reward. Leslie playfully asked for six pence payment to complete the task. Her mother bargained her down to three. April gave Leslie a one pound note to buy the items, and Leslie tucked the money in a sparkly purple sequined purse. Her mother also handed her a navy blue canvas shopping bag with the Tweety Bird character on its side. With autumn well underway, Leslie stacked layers on her small frame to ward off the crisp chill air.

She wore a blue woolen jumper over a red and white t-shirt, a pink skirt and brown shoes. She pulled socks up her thin legs. They were blue and white tartan, decorated with her idols, Scottish pop band, the Bay City Rollers. She wrapped herself in a blue raincoat, lifting the hood over her mop of curly brown hair. The sight of her youngest daughter all tucked up in her coat with her hood on and socks pulled up, made April laugh. To April, Leslie was her little darling, generous, kind-hearted and enchanting to bear around.

And compared to her other children, April was more protective of Leslie. Leslie had suffered ill health since birth, born with a congenital cardiac condition. At age three, she received open-heart surgery to fix a faulty valve, but her body never fully recovered. Her illness had suppressed her physical and mental growth. By age 11, Leslie stood barely four feet high, weighed just 25 kilograms, and assessments revealed she had the mental age equivalent to that of a six-year-old. At times, Leslie's poor health would make her frail and lethargic, confining her to the house. With little energy to do much else, she'd sit by the window and watch as other children played outside.

So when Leslie was feeling well, she fully embraced the day, taking nothing for granted. Even just running a quick, simple errand for her mum was an adventure she eagerly took on. April harboured no sense of concern allowing Leslie to take the short walk to the shops alone that Sunday afternoon. They lived in the council housing estate of Turf Hill, on the south-eastern fringe of Rochdale. A predominantly residential town, Rochdale is nestled in the wide valley of the River Roach, just over 15 kilometers northeast of the city of Manchester. Its skyline is dotted with former cotton mills, a constant reminder of its rich history of textile manufacturing. An industrial revolution boom in the 19th century required the city to quickly expand and urbanise,

turning the untouched country lands surrounds into dense housing estates. Turf Hill estate consisted mostly of working families similar to the mullseeds. They lived on long streets in matching double-storey red-brick terrace houses with small front gardens framed by picket fences and low shrub hedges. The local community was self-contained and close-knit. These families had come to know each other well over the years. Their children attended the same schools, youth clubs and sporting activities. Neighbours were friendly and familiar.

Local pubs, shops and parties were full of recognisable faces. Nobody was a stranger. Most Turf Hill residents knew Leslie mullseed. Noticeably smaller and sickly than her peers, she was easily recognisable around town. Despite her ailments, those who crossed paths with Leslie met an optimistic spirited young girl with a friendly impulse to flash her gapped-tooth smile and greet everyone she saw. It was around 12.30pm when Leslie headed out the front door of her family home on Delamere Road. Laura watched her younger sister leave from a window upstairs and asked where she was going.

To the shop, Leslie responded. April told her daughter to return home quickly. Leslie replied that she would be back soon. MUSIC One hour had passed since April mullseed had sent her daughter Leslie out to fetch bread and she hadn't returned home yet. The errand shouldn't have taken her so long. April considered what might be holding Leslie up.

The mullseed's pet cat, Jinxie, had recently gone missing. Perhaps Leslie had gone searching for the cat during her trip. Maybe she had run into a friend and gotten distracted. Or she might be at the store debating what sweets she'd spend her three pence on. April wasn't too worried. Leslie could be a little rascal at times. If anything, April was just frustrated Leslie had disobeyed her order to hurry home. Leslie's older sister Laura was sent out to find her. Tracing what she believed was Leslie's likely route to the corner shops,

she headed to a grocery store called Riders, where Leslie had most likely gone. When Laura arrived, she found the store was closed on Sundays. That meant Leslie would have continued on a little further down Anstle Road to a convenience store called Spa. Yet when Laura arrived there, Leslie was nowhere to be seen. Laura suspected her younger sister might have bypassed the bread buying altogether. Leslie was a regular at a nearby confectionery shop on Broad Lane called Margaret's. But there was no luck there either.

And Laura returned home alone. April stood by the front gate, checking the road in both directions, expecting to see Leslie's hooded figure turn the corner at any moment. She wondered if Leslie had gotten herself heard or lost. By now, Leslie's older brother Fred had arrived home from football practice, and he agreed to go with Laura and continue the search. Together they came to the local streets but found a no sign of Leslie. It had been almost an hour and a half since she'd left home to go to the store.

With no clues to point to where she was, Fred rushed to get their stepfather. Danny Moleseed was a maintenance electrician who worked shiftwork at an engineering factory. With work done for the day, Danny was spending the Sunday afternoon at the Plough Inn, drinking and playing darts when Fred showed up with the news Leslie was missing. The last time Danny had seen Leslie was 7.45 that morning. Leslie was still fast asleep in bed when he checked in on her before he left to catch the bus to work. Danny had a deep fondness and close attachment to Leslie. He'd been her stepfather since she was a baby and was always by her side

during her multiple doctor visits and hospital stays. He considered Leslie his own daughter. Danny began his own search for Leslie, calling her name down every street. As he closed in on the Spa convenience store, Danny was overwhelmed by an unshakable worry. His movement quickened and his voice became louder. He peered over fences, ran through gardens, opened up sheds in backyards. He pounded the doors of nearby homes asking confused residents if they had seen Leslie. No one had.

Although she was not the type to talk to strangers, Leslie was a friendly kid who would stop and talk to people she recognized. So Danny questioned Passersby, hoping to track Leslie via those you may have spoken to. But she had left no trail. At 3pm, Danny and April contacted Rochdale Police. Officers arrived to the Molesade family home and questioned April extensively to determine Leslie's character, habits, behavior and friends. Despite Leslie's developmental delays, she was otherwise an ordinary child.

She enjoyed going to school and when filling up to it, she would participate in class games, physical education and swimming. She loved her family, sisters, brother and pets. So it did seem out of character for her to not want to return home. Although she could be a bit of a rascal at times, the possibility she was playing at prank or pushing boundaries didn't sit right with those who knew her. Police saw witnesses who may have seen Leslie walking around the Turf Hill estate that afternoon. A child who lived on Delamie Road told police she was swinging on the gate at the front

of her home when she saw Leslie leave her house around 12.30 and walk to the end of the street, where she turned left into Stuyops Lane. The area around Stuyops Lane was busy that afternoon. Crowds of children and families had gathered on the adjacent grassy fields of Kingsway Park for Sunday afternoon sporting activities. Five people who were traversing to and from the park recalled seeing Leslie walking down the street. One of those was 10-year-old Bernadette Heggarty, who was Leslie's neighbour. She too was heading to the corner shops that afternoon.

Leslie caught her eye, swinging her blue shopping bag and crossing Turf Hill Road. Bernadette headed down Anstill Road, a busy suburban road lined with houses and on which the sparse door front was located. Leslie headed down Stuyops Lane, which ran parallel to Anstill Road but cut behind the rears of the houses. Leslie was taking the back streets to the store and Bernadette lost sight of her. More witness accounts placed Leslie in Stuyops Lane. A new resident to the area who didn't know Leslie personally recalled crossing paths with

a little girl in a blue hooded raincoat. Thirteen-year-old Anita Rowan had just purchased some suites from the spa shop and began walking down Anstill Road towards her home on Turf Hill Road. The local roads in the estate were intersected by narrow walkways, known as snickets, used as shortcuts between the streets. Anita saw Leslie down a snicket that led into Stuyops Lane. The two girls acknowledged each other and continued on their separate ways. Another girl witnessed this interaction.

She recalled seeing Leslie's blue and white tartan-based City Rollers socks. When Leslie's neighbour Bernadette reached the corner store, she assumed Leslie wasn't far behind. They were walking adjacent paths to the same location. A fifteen-year-old boy was also inside the store shopping at the time. Neither he nor Bernadette recalled ever seeing Leslie arrive. The owners of the spa convenience store didn't see Leslie that afternoon either. The owners of Margaret's, the confectionery shop on Broad Lane were also questioned, and

they couldn't remember if Leslie had visited. This meant the last confirmed sighting of Leslie was on Stuyops Lane. When the search party hit the area, there was a collective sense of unease. The section of Stuyops Lane Leslie had wandered through was stark contrast to the area in which he had come. The busy, populated road lined with house fronts and wide-open parkland funneled into a narrow alleyway. After a few hundred metres, it met up with the turn of Buxton Crescent and opened into

a high-traffic road again. But in this small section of Laneway, there was no traffic. It was barely wide enough for a single car to slowly drive down. Lining both sides were the tall timber fences that encased the backyards of surrounding homes. It was a quiet, secluded path, completely enclosed and hidden from view. Based on witness statements, police were convinced Leslie didn't make it to the shops that afternoon. Something must have happened to her in Stuyops Lane between 12.30 and 1.30pm, causing her

to deviate from her errand. The alleyway's overwhelming sense of isolation raised concerns, but there were no signs of wrongdoing, so there was still the possibility Leslie was fine. Police doorknocked nearby houses, hoping someone may have seen or heard something. A resident of Stuyops Lane told police she was standing at her kitchen window when she glimpsed Leslie walk past. She also recalled noticing a small yellow van that looked to be tailing Leslie. It was concerning, but police had to consider the encounter to be innocent.

Most people would slow down behind a child on a narrow street. As daylight faded, the search for Leslie intensified. The assumption Leslie might seek shelter for the cold night resulted in searches of garages, cars, sheds, drains, as well as abandoned houses. The search radius expanded to farm and wasteland beyond the edges of the estate. Still, there was no sign of Leslie. There was a sleepless night for the mullseeds. By dawn the following morning of Monday, October 6, the search recommenced.

Police cars toured Turf Hill Estate, announcing information over their speakers about Leslie mullseeds' disappearance and description. As news spread, rumours followed. Talk arose of unknown men seen driving around town, propositioning local females and enticing children into their cars. With this in mind, focus returned to the last place Leslie was seen, Stuyup's Lane. But the simple fact was, there had been no reports of a scuffle, screaming, running footsteps, the acceleration of a car engine or anything that could suggest Leslie met with danger there.

Three long days passed with no news. By the night of Tuesday, October 7, hopes had faded. It seemed as though every possible location was checked and rechecked. Every street combed, every house visited. Police operations wound down as the incident room moved from the mullseed family home to the Rochdale police station. The stress was taking its toll on the entire community. Search parties were disbanded, vigils had come to an end, and the mullseeds were faced

with the overwhelming realisation that their Lell might never come home. David Greenwell, a joiner by trade, was working a refitting job for a Rochdale jewellery shop at the time of Leslie's disappearance. His home was a two-hour drive south-east in Nottingham. Instead of making the four-hour return trip from Nottingham each day, Greenwell slept in Rochdale Monday to Thursday and returned home on weekends. To save on hotels, he slept in the back of his yellow minivan, which he'd park in a quiet layby sheltered by a hill just off the A672 motorway.

A layby is a public rest area, located next to large thoroughfares, such as motorways. Early on Wednesday, October 8, Greenwell woke in his van. Having the urge to relieve himself, he scaled the hill, looking for somewhere out of sight of passing motorists. He found a flat moor covered in bracken and wild grass about 12 metres above. Through the low-lying fog, a blue shape lying in the grass caught his eye. Greenwell moved closer to inspect it. His stomach lurched.

There was a blue raincoat attached to the body of a small child, facedown and unmoving. In shock, Greenwell scrambled back down the hillside to his van. He drove to the jewellery shop, arriving just after 8am. Colleagues immediately sensed something was seriously wrong. Pale and shaken, Greenwell revealed what he discovered on the moor. They immediately called the police. At 8.25am, police were cordoning off the layby and surrounding moor. Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Dibb, head of West Yorkshire Law Enforcement, and

Dick Holland, his junior officer from the town of Halifax, arrived to the scene. The body was that of a young girl with pale, freckled skin and curly brown hair. She was wearing a blue hooded raincoat, her pink skirt and tartan socks. None of her clothing was disturbed. A navy blue, tweedy bird bag lay empty at her feet, and a purple sequined purse was found near her body. It was unzipped and empty. There was little doubt.

Leslie Moleseed had been found. The murder weapon appeared to be a small knife with a thin blade half an inch wide and two and a half inches long. Twelve stab wounds cut through Leslie's clothes into her back, shoulders, neck and head. All strikes occurred from behind. There were no defensive wounds. A smear of blood was found on her left thigh. Police believed the perpetrator wiped the knife clean there after the attack.

Forensic scientists were unable to determine an exact time of death. It could have occurred at any time during the three days Leslie was missing. No fingerprints or blood samples were found. Light semen staining was found on the outside surface of her underwear and skirt. However, there had been no penetrative sexual attack. The sample was of insufficient quantity to determine a blood type, and in 1975 DNA profiling didn't exist. As the morning wore on, a cold westerly wind picked up along the moors.

With each sweeping gust, important evidence such as particles or fibres were at risk of being blown away. Cellotape was rubbed against Leslie's clothing to lift any fibres before the wind claimed them. Two bright yellow wool fibres were found on her jumper and an orange rayon fibre on her right sock. Face of a white powder was also found on Leslie's clothing. It was identified as containing maize starch, an ingredient in wallpaper paste.

Investigators combed the moor for evidence. The area was littered with rubbish discarded by passing cars or swept up from elsewhere and carried downwind. Police collected what they could find, including empty bottles, cigarette packets, handkerchiefs, a sock and a blue pen with a white cap. In total, 379 items were collected in and around the crime scene. One of these items stood out, a broken knife found near the labour. However, tests later revealed it was not the murder weapon.

The man who found Leslie, David Greenwell, was at his home in Nottingham the day of her disappearance, and police quickly eliminated him as a suspect. When the police car came to a gentle stop out the front of their Delamie Road home, the mullseeds knew their little lull had finally been found. The investigation into the murder of Leslie Mullseed was kickstarted by 100 police officers from West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester. They were powered by mounting pressure to find Leslie's killer as soon as possible. With no witnesses having heard signs of a struggle in Styreps Lane where Leslie disappeared,

police considered the possibility Leslie was lured away by someone she knew and trusted. Local traders, ice cream men, milkmen, youth group assistants, taxi drivers, even Leslie's school bus driver, were all interviewed as potential suspects. The grieving Mullseed family also felt the heat of the investigators' spotlight. Their personal lives were exposed and scrutinised for any hint to a motive for Leslie's death. Leslie's mother, April Mullseed, was originally married to Frederick Anderson, who was the biological father of Leslie and her three siblings. April believed Frederick did not adjust well to his role as a father.

Anderson's peaked when Leslie was born, whose ill health demanded more time and attention. One day, Frederick snapped and stormed out of the family home in a temper. As her relationship with Frederick deteriorated, April found comfort in Danny Mullseed. Danny was far more compassionate towards her children, especially Leslie. Torn between both men, April decided to fix her broken marriage. The Andersons moved to Delamere Road, where old tensions were revived. This resulted in April being hospitalised for psychiatric treatment. Upon her release, Danny moved into the Delamere Road house to help her recover, causing April's

husband Frederick to leave. Frederick and April divorced in 1972. Afterwards, April and Danny settled into a relationship, and in early 1975 they married. Fred Bliss was fleeting, though. Danny lost his job, and the family were overwhelmed with debt. Danny also had a tumultuous relationship with his older stepdaughter, 16-year-old Julie. The two were always in conflict as Danny drew issue with Julie's boyfriends, causing the pair to have intense arguments.

Julie moved out of the Delamere Road property to live with her biological father, Frederick. Instability led both April and Danny to alcohol. When social services visited the Mullseed house after a call from a concerned neighbour, they found the young children home alone, and April and Danny at the pub. Stressors didn't dissipate when Danny finally found work. Debt still overshadowed their daily lives, forcing the Mullseed family to start borrowing money from friends and neighbours. The people soon stopped lending the money, because they were never paid back.

The Mullseeds were far from an ordinary, stable, suburban family. With divorce, debt, and drinking problems, as well as the added demands of an unwell child, a possible motive was established, although it was shaky. No one was fully convinced the Mullseed family would intentionally harm Leslie. Danny Mullseed had proven when provoked he could have a temper with his stepchildren. Did something happen causing him to snap and lash out at Leslie? It wasn't impossible, but it didn't seem likely. Danny admitted Leslie was his favourite, and therefore she was the least likely target

of his frustration. Nevertheless, as more of a precaution, Danny Mullseed was added to the list of suspects in Leslie's murder. By October 10, with no suspects in custody, an additional 100 police officers joined the investigation. They followed up on 400 calls that had come in from the public. Descriptions of cars seen in the vicinity of Turf Hill Estate were taken. Of particular focus was the lay by and more where Leslie's body was found.

Those who travelled along the A672 motorway in the previous days were asked to come forward with descriptions of cars they had seen at or near the lay by on the A672. Each vehicle was traced and ruled out, except two. A cream four-door car with a red primer paint on the doors was seen on the Sunday of Leslie's disappearance within a kilometre of Delamere Road. The Turf Hill Estate resident spotted the vehicle at around 1.30pm. She claimed to have seen a young girl in the car's passenger seat looking down. The witness was convinced the young girl was Leslie Mullseed.

Two men saw the same cream-coloured car that afternoon, but were unable to save there were any children in it. They identified it as old, possibly a 1964 Vauxhall Viva. A similar car was described by two more witnesses, who spotted it at the lay by between 6.15 and 6.45pm that night. The second vehicle yet to be identified and ruled out was a dirty, hand-painted turquoise-coloured Morris Minor 1000 minivan. A total of 14 witnesses described seeing this van in the Turf Hill Estate on the Sunday

Leslie disappeared. The sightings covered a period between 1.30 and 6.30pm. It was also seen parked at the lay by between 2.00pm and 3.30pm with a green tartan blanket draped across the windshield. A police request for the owners of the cream-coloured Vauxhall Viva and the hand-painted turquoise Morris Minor minivan went unanswered. The team of 20 investigators worked full-time on the search for these two vehicles. Rochdale local Christopher Coverdale drove past the A672 Motorway lay by the Sunday Leslie

was abducted. He approached the lay by at approximately 1.45pm when he saw a man on the embankment facing the road and reaching downwards. The Caucasian man was approximately 5 foot 6 inches tall, plump between 30 and 35 years old with light brown or fair-coloured hair that looked to be receding. He wore a brown jacket in a check pattern matching trousers and a beige or mustard yellow cardigan. He was reaching down to the outstretched hand of a female child below. She was wearing a blue raincoat with the hood up over her head.

The girl was not being dragged up the hillside against her will and Christopher assumed the pair were related, perhaps stretching their legs after a long road trip or wanting to check out the view of the moors. The scene didn't raise any red flags at the time, but after hearing about Leslie Molesede, Christopher immediately came forward with this information. Investigators took Christopher Coverdale to the lay by and asked him to point out where he saw the girl being led to. Christopher motioned to an area near where Leslie Molesede's body was found.

By October 15, a week had passed since Leslie's body had been found. No arrests had been made, so another 100 police officers were added to the investigation, raising the total to 300 officers actively working on the case. Collectively, they had amassed statements from 14,000 members of the public, including Christopher Coverdale's chilling statement of the man leading the young girl up the embankment at the A672 lay by. Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Dibb fronted the media and expressed the opinion of law enforcement that the motive for Leslie's killing was definitely sexual.

The person responsible was beyond just the pedophile, but someone, quote, mentally deranged with sexual deviations in need of urgent attention. Investigators visited mental health facilities and psychiatric wards and checked for patients who were released or had escaped the weekend of October 5. Crime reports in the Greater Manchester area were looked into to determine if Leslie was targeted by a serial offender that may have attacked other victims. They found several reports that peaked their interest. Two months before Leslie's murder, on the morning of August 12 in Miles' Platting, two

young sisters were hunched over a canal fishing. They were approached by a man who abducted one of them and assaulted her. He returned her to the canal after the attack. On Tuesday, October 7, two days after Leslie had disappeared, a six-year-old girl in Denton was assaulted. An unidentified man offering sweets lured the girl into a brown car described by a witness as a four-door cortina. The girl was taken to a secluded road where she was indecently assaulted before fleeing.

Then in Stockport, a man attempted to drag a 13-year-old girl into his car, but she managed to free herself and escape. Detective Jack Dibb recognized there were notable differences between each of these attacks and Leslie Molesede's murder, but believed it would be foolish to completely disregard a link. Closer to Rochdale, residents were hyper-vigilant. The sooner Leslie's killer was caught, the sooner they'd regain their sense of safety. The police were never short on reports of suspicious behavior and sexual deviance.

Teachers reported a tall, slim man taking photographs of children in the school playground. Lone female travelers reported male drivers offering them lifts. A report came in about a man who exposed himself to a woman and another of a man caught masturbating in public. The investigator's suspect profile for Leslie's killer was basic, male, post-puberty, with access to a car. But they were also open to the possibility more than one person may have been involved, including a female accomplice used to lure Leslie.

This was of course the MO of serial killers Myra Hintley and Ian Brady, who were active 10 years earlier, as covered in Case 49 of Casefire. As the investigation continued, two teenage girls from the Turf Hill Estate approached police with some startling news. They claimed to have seen Leslie Molesede between 8 and 8.15pm the Sunday she went missing. The girls were waiting for their boyfriends, who were in a nearby supermarket. They said they spotted Leslie walking alone just outside the estate. The girls had a short conversation with Leslie, and afterwards she walked off towards Rochdale

Town Centre. This was the first reported sighting of Leslie beyond Stuyup's Lane. This sighting rattled the entire investigation. Previous statements were now in question. This included Christopher Coverdale's sighting of the man and girl on the embankment above the lay-by at around 1.45pm. Police had strongly suspected this had to have been Leslie and her killer moments prior to her death.

But now, two witnesses had come forward reporting a sighting of Leslie hours after this. Then came yet another surprising revelation. Three boys came forward and revealed they spoke to Leslie near the Spark convenience store on Anstell Road at 2.30pm the Sunday of her disappearance. Police also went against what police had interpreted so far, having believed she disappeared from Stuyup's Lane sometime between 12.30 and 1.30pm. Police were forced to reshape their theories of Leslie's actions on Sunday, October 5th, based on these new accounts.

The three boys who saw her in the afternoon and the two teenage girls who saw her that night were re-interviewed. During these re-interviews, all five witnesses retracted their statements. Each one admitted their stories were completely made up. None of them had actually seen Leslie that afternoon or night. So police were back to their original theory. Leslie had disappeared from Stuyup's Lane sometime between 12.30 and 1.30pm. These two false leads were just a few of many.

Police didn't want to disregard any reported sighting, no matter how unlikely it seemed. This meant valuable time and resources were constantly wasted on following wrong leads, incorrect sightings, and outright lies. Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Dib didn't want anyone or anything to be eliminated from the Molesede murder investigation until every last piece of information was obtained and proven absolutely unrelated to her abduction and murder. He sifted through the case with the finest of combs, that is, until he was called back to West Yorkshire to lead a different murder inquiry in Bradford.

The leadership in the Molesede murder investigation was handed over to his junior officer, Detective Superintendent Dick Holland. You may recall the name Dick Holland from his participation in the Yorkshire Ripper investigation covered in case 37 of case file. Jack Dib would continue to oversee the investigation into Leslie Molesede's murder, but Dick Holland was now responsible for it. Detective Holland made renewed appeals to the public, reiterating their ongoing search for the owners of the cream 1964 Vauxhall Viva witnessed with a child passenger and the hand

painted turquoise Morris 1000 minivan seen at the labour. Information then came in about a disturbing incident on the night of Friday October 3rd at the youth club at Kingsway Park, two nights before Leslie was abducted. Leslie was a member of that same youth club and lived less than 300 metres away from the park, although she wasn't there the night of October 3rd when the following incident occurred. At 9.50pm that night, three girls aged between 16 and 18 walked towards the Kingsway youth club.

They were startled by a man who opened his coat and let his pants drop, exposing his genitals. The girls shrieked and ran towards the youth club. One of the girls heard the man yell, when I get you bastards, I'll shove this right up you. Police spoke with other children present at the youth club that night. Two 10 year old girls were walking home when they caught sight of a man standing in the shadows of the front porch of a clinic on Stuyab's Lane.

Leaning against the wall with a hand in his pocket, he watched as the girls walked past. Uneased by his lingering presence, the pair rushed back to the safety of the Kingsway youth club. They described the man as around 5 foot 10 inches tall, thin, wearing a dark overcoat and a dark hat, possibly a beanie. They, along with others who were out walking that night, also noticed a dark green or yellow car parked nearby, with the radio playing loud from an open window. Many other children came forward with their own accounts of this unknown man.

One thought he was wearing a black beret, a little girl thought he was wearing a mask over his face. Another saw he had a pair of binoculars around his neck. One girl watched the man from the windows of the youth club building. She said he was carrying a knife. Police found the children's recollections of the night varied in minor details, but police expected small discrepancies or exaggerations in statements given by young children and teenagers who witnessed something traumatic.

Nevertheless, one thing was consistent. They all saw a suspicious man acting indecent near the youth club that night. Only two nights before Leslie Mollseed was murdered. Thirteen-year-olds Debra Mills and Maxine Buckley were at the youth club on the night of Friday, October 3rd as well. They both observed the deviant loitering around Stuy-Up's Lane and were able to offer police their own descriptions of the man. Debra and Maxine had another frightening encounter the following day as well, October 4th, the

day before Leslie was murdered. About 12.45pm Maxine and Debra were walking together along Vavasor Street in the Turf Hill estate. They both caught sight of a man loitering on the corner of Jackson Street. He looked to be 5'10'' tall between the age of 20 and 30 with a broad-billed smooth complexion and light brown hair. He wore a light green parka. The man crossed the street and stood before the girls.

He opened his coat, exposed his genitals, then immediately took off running along Vavasor Street towards Crawford Street. Maxine ran home and police were contacted. This time, Maxine thought she knew who the man was. Maxine told her mother, Sheila, I think it was the man who lives in Crawford Street, the house with the plants in the window. Police scoured the area but couldn't find the man. As Maxine believed she recognised the man as a resident of Crawford Street, she was

driven by police to point out which house she believed he lived in. The police watched the property for a long time but there was no sign of life inside. Nobody came or went. The place was empty. It was clear to police a pervert was in the Turf Hill estate confronting young children and teenagers on the same weekend that Leslie was murdered. So naturally, they considered this unidentified man as a suspect in Leslie's attack. After a month into the search for Leslie's killer, yet another incident was reported

to police. This again involved Maxine Buckley, who witnessed the youth club and Vavasor Street flashings. Maxine's mother, Sheila, called police on the night of Wednesday, November 5th. The town of Rochdale was alive with festivities and fireworks for Guy Fawkes Night, also referred to as Bonfire Night as residents lit up bonfires all over town as part of the celebration. At around 8.30pm that night, Maxine Buckley walked home from a bonfire party with her friend Michael Rigby. They were walking down Vavasor Street when Michael recalled Maxine stopped abruptly

and her expression changed from a smile to blank fear. Up ahead, a man wearing a parka walked towards them. He was pulling faces and grinding his teeth. Maxine recognised him as the man who exposed himself to her and Deborah Mills on October 4th in Vavasor Street. Michael and Maxine ran to her place to tell her mother. Police conducted a patrol to try and find the man, but they had no success. Maxine, Michael and their mothers got into a car and drove to the house on Crawford

Street where Maxine believed the perpetrator lived. At this time, there were signs of life. The front door was open and the hallway illuminated. Inside was a small older woman standing beside a looming, overweight man in dark trousers and a light shirt. Maxine started to cry and said, That's him, mum. That's him.

Police arrived to the house on Crawford Street at 10.20pm. They wanted to interview the man Maxine Buckley had identified as the sexual deviant who'd exposed himself to her on October 4th on Vavasor Street. Maxine wasn't certain if he was also the same man from the youth club incident on October 3rd, but given the similarities in both incidents, it seemed likely they were perpetrated by the same offender. Charlotte Kishko answered the door. Inside the police found their house in disarray.

Boxes filled with belongings were everywhere. Charlotte explained they were in the process of moving. When police told her the reason of their visit, Charlotte said, You have no right to accuse my son of such things. He's a sick boy. He has only been out of hospital a couple of days. My son wouldn't do a thing like that, and I don't like what you're saying about him. Police were introduced to Charlotte's son, 23-year-old Stefan.

Stefan's parents immigrated to England after the Second World War. Charlotte, born in Yugoslavia, had worked in Rochdale's Cotton Mills, and his father Ivan was a Ukrainian road worker. At first a healthy baby, Stefan developed asthma when he was six months old from the cotton dust in the nearby textile mills. By age five he developed eczema. Health specialists advised Stefan should be permanently moved elsewhere, but the Kishko family were reliant on Rochdale for work.

Instead, Stefan was taken for a brief stay at his grandmother's house in Austria. The cleaner air cleared his asthma and eczema, only to be replaced with other health problems, including a blood disorder and an abscess. At age six he was taken back to Rochdale and enrolled in school, one year behind his peers. Other children considered Stefan strange. He wasn't interested in playing with them. He didn't have the energy even if he wanted to.

Over the summer he was sent back to Austria and missed out on social activities back in Rochdale. Therefore, Stefan never had any close friends. His health continued to decline, causing him to focus more on academic studies. His headmaster recalled he was a loner and had no interest in typical youth activities. Nevertheless, his classmates considered him friendly, well-behaved, and generous. Stefan got along with others and didn't attract negative attention. But as he got older, he became an easy target for bullies.

He became ostracised and eventually he moved to schools. Upon leaving school in 1968, he earned a certificate in office studies whilst attending night classes to further his English and German. In 1969, he began work as a clerk with a tax agency. Stefan was intelligent enough to perform his duties, although he was perceived by his colleagues as unworldly and immature. Nevertheless, his superior considered him a satisfactory worker. Female staff appreciated Stefan because he was always willing to help them carry heavy

items. Fans revealed Stefan had the mental and emotional development of a 12-year-old. Despite his towering bulky frame, he was considered a gentle giant. He had a soft, high-pitched voice and his teeth were brown from an addiction to sweets. He was known to always carry a bag of sweets on him, making him popular with local children. Awkward and vulnerable, he avoided work social activities, preferring to stay at home. In September 1970, when Stefan was 18 years old, his 56-year-old father Ivan collapsed on the street.

He had suffered a fatal heart attack and was buried at Rochdale Cemetery. With the death of Ivan Kishko, Stefan and his mother Charlotte drew strength from each other. For Stefan, Charlotte was his best friend. Others viewed their closeness as abnormal, especially for someone Stefan's age. On November 5, 1975, one month after Leslie's murder, police spoke with Stefan, questioning him about the numerous reports of indecent exposure around Turf Hill Estate. Stefan leapt from his chair and demanded his mother. When Charlotte appeared, he said, They have just accused me of exposing myself to some

girls. Charlotte responded, That's stupid. He never would do a thing like that. Ivan allowed the officers to check out his car, a small, bronze-colored Hillman Avenger. He told police he hadn't driven the car for several weeks due to a recent leg injury. One year prior, Stefan suffered a complex break in his ankle, known as a Pots fracture. He hadn't fully recovered from the surgery, and at times he'd go through bouts of agonizing pain, requiring him to walk with a stick.

Police found nothing to suggest Stefan was the sexual deviant, but before they left, they warned him they'd be making further inquiries. A report was written on the matter, detailing the accusations against Stefan, and a copy of this report was handed to the team investigating Leslie Moleseed's murder. Just over a month later, around 5pm on December 7, the day of Leslie Moleseed's funeral, two detectives investigating the murder arrived to a semi-detached house in Kings Road. They belonged to the Kitchcos, who had just completed their move from their home in Crawford Street. Flow of information for the Moleseed murder investigation had dried up.

Police were reaching a standstill. 12,269 people had been checked out, and 8,069 vehicles had been investigated. 7,000 formal interviews were conducted, and 4,917 statements were taken. The Vauxhall Viva and Morris Minor vehicles, seen by witnesses when Leslie disappeared, were yet to be identified, although thousands of matching vehicles had been ruled out. Six people had been listed as strong persons of interest, but all were eventually eliminated from the investigation. Detectives were now sifting meticulously through the abundance of information obtained, hoping

to find a missing link or piece of evidence that would lead them to the identity of Leslie's killer. This included investigating the claims made against Stefan Kitchco by Maxine Buckley. Stefan was questioned for a second time about the October 4th indecent exposure incident on Vavasall Street. Stefan gave a more detailed alibi at this time. He said he was in hospital, having an operation on his foot. The following day, when Leslie was abducted, Stefan claimed he was being discharged from

hospital. When police asked for proof, Stefan shuffled through cluttered packing boxes, then conceded he couldn't find his hospital discharge letter. Stefan excused himself to make a phone call. Police overheard the conversation. Stefan asked the person on the other line if they could remember what day he left hospital. After a long pause, Stefan said, Oh, it's just that I'm supposed to have killed a little girl now.

Stefan ended the call and told police the person he spoke to was unable to help. Stefan said he was willing to make a formal statement regarding his whereabouts on Sunday October 5th. At this stage, detectives weren't fully convinced Stefan had any involvement in Leslie's abduction or murder. He didn't fit their profile of Leslie's killer. He was socially naive and childlike, polite and gentle. And although a little strange, detectives believed he was decent and respectable.

Stefan made a one page signed statement, quote, As far as I can remember on Sunday October 5th this year, I was an inpatient at Manchester Royal where I was receiving treatment for an ankle injury. If I had been discharged from hospital on October 5th, I would have certainly have spent all that day at home as I was almost unable to walk at the time. Detectives later visited the Manchester Royal Hospital. Upon checking hospital records, they made a startling discovery. Stefan Kishko was not discharged on October 5th.

He was discharged on September 15, three weeks before Leslie was abducted. Detectives returned to the Kings Road house to confront Stefan with the discrepancy in his statement. He seemed unruffled, saying it was a long time ago, and he couldn't fully remember the day. He accepted he must not have been at Manchester Royal Hospital on the weekend of October 4 and 5. Instead, he claimed he was at his Crawford Road home, helping his mother pack in preparation

for their move to Kings Road. According to Stefan, he remained home for the duration of his recovery. He didn't go out at any time because he had difficulty walking. Stefan stated specifically that the first time he left the house after his surgery was Sunday October 12, a week after Leslie was abducted. On that day, he drove his mother and aunt to Rochdale Cemetery to visit his father's grave. At 10.30 am on December 21, 1975, Stefan Kishko heard another knock at his front door.

The three detectives on Stefan's doorstep asked him to accompany them to the police station to further discuss the incidents of indecent exposure. Stefan agreed. He also permitted police to search his bedroom and car. In his bedroom, police collected a soiled tissue from under his pillow and several adult magazines found down the side of his bed. At the police station, Stefan was again questioned about the weekend of October 4 and 5. He maintained he didn't leave the house as he was too weak after his visit to the hospital

weeks prior. To clarify, police again asked Stefan why he was hospitalized. He explained that he had a blood transfusion and several injections. This story caught the interviewing detective's attention. It was completely different to his previous version where he said he was hospitalized to receive treatment on an injured foot. It was unlikely to be a simple mistake. The reason for a hospital visit isn't something one would easily confuse.

Stefan appeared lost in his own lies. Stefan stood firm about not leaving his house until Sunday October 12 when he took his mother and aunt to visit Rochdale Cemetery. Police then moved their focus to Bonfire Night, November 5. The night Maxine Buckley and Michael Rigby saw Stefan walking along Vavasor Street, pulling faces and grinding his teeth at them. But Stefan denied going out that night too. Seeing they were dealing with a liar, detectives pressed the matter.

As expected, Stefan wasn't being truthful. He later admitted he was out that night. He was driving some items from the Crawford Street address to their new house on Kings Road. In response to being positively identified by Maxine Buckley as the man who exposed himself to her, Stefan claimed she must have been mistaking him for someone else. This sense Stefan was hiding something, and they were right. Through more questioning, they got Stefan to admit he stopped by a bonfire when out driving

that night. When asked if he got out of the car, he said, quote, Well I may have done, but I can't remember. It's all a bit hazy. It's these damned injections. They make me feel a bit funny for a few days after I have them. In August 1975, two months before Leslie's murder, Stefan was admitted to hospital for severe anemia.

Test confirmed Stefan had hypogonadism, a hormone deficiency that causes defective sexual development. This explained why Stefan was stuck in a child-like mental state. Treatment was intramuscular testosterone injections administered once every three weeks. One side effects from the injections were headaches, dizziness and anxiety. But more worryingly from the police point of view, they could cause increased aggression and increased interest in sex. As Stefan was questioned at Rochdale police station, a further search of his King's Road house was underway.

Charlotte Kishko was home at the time and didn't object to the search. In Stefan's bedroom, officers found a small white-handled pen knife in a box on the windowsill and a red-handled flick knife in the top drawer of his dressing table. A search of his car revealed a pair of red industrial gloves under the front passenger seat, two pairs of imitation leather gloves on the dashboard, three deflated balloons and two bags of suites in the ashtray, a syringe in the glove compartment and a hooded parka on the rear seat. Under a piece of carpet in the boot, they found eleven adult magazines.

Back at the station, police questioned Stefan about the testosterone injections for his all-known deficiency. Stefan said, Well when I was in hospital I discussed my problem with a doctor and he gave me some injections to bring me on. He later added, I have no interest in girls at all, but the injections will help me. Stefan was asked to empty his pockets. He produced a black-handled knife he claimed to use to clean his car battery. He also produced a second knife.

This blade was three and three-quarter inches long and half an inch wide with an imitation bone handle. According to Stefan, he used this one to cut string. Police went back to questioning Stefan about bonfire night, November 5. The night Maxine identified him as the man who exposed himself to her. They had so far established Stefan lied about his actions that night. They were now aware he did leave his house, was out driving, and he dropped by a bonfire. Police wanted to know what he did when he stopped the car.

They were expecting him to confess to being on Vavasor Street and subsequently prove he was the unknown deviant exposing himself to children in the Turf Hill estate. What Stefan revealed instead shot them all. Whilst in his car by the bonfire, Stefan said he saw some girls and a quote, I got it out and wanked myself off. He said that was the first time he had masturbated in public, but he'd done it other times since then. When girls weren't around, he would use the magazines instead.

As Stefan's interview continued, police searching his car made an intriguing discovery. In the glove compartment, they found two small pieces of paper with a list of handwritten letters and numbers. They were car registration details. One stood out from the rest, unlike the others, it was written in red ink, ADK 539L. Police had actually seen this number plate before, it belonged to a Renault 16TL. The owners had spoken to investigators earlier in the Mulseed Murder Investigation. The Renault belonged to a couple from Manchester.

On Sunday October 5, 1975, the day of Leslie's abduction, they visited Rochdale, arriving at 2.15pm and leaving at 7.15pm. Upon their arrival and departure, they had travelled along the A672 motorway, passing the lay by where Leslie Mulseed's body was later found. Police wanted to know why Stefan Kishko had this number plate written on a piece of paper in his car. With this discovery, Detective Superintendent Dick Holland, the leading officer of the Mulseed Murder Investigation, decided to take a more active role in the questioning of Stefan Kishko.

He sensed this was the smoking gun they'd spent three months searching for. Detective Holland asked Stefan about the list of car registration details he had written down. Stefan admitted he would write down the registration details of any vehicles he was bothered by or saw driving recklessly. He'd started years before when he was almost hit by a car. Police had told him back then that unless the car could be identified, there was little they could do, and they suggested he take note of the registration details if it ever

happened again. Stefan went through his lists and was able to recall the exact reason why he wrote down most of the registration numbers. He faulted only at one. The number plate belonging to the Renault that passed the lay by twice the day of Leslie's disappearance. The number plate that stood out from the others, as it was written in red ink. Stefan couldn't remember why he wrote that registration down.

He stated, I can't remember anything when I've had my injections. I go all hazy. Fifteen hours had passed since Stefan Kishko arrived to the Rochdale Police Station. It was obvious the pressure was mounting on him. He kept asking if he could go home to his mother. When not answering questions, he'd sit in uncomfortable silence. He refused food, had little to drink, and vomited several times. Police eventually allowed him to get some sleep.

He didn't awaken until 11.30 the following day. Questioning recommenced, but at one point Detective Dick Holland had to take a break, letting him need to supervise Stefan's car, which was being transported to the forensic testing lab. Holland left Stefan in the presence of Detective Sergeant John Ackroyd. As they waited for Holland to return, Stefan asked what was going to happen. Ackroyd replied that further inquiries would be made. Stefan stated, This is terrible.

It's those damn injections. All this would never have happened. Ackroyd pried Stefan for more information. Stefan said, Well that thing at Kingsway Youth Club and that little girl I picked up. Ackroyd asked Stefan which little girl he was referring to. The little girl Leslie, Stefan answered, I don't know what happened. It's all a bit hazy. It's those damn injections.

Stefan went on to say that he picked Leslie up in his car on the Sunday. The day he killed her. Ackroyd stiffened. He asked Stefan to clarify. Did you just admit you murdered Leslie Mollseed? Yes, Stefan replied. I killed that little girl. Ackroyd rushed to the door and signalled to the other officers.

Within minutes Detective Holland returned with Chief Inspector Thomas Steele in tow. Stefan began his confession. He started with the incident at the Youth Club the night of Friday, October 3rd. Quote, There was fairly dark. There was a disco going on at the Youth Club and girls came down the road. Something came over me and I unzipped my trousers and got my penis out. I had a knife in my hand but that was a mere triviality. As for the Vavasor street incident involving Maxine Buckley on October 4th, Stefan said

he didn't deliberately expose himself. He accidentally unzipped his pants and it was his shirt flap that came out. Next he spoke about Sunday, October 5th. When out driving he spotted Leslie Mollseed walking alone down Broad Lane. The two had never met before this moment. Stefan pulled up beside her and wound his window down. He couldn't remember what he said but she got into the passenger seat of his car. As Stefan drove off Leslie started shouting.

He hit her with his hand to silence her. They drove for a short while and eventually wound up on the A672 motorway. Stefan pulled his car into the lay-by feeling overwhelmed by a familiar urge. He led Leslie up the hillside to the moor. He made her lie on the grass and he masturbated onto her underwear. Stefan pushed her away when he was done. After this his memory became hazy. He couldn't remember exactly where or how many times he stabbed Leslie.

He then wiped the bone handled knife clean on her body, clambered down the hill to his car and didn't look back. After Stefan signed his near seven page confession for the murder of Leslie Mollseed he was arrested placed in a cell at the station and a lawyer was contacted on his behalf. Stefan became increasingly distraught whilst in the cell and kept asking if he could go home. Once his lawyer arrived and the two had a private discussion Stefan unexpectedly asked to retract his confession.

Police led him back to the interview room. Stefan gave a new statement this time in the presence of a lawyer. In this new statement Stefan denied he was at the youth club on Friday October 3rd. He maintained his account of the Vavasor Street incident on October 4th that he accidentally unzipped his pants and it was his shirt flap that came out. In regards to Sunday October 5th Stefan said he was out driving around for the Turf Hill Estate but he outright denied abducting and killing Leslie Mollseed. Police were skeptical.

They had already proven Stefan was a lawyer. Nevertheless this new statement was written up and signed by Stefan, his lawyer and the officer's present. Despite Stefan's new statement and retracted confession his arrest was upheld and he was led back to his cell. On the way back to the cell Detective Dick Holland asked Stefan, From your first statement you have described the effects of the drugs and if you were hazy and can't remember, how do you know what you told me in the first statement is untrue?

To which Stefan replied, I have told you the truth, I remember the girl by the shop in broad lane and taking her to the moors, I must have stabbed her, that's how I showed you the bone handled knife. Stefan had changed his account again, he was back to confessing. His lawyer was no longer present when he confessed this second time. At 10.15pm that night Stefan was driven towards Halifax police station. The police car moved away from the lights of Rochdale and into the dark rolling hills of the moors.

Suddenly the police car pulled off the road and came to a stop. Stefan's body started to shake, his hands moved into the prayer position. He said anxiously, I can hear voices, can't you? The police car rolled out of the labire and emerged back onto the A672 motorway. On the morning of July 7, 1976 Stefan Kishko hunched under the heavy gaze of the trial judge Sir Hugh Park and the 12 jurors set to determine his fate. Stefan had pled not guilty on Christmas Eve the year before, his lawyer didn't apply for bail.

It was the first Christmas Charlotte Kishko was alone without her son. There was little doubt amongst the court, Stefan Kishko had abducted and killed Leslie Mosead. In private, even his own lawyers said they thought he was guilty. Stefan was a confessed public masturbator who'd exposed himself in the presence of young girls. Stefan attributed this sexually aggressive behaviour to test Australian injections for his hormonal disorder. He received one such injection on Friday, October 3, 1975, two days prior to Leslie

Mosead's abduction. As to why Stefan felt an attraction to children, it made sense psychologically. Stefan's delayed development meant he was emotionally equivalent to a 12 year old, so when the injections allowed him to feel sexual attraction and gratification, his mind was attracted to those he most related to. Children The prosecution labelled Stefan's car a traveling kidnapping kit. He had the bait to lure children, balloons and sweets, as well as the weapons to carry

out an attack, claws and knives. Inside his glove compartment was the list of registration numbers, including the one belonging to the Renault that passed the labire the afternoon of Leslie's disappearance. Stefan refused to offer an explanation why he noted this number down. The prosecution put forward that Stefan witnessed the car whilst at the labire with Leslie. Stefan's appearance strongly matched eyewitness Christopher Coverdale's account of the man he saw leading a child matching Leslie's description up to the mall that same afternoon. And of course, Stefan's own confession before he retracted it, stated he drove to the labire

with Leslie at that time. Forensic evidence proved Stefan had contact with Leslie. Wool fibers found on Leslie's clothing matched carpet used as a mat on the floor of Stefan's vehicle. White powder on Leslie's clothing, identified as wallpaper paste, was found in Stefan's home. A blue pen with a white cap found at the crime scene matched pens used at his workplace. The knife Stefan had previously confessed using had traces of blood on it.

The semen staining found on Leslie's underwear could not be blood or DNA tested due to limitations with the technology. But forensic testing did conclude the staining on Leslie's underwear only contained seminal fluid, not sperm. This meant it had come from someone who was infertile. Stefan was infertile. After Stefan retracted his confession for Leslie's murder, he offered an alibi instead. On Sunday, October 5, 1975, he said he was at home between noon and 1.30pm.

The timeframe Leslie was likely abducted. After lunch, Stefan said he drove his mother and his aunt to the Rochdale Cemetery to lay fresh flowers on his father's grave. After that, they visited a grocery store where Stefan purchased the jar of German mustard. He recalled an argument taking place in the store at the time over some curtains. Afterwards, Stefan drove his mother and aunt home to Crawford Street. An employee at the grocery store recalled Stefan coming in to purchase the mustard and even corroborated his story about the argument over curtains that was happening in the store.

But she couldn't be certain the day in question was October 5. She accepted it was just as likely to have been the following week. Back at the Kishko's Crawford Street home on October 5, Stefan's aunt said she remembered hearing the wail of a fire engine when they returned home after visiting the grocery store. Police confirmed no fire-related emergency calls were made in that area on October 5. But the fire brigade did attend a house in Crawford Street on October 12. This led police to believe the alibi Stefan had given was for events that had taken place the week after Leslie's murder.

The most implicating evidence was Stefan's first confession. He detailed facts about the crime scene only Leslie's killer could know. This included Leslie's attacker did not remove her underwear, semen staining was found on the outside of her clothing, and the murder weapon was wiped clean on her body. Police had intentionally kept these things from public knowledge to help determine false leads and false confessions. Yet Stefan had mentioned these facts in detail in his original confession. Only the killer could know them.

The prosecution theorized Stefan retracted his first confession to avoid shame and guilt and to protect his mother from learning what he had done. A proven liar, he backpedaled and denied everything in a desperate attempt to secure his release. The defense wanted Stefan to consider arguing a case for manslaughter under the reason of diminished responsibility, arguing the testosterone injections impaired Stefan's judgment and actions. However, Stefan refused to admit guilt in any capacity. He was even confident the jury would find him innocent.

On July 21, 1976, after five hours and 35 minutes of deliberation, the jury and Stefan Kishko's trial for the murder of Leslie Molesede reached their verdict. Guilty. Stefan was given a life sentence with a minimum of 30 years. Early release would only be considered if he admitted he's guilt for the murder. The Molesede family were satisfied justice was served for child killer Stefan Kishko. Yet, his capture and conviction did not bring April Molesede any sense of joy. When Leslie died, I died a kind of death.

It just completely and utterly killed every emotion that I had. I'm still the same today. The trial judge, Suhiyu Park, commended the police officers of West Yorkshire and Greater Manchester for their great work in bringing Kishko to justice and for their expertise in sifting through the masses of case material. Judge Park also praised those who had bravely come forward and reported the indecent acts committed by Stefan Kishko. Maxine Buckley was singled out by the judge and thanked for her sharp eye in identifying

Stefan as the sexual deviant in the Turf Hill estate. It was Maxine who'd set the line of inquiry into motion, leading to the capture of Stefan Kishko. Her mother, Sheila, was proud of her daughter's actions. She told the media, Rottstahl's children were much safer now. After her daughter Maxine, a monster had been put away. Or so it seemed. To be continued next week.