Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “House of Horrors” Pt. 2 - Fred and Rose West

Episode Date: September 17, 2018

Fred and Rose each came from abusive homes and each showed signs of being abusive as they became adults. But together, they would start a new life and collectively be responsible for nine murders over a span of decades. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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We advise extreme caution for children under 13. In most weddings, couples vow to be together until death do us part. But for Fred and Rose West, it was a murder that made their marriage possible. 31-year-old Fred West married 19-year-old Rosemary Lutz on January 29th, 1972, at the Gloucester Register Office in Cheltenham, England. On the surface, Fred and Rose looked like any other young, in-love couple excited to tie the knot. But their life as a married couple held dark secrets. In their 15-year marriage, Fred and Rose West worked in tandem

to sexually assault and then murder over a dozen women, among those victims with their own children. Hi, I'm Greg Paulson, and this is serial killers. Today we're going to take a deep dive into the lives of Fred and Rose West. In the 1970s and 80s, these two married serial killers murdered at least 12 people. In the basement of their home, they'd rape and torture young women before finally killing them. They killed hitchhikers, runaways, and their own children. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson.

Hi, everyone. We'd like to ask a quick favor. Would you leave a five-star review? of serial killers on your favorite podcast directory. It seems so simple, but it really helps us out. And don't forget to subscribe while you're there, because a new episode comes out every Monday. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram,

at Parcast, and on Twitter, at Parcast Network. Rose began her relationship with Fred when she was just 15 years old. They met at a Cheltenham bus stop in 1969. From the onset, their relationship faced disapproval from her family. Rose's parents, Daisy and Bill Letts, disliked Fred and didn't trust him. They caught on to Fred's exaggerated stories and lies about his life early on. The Letts tried to get Rose to stay with them, but she left home to live with Fred in his caravan. Many have theorized that Bill sexually assaulted Rose throughout her childhood

and that Rose thought her father was jealous of her being with Fred. In February 1970, Rose's father, Bill, made one of her. One last attempt to get his teenage daughter away from 29-year-old Fred. Bill called the police to report that Fred was having sex with a minor and filed an injunction to keep the two separated. During the police's medical examination, a doctor found out that Rose was pregnant. Three weeks later, Social Services released Rose on Friday, March 6th, 1970. Rose wanted to have the child, as well as be a mother to Fred's children.

Seven-year-old Charmaine and six-year-old Anna Marie. Rose said later on, I wanted them to have parents and a better home life, and I wanted my baby. But motherhood was not easy for the 16-year-old, who grew increasingly frustrated with the children. In the spring of 1970, Fred's estranged wife, Costello, returned. She did this often because she cared for her children

and worried about leaving them with Fred. Besides, Costello was involved in a long time, term relationship with a man from Glasgow. In 1970, her new boyfriend was offered a job transfer to Saudi Arabia, and Costello planned on joining him. Fred regularly mistreated Charmaine, whose father was a Pakistani bus driver with whom Costello had had an affair. Charmaine was born with a darker complexion, and Costello wanted to bring her to Saudi Arabia to protect her daughter from Fred, and the racial tensions in the UK at the time. But 26-year-old Costello soon left again without explanation,

and it's unclear whether she went to Saudi Arabia or not. Costello's quick returns and departures caused seven-year-old Charmaine to believe her mother would one day come back for her. Unfortunately, the likelihood of that was slim. Since Costello had her own run-ins with the law and had trouble finding work to support herself, she often made ends meet as a sex worker.

These encounters also prompted now 17-year-old Rose to want to emulate Costello. out of jealousy. So when Fred suggested that she began working as a sex worker, just as Costello had done, Rose obliged. Even while pregnant, she stationed herself at the bus garage and worked under the name Mandy, which Costello also used during her sex work. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. A 2012 study published an Association for Psychological Sciences Journal, Psychological Science, found that people tend to mimic one another when they have the same goal. In Rose's case, her goal was to eventually become Fred's wife, leading her to mimic Costello, who she knew Fred saw as marriage material.

In the meantime, Rose and Fred were each other's primary partners in the bedroom. They had similar sexual tastes and tried to outdo each other with their proposed sexual experimentation. In addition to their own sexual activities in the bedroom, her sex work seemed to strengthen their bond. A 2009 study in Archive of Sexual Behavior revealed that couples who engaged in consensual sadomasochistic sexual activity reported greater feelings of relationship closeness and intimacy, and these two were pretty inseparable. In June of 1970, Fred surprised Rose, Charmaine, and Anna Marie by renting a home at 25 Midland Street in the city of Gloucester. In order to pay the rent, Fred worked his tire-fitter job, as well as becoming a milkman for model dairies. At one point, he stole tires and a license plate and sold them for petty cash.

In September 1970, Bill and Daisy Letts decided to visit their daughter for the first time in months. When Rose opened the front door of 25 Midland Street, she was shocked. Fred greeted Bill and Daisy and attempted to diffuse the tension. He said, look, I've got nothing against you whatsoever, but give me any trouble and I'll give you more trouble than you brought me. It worked. During the visit, Fred and Rose reconciled with her parents, according to Fred. He and Rose even got her parents to agree to look after Charmaine and Anna Marie

when Rose eventually went into labor and gave birth. On October 17, 1970, 17-year-old Rose gave birth to their daughter, Heather Ann, at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. Rose struggled to care for newborn Heather Ann, as well as seven-year-old Charmaine and six-year-old Anna Marie. To make matters worse, in December, police arrested Fred for the stolen tires and license plate from six months prior. The judge sentenced him to nine months at Layhill Prison.

As Fred served his sentence, he helped 17-year-old Rose set up a system in which she used sex to pay rent to their landlord while he was in prison. He also got Rose to work for Costello's one-time pimp, Rolf. 29-year-old Fred thought he was taking care of Rose financially and sexually while he was in prison. But in reality, he was letting other men take advantage of her at a vulnerable point in her life. Rose missed him, and she struggled to care for Charmaine, Anna Marie, and Heather. Anne on her own. In early 1971, Fred called upon Costello to help Rose with the children. At this point, Costello was still working as a sex worker in Gloucester. Though Fred had physically abused Costello during their marriage, she once again returned to live with Fred because the marriage

provided some protection from sex work clients. Costello's return gave Rose help with the kids, but it also served another purpose for Fred. He enjoyed that both women competed for his affection. Charmaine disliked Rose and regarded Costello as her primary caretaker. Eight-year-old Charmaine once told Rose, I'm going with my mammy shortly, so I'm not taking no orders off you. Rose began physically abusing Charmaine and Anna Marie in various ways, including tying them to furniture and beating them, echoing the abuse of her father. For Rose, Charmaine was a constant reminder of Costello and her still valid marriage to Fred. Rose wanted to marry Fred and be his wife, but he remained legally married to Costello,

and there were no plans for a divorce. Costello and Fred enjoyed feeling connected to each other, but it's also unclear if perhaps they didn't dissolve the marriage because Costello was Catholic. The Catholic Church does not recognize remarriage if the previous spouse is still alive. Sometime in 1971, Rose broke Charmaine's collarbone and did not take her to the hospital for the injury. On March 28, 1971, 18-year-old Rose finally brought 8-year-old Charmaine to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital's emergency room for another injury. The child had a puncture wound in her left ankle. It looked as if the ankle was stabbed with a kitchen knife.

Hospital records stated that the injury occurred during a domestic incident. At home, Rose expressed how much she missed Fred by writing letters to him in jail. In the letters, she hinted to Fred that she wanted to get to. married. She also detailed how she planned to visit Fred soon, and she complained about Charmaine. Rose wrote, quote, Darling, about Char, I think she likes to be handled rough. But darling, why do I have to be the one to do it? You can see Char coming out in Anna now, and I hate it, end quote. 18-year-old Rose took the children to visit Fred at Layhill Prison on May 7, 1971, and June 15, 1971.

A few days after the latter visit, eight-year-old Charmaine got ready to walk with her friends to school. When Charmaine was about to leave, Rose held her back from leaving the house. It was the last time Charmaine was seen alive. Our story will continue in a moment after a brief message. Kayak gets my flight, hotel, and rental car right, so I can tune out travel advice that's just plain wrong. Bro, Skycoin, way better than points. Never fly during a Scorpio full moon. Just tell the manager you'll sue.

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Anna Marie never saw her sister again. On June 24, 1971, 30-year-old Fred returned home from prison. While Anna Marie was at school, Fred and Rose had sex. According to Howard Sol's book, Fred and Rose, Rose told him that she had killed Charmaine. Fred was not particularly fond of the child. He was not Charmaine's biological father, but according to Joffrey Wanzell's book, An Evil Love, Fred told multiple stories about how Charmaine's death occurred. He claimed that he poisoned Charmaine, Rose strangled Charmaine, and Costello's pimp Rolp

Rolf killed her. It's still unclear exactly how Charmaine died. Decades later, Charmaine's remains were found underneath the kitchen area of 25 Midland Road. Her body was naked and dismembered. Her hands and several toes were missing from her grave. If Rose did tell Fred that she killed Charmaine, Sol's book theorized that Fred then told Rose that he murdered Anna McFal. By sharing those dark secrets, it may have caused Fred an 18-year-old Rose to grow closer together as a couple. Their sexual bond also grew stronger

and more complex. Rose had sex with her clients in her and Fred's flat, while Fred watched through a hole in the wall. The American Psychological Association defines voyeurism as a parapheria in which a person is aroused by watching unsuspecting people. engaged in sexual activities, the voyeur tends to masturbate either during the act or later as they recall the details of what they saw. Bear in mind, Rose was still a teenager at age 18 and only nine years older than Anna Marie. In their own sex life, Fred and Rose enjoyed bondage and tying each other up during sex. But one person spoiled the mood for the couple, Costello. Fred's wife began contacting them, asking about Charmaine's whereabouts.

It's likely that Costello had been released from jail. She wanted to know when she could see her daughter next. Fred and Rose didn't have an answer. But the couple quickly got creative. Fred West staged his own reunion with Costello. He told her to meet him at East End Tavern, their favorite hometown pub and much Markle. Fred claimed that she was drunk when he got there.

He kept Costello's drinks flowing until she was extremely intoxicated. Then Fred loaded Costello into his car, and he drove to Dimmock, a nearby small village. Fred claimed that he and Costello had sex in Letterbox Field. When they returned to the car, Fred said he lost his temper with her for an unknown reason. He said, quote, I lost my head with her a bit, and we had a right row, and that was when she ended up getting killed. I just smashed her against the gate, end quote. Fred dismembered her body and buried her at Letterbox Field. It was the same place where he buried the remains of Anna McFall,

Costello's 16-year-old friend who was pregnant with Fred's child at the time of her murder. With Costello presumed dead, 31-year-old Fred and 19-year-old Rose got married on January 29, 1972. Rose was three months pregnant at the time. After the small wedding, the couple decided that they needed a bigger home. They wanted a house that literally kept their family on one side and Rose's sex work on another side. They also wanted to use part of the space as a bed and breakfast. They found that house at 25 Cromwell Street in Gloucester. In the new house, Rose requested her own bedroom solely for sex work.

Meanwhile, the house's cellar, which was separated into two areas, had possibilities that fascinated Fred. Fred soundproof the cellar to be used as a playroom for his house. children on one side, but the other side developed a more sinister use. During the summer of 1972, Rose and Fred took eight-year-old Anna Marie down to the cellar. It was not the playroom. She walked into a damp room, lit by an electric light. She saw a Pyrex bowl, cloths, a vibrator, and tape on the floor. Anna Marie asked her parents what was happening, but they did not answer. Rose undressed Anna Marie and the child began to cry. As an adult, Anna Marie recalled,

quote, I was told that I should be very grateful and that I was lucky I had such caring parents who thought of me. They were going to help me and make sure that when I got married, I would be able to satisfy my husband and keep my husband. I was led to believe that all loving parents were the same, end quote. Rose sat on Anna Marie's face as Fred raped their daughter. Anna Marie recalled as an adult, she was laughing, smirking, and saying to me it was for my own good and to stop being silly. Fred raped Anna Marie on several other occasions, and Rose sexually abused her as well.

To add to the horror, the West soon welcomed a new daughter into their family. On June 1, 1972, 19-year-old Rose gave birth to May June West, Fred and Rose's second daughter, together and the fourth child in their home. With a new baby in the home, Fred and Rose decided to hire a nanny. In November, 1972, they hired 17-year-old Caroline Owens, who was hitchhiking on a highway in Gloucester. Soon after, Fred and Rose began to aggressively groom Owens. Rose stroked Owen's hair while they talked and accidentally barged into the bathroom when

Owens was taking a bath. 31-year-old Fred talked about sex constantly and lied to Owens, telling her that he often performed abortions, thinking he would impress her. Previously, he used this lie to win over Costello when they were dating, but it did not impress Owens at all. Owens didn't like Fred. She said, he was a little man with a big head. He was so cocky, a know-it-all. Owens moved out several weeks later, tiring of Rose's sexual advances and Fred's eyes. Rose was extremely disappointed by this and told Fred that she wanted Owens back for sex.

Fred and Rose came up with a plan to abduct and rape 17-year-old Owens on December 6, 1972. In the morning, Owens saw Fred and Rose's car as she was walking along Barton Street in Gloucester, but she wasn't aware they were watching her. They followed her as Owens went to visit her boyfriend, Tony Coates, near Gloucester. At 10.30 p.m. that night, Owens left Coates home and proceeded to hitchhike for a ride home on Gloucester Road. The West soon pulled up to her in their gray Ford popular car. 19-year-old Rose told Owens that she wanted to have a girls' chat with her. Not many cars were driving by on Gloucester Road that night. Owens had thought the West's were

peculiar, but she didn't see any reason to be afraid of them. She climbed into the backseat and sat with Rose. As Fred drove towards Gloucester, Rose put her arm around Owens and turned the conversation to sex. Owens became very uncomfortable. Fred asked Owens if she had had sex with her boyfriend Tony that night. Owens said no. Rose began to grope Owens' breasts and thighs, then tried to kiss her. Owens began to push Rose away. She noticed that Fred didn't take his usual route home. Fred said he wanted to take a look at something. He pulled over by a muddy field. Fred called Owens a bitch and then punched her in the face several times. The blows caused 17-year-old Owens to black out. When Owens regained consciousness, she was still in the car, tied up with tape around her whole

head gagging her. Owens recalled later, quote, my reaction was terror and panic. I couldn't open my mouth even if I tried." End quote. 31-year-old Fred and 19-year-old Rose took her back to 25 Cromwell Street. They did not take her to the cellar. Fred and Rose led her to a room with a sofa and a mattress. Fred cut off the tape on Owen's head. Rose removed her clothing. Fred re-tied up 17-year-old Owens with rope, blindfolded her, and gagged her mouth with cotton wool. Fred and Rose began to sexually assault and physically abuse Owens. Years later, Owens recalled the following about the sexual assault in her 2005 book, The Lost Girl, How I Triumphed over life at the

mercy of Fred and Rose West. Quote, I thought they were going to kill me there and then, which would have been a relief. To my horror, they spoke words that I will never forget. We are going to keep you in the cellar and let our black friends use you, and when they have finished with you, we will kill you and bury you under the paving stones of Gloucester. There are hundreds of girls there. The police haven't found them, and they won't find you, end quote. The next morning, Fred raped Owens while Rose wasn't in the room. Fred and Rose fell asleep that morning. While they slept, Owens tried to escape through a window, but she couldn't make it out due to her hands being tied. Owens finally got Rose and Fred to release her by promising that she would become their nanny again.

To prove it, Owens vacuumed their home and played with their daughters, Anna Marie and Heather. Later that day, Fred drove Rose and Owens to the laundromat. He had trouble finding parking in the area, so he let Rose and Owens out on the sidewalk. Finally, Owens saw her chance to escape and ran away. When 17-year-old Owens returned home, her mother Elizabeth noticed the bruises on her face. Owens broke down. She told her mother how the West's raped and abused her. Her mother called the police. Detectives questioned Fred and Rose. They both admitted to sexually assaulting Owens. In the West's car, the police found a button from Owen's coat. Although the West's confessed to

the crime, Owens needed to provide evidence in court in order to press rape charges on the couple. During the investigation, Owens told police that she had previously had sex with two law lodgers at the West's bed and breakfast. She said later that the police, quote, made me feel so bad about it that I didn't want everybody finding out. If I had been a little innocent convent virgin, it would have been different. But because I'd had partners, it was as though it was nothing important, end quote. The Gloucester Magistrates Court agreed to have the West's plead guilty if they were jointly charged with a lesser charge, assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The charge is somewhat akin to assault and battery in the United States,

although it's considered to be slightly more violent. During the January 23rd, 1973 trial, the West defense attorney revealed that Rose just found out she was pregnant once again. This helped the defense's case, portraying the West as a sympathetic young couple just trying to care for their children. The defense also accused 17-year-old Owens of passive cooperation. stating that the doors of the home had been open the whole time, yet Owens did not call for help or try to escape.

The defense did not seem to include the fact that Owens was tied up at the time. The magistrates discussed the case in their chambers. Then chairman of the bench, John Smith, delivered the verdict. He said, We do not think that sending you to prison will do you any good. Fred and Rose were fined 25 pounds on the charges and were free to go, even though they had pled guilty. Later in January 1973, Fred and Rose befriended 19-year-old Linda Goff at their home.

She was free-spirited and curious. Goff and Rose were the same age, so they bonded. Rose developed a sexual attraction to Goff, and soon Rose and Goff began a sexual relationship while Rose was pregnant. On April 19, 1973, Goff moved into Fred and Rose's house to work. work as a nanny for the West children, just like Owens once did. That night, the consensual sexual relationship turned into rape and torture. Fred and Rose bound and gagged her in the cellar. They cut off Gaw's fingers and toes while she was still conscious. 19-year-old Goff died on or around April 20, 1973. Fred admitted to police that

he may have, quote, lost his head, put a rope around her neck, and strangled. her. Rose went through Goff's possessions and kept most of her clothing. The West's house had a garage that came equipped with an inspection pit, which was originally meant to be used for working on cars. Instead, Fred decided to use it as a grave. He dismembered Goff's body and put her body parts in the pit. Two weeks later, in May 1973, Rose came up with a story about Goff's whereabouts for anyone who asked. Rose told Goff's mother, in lodgers that they kicked her out after she hit one of the children too hard. On August 19, 1973, 20-year-old Rose gave birth to Stephen Andrew West. Even with four children at home, Rose and Fred still took in many lodgers at the bed and breakfast. They also sculpt them out as potential victims. On November 10, 1973, 15-year-old Carol Ann Cooper went to the movies in Worcester with her boyfriend Andrew

and a group of friends. At the time, she lived in the Pine's Children's home. She moved in there because after her mother died, her father remarried and soon declared he couldn't care for her anymore. Cooper felt rejected by her family and very alone. Cooper's friends said, All she wanted was to be loved. After the movies, Cooper went to a pub with her friends.

Then Andrew walked her to the bus stop around 9 p.m. Cooper planned on spending the weekend with her grandmother. Cooper boarded the bus at 9.15 p.m. It was the last time Andrew saw Cooper alive. It's unclear how Cooper disappeared, or how Fred and Rose lured her from the bus to 25 Cromwell Street. Years later, Fred claimed that he raped and killed Cooper, then brought her body back home. He also claimed that Rose had a consensual affair with Cooper, then killed her. It is certain, however, that Cooper's remains were found at the address years later. later. Cooper's skull showed a gouge mark, which could indicate that she was stabbed in the head.

Her limbs and her head still wrapped and gagged with tape were found buried on the property. After Cooper's death, Fred and Rose would hunt along the bus route for hitchhikers to abduct. On December 27, 1973, 19-year-old Exeter University student Lucy Partington visited Cheltenham with her brother David. At one point, Partington and David split up. She went to visit her friend Helen Render in nearby Pitville. After the visit, Partington turned down a ride home offered by Render's father, not wanting to bother him. Partington left Render's home around 10, 15 p.m. Nothing is known about her disappearance.

But years later, her remains were found underneath the cellar of 25 Cromwell Street. The Crown Court prosecutors theorized that Fred and Rose kept Partington tied up in their cellar. where they sexually assaulted and abused her for about seven days before she was murdered. The theory is supported by the fact that on January 3rd, 1974, 33-year-old Fred visited the casualty unit of Gloucestershire Royal Hospital with a serious laceration on his left hand. Prosecutors think that could have occurred as he dismembered Partington's body. The case dominated newspaper and TV news headlines in 19.

Fred and 21-year-old Rose, however, were not suspects in the case. Years later, Fred claimed to police that he was also having an affair with Lucy prior to her murder, but there was no evidence of such an affair. It's likely that Fred kept claiming to have affairs with his victims to conceal the inhumanity of these murders. He tried to make it sound like the murders were driven by more than his and Rose's sexual abuse. Fred told police, quote, every one of them did exactly the same thing. I love you, I'm pregnant, I'm going to tell Rose,

I want you to come and live with me, and that was the problem, end quote. Another college student became Fred and Rose's next victim on April 15, 1974. Teresa Siegenthaler attended a party at a friend's house in London, where she told friends about her plans to hitchhike and take a ferry to Dublin, Ireland. Seagenthaler's friends warned her about the dangers of hitchhiking, but she laughed them off.

Years later, authorities found her remains in a grave in the West's home cellar. Fred had built a chimney on the spot in the cellar in the cellar in order to cover up Seagenthaler's grave. Fred confessed that he had picked up Seagenthaler in his van as she hitchhiked and took her back to 25 Cromwell Street for, quote, sexual experiments. He thought that she was Dutch and called her tulip. Fred also claimed he was having an affair with Seagenthaler, but there was no evidence of that. 33-year-old Fred and 21-year-old Rose found their next victim at a bus stop. 15-year-old Shirley Hubbard was a foster child who had a history of running away from home. On November 14, 1974, Shirley Hubbard got out of work early and spent the rest of the day with Daniel Davis, her boyfriend.

Davis took Hubbard to the Worcester bus stop around 8.30 p.m. She got on a 9.30 p.m. bus heading north towards Droitwich. Davis and Hubbard made plans for him to meet her at the bus stop at 7 p.m. the next day for another date. He never saw her again. Hubbard's foster family reported her missing to the police on that day. It's been theorized that Fred and Rose picked up Hubbard at the bus stop that night, and they took her back to 25 Cromwell Street. Years later, Hubbard's skeleton was found in the cellar.

Her skull had tape wrapped around it, with a rubber breathing tube sticking out. Authorities theorized that this was part of Fred and Rose's extreme bondage activities. Hubbard's dismembered body was the fourth to be buried in the cellar. How did a house filled with lodgers not notice the blood or a smell of four dismembered corpses inside 25 Cromwell Street? Professor Bernard Knight, a forensic pathologist who worked on Fred and Rose's case, theorized that the couple likely became more adept at cutting up the dead bodies over time. The blood likely soaked into the ground, but the stench of rotting human flesh is harder to hide, thus the array of unusual burial sites.

The lodgers at 25 Cromwell Street never reported anything amiss or suspected anything. Some complained of a rusty smell, as well as some banging and crashing in the cellar late at night. One of those lodgers was Juanita Mott. By the spring of 1975, the 18-year-old had been living at the West's home on and off for three years, and 34-year-old Fred and 22-year-old Rose even trusted her with her own door key. Friends described Mott as a very strong-willed, independent girl, always on the go. Nobody would know where she was. In March 1975, Mott was unemployed and stayed with a friend named Jenner.

Jennifer Baldwin in Gloucestershire. Baldwin planned on getting married in April 1975. An 18-year-old Mott offered to watch your children during the ceremony. The night before the wedding, on April 11, 1975, Mott hitchhiked to Gloucester, which she often did on weekends. She stood by the side of the B-4215 Road. Fred and Rose likely knew this habit from living with Mott for several years. On the day of Baldwin's wedding, Mott never showed up to watch your children, which Baldwin called totally out of character. Years later, Fred claimed to have an affair with Mott and arranged to meet up with her that night. Decades later, Mott's decapitated head and dismembered bodily remains were found buried three to

four feet underneath the cellar floor of 25 Cromwell Street. A plastic covered rope wrapped around her bones and skull. As Rose and Fred's methods of sexual experimentation began to escalate, they soon realized that they would need a new source for victims, girls who were vulnerable and had no one to run to. We'll return to our story in just a moment. And now let's continue our story. Fred and Rose West had been picking up hitchhikers along a local bus route near Gloucester and murdering them in the basement. But soon they found another source for their victims. Sometime in 1976, 35-year-old Fred and 23-year-old Rose turned to Jordan's Brook House, a home for delinquent young women on Upton Lane. These young women were very vulnerable

to people like the West's. Rose herself had spent part of her teen years in a similar home, as Fred had been grooming her. The Upton Lane home was extremely strict with its residents. The staff enforced a curfew, opened all mail, and vetted all boyfriends. Many of the residents attempted to run away by pulling the fire alarm and fleeing across the fields. Police usually found the fleeing residents and returned them to the house. Fred and Rose began stalking and grooming the residence of Jordan's Brook House. Fred sat in his van outside of the home and offered lifts to the teens. It was unclear whether the home staff ever noticed Fred outside. He invited the girls back to 25 Cromwell Street for orange squash and biscuits.

Rose emphatically listened to the young women talk about their issues. Words soon spread around Jordan's Brookhouse that the Wests were good and caring people. It's unclear why Fred and Rose changed their approach at this point. Perhaps the couple saw the home's long-term potential as a source for victims. By 1976, Fred and Rose seemed to have shifted their interest from sexual experiments with young women to having sexual relationships with girls under the age of 18. Sometime in 1976, Fred and Rose first gained the trust of a 15-year-old, who was only known by the alias Miss A, due to a court order. She first visited 25 Cromwell Street with an older

teen resident of Jordan's Brook House, and she enjoyed it. Miss A began to regularly visit Rose on Friday mornings. Miss A described Rose as nice and pleasant, understanding and caring. It was nice because I felt as if someone really cared. In early 1977, Miss A ran away from Jordan's Brookhouse and ended up at the West's home. Rose opened the door wearing only her underwear and invited Miss A. inside. As Miss A told Rose about her issues at Jordan's Brookhouse, Rose comforted her and then became sexual. Miss A said, quote, Rose had her arm around me. She started kissing me and my neck and my breasts. Perhaps because she had nowhere else to go, Miss A visited Rose again six weeks later. Rose lured Miss A into a group sex act with Fred and two other young women. She

felt helpless to stop it. Miss A was raped by both Fred and Rose. Miss A did not return to 25 Cromwell Street after that. Decades later, the Crown Court prosecution determined that Fred and Rose decided not to murder Ms. A because they, quote, obviously made an assessment that this girl would not go to the police, end quote. Decades later, Miss A testified

during Rose's trial. Fred and Rose turned to one of their lodgers again in June 1977. 18-year-old Shirley Robinson was a sex worker at Gloucester, and she rented a small room at 25 Cromwell Street. Robinson was openly sexual. This made Fred and Rose want to pursue

a threesome with her. Fred and Rose experimented with having an open relationship, and they seemed competitive about it. In the summer of 1977, 24-year-old Rose revealed that she was pregnant with a Jamaican man's child. This prospect excited Fred on the surface, but he became jealous. In October 1977, Robinson revealed that she was pregnant with Fred's child. Anna Marie later recalled, quote, it became very tense in the house, end quote. But as the pregnancies progressed, Rose too became jealous of Fred and Robinson. Fred taunted Rose by openly calling Robinson his next wife. Robinson started to imagine that future for herself, writing in a letter to her father,

this is the man I'm going to marry. Robinson talked about her desire to marry Fred to the other lodgers, which irked Fred and Rose. Fred used Robinson to make Rose jealous. He never actually intended to marry Robinson. In November 1977, he told his friend, She wants to get between me and Rose. She wants Rosie out so she can take over and take her place. I'm not having that. She's got to go.

Rose gave birth to a daughter named Tara on December 9, 1977. After the child was born, Rose antagonized Robinson, telling all of the lodgers how much she hated her. The tension between them escalated throughout early, 1978. By March, Robinson moved out of 25 Cromwell Street and moved in with Liz Brewer, a friend and former lodger at 25 Cromwell Street. Robinson and Brewer visited a Woolworth store together on May 9, 1978, and took a picture together in a photo booth. This store trip was the last time Robinson was seen alive. She disappeared soon after. When asked about Robinson by police

years later, Fred admitted that he strangled her in the hallway. He did not go into further detail about her murder. Robinson's remains were found in a hole in 25 Crimewall Street's garden. Fred and Rose's relationship returned to normal after Robinson's murder. They resumed having sex, and Rose had another child, Louise, born on November 17th of the same year. The couple also resumed grooming young girls at Jordan's Brookhouse. In late 1978, they set their sights on 16-year-old Alison Chambers, who had a history of running away from home. Chambers became friends with Anne, another resident, who introduced her to Rose. Chambers and Anne visited a few more times, even spending the night. Fred and Rose made a special effort to groom Chambers. On August 5, 1979, Chambers ran away from

Jordan's Brookhouse, in a letter to her. mother, Chambers wrote about living with the West's, taking care of their children and helping with housework. Chambers' remains were found decades later in the garden. Fred and Rose did not commit any known murders between 1980 and 1986. Rose gave birth to three more children, Barry, Rosemary Jr., and Luciana. Later in the summer of 1980, Fred's 16-year-old Anna Marie left the West home to live with friends and escape her parents' abuse. 10-year-old Heather Ann began receiving the verbal and physical abuse that was previously directed at her older sister.

By 1982, 12-year-old Heather took up smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. She was uncomfortable around boys, telling her uncle at one point that any boy who touched her would get a brick over his head. Outside of the West home, Heather received good grades at Hucklecoat Secondary School. It was all part of her plan. Heather wanted to keep her grades up so she could get a job at age 16 and leave home for good. Surrounded by sexual and physical abuse at home, Heather was scared of her parents. She often had a feeling that something terrible would happen to her.

Heather had started fighting off her father's advances, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could do so. In 1986, as 16-year-old Heather studied for her certificate of secondary education, education exams. She broke down crying and told her friend Denise Harrison about her father's abuse. Harrison recalled, quote, she said he was having sex with her. I asked her whether she had told anyone, and she said she was too frightened, end quote. Harrison told her parents, who were good friends with Fred and Rose, they didn't believe the girls. Fred and Rose became suspicious that Heather might talk about what went on in their home. Heather sensed this and tried to put her plan into action, but she had trouble finding work. She received rejections from holiday work

camps at resorts and filed for unemployment. Heather spent most of her time at home crying, withdrawn, and dejected. At a family party on June 17, 1987, she refused to pose with the West family for a photo. Anytime 17-year-old Heather was alone with someone else, 46-year-old Fred and 34-year-old Rose approached her to make sure she didn't divulge details of their abuse. The next day, Heather told her brothers and sisters that she got a job as a yellow coat at a resort. The job fell through later that day. Heather was inconsolable. Her sister May said Heather cried all night long. On June 19, 1978, the West children went to school.

Fred stayed home with Heather, claiming he couldn't work due to the day. to hard rain that day. By the time the other children came home from school, Heather had disappeared. Fred claimed that Heather Ann got a job and left home. That evening, Fred asked his son, Stephen, to dig a hole in the garden for a new fishing pond. However, Stephen noticed that the hole was filled back up a few days later. Then, on August 2, 1992, a 13-year-old girl at Beaufort Comprehensive School told her friends about how Fred. Fred had raped her as Rose encouraged him. The group of girls then turned to the neighborhood uniform police constable

and asked what they should do if one of their friends had been sexually assaulted. Finally, an adult believed them. The police and Gloucester Social Services launched an investigation. Four days later, on August 6, 1992, police arrived at 25 Cromwell Street with a search warrant to look for evidence of child abuse. Fred left for work before the police arrived at around 9 a.m. As soon as Rose saw police at her front door, she hit and kicked the police constable repeatedly and shouted obscenities.

One of the male constables placed Rose under arrest as they completed their search of 25 Cromwell Street. She was charged with obstructing justice and aiding and abetting the rape of a young girl. Authorities seized the following from the house. pornographic material, five dildos, a box of dildo heads, rubber underwear, a rice flail, a whip, buckles and straps, and a collection of homemade pornographic videos. Fred was arrested at 2 p.m. on August 6, 1992.

The investigation led the police to question the disappearance of Heather Ann West. A few months later, in fall of 1992, one of the West children told a social worker that Fred threatened to kill and bury them under the patio, like Heather, if they ever talked about his abuse. On February 24, 1994, police had a warrant to dig up the West's garden at 25 Cromwell Street. Two days later, authorities found Heather's remains. Police told Fred that they found more than just one body in the garden, and it caused 52-year-old Fred to confess to strangling Heather, among other murders. 1330th, 1994, Fred was formally charged with murdering 11 women and Rose of murdering 10.

On New Year's Day, 1995, Fred died by suicide in his jail cell at age 53. He left a note addressed to Rose, Steve, and May. Quote, When you are ready, come to me. I will be waiting for you. 40-year-old Rose began trial alone in Winchester Crown Court on a October 3, 1995. She pleaded not guilty. On November 22nd, 1995,

the justice delivered the following verdict. Guilty on all 10 counts, with life imprisonment. Rose remains in prison to this day, serving her life sentence alone. Thanks again for tuning in to serial killers. If you want to listen to any previous episodes of serial killers, You can find them on Apple Podcasts, Tune-in, Google Play, Stitcher, and Spotify, or in our website, parcast.com, spelled p-A-R-C-A-S-T-T-com. A new episode comes out every Monday.

If you like what you hear, please leave a five-star review, or tell us what you think on social media. We're on Facebook and Instagram as at Parcast and Twitter at Parcast Network. It seems simple, but it really helps our show. Have a killer week. Serial Killers was created by Max Cutler, is a production of Cutler Media and is part of the Pardcast Network. It is produced by Max and Ron Cutler, sound design by Russell Nash,

with production assistance by Ron Shapiro and Paul Mahler. Additional production assistance by Carly Madden and Maggie Admeyer. Serial Killers is written by Mallory Cara and stars Greg Poulson and Vanessa Richardson. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile, message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please for the love everything good in this world, stop.

With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months

only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com. man washing up getting ready for bed is brutally beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again. I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.