The Misery Machine - The Case of Julia Rawson

Starting point is 00:00:03 Julia Rosson was born in the late 1970s in West Midlands, England. Well, not much is public about her younger years. We know she was a creative and musical child. She often had splotches of paint on her face and clothes, a habit she carried into adulthood. When she grew up, she retained a part of her childish charms and wonder and was still often a mess of paint. She often said a happy child is a mucky child.

Starting point is 00:00:30 She could be shy, but her charming personality drew, like-minded people to her, though it was lucky enough to be her close friends called her Jew or Jujoo. She was six feet tall and wore her black hair in a short, shaggy style. She dressed like she was a member of a rock band, complete with a cigarette balance between her lips. She actually reminds me a lot of a young Joan Jett. Julia attended art school at England Stafford College.

Starting point is 00:00:56 There, she met a woman named Elaine Higginson and the two began dating. Through Elaine, Julia met Debbie Maskell. They were an inseparable trio. Julia loved to try anything new and fun and would bring her friends along for the ride. Debbie said about Julia, she was like a big kid. It was like she never grew up. Everything was just, wow, look at that. She was really full of life.

Starting point is 00:01:20 She used to drag us out, make us do things. She was like an excited schoolgirl. I was about 20 when I met Julia. Elaine said that she'd met a new partner and she'd like me to meet her. and we went to a pub in town and we were just chatting. We just clicked straight away, really, had a lot in common. And I could just see how happy Elaine was. And I was just really happy they were together.

Starting point is 00:01:44 When she graduated, Julia continued pursuing art. She had her paintings exhibited and ran a stall in a local market. She had a personal interest in pagan iconography, and she sold candles, incense, and art pieces that she made herself. She had many loyal customers. Eventually, her and Elaine opened, a shop at the Fountain Arcade called Phoenix. Julia worked in a warehouse for her day job.

Starting point is 00:02:06 In her off time, she frequented local bars and pubs. She was very social, talking with anyone she could hoping to make new friends. Debbie said, she could be very trusting, but she'd have her guards up usually. Steve Gibbons, a friend she met through pagan meetup said, If there was a word to describe her, it would be sunshine. If Jew walked into the room, you knew you were in for a good night. She was a pleasure to be around. You'd always know Julia was there because she'd come and put her head on your shoulder.

Starting point is 00:02:34 She'd always greet people with a hug. She was just a very happy tactile person. If Julia, Elaine, and Debbie were out, you knew you were going to have a good time. They were like the three naughty school kids at the back of the class. I always remember Julia grabbing my missus and screaming, You smell like coconuts because she worked at lush. She was always like sunshine. She always had this huge cheeky grin.

Starting point is 00:02:56 It was impossible not to laugh when you were with her. Julia also met a woman named Norma DeWolf at these meetings, Norma said. She was a lovely character. If there was something she didn't like, she would tell you. Some people would try and put it diplomatically, but she would just say it straight. She was a sort of person that if you asked, does my bum look big in this? She would tell you yes if it did.

Starting point is 00:03:17 My daughter Charlotte had a crippling illness, and when she recovered, Julia helped her to set up a room upstairs in the shop. It was her way of being Jew. A lot of people knew her, so she never had any qualms about walking into a pub alone. because she knew she would see someone she knew. She loved life and she was friendly to everyone. She would always be the center of attention.

Starting point is 00:03:36 I think she could be too trusting, and that was her downfall. She saw the good in everyone. Norma's daughter, Charlotte, said she wouldn't have started her business if not for Julia's encouragement. Charlotte had some health issues and didn't think she could go through with it, but Julia gave her the push she needed. Or into Charlotte, she encouraged me to get out there and make a difference. She believed in people.

Starting point is 00:03:56 Her willingness to connect with people in jest and smiles is what we all loved. She was a creative, eccentric, artistic woman who put a smile on everyone's face. A colorful language matched the color she put into the... Own it all. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly

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Starting point is 00:06:10 While she was often described as happy and energetic, Julia was struggling with her mental health. A manager at the market where she sold her art once said, she's obviously had some issues. She's had very long periods of time off, and it was obvious that some days she was quite down. It seemed Julia put a happy face on for her loved ones and tried to keep her struggles all to herself.

Starting point is 00:06:34 Some sources described Julia as single during the events of today's case, but they may have just been referring to her marital status. Julia and Elaine were unmarried but remained a couple since their college years. They had a short period apart but had picked up where they had left off. They were soulmates in every sense of the word. Elaine's sister Jacqueline said, I felt as though Julia was another sister as well. She was.

Starting point is 00:06:59 She was included in everything. She came to all the parties that the family held. She did everything with us. If we went on holiday, Elaine and Julia came with us. We did that for twice a year, for about 10 years, and Julia would look up where we were going, and we'd head off in that direction, and that it was lovely.

Starting point is 00:07:18 She made everything fun. Both Julia and Elaine were fans of the band The Strokes. When Julia learned they'd be performing live in London's Victoria Park, she bought two tickets. The show wasn't for a few months, and the couple started to count down the days until the May 25th, 2019 show. Nathan Maynard Ellis was born on or around May 21st, 1989. He had depression and autism spectrum disorder and was bullied in his childhood.

Starting point is 00:07:45 He physically lashed out at his mother and was once placed into inpatient care in a hospital because of his behavior. As an adult, he studied TV, theater, and film in college, in addition to a course in criminology. He also saw many psychiatrists in rapid succession, but didn't stay with any. of them long enough to receive proper care. He bragged about carrying a knife and rope with him whenever he went out. For the time of our case, he was in a relationship with David Leasley, and the two lived together in an apartment. Nathan met David through a dating app. David was 16 years old at the time, but lied on his dating profile, telling any prospective matches that he was 18. Nathan would have been 21 when he first met David, and they maintained their relationship for nine years.

Starting point is 00:08:26 One of the couple's neighbors described their apartment as the making of horror stories. The two decorated their living space with wall-mounted spiders, masks, weapons, and kept various reptiles and tanks. They had a bookshelf stocked with crime novels, both fiction and nonfiction. There's nothing wrong with that at all. Plenty of people have extensive true crime libraries, but one book of note they had was a history of British serial killing by David Wilson. Keep that particular book in mind because it'll come up again later. Also of note was Nathan's shrine he had constructed. for Chuck E from the Child's Play franchise.

Starting point is 00:08:59 Now, again, there's nothing alarming by itself from that, but Nathan was far from just being a horror collector. He was aroused at the thought of killing a woman, removing her head and defiling her corpse. He spoke to mental health professionals for his depression, and he brought up these violent urges before in meetings. One reason that we mentioned his collections was because he was attempting to use these things,

Starting point is 00:09:21 his books, movies, and his imagination to keep his desires at bay, but it wasn't working. He wanted to experience his twisted fantasies for himself. David was more than willing to help him with it. On May 11, 2019, Julia and Elaine spent the day out in the town, shopping and then going out for drinks. Elaine was tired and went home early.

Starting point is 00:09:44 Julia wanted to meet friends in Birmingham, but got on the wrong bus, which was headed for Dudley. Unbothered, she stepped into the bottle and cork pub, a usual hangout spot for her. That night, Julia crossed with Nathan. Nathan beeline to sit in a barstool. Julia saw he was alone and she approached him, friendly, treating him like an old friend.

Starting point is 00:10:05 Her friend Debbie surmised that Julia believed Nathan was feeling down and wanted to cheer him up. The two of them talked about art, Nathan's tattoos, and other shared interest. Julia was still responding to calls and texts from friends and family until late that night. Elaine went to sleep around 11 and never spoke to. Julia again. Nathan convinced Julia to return to his apartment with him. They left around two in the morning shortly after the bar announced last call. I knew about investing, but I really didn't know how to go about it. Meet Corey, a Walthfront client. With Welfront, it could put money in, and it would automatically distribute it into a diversified portfolio. Then it starts to compound.

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Starting point is 00:11:37 They burned some of her clothes for good measure and threw the rest away in the trash. Julia's absence was quickly noticed. Her friends and family walked along routes Julia could have traveled after leaving the pub, hoping to find some trace of her. Their efforts came up empty, they reported her missing on May 14, 2019. Debbie recounted when and how she learned of her close friends' disappearance. I was coming home from work when someone called me to say one of my friends had gone missing. I asked, what do you mean? Straight away, I had this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Starting point is 00:12:07 I called Elaine and she told me. I thought maybe Julia had just stayed over at a friend's and her phone had died. I kept getting a sinking feeling in my belly that something bad had happened. Five days later, Nathan and David brought a bloodstained chair and bags of clothing with Julia's DNA on it to a waste facility and stashed a bloodstained rug in a storage unit. police got a hold of the security footage. They matched Nathan's appearance to that of the man Julia was speaking with in the bar. For another five days, they found Nathan and David. Security footage had been shared between various police stations in the county.

Starting point is 00:12:41 Eventually, a security officer in the Dudley Town Center spotted Nathan and David while in the clock, and he contacted the investigators. They were still in Dudley Town Center when officers approached them. Nathan had celebrated his 30th birthday between Julia's death and the police confrontation. They behaved normally and their friends and family had no clue what they had done. We're looking for a female missing person who's been missing. We've got pizza on CCTV with someone that matches your description with her. So we just want to get some details from her.

Starting point is 00:13:11 She's been missing for 11 days. So obviously we need to find her. Okay. What's the name of her? Julia Rosa. Do you know anyone by that name? The only women are now. I'm just my family or his family or no.

Starting point is 00:13:22 This is my partner. Investigators matched Nathan's tattoos to those seen on. the man in the security footage. Nathan was arrested under suspicion of kidnapping and murder, and investigators searched his apartment. They pulled back a newly placed carpet and found a bloodstain. It was arrested two days later under suspicion of helping Nathan. Investigators searched in and around the canal for three days.

Starting point is 00:13:44 And on May 27, 2019, law enforcement announced Julia was very likely dead, and that arrests were made. All the inspector could say at the time was, extensive inquiries have led us to the strong belief that Julia has died. We're still working to establish the full circumstances around her disappearance, and our thoughts are with her family at what is a very traumatic time for them. While there were no physical remains at this time, Nathan and David were both charged with murder. Police got a tip from a man living near the Tipton Canal.

Starting point is 00:14:14 The area was sectioned off with police tape so the general public could not interfere. Julia's remains weren't recovered until June, first on the 12th, and again on the 29th. They were found scattered in two different places. Her head, hands, and feet were amputated. At the time, no one knew if all these remains were Julia. All anyone could do was hold their breath in weight. A short time later, through dental records and DNA testing, the remains were identified positively as belonging to Julia.

Starting point is 00:14:48 When investigators examined her, they determined she was hit on the head but couldn't determine an official cause of death. If her friends and family held on to any hope of seeing Julia again, they were completely crushed with this development. They were shaken to their core. Her family offered a statement to the press, which said. She was a talented artist and musician with the ability to play by ear.

Starting point is 00:15:13 Her drawings were shown at local art shows. Her death has had a devastating impact on us. The mutilation of her body in the callous way in which her remains, remains were scattered, has revolted us. We can only pray Julia knew nothing about these abhorrent acts. We are a close and loving family, clinging to each other in an attempt to support each other through this harrowing ordeal, but shall remain deeply affected and troubled by these events for the rest of our lives, because Julia's loss is felt as keenly today as when we heard she had first gone missing. When interviewed in 2020, Debbie told the BBC, I look up at the window and I would see

Starting point is 00:15:52 her paint brushes and a little sun catcher. I would just look at them and be like, where are you? Julia deserves so much more than what happened to her. She was a bright light to everyone. You'd never forget her if you saw her. Introducing Taco Bell's new jalapino citrus salsa with bright citrus, real red jalapinos, guahillo chilis. Usually you add sauce to the food, but when the sauce is this good, the food is just there to get the sauce to your mouth. That rolled cassidia, not a old cassidia anymore. Now it's a sauce shovel. Taco Bell's jalapeno citrus salsa. Get it with any item on the canteen of chicken menu while it's here. The participating U.S. Taco Bell locations for a limited time only

Starting point is 00:16:34 while supplies last. Contact store for availability. We all want to know. What makes people tick? How will they make decisions? Handle feedback and work as a team. The predictive index behavioral assessment reveals how employees actually think work and thrive, like how Marcus fits in a role with structure, and Margot's strength is collaborating with others, because when we understand each other, work just works. Take the behavioral assessment today at try.predictiveindex.com. She was so full of life, and we are lost without her.

Starting point is 00:17:11 The Stroke's concert came and went, and Elaine was too distraught to attend without her ju-ju saying, They killed a part of me, too. Not a day goes by when I'm not thinking about. about her. She was my world. She took me out of myself. It's like that quote. I loved her in colors that don't exist. And now it's the same how much I miss her. Not a day goes by without it hitting me that I'll never see her again. And it just knocks me for six. Nathan and David both faced a judge in the Walsall magistrates court. In early legal proceedings in July, they both pled not guilty. Nathan David said they did attempt to hide evidence and obstruct justice, but they denied killing Julia.

Starting point is 00:17:52 Nathan saw a psychiatrist while awaiting trial. Told the psychiatrist that he did invite Julia to his apartment, but he did not intend to murder her. According to his story, Julie was openly flirting with him. She got too close for comfort, he hit her with a rolling pin. He didn't realize he had killed her. He was interested in serial killers in crime,

Starting point is 00:18:11 but only through an educational lens. And these are his words, not what probably actually happened. David, meanwhile, pushed most of the blame on Nathan. He was more than willing to help him before, but it seems that disappeared when the consequences raced to meet him. Told the psychiatrist that he knew of his partners depraved and violent fantasies, but said he had no part in making them into a reality. After the initial arrest, an anonymous woman reported that Nathan had previously essayed her and threatened to kill her and hide her body. Police investigated her claims and found she was not the only one. As a result, Nathan had four charges of essay, one charge of attempted essay, and other charges of violent threats.

Starting point is 00:18:49 added in addition to Julia's murder. The pretrial hearing was held in October of 2020, and the trial began in March. In the months leading up to the trial, coroner Savar Siddiquet opened an inquest so they could further investigate Julia's cause of death. There aren't any articles describing what the coroner's office found, so it's possible the path was a dead end. Prosecuting attorney Karim Kahil described the defendant's apartment in detail for the jury. He said Julia could not have known that she was.

Starting point is 00:19:19 was about to enter a flat of horrors. She must have realized this very soon after she went in. One can only imagine the sense of panic that it might have created in her. More disturbing, perhaps, and entirely hidden from her view was the mental makeup of the man with whom she had just arrived. For years, he had been addicted to thoughts of the violent, centralized killing of women. He knew what he wanted to do, and he intended to do exactly what he did. It was the calmest, of years of pent-up fantasy and desire. During the trial, the courts and news outlets described Julia as flirtatious when drunk, especially with men. Julia's friend Steve took issue with his characterization. He said he never viewed a drunken Julia as flirtatious, only sociable. Nathan took the

Starting point is 00:20:08 witness stand. He continued to deny planning to murder Julia or doing so purposefully. When asked about his horror slasher in crime fascination, he explained, that he looked at horror films to make costumes and masks and things, but not to act them out. They were both found guilty in the UK courts on November 9th, 2020. In the following month, Justice Michael Sewell gave them life sentences. He said to the pair, you Maynard Ellis, entered the bottle and cork bar in Dudley. Julia Ross, and a complete stranger to you had been there for some time. Over the course of the next few days, you then undertook a comprehensive attempt to cover up what you had done. Only you two know just what happened to the

Starting point is 00:20:49 the flat, but neither has told the truth. You were fascinated by films involving extreme violence and depravity, and notably those including violent killings, serial killers, necrophilia, and extending to cannibalism. You fantasized about killing someone, including by strangulation. You routinely carried a knife when would go out with a black hood and thin rope, saying that you always had it with you if the right opportunity arose. I accept that Maydard Ellis was playing a leading role through all of this, but at all times, you were giving him your unquestioning support. So to David directly, Justice Sewell said, you were in thrall to Nathan Maynard Ellis

Starting point is 00:21:25 from the time that you first met him through the online dating site when you were 16, but pretending to be 18, and the evidence from your colleagues at the co-op provides telling support of your devotion to him thereafter. As already indicated, I have concluded that Maynard Ellis instigated the attack on Julia Rosson, but that you immediately joined in.

Starting point is 00:21:43 Whilst accepting your involvement was unpremeditated, I am sure that in joining in, you did so with an intent to kill rather than to cause really serious bodily injury. In my judgment, you were thereupon doing Nathan's bidding and sharing his intent. In the same ready way, you then took part in the dismemberment in all the other aspects of the cover-up. Justice Sewell also praised the police for their work during the investigation and gave his condolences to Julia's loved ones. After the trial, police inspector Jim Colclo told the press, All murders are tragic, but Julia's death and the way she was treated after was despicable. Many of the sickening and tragic details of this case have come out during the court trial.

Starting point is 00:22:23 We've given a detailed account of how we were able to find Julius so her family could bury her and bring Maynard Ellis and Liesley to justice for the heinous crime they committed. Julia's funeral services were put off until April of 2020, as her remains were still needed for the investigation. Since it was in the middle of the pandemic, her friends and family could not mourn together. Instead, many of Julia's loved ones lit candles at 11 in the morning on April 15th, 2020. Debbie made a Facebook post that day in the form of a poem. It reads in part, for you Jew, so many memories I share with you of which I will always hold so dear. It's been a long time since I've seen your face, but I still feel you near.

Starting point is 00:23:05 I see us put the world to rights and, oh my goddess, we've seen some. some sight. I miss that smart mouth and razor-sharp wit. That sense of humor would have us in bits. You were always there to lend an ear, usually fall by, stick another in here. As you held out your glass, ready to kick ass, of anyone that dared to trouble your friend, so many shenanigans and great times we've shared, from flower-sniffing Roddy's to souls laid bare. I know you are free and will never be far. I just hope you know how loved and so missed you are. I have years full of memories and was blessed to have a friend like you. You were one of a kind, an uncut diamond. There's only one Jew. So pour me some of that posh gin in case I don't get in, and I will see you again soon.

Starting point is 00:23:50 Until then, I will look for you amidst the stars and the moon, amongst the daffodils you loved in the vast array of shiny things, and I'll be sure to salute the general when his presence he brings. It's not goodbye. It could never be the end. It's just a temporary parting, so take care, my dear friend. Debbie and one of her daughters bought a small garden statue of a fairy on a swing. Julia's favorite flower was the daffodil. They named the fairy dinky daffodil in her memory. In 2023 and 24, criminologist, professor, and author David Wilson spoke about his research into serial killer fans who go on to commit murder themselves.

Starting point is 00:24:25 He discussed Shea Groves, Brian Coburger, and Nathan Maynard Ellis. Remember Shea's story from her coverage of her case last year. David also spoke of his tangential relation to, Julia Rosson's murder. Now, David wasn't involved in the investigation at all, but he learned about Julia when the couple's apart. As the Krispy Chicken sandwich from 7-Eleven, people always call me loud. And I'm like, yeah, I know. I'm crispy. Did you expect me to whisper? If you want quiet, go eat some soup and reflect. Like, I know I'm a handful. I'm bold, I'm juicy. Throw some pickles and barbecue sauce on me, and baby I'm a whole meal. And with seven rewards, I'm just $4.

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Starting point is 00:25:34 He said, and I quote, They had my books on their bookshelf. You know, you're kind of like, wait a minute, this is just getting a bit too strange. You've got that poor woman who was murdered in Tipton in the West Midlands by the two guys who were studying criminology. And I didn't know. I know nothing about this.

Starting point is 00:25:49 I didn't work on the case or anything. I knew nothing about the woman that was murdered. West Midlands police put out quite a lot of press statements about her murder after the two guys got convicted. And the printed photographs of the room in which she was murdered, which included their bookshelves. It was then I noticed, oh my God, they're reading my books. David had written about Jack the Ripper and other serial killers in the UK

Starting point is 00:26:11 through the lens of education and research. He gradually learned more about Julia Rosson's murder and realized that Nathan and David had copied some of Jack the Ripper's methods to the letter. For a time, David Wilson felt guilty, but in the end, he knew the difference between people like Nathan Maynard Ellis and the average true crime content consumer. There are plenty of examples of a sick person taking a perfectly normal interest and using it to feel something twisted and cruel.

Starting point is 00:26:36 David explained that crime reports and the horror genre do not cause people to be violent. Something within the individual spurs this kind of cruelty. He said and I quote, Shea Groves and Nathan Maynard Ellis are not the first people who have killed following an obsession with serial killers and they won't be the last.

Starting point is 00:26:53 These people already have fantasies and dress them up with an interest in killers like Jack the Ripper or Bundy or whoever. You can't put the internet back in a box. It exists. There are those who will watch crime shows and documentaries who have bad intentions, but they are a small minority. At the other end of the scale, True Crime podcasters and TV shows have uncovered miscarriages

Starting point is 00:27:12 of justice and work to make cold cases go hot again. For me, True Crime is not about retelling the story of a murder with even more grisly details. It's about uncovering new lines or revealing something new. One other thing that I'd like to add to what David said is that true crime is also about raising awareness. We've had a countless number of people. has to be over 100 at this point, message us saying that because of a video they saw, it taught them the signs to look for, gave them the courage to speak up, to say something when they

Starting point is 00:27:41 saw something that didn't look right in order to protect someone, especially a child who is in danger. Last but not least, the people who have reached out saying they decided to pursue a career in social work because of one of our videos. It's hard to make a difference if you don't know what the issues are. It's things like this that prove to me that true crime does far more good than it does harm. Nathan and David are both serving life sentences with minimum terms of 30 years and 19 years respectively.

Starting point is 00:28:10 The Solicitor General tried to increase the minimum terms, but the appeal was dismissed. While David has a better chance at getting his sentence lessened, it is possible they will both die in prison.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Julia Rawson

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