Unsolved murders linked to evil Christopher Halliwell will be reviewed after a damning report reveals opportunities were missed to bring the double killer to justice.
Chief Constable Kier Pritchard faces disciplinary action over his role in the botched Wiltshire Police probe into the murder of Becky Godden-Edwards, 20.
Halliwell, 58, murdered Becky in 2003 and buried her in a field where eight years later he led detective Steve Fulcher after being arrested for the murder of office worker Sian O’Callaghan, 22.
But a judge ruled the confession to Becky’s murder breached police rules and was inadmissible, and her case was dropped in 2012 while Halliwell was convicted of Sian’s murder.
Tireless campaigning by Becky’s mum Karen Edwards finally ended in the killer’s 2016 prosecution for her murder and he was handed a whole-life sentence.
But the case could have continued in 2012 if officers had followed up leads and told prosecutors about evidence it was sitting on, the Independent Office for Police Conduct has found.
These included a sample from Halliwell’s spade that was not examined until three years later when it was matched to a rare soil in the field where Becky was found.
There was also evidence from an RAC recovery driver who attended the Swindon taxi driver’s broken-down car six miles from where he buried Becky.
Another was a statement from Halliwell’s GP revealing he had seen him later that day with severe scratches to his face.
And the pond in Ramsbury, Wilts, where Sian’s boots were found was not searched until 2014, by which time Halliwell’s “trophy store” of 60 items of women’s clothing had degraded so much they could not be forensically tested.
The scandal only came to light due to complaints to the police watchdog by Karen, played by Imelda Staunton in A Confession, ITV ’s 2019 drama about the case with Martin Freeman as Det Supt Fulcher and Joe Absolom as Halliwell.
Karen said: “The lack of honesty on Wiltshire Police’s part has been a disgrace. If I hadn’t made my complaint none of this would have come out. Becky’s case would never have made it to court if I hadn’t kept on like I had.”
Then-Deputy Chief Constable Mike Veale claimed in 2016 that officers had worked “tirelessly” on Becky’s case from the moment the charges were dropped in 2012. But no senior investigating officer was appointed to the case for over a year, found Det Supt Amanda Bell who led the IOPC probe.
And when Det Insp Matt Davey was appointed the “investigation failed to progress”, it was found. Mr Davey is quoted as saying he thought he was just asked to “babysit the inquiry”.
Because Mr Davey and Mr Veale have both retired, neither could be found to have a case to answer for misconduct, only gross misconduct.
They were found to have no such case to answer.
The IOPC found Mr Pritchard, then a Det Chief Supt, had a case to answer for three counts of misconduct.
He will receive “management action” for failing to ensure a proper investigation took place prior to 2014, appointing an inexperienced officer to lead the probe after leaving the position vacant for 16 months, and failing to carry out reviews.
The IOPC also found systemic failings at Wiltshire Police, which is already under special measures.
An independent review is now being set up into unsolved murders linked to Halliwell.
After Halliwell confessed Becky’s murder to Mr Fulcher, a judge ruled it breached police rules and made Halliwell’s confession inadmissible.
This was later overturned by another judge.
Mr Fulcher was found guilty of gross misconduct in 2014 and later resigned.
Karen, 61, who highlighted the case in her book A Killer’s Confession, said: “Their priority was to put the knife into Steve Fulcher’s back rather than investigate a murderer.”
Mr Fulcher said: “No proper investigation has been carried out into Christopher Halliwell and so a new one has been instigated into his serial offending.
"Whoever that team is, they are going to find the neglect of duty in this case has been staggering. It will be a police scandal on the scale of Stephen Lawrence.”
It was not until Det Chief Supt Sean Memory was made SIO in 2014 that lines of inquiry were finally picked up.
Two months later the force declared a “critical incident” due to the lack of previous action – but did not tell Karen.
They also failed to tell her Mr Davey had been referred to the police watchdog.
She said: “It beggars belief. I never knew about any of this until I got this report. They were hoping that I was going to go away.”
In an impact statement Karen read to Mr Pritchard in person, she said: “You deserve to be pursued like you and others pursued Steve Fulcher. You are an utter disgrace.
Mr Pritchard said he fully accepted the findings and voluntarily accepted management action.
Mr Veale said: “The report categorically states...there is no evidence that I sought to mislead anyone. I never have.”
Dep Chief Const Paul Mills of Wiltshire Police said: “We are deeply sorry for the impact these avoidable delays in the investigation had on Becky’s family.
"We are fully committed to ensuring the lessons identified in this case are learnt and acted upon.”
'If I hadn’t complained police would have got away with it'
Karen Edwards has criticised the IOPC after the police watchdog originally found Chief Constable Kier Pritchard had no case to answer for misconduct.
It reversed its decision when challenged by a barrister brought in by Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson.
Karen said: “Thankfully he took legal advice and disagreed with the conclusions.
“How many PCCs would do that? How many other police forces have got away with wrongdoing?
“We need to look at the IOPC again and make sure it is fit for its purpose. I also question whether there is any independence in the IOPC.
“Some facts in the investigating officer’s report were not included in the final summary. Why can’t the public see all the facts and failings found?
“Let’s face it; if I had not complained, Wiltshire Police would have got away with the things the investigator uncovered.“
The IOPC said it had consulted the PCC on its “provisional” original decision in line with procedure, and had accepted his view.
Is Halliwell the 'East Lancs Ripper'?
Halliwell committed other murders that he has not yet been convicted of, the detective who snared him believes.
Former Det Supt Steve Fulcher revealed in 2016 how the killer told him “police want to interview me about eight murders”.
Mr Fulcher added: “There’s no question, from all the information I gathered when I was running this inquiry in 2011, he committed other murders.”
They include the unsolved killing of Julie Finley, 23, of Liverpool, in August 1994.
Julie’s naked body was found in a carrot field in Rainford around 12 miles from her home.
Merseyside Police are investigating the monster after a Mirror investigation placed Halliwell in the area while driving a white Ford transit van like one spotted at the murder scene.
Julie’s murder is one of a series of unsolved cases that could have been committed by a killer dubbed the East Lancs Ripper, former police intelligence officer Chris Clark has said.
In his book, the New Millenium Serial Killer, Mr Clark also details the case of Maria Requena, 26, who was found at Pennington Flash Nature Reserve dismembered in five bin bags.
The mother-of-three had suffered a stabbing attack and her head had been removed from her body.
In October 1988 sex worker Linda Donaldson vanished from Liverpool’s red light district.
Her body was found 20 miles away in a Greater Manchester village with multiple stab wounds.
Closer to his home area of Wiltshire, Halliwell, from Swindon, was said to have been “obsessed” with prostitute Sally Ann John, who lived in the town and worked in the street where Halliwell had a flat.
In September 1995 the 23-year-old vanished and her body was never found.
Sandra Brewin who vanished in 1994, Tina Pryer in 2001 and Thi Hai Nguyen in 2005, are all from Wiltshire.
Carol Clark, 32, vanished from the red light district of Bristol in March 2003 before being killed and dumped in a canal 40 miles from where Halliwell lived.
He was a narrowboat enthusiast who knew the canals in that area.
Jackie Waines was a 35-year-old mum who was abducted from Bristol and murdered in 1985.
Timeline
- Jan 1, 2003: Becky Godden-Edwards, 20, is last seen getting into a taxi outside a club in Swindon, Wilts.
- Jan 3: Halliwell visits his GP with scratches to his face.
- Mar 19, 2011: Sian O’Callaghan disappears after leaving the Suju nightclub in Swindon.
- Mar 24: Sian’s body is found at Eastleach, Glos. -
- Mar 26: Police find Becky’s body near Eastleach, Glos.
- Jun 2011: Det Supt Steve Fulcher steps down as SIO for both murders, the stays vacant for 16 months.
- May 31, 2012: Halliwell denies murdering Sian and a charge of murdering Becky is dropped.
- Oct 19: Halliwell pleads guilty to murdering Sian and is jailed for life with a minimum of 25 years.
- Jan 2014: Mr Fulcher found guilty of misconduct with final written warning.
- Feb: Det Chief Supt Sean Memory made SIO for Becky’s case.
- April 2014: Force declares a “critical incident” over a “potential impact on public confidence” due to the lack of previous action but did not tell Karen.
- May 15, 2015: Mr Fulcher resigns.
- Mar 30, 2016: Halliwell is charged with Becky’s murder and is later convicted following a trial.
- Feb 2017: Karen lodges her complaint with the IOPC.
- Sept 2022: The IOPC find serious failings.
