THE ARREST AND TRIAL
In 1992, Fred started to rape and abuse his 13-year-old daughter Louise. She told a friend, whose mother then tipped off the police anonymously. They searched Cromwell Road, finding the Wests’ sexual paraphernalia and hardcore videos. They children were immediately taken into care.
Fred was charged with several rapes, and Rose charged as an accomplice. They were both questioned about Heather’s disappearance, but as there was no evidence, Rose was released on bail.
Eventually, in June 1993, Rose and Fred went to trial, but Louise and her sister Anne-Marie refused to testify, so the trial collapsed. However, Anne-Marie did tell police about the disappearances of Charmaine and Rena.
THE INVESTIGATION
Despite the collapse of the first trial, the police continued to investigate the disappearances of Heather, Rena and Charmaine. They were especially suspicious because Fred had not reported any of the disappearances.
Finally in February 1994, police were granted a search warrant to search for Heather’s remains at Cromwell Street. They started digging the garden, and the children said they could see how panicked their parents were.
And then the following day, Fred confessed to the murder of Heather (after telling his son to sell the house and his story to the papers to get money).
West claimed Heather’s death had been manslaughter during an argument, and told the police the right part of the garden to dig. The next day, the police found Heather’s remains, but they also found a third thigh bone. This led Fred to confess to two more victims.
Fred soon confessed to nine more murders, with six buried at Cromwell Street. Police soon found their remains too. West also confirmed the locations where Charmaine and Rena had been buried, and that of McFall, though he denied her murder.
Fred also insisted that Rose had not been involved in any of the murders, but police did not believe this and she was also arrested. At first, she was interviewed about old cases: the rape of a girl and assault on a boy, both in the mid 1970s. Then, on April 25th, she was charged with Gough’s murder.
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