British serial killer Bruce Childs,convicted of 6 killings in the 1970's & 80's,confesses to FIVE MORE murders
Joe1orbit
Okay folks, this is going to be my final post for quite a few hours, MAYBE
even my final post until tomorrow morning. Got some other tasks and chores that
I must focus my attention in.
What better way to close out my posting session than with some news on a very
little known serial killer who happens to be across the Big Pond from
ameriKKKa, over in England. The man I am referring to is Bruce Childs. If that
doesn't ring any bells with you, don't feel bad, it didn't immediately jog any
memories in my fertile brain either.
But Bruce is a serial killer, and there is some very interesting new news on
his killings to report. In the 1980's, Bruce was arrested and put on trial for
a series of six serial CONTRACT killings that he carried out, apparently for
money. He did have a partner who helped him carry out some or all of THOSE
killings. He was found guilty of these killings, after admitting during the
trial that he DID indeed slaughter humans with knives, guns, and HAMMERS, then
dismembered the bodies, then FED the body parts through an industrial quality
grinder/mincer, and then BURNED the bodies of his victims in the FIREPLACE at
the home where he lived! Cool! Living in a house with a working fireplace,
complete with chimney, certainly can come in useful for a serial killer.
Bruce initially had SOME hope of maybe being freed in his old age, following
this multiple murder conviction. But over the years he has come to realize and
been told by judicial officials that NO, he will not be granted parole or ever
released. Bruce is now 62 years old, and t sounds like he has accepted this
very unfortunate reality, and is now therefore determined to claim FULL credit
for ADDITIONAL serial killings that he says he committed, but was never charged
with it. It sounds like some of these new killings were NOT committed on
"contract" and involved no financial payment, but were simply done because
Bruce WANTED/needed to slaughter fellow humans, for emotional/cathartic
pleasure. That is very good news, and it certainly increases my admiration for
Bruce, and appreciation for all of his serial killings.
Right now, Bruce is claiming to have serially killed FIVE additional humans,
and police are trying to verify whether these claims are genuine and true. I
certainly think they are. There is no rational reason for Bruce to start
inflating his body count now, more than a decade after his conviction on other
serial killings, unless it is to gain PROPER and full credit for all of his
ACTUAL murdering accomplishments.
Bruce is claiming that he started killing as a teenager. His first murder
involved pushing a 60 pound block on CONCRETE down as staircase, which CRUSHED
another young boy to death! He targeted several other complete strangers,
killing them for PLEASURE and not for money or as part of any organized crime
activity. This is very exciting news, to me. It pegs Bruce as being a serial
killer motivated NOT by money, but by INTERNAL, True Reality-based RAGE and
HATE.
Bruce thoughtfully shares with us his mindset on one of the
killings/dismemberments: "After killin him, I had to spend another two days
cutting him up and burning him. At that time I was prepared to kill at the drop
of a hat. It never bothered me at all." Very cool quote for any serial killer
to make! Hopefully Bruce's fame within the serial killer/true crime community
will now slowely grow, both in England and in other nations like the USA.
In explaining why he has suddenly decided to come forward and admit to 5
additional serial killings, giving him an impressive total of 11 harvested
humans, Bruce declares: "I know I has nothing to gain by admitting to more
murders, but I wanted to get them off my mind". Good answer! And why not
receive full credit for your accomplishments?? I mean, If I won 4 gold medals
at the olympics. wouldn't I want to be ACKNOWLEDGED as being the winner of all
4? Of course I would! Most humans want their life history to be ACCURATELY
recorded and reported. This is especially true for FAMOUS people, and serial
killers ARE indeed famous celebrities, within their own circle, and within the
true crime community and the larger consciousness of the public at large.
One police official believes that Bruce killed even MORE humans than these
11. He declares: "It's quite likely he's killed others. He's probably the most
cold-blooded murderer we've ever seen - he killed because he really enjoyed
it." Another cool quote that Bruce has earned.
So let us salute Bruce, for choosing to come forward and claim the fame that
is due him, in admitting to 5 new serial killings. And let us THANK him for the
MARVELOUSLY evocative interview that he gave to a newspaper reporter, which is
recounted in the second news article below. Bruce's clear LOVE of murder and
HAPPINESS in causing pain/death to fellow humans is UNDENIABLE, and very
inspiring.
Demonstating a keen intelligence and insight into Truth, our happy serial
killer declares: "There were loads of people I still wanted to kill when I got
caught, 11 I think. I'm always suprised there aren't more murderers about,
because killing someone isn't hard. Not getting caught is the hard bit. Do you
know there are at least 11 plants in the average garden that can poison people.
If you want any elderly relatives out of the way, it's a piece of cake." I just
LOVE British serial killers, they all seem to be so INTELLIGENT and verbally
talented.
We learn than even before, with only 6 victims, Bruce was still the #5 serial
killer in modern British history. Dennis Nilsen is #1 with 15 victims, Peter
Sutcliffe has 13, Fred West 12, and Rose West 10. If these 5 additional
killings were committed by Bruce, he will officially jump past Rose, into 4th
place. Cool!
If you would like to view a photo of Bruce, simply point your web browser to:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news.htm
Be advised however, that this web page is updated on a DAILY basis and the
photo will only be there for a few hours.
Take care, JOE
The following appears courtesy of the 11/17/98 online edition of The London
Evening Standard newspaper:
Serial killer admits five more murders
by Patrick Mcgowan
November 17, 1998
Detectives are investigating claims by a notorious London serial killer that he
murdered five other people.
Bruce Childs was jailed in the Eighties for a series of contract killings
committed with his friend Henry "Big H" McKenny.
At his trial, he admitted using knives, guns and hammers to kill his victims.
The bodies were then cut up and burned on the living room fire at his home in
Bow.
Childs, now 62, has been told he is one of the handful of killers considered
too dangerous ever to be freed and has now decided to admit to more murders.
In today's Mirror he says that when he was a young offender in Kent he dropped
a 60lb block of concrete down a stairwell on to a Borstal boy, who later died.
In 1965, he stabbed a stranger to death outside a Hillingdon pub. A year later
he shot dead, after a mock trial, a police informer at a Hornsey drinking club
run by the Krays. In 1978 when he was in the midst of the killings for which he
later received six life sentences, he murdered a stranger with a knife and
hammer after an argument.
"Then I had to spend another two days cutting him up and burning him," he said.
"At that time I was prepared to kill at the drop of a hat. It never bothered me
at all."
His fifth victim was petrol station attendant George Snowden, battered to death
in Lincolnshire in 1979 - the only unsolved killing in the local police force.
Childs says he killed him with a cosh because he was afraid he would be
recognised after dumping another murder victim's car nearby.
"He was an old boy and when I look back I'm sorry, but in those days I was
ruthless about eliminating risks," he said.
Childs says he knows he has nothing to gain by admitting to more murders, but
wanted "to get them off my mind".
------------------------------------------------------------
The following appears courtesy of the 11/17/98 online edition of The london
Daily Mirror newspaper:
I KILLED 5 MORE PEOPLE
HITMAN CONFESSES TO MIRROR FROM JAIL CELL
SERIAL killer Bruce Childs has admitted FIVE more murders to The Mirror.
The 62-year-old hitman is serving life for slaughtering six people including a
boy of 10. Now, in a series of chilling jail interviews, he claims he also:
DROPPED a 60lb block of concrete on a Borstal boy who later died; STABBED a
complete stranger to death in the street; SHOT dead a police informer; KNIFED
and cut up another total stranger and BATTERED a petrol station attendant to
death. As a result of his confessions police have re-opened files into a string
of unsolved shootings, stabbings and disappearances going back 30 years. They
fear Childs still hasn't revealed his final tally.
One officer said last night: "It's quite likely he's killed others. He's
probably the most cold-blooded murderer we've ever seen - he killed because he
really enjoyed it." Back in the 70s, Childs formed Murder Incorporated with his
pal Henry "Big H" McKenny carrying out contract killings for cash.
He used knives, guns and hammers to kill his victims, then cut them up and
burned them on his living-room fire at his "slaughterhouse" home in Bow, East
London.
Police had no idea he was a mass killer until he confessed after being captured
following a £500,000 security van hijack in Hertford.
Childs has nothing to gain by confessing to more murders. He has been told by
the Home Office he is too dangerous ever to be freed.
But he told The Mirror: "As I know I'm going to die in jail there's a few
things I'd like to get off my mind before I go."
One of the crimes to which he has now admitted is the murder of petrol station
attendant Gordon Snowden, 60, at Sutton Bridge, Lincs, in 1979. The case is the
Lincolnshire force's only unsolved killing.
George's tearful widow Daisy, 83, said yesterday: "It such a relief to know the
truth at last. There should be hanging for people like Childs."
Police said: "We have a duty to investigate all Childs's claims."
THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE CHILDS LAUGH IS START TALKING ABOUT KILLING PEOPLE
MASS killer Bruce Childs is the most terrifying man I have ever met.
He is more menacing than Reggie Kray, more frightening than strangler Dennis
Nilsen. The only time he laughs is when he talks about killing. Yet from his
appearance you would never guess the enormity of his crimes.
Childs machine-gunned, hammered and stabbed his victims. Then he chopped the
bodies into small pieces, fed the bloody pulp into an industrial mincer and
burned the result in the grate of his living room fire.
That was 20 years ago. He has been in jail ever since and will never be freed.
And that's where I first met him last year, after I received a message saying
he wanted to confess to another five killings on top of the six for which he
was sentenced in 1980.
The ageing gangster is now 62, sparingly built with thinning hair. He has
watery blue eyes, pale skin, a ready smile and a warm handshake. It was only
when he talked about the murders that he seemed to come alive. Veins in his
forehead throbbed, his eyes widened. At times he thrust an imaginary dagger
towards my chest.
Then there was the laughter. Recalling one killing, he said: "So I said to him
'Have some of this you ****,' and I plunged the knife in his chest right to the
hilt. And he goes 'Ow, ow, it hurts, it hurts!'" Then Childs threw back his
head and hooted at the memory.
The first meeting in Long Lartin jail, Worcs, was for both sides to do a bit of
finding out about each other. Childs - pal of mass killer Henry "Big H" McKenny
with whom he set up Murder Incorporated - said: "Are you interested in what
I've done?"
I told him I was. Childs went on: "I know I'm going to die in jail,. There's a
few things I'd like to get off my mind before I go....a few skeletons still in
my cupboard." It wasn't until after my second visit to see him at Long Lartin
and later after he was transferred to top security Frankland jail, in Co
Durham, that Childs trusted me enough to tell all. This is his grim tally of
"extra" killings:
VICTIM No 1 was a young offender in the first Borstal in Borstal village, Kent,
where Childs was locked up for burglary.
Childs said he dropped a 60lb block of concrete on the youngster's back from
the top of a stair, smashing his spine. He told me: "He was in his death throes
flapping like a pinned butterfly. I was told later he died."
VICTIM No 2 was a complete stranger who Childs stabbed in Hillingdon, Middx, in
1965. He told me: "Someone attacked a black mate of mine and slashed his face
with a razor. One night, I went looking for vengeance and stabbed two people.
"The man I killed was in a pub with a bunch of mates. They were National Front
types and I was with my black girlfriend Joan. They followed us outside and
started making remarks. I was throbbing with hate. I had a knife, picked out
one of the group and ran the blade into his chest as hard as I could three
times. I never knew his name."
VICTIM No 3 was a police informer. Childs was in a drinking club in Hornsey,
North London, run by the notorious Kray Twins in 1966 when the grass was hauled
before a crowd of villains who put him "on trial."
Childs presided as judge and executioner. He said: "He was found guilty. I went
to my car and got a five-shot revolver. I shot him twice at close range. I was
told the Krays were not pleased, but I never heard anything more about it."
VICTIM No 4 was a stranger who approached Childs in a pub near his home in Bow,
East London, in 1978.
At the time, the killer was "half way through cutting up" a previous victim
Ronnie Andrews, 38. He said: "My wife had left me and I was depressed. I went
out for a drink. A bloke started a conversation with me. I told him I didn't
want any company but he wouldn't let up.
"I left the pub and he followed me outside. He punched me in the face, so I
stabbed him with my diver's knife. I propped him up and dragged him to my front
door 100 yards away.
"Once inside I finished him off with a 2lb hammer. Then I had to spend another
two days cutting him up and burning him. At that time I was prepared to kill at
the drop of a hat. It never bothered me at all."
VICTIM No 5 was petrol station attendant Gordon Snowden, 60, found murdered in
his office in the sleepy village of Sutton Bridge, Lincs, in April, 1979.
Six months earlier, Childs and McKenny had called at Gordon's station after
murdering Ronald Andrews and dumping his car in the nearby River Nene.
Fearing that Gordon would remember the two strangers after the car was
recovered Childs went back to secure his silence.
He said: "I battered him to death with a cosh in his office and took the till
to make it look like robbery. He was an old boy, and when I look back I'm
sorry. But in those days I was ruthless about eliminating risks.
"It may sound silly, but I'm telling this now because I think that man might
have relatives and I would like them to know the truth."
Childs, then known as John Childs, and McKenny were each handed six life
sentences for a succession of cold-blooded killings, some of them for cash.
Their spree started with Terence "Teddy Bear" Eve who ran a soft toy business
in Ilford. Childs and McKenny wanted his business and in 1974 beat him to death
with hammers and strangled him with rope.
The second victim was Eve's friend Robert Brown. He had to go becase knew too
much about Eve's disappearance. He was lured to Childs' flat in Bow, East
London, in 1975 and shot three times in the head. Childs plunged his favourite
seven-inch diver's knife into his heart and McKenny sank an axe into his skull.
Later that year, George Brett and his 10-year-old son Terry were shot dead at
an Ilford factory with a sub-machine gun. Childs accepted £1,800 to kill
George. Terry fell victim just because he had gone along for the ride with his
dad.
Childs then accepted £1,500 down and five monthly payments of £500 to kill
nursing home boss Fred Sherwood, 48, of Herne Bay, Kent. Fred was clubbed with
a 2lb hammer and shot in 1978.
Ronald Andrews, 38, died later that year because McKenny was having an affair
with his wife. Childs lured him to his infamous "slaughterhouse" flat in Bow
where he was shot dead, cut up and burned.
Sitting in jail, Childs told me: "There were loads of people I still wanted to
kill when I got caught, 11 I think. I'm always suprised there aren't more
murderers about, because killing someone isn't hard. Not getting caught is the
hard bit."
Warming to his theme, he said: "Do you know there are at least 11 plants in the
average garden that can poison people. If you want any elderly relatives out of
the way, it's a piece of cake."
He then told me what to do with a common garden plant. It was a master class in
murder from a man who will never see the outside world again.
COLD-BLOODED MURDERER IS NO 5 IN LEAGUE OF EVIL
BRUCE Childs stands joint fifth in the list of Britain's worst serial killers.
With his partner Henry McKenny he was convicted of the murders of six people.
Only strangler Dennis Nilsen (15 victims), Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe
(13) and Cromwell Street monsters Fred West(12) and Rose West (10) have killed
more. But police say that cold-blooded Childs and McKenny were the only
professional serial killers ever seen in the UK.
One officer who worked on the original Childs investigation said: "Nilsen, the
Wests and Sutcliffe were sex killers. The Wests and Sutcliffe killed to cover
up their crimes.''
Nancy Botts
Joe1orbit wrote:
>
>
> COLD-BLOODED MURDERER IS NO 5 IN LEAGUE OF EVIL
>
> BRUCE Childs stands joint fifth in the list of Britain's worst serial killers.
> With his partner Henry McKenny he was convicted of the murders of six people.
>
> Only strangler Dennis Nilsen (15 victims), Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe
> (13) and Cromwell Street monsters Fred West(12) and Rose West (10) have killed
> more. But police say that cold-blooded Childs and McKenny were the only
> professional serial killers ever seen in the UK.
>
> One officer who worked on the original Childs investigation said: "Nilsen, the
> Wests and Sutcliffe were sex killers. The Wests and Sutcliffe killed to cover
> up their crimes.''
Only 11? Hell, that hardly even makes the top 25 in America.
Peggi Hsu
Childs.
>We learn than even before, with only 6 victims, Bruce was still the #5 serial
>killer in modern British history. Dennis Nilsen is #1 with 15 victims, Peter
>Sutcliffe has 13, Fred West 12, and Rose West 10. If these 5 additional
>killings were committed by Bruce, he will officially jump past Rose, into 4th
>place. Cool!
>
I am interested to know if Fred & Rose West's body counts overlap representing
10 victims they killed as team?
Also, the police seem to think that it is likely that Fred had claimed many
more victims. Unfortunatley with his suicide we will never know. I tend to
believe that Fred would probably make it to the top of the list if only he had
lived to tell.
Thank you for the post Joe, I can't wait for the book! Something about those
British serial killers...
--Peggi
Joe1orbit
Nancy Botts <nbo...@swbell.net> Wrote:
>Only 11?
Hello,
Yes, only 11 for Bruce, if indeed he did harvest these 5 new victims that he
now admits to having serially killed.
> Hell, that hardly even makes the top 25 in America.
That is true. But remember that England is a SMALL country. I don't think
it's bigger than the single state of Texas, even. Considering their small size,
they have produced a fair amount of decent serial killers, although it is sad
that NO known and identified serial killer in Britain is credited with more
than 15 killings. Gotta be patient, it is a small nation, and I think that
sooner or later a more talented serial killer will come along and at least
establish a nice new record of 25+ successful serial killings.
Take care, JOE
>
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Joe1orbit
about Bruce
Childs:
>>We learn than even before, with only 6 victims, Bruce was still the #5
>serial
>>killer in modern British history. Dennis Nilsen is #1 with 15 victims, Peter
>>Sutcliffe has 13, Fred West 12, and Rose West 10. If these 5 additional
>>killings were committed by Bruce, he will officially jump past Rose, into
>4th
>>place. Cool!
pegg...@aol.com7 (Peggi Hsu) Wrote:
>I am interested to know if Fred & Rose West's body counts overlap
>representing
>10 victims they killed as team?
Hello Peggi,
That is correct. As far as I can recall, all 10 victims credited to Rose West
are ALSO credited to her husband Fred. The two of them committed these 10
murders together, but Fred WAS the leader and instigator. He is also believed
to have killed 2 additional people, without any help from wife Rose, so he got
officially credited with 12, and Rose only got credited with 10.
>Also, the police seem to think that it is likely that Fred had claimed many
>more victims.
That is correct. But I haven't found any CONCRETE proof or irrefutable
evidence that he killed more. I agree that it is VERY likely that he did.
> Unfortunatley with his suicide we will never know.
That is true, and it is a very great tragedy, that Fred will almost certainly
never get full credit for all of his killings.
> I tend to
>believe that Fred would probably make it to the top of the list if only he
>had
>lived to tell.
I think the odds are pretty good that you are correct. But then again, I
don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that Dennis Nilsen might have
a few additional victims as well, that he has chosen to not tell police about.
>Thank you for the post Joe, I can't wait for the book!
Hopefully a book will now be written and published. Bruce certainly does
deserve to be immortalized in print.
>Something about those
>British serial killers...
They do seem to have a certain refined style and verbal panache that some
ameriKKKan serial killers are lacking.
Take care, JOE
>
>--Peggi
mike lewis
<joe1...@aol.com> writes
>> Hell, that hardly even makes the top 25 in America.
>
> That is true. But remember that England is a SMALL country. I don't think
>it's bigger than the single state of Texas, even. Considering their small size,
>they have produced a fair amount of decent serial killers, although it is sad
>that NO known and identified serial killer in Britain is credited with more
>than 15 killings. Gotta be patient, it is a small nation, and I think that
>sooner or later a more talented serial killer will come along and at least
>establish a nice new record of 25+ successful serial killings.
>
> Take care, JOE
>
Hello Joe,
In fact, Texas is 5.5 times the size of England. Oklahoma is closer at
1.4 times the size.
One aspect of British serial killers is that they tend to operate close
to 'home', that is, we don't get the roaming killers that are such a
feature of the American SK scene. Certainly Sutcliffe operated almost
entirely within two counties, Yorkshire and Lancashire, and it is harder
to get much closer to home than Nielson and the Wests :)
The one exception that springs immediately to mind was a guy called
Black (first name eludes me, and all my books are in storage) who
abducted and killed at least 3 young girls and is suspected of quite a
few other murders. Blacks crimes were spread over a wider geographical
area than the others, probably because his job (he delivered posters for
advertising billboards) took him all over the UK.
I think Sutcliffe could have remained at large for longer had he gone
further afield. As it was he was only caught due to a routine traffic
stop (similar to Bundy?). Having said that, the size of the UK makes
it easier to recognise SK patterns and for public appeals to reach the
majority of the population in a way that may be more problematic on the
continental scale of the USA.
Regards,
Mike Lewis.
Hoover
Last I heard, Dr. Harold Shipman was suspected of as many as 116 murders.
Joe1orbit
>>> Hell, that hardly even makes the top 25 in America.
Joe1...@aol.com Wrote:
>> That is true. But remember that England is a SMALL country. I don't think
>>it's bigger than the single state of Texas, even. Considering their small
>size,
>>they have produced a fair amount of decent serial killers, although it is
>sad
>>that NO known and identified serial killer in Britain is credited with more
>>than 15 killings. Gotta be patient, it is a small nation, and I think that
>>sooner or later a more talented serial killer will come along and at least
>>establish a nice new record of 25+ successful serial killings.
>>
>> Take care, JOE
mike lewis <mle...@morlean.demon.co.uk> Wrote:
>Hello Joe,
>
>In fact, Texas is 5.5 times the size of England. Oklahoma is closer at
>1.4 times the size.
Hello Mike,
Thanks for the info. I didn't realize it was that small. Makes your serial
killer accomplishments all the more impressive. Certainly Britain has produced
MORE serial killers than Oklahoma, so give yourself a nice pat on the back. :)
>One aspect of British serial killers is that they tend to operate close
>to 'home', that is, we don't get the roaming killers that are such a
>feature of the American SK scene.
Yes, I have noticed that. You are more likely to have "House Of Horrors"
style serial killers, in the tradition of JW Gacy, Kendall Francois, etc....
>Certainly Sutcliffe operated almost
>entirely within two counties, Yorkshire and Lancashire, and it is harder
>to get much closer to home than Nielson and the Wests >:)
Absolutely true.
>The one exception that springs immediately to mind was a guy called
>Black (first name eludes me, and all my books are in storage) who
>abducted and killed at least 3 young girls and is suspected of quite a
>few other murders.
Interesting. The name Black doesn't ring any immediate bells, and I'm too
busy to go up and try to find any compilation books that might discuss him and
his killings.
> Blacks crimes were spread over a wider geographical
>area than the others, probably because his job (he delivered posters for
>advertising billboards) took him all over the UK.
Sounds good. Mobility is important, it helps to avoid suspicion and linkage
between killiings.
>I think Sutcliffe could have remained at large for longer had he gone
>further afield.
A agree.
> As it was he was only caught due to a routine traffic
>stop (similar to Bundy?). Having said that, the size of the UK makes
>it easier to recognise SK patterns and for public appeals to reach the
>majority of the population in a way that may be more problematic on the
>continental scale of the USA.
I certainly do agree that the size of the USA offers a genuine and very real
advantage to serial killers.
Take care, JOE
>
>Regards,
>Mike Lewis.
>
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