Though not much is known about his current whereabouts, he is reportedly in a stable relationship with a man who is fully aware of his past. James Bulger was seized and killed by Robert Thompson and his accomplice Jon Venables. He lives in a community in the North West. Following his eight-year sentence for the horrific crime, Robert Thompson was freed and given a new identity. From 1993 to 2001, Venables served time in the Red Bank secure unit in St. Helens, Merseyside. Thompson has been free since his release in 2001. Authorities considered Thompson to be the ringleader in the murder that he and Venables committed. Another suspect, Jon Venables was also taken into custody. Venables and Thompson became the youngest convicted murderers in Britain for 250 years and it was recommended they remained locked up for eight years. In 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables abducted, tortured and murdered the toddler after leading him away from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside. In 2008, The Netline reports that Venables was arrested following a bar fight at a local pub. At some point, for reasons that still remain unclear more than two decades later, Venables and Thompson decided to steal someones child. But Denise Fergus, James's mum, does not support the proceedings and said her son's killer should keep his anonymity to avoid vigilante justice. Security cameras caught the three children walking outside at 3:42 p.m. By that point, Fergus had already alerted mall security, who made several announcements to shoppers about the missing child. When officers arrived at his flat, Venables was attempting to remove or destroy the hard drive of his computer with a knife and tin opener. The parole experts cited there would need to be several very strict limitations on Venables and his contacts, movements and activities would need to be limited. She was concerned, but another woman standing nearby said shed heard James laughing moments ago and so both assumed nothing was wrong. Retired detective Laurie Dalton recalled her feeling that Thompson was "pure evil" (via The Sun) and would try to manipulate the police during questioning. Nevertheless, additional passersby could still see the partially-covered forehead injury, and one person even saw a tear on Bulgers cheek. Venables was released in 2001 and soon found himself running afoul of the law. Both were found guilty of the heinous crime, with the judge at their trial in November 1993 branding James' murder an act of "unparalleled evil and barbarity.". A life for a life.. Before long, an anonymous caller reported to the police that Thompson and Venables were behind the murder, revealing that both boys had been absent from school on the day of Bulgers disappearance and that there may have been some criminal evidence on Venables jacket. These include his "level of intelligence, making constructive use of his time, a capacity and motivation for self-reflection, and a supportive social network in the community". A move abroad would cost, of course, but the thinking is it would be cheaper in the long run,a source said. In November 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables became the youngest convicted murderers in British history. The woman began calling for her son and ran outside, where she found Venables and Thompson beckoning the boy to follow them. After bringing in Thompson and Jon Venables for questioning, Phil said: As far as Im concerned that day 20 years ago I stared evil in the face. His identity is protected by a worldwide injunction - meaning that even trying to find out where he lives could land you in jail. He said: "I don't know how he was doing at school, but he was switched on and he was trying to con me, trying very hard". In October 2020, a parole report stated that Venables was attracted to sexual violence and recommended that he remain in prison. After bringing in Thompson and Jon Venables for questioning, Phil said: As far as Im concerned that day 20 years ago I stared evil in the face. She phoned the police and expressed regret for not doing something. In one of the most chilling photos in recent times, Venables was captured holding the 2-year-old James Bulger as Robert walked ahead of the pair. Jon Venables was born on August 13, 1982. With some evidence in hand and the knowledge that the James Bulger killers were likely two children, the police checked nearby schools absentee lists for the day of the disappearance. They walked down one of Liverpools busiest streets. So the authorities secretly visited Robert Thompson who lived in Walton, not far from the murder scene with his mother and 2 younger brothers. The stolen tin of blue paint was found nearby. This is one of the saddest and most devastating stories I have ever heard. Another investigator said Thompson "would cry whenever there would be an awkward situation," to avoid questioning. Who was Wu Lien-teh and who was his wife Ruth? Nor did the panel recommend to the Secretary of State that Mr Venables should be transferred to open prison. That was the biggest mistake of my life. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Then, dive into the maddening mystery behind the Atlanta Child Murders. On February 12, 1993, he was tragically murdered by two 10-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. By the time Bulger was dead, he had sustained 42 brutal injuries in total. But when she looked down, he was gone. Ten-year-old Jon Venables poses for a mugshot for British authorities on February 20, 1993. He was just ten years old when he abducted two-year-old James Bulger from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, with his friend Robert Thompson. Thompson and Venables were only 10 years old at the time of the murder, making them the youngest convicted killers in Britain. "The reality is that the case for varying the injunction has simply not been made.". Finally, discover the story of Mary Bell, the 11-year-old who killed toddlers and got off light. Both Robert Thompson and Jon Venables had rough early years. February 13, 1993. Grainy CCTV footage shows them walking James away from the. Venables was given a new identity with a fabricated passport, qualification certificates and medical records. After intensive rehabilitation, the pair were handed new identities. In the wake of removing the baby from a mall in Bootle, Merseyside, two 10-year-old young men grabbed and killed him in 1993. tvguidetime.com The paint was showered in his eyes, blocks were flung at him, he was kicked, and batteries were embedded in his mouth. February 13, 1993. The seven years he spent in detention helped Robert as he is yet to reoffend or violate the terms of his release. But according to some sources, Venables does not want to be freed, in part over fears hell re-offend and in part over his inability to avoid drugs. RM2D3M2P8 - The grave of murdered toddler James Bulger in Kirkdale cemetery, Liverpool, June 22, 2001. Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? They then bludgeoned him with bricks and stones, kicked his battered body, and shoved batteries into his mouth. Some witnesses later reported that the older boys roughed up Bulger in plain sight, kicking, punching, and shaking him. At the canal, they dropped Bulger on his head and left him on the ground crying. The toddler had gone missing two days before from the Strand shopping center, where Bulger was in the care of his mother. And so Bulger slipped away from safety once again. All of the instruments used in the attack were found strewn around the area the iron bar, stones, and bricks all covered in the boys blood. Today, while Thompson is believed to be assimilating back into society and living a quiet life, the same cannot be said of Venables. After this look at the case of James Bulger and whats become of Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, see some other haunting death photos taken just before the victim met their end. Due to the national furor surrounding their case, they were both given new identities. Police were focused on other children who already had violent records, and they remained convinced that the two boys from the fuzzy CCTV footage looked 13 or 14, not 10. When Bulgers father, Ralph, saw that it was just two boys with whom his son had left the mall, he was relieved: I looked at Denise and smiled with relief. The full story of how James Bulger killers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables led their two-year-old victim past dozens of witnesses on a grim path to his chilling death. At first glance, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables seemed like two ordinary 10-year-olds. In 2010, reports stated that Robert had reintegrated into society and had built a healthy relationship with a community in the North West. In fact, that first child nearly became the victim. Venables and Thompson abducted James from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside before brutally torturing and murdering the tot and left his body by a railway line. "Pure evil, I will never change my mind about that.". Given that key areas of risk remained subject to continuing interventions, the panel considered that Mr Venables was appropriately located in custody where outstanding levels of risk could be addressed. His current new identity came under threat in February 2018 after James Bulger's dad Ralph launched High Court proceedings against the order that allows him to live anonymously. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables The public was already outraged as the police were still not able to catch the killers. The caller told the police that Venables and Thompson were both absent from school on Friday and that they themselves had seen blue paint on the sleeve of Venables jacket. Witnesses would later testify in court that they saw a crying Bulger being dragged along the two-and-a-half-mile route between the Strand and the railroad tracks where he would be eventually found. Clickhereto upload yours. The same path would not apply to his partner in crime, however. During his hearing, the court heard that upon his arrest he told cops in the police car: "This is my own fault. But this wouldn't be the only time Venables would have a brush with police. Though authorities initially thought Bulger had been abducted by an adult, CCTV footage revealed the shocking truth that he had been taken by two kids. He was then told that hed have to wait two more years before hed be eligible for parole again. James Bulgers parents, pictured one day before their child was found dead. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Robert Thompson and Venables became Britain's youngest killers for 250 years, James Bulger was snatched from his mum in a shopping mall in Merseyside, Denise Fergus shows previously unseen family photos of her murdered two-year-old son for a new documentary 'James Bulger: A Mother's Story with Trevor McDonald', Greece train crash: Inside 10 seconds of terror after worst ever head-on smash sparks derailment blaze leaving 38 dead, Man, 43, died after being held down by security guards at Sainsbury's, Woman, 37, found dead in posh flat near racecourse as man charged with murder, Full list of school closures today as tens of thousands of teachers walk out how to check latest advice for parents, has now been caged for 40 months foradmitting having a paedo manual explaining "how to have sex with little girls", Venables is to keep his anonymity after a judge ruled it would protect him from "serious violence", Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). While some adults stopped to ask the children a few questions, they all let the boys go on their way, apparently believing that Bulger was either being taken home or to the police station. How James Bulger Was Killed By Jon Venables And Robert Thompson. Sarah Everard: Serving Met Police officer Wayne Couzens, 48, arrested on suspicion of murder, kidnap & indecent exposure, Brazil Covid variant is an 'atom bomb' that threatens to destroy worlds hopes of beating the pandemic, experts warn, Burping and 8 other unusual Covid symptoms that can linger for months, Bizarre floating ships seen off the coast of Britain could unlock the 109-year-old mystery of the Titanic's sinking, Weather forecast UK LIVE Met Office warnings of gale force winds for ALL of England today, Kent variant is up to TWICE as deadly as original strains, scientists warn. In 2010, he was arrested for possessing images of child sexual abuse accumulated in over a year. BWP Media via Getty ImagesTen-year-old Robert Thompson, one James Bulgers killers, poses for a mugshot for British authorities on February 20, 1993. Then Venables and Thompson came upon two older boys that they knew. She was also bothered by the fact that Thompson would cry, but there wouldn't be any tears. In their bid to have Venable's identity disclosed, lawyers for Ralph and Jimmy Bulger argued certain details about the killer and his life are "common knowledge" and easily accessible online. She turned to drink and fell into depression, as well as allegedly trying to take her own life with an overdose. He excelled in his academics and began to develop an interest in textiles. Robert and Jon would sexually abuse, assault, and murder Bulger before dumping his body. Beyond that, I have no further comments to make., Inside Aimee Challenors life, her husband and parents, Inside Kimberly Guilfoyles life, her parents and ex-husbands, Are Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes still dating? Though both boys had killed Bulger, Roberts believed that Thompson was in charge. And Roberts wasnt the only one. All in all, Bulger sustained 42 injuries to his face, head, and body. The tot was kidnapped, tortured, and sexually abused by the two ten-year-olds. And in 2018, he was sentenced to 40 months after admitting to possessing more than 1,000 child abuse images and the pedophile manual. Meanwhile, court-appointed psychiatrists said that both Thompson and Venables knew the difference between right and wrong. A policeman stands guard at the entrance of the site where the body of James Bulger was found on a railway embankment in Liverpool. The Daily Mail tells us that he will be in front of another parole board early in 2023. Ralph expressed concern that Jon would reoffend if released from prison with a new identity. Gone outside with the boy, she said. Ten-year-old Robert Thompson, one James Bulgers killers, poses for a mugshot for British authorities on February 20, 1993. 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