Donald Neilson British murderer, robber Date of Birth: 01.08.1936 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Donald Nelson
2. A Life of Crime
3. The Black Panther
4. The Kidnapping of Lesley Whittle
5. Capture and Conviction

Biography of Donald Nelson

Donald Nelson, also known as Donald Nappey, was born in 1936 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. In April 1955, at the age of 18, Donald married Irene Tate, who was 20 years older than him. After the birth of their daughter Kathryn in 1960, Donald changed his surname from 'Nappey' to 'Nelson' to protect his daughter from the humiliation and suffering he experienced in his own childhood due to his less favorable surname.

A Life of Crime

Unable to earn a decent living in construction, Nelson eventually turned to robberies and thefts, and later even kidnapping, becoming the most wanted criminal in Britain, known as the 'Black Panther'. According to some reports, he committed around 400 burglaries without ever being caught. Nelson managed to successfully rob post offices for a long time. He chose offices located far from the city center, which were usually less guarded and provided him with easy loot. Between 1967 and 1974, he robbed 18 post offices.

The Black Panther

Nelson's crimes initially did not involve any harm to others, but they gradually became more violent, and he eventually began to kill. He earned the nickname 'Black Panther' for his black clothing, and witnesses reported that he was incredibly fast during his robberies. The nickname quickly stuck, and even TV presenters would ask on air, "Where is the Black Panther?"

The Kidnapping of Lesley Whittle

In February 1972, Nelson carried out a robbery in Heywood, Rochdale, Lancashire. Leslie Richardson, who was shot by the bandit but survived, provided the police with a description of his attacker. Several composite sketches were created, but none of them resembled the real Donald Nelson. In 1974, feeling that the police were closing in on him and realizing that the risk of his escapades outweighed the loot, Nelson decided to commit a major crime.

On January 14, 1975, 17-year-old Lesley Whittle was kidnapped from her own bed in Shropshire, England. Nelson knew from newspapers that her family had money inherited from her recently deceased father. Desperate to save their daughter, Lesley's mother and brother turned to the police, who decided to deliver the ransom money but also attempt to apprehend the kidnapper during the exchange. Tragically, they failed to save Lesley, and her murder became one of the most horrific and inhumane crimes in Britain's history. Nelson, realizing that things did not go as planned and sensing a trap, escaped, leaving Lesley to die bound in an abandoned sewage shaft. Her body was discovered on March 7, 1975.

Capture and Conviction

After briefly laying low, Nelson resumed his postal office robberies. He was arrested in December 1975 and sentenced to life imprisonment in July 1976 for the murder of Lesley Whittle. The trial also involved his other crimes as the 'Black Panther,' although some of them could not be proven. Among his victims were Donald Skepper, who was killed in February 1974, Derek Astin, who was killed in September of the same year, and Sidney Grayland, also a victim in 1974. Leslie Whittle's murder in January 1975 became Nelson's most notorious crime, and in the same month, Gerald Smith, who had been shot, died from his injuries.

Nelson is serving his sentence in HM Prison Norwich. In the summer of 2008, it was revealed that he is terminally ill.