John Thomas Straffen British serial killer Date of Birth: 27.02.1930 Country: Great Britain

1. John Thomas Straffen: Biography of a British Serial Killer
2. Early Troubles
3. A Troubled Teenager
4. A Gruesome Plan
5. An Escape and Third Victim
6. Conviction and Imprisonment

John Thomas Straffen: Biography of a British Serial Killer

John Thomas Straffen was a British serial killer who served the longest sentence in the history of British justice. Born on February 27, 1930, in Bordon Camp, Hampshire, he was the third child of a military family. His older sister, who passed away in 1952, was mentally disabled. At the age of two, Straffen's father was transferred to India, and the family spent the next six years there. They returned to England in March 1938 and settled in Bath, Somerset.

Early Troubles

In October 1938, Straffen's parents sought consultation for his unstable behavior, including stealing and truancy. In June 1939, he appeared before a juvenile court for the first time, receiving a two-year probation for theft. It was discovered that Straffen couldn't differentiate between right and wrong and didn't understand the concept of probation. A psychiatrist diagnosed him with mental retardation, stating that his mental development was equivalent to that of a six-year-old. In June 1940, he was sent to a boarding school for mentally disabled children.

A Troubled Teenager

By the age of 16, Straffen had an IQ of no more than 64, and his mental development corresponded to that of a nine and a half-year-old. He was also suspected of being involved in animal cruelty. In 1946, Straffen returned home to Bath, where he was deemed capable enough to perform simple tasks and live in society. However, he was frequently caught stealing and making violent threats, leading to his incarceration in Hortham Colony in October 1947. Hortham Colony aimed to prepare mentally disabled offenders for life in society. After showing good behavior, Straffen returned home after two years but was sent back to the colony following another theft. Eventually, in 1951, when he was released, Straffen harbored a deep hatred for the police, whom he believed had been persecuting him since the age of eight, hindering him from living as he pleased.

A Gruesome Plan

It is believed that during this time, Straffen devised a monstrous plan to infuriate the police. He decided to strangle young girls, knowing that these murders would create the most uproar and trouble for the police. His victims were five-year-old Brenda Goddard, killed on July 15, 1951, and nine-year-old Cicely Batstone, who died on August 8. In the latter case, witnesses saw Straffen with the girl. Upon his arrest, he confessed to both murders and was sent to Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric institution, where he worked as a janitor.

An Escape and Third Victim

On April 29, 1952, Straffen managed to escape from Broadmoor by climbing onto the roof of a low outbuilding, crossing the institution's wall, and disguising himself in civilian clothes beneath his work attire. By evening that same day, he had already reached his third victim, five-year-old Linda Bowyer, who was cycling near a village he had walked to. The following morning, when police entered Straffen's room, he immediately denied killing the girl on the bicycle. How could he possess such details if he hadn't been at the crime scene?

Conviction and Imprisonment

In July, a trial was held, and the jury unanimously found Straffen guilty and deserving of the death penalty. However, at the request of the country's chief police officer, Sir David Maxwell Fyfe, the death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment due to Straffen's mental condition. Straffen frequently moved from one prison to another, and in 1994, his name was included in the list of British criminals who would never be released. He never formed any friendships and spent most of his life in solitude, performing various menial tasks. Straffen passed away on November 19, 2007, at the age of 77.