At first, they announced the boys name over the malls loudspeakers. He had passed five GCSEs, taken A-levels and enjoyed trips to the Lake District and even to the theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. A freak of nature. Denise Fergus and her then-husband Ralph Bulger were worried sick. 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. Moreover, court-appointed psychiatrists determined that the two boys knew right from wrong and werent sociopaths, but were nevertheless able to uncover any concrete motives for James Bulgers murder something no professional has been able to confidently determine even in the years since. Some even saw the older boys punch and kick the two-year-old. Ever since James was murdered so horrifically, the courts have bent over backwards to look after both Venables and Thompson. Jon Venables was responsible for a sickening crime that horrified the nation. During the murder trial in November 1993, Thompson was depicted as the leader, and Venables the follower. Adult criminals have also been given new identities over fears of a vigilante attack. Though Bulgers mother Denise Fergus had been holding his hand, she had briefly let go to pay for groceries, only to look down with horror and realize that her child had vanished. He is a dangerous, predatory child abuser and killer, and I am terrified he will harm another child like my James,Ralph said. Venables was held at the Red Bank secure unit in St. Helens, Merseyside, which was not revealed until after he had been released. What about his mum, will you tell her Im sorry?. 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. WikimediaJames Bulger killers Jon Venables (holding the boys hand) and Robert Thompson (walking directly in front of the boy) abduct their victim just before killing him, as captured by a surveillance camera. He was then told that hed have to wait two more years before hed be eligible for parole again. Mere luck had saved the boy and sealed James Bulgers terrible fate. Despite this evidence, however, Venables and Thompson werent initially the authorities prime suspects. As for Venables, he has been thrown in prison again on multiple occasions, most notably for possession of child pornography and a pedophile manual, which described how to abuse young girls in sickening detail. James Bulgers parents, pictured one day before their child was found dead. Venables has now been caged for 40 months foradmitting having a paedo manual explaining "how to have sex with little girls" as well as over 1,000 vile child abuse images. The kid killers were condemned to an adolescent detainment office, where they resided until their parole in 2001 at 18 years old. Venables was given a SECOND new identity following his release from prison in 2013. But on that fateful day, the two boys would take their crimes to a horrific new level by kidnapping and killing a child. 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). Instead, they were the toddlers abductors and, soon, his killers. New Zealand's immigration department had not received any applications from Venables, she told media. On the outside, he finds it difficult to make friends or gain employment and he seeks out drink, sex and pornography as a way of adding excitement to his life and thats a potent mix.. Both Venables and Thompson were released at age 18 in June 2001. Both Robert Thompson and Jon Venables had rough early years. I shouldnt have let go.. Something went wrong, please try again later. Popular disgust only intensified when witnesses and the media noted Thompsons cold, seemingly remorseless behavior at trial (compared with Venables hysterical outbursts). Not only had both boys been truant that day, but Venables had also been seen with blue paint on his jacket (the same color that had been used to blind Bulger during his torture). In July 2010, Venables appeared at the Old Bailey via video link which was only visible to the judge. Lawyers working for him were paid 8,100 in legal aid, with government lawyers working on the case costing an additional 57,300. After learning about Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, read about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. DetectivePhil Roberts was on Merseysides serious crime squad when he got a call at 6am on February 13, 1993, about a two-year-old boy who had gone missing from the New Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle. 721 Smith Rd. AT just ten years old, Jon Venables callously abducted and murdered James Bulger, 2, in 1993 in a case that sent shockwaves through the UK and the rest of the world. James Bulger being kidnapped by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, as seen on CCTV footage. He holds dual bachelor's degrees from Pace University and a master's degree from New York University. James Bulger was seized and killed by Robert Thompson and his accomplice Jon Venables. June 24, 2011. February 13, 1993. He was not allowed to contact Thompson, who was also released at the same time with a new identity, or the Bulger family and he could not visit the Merseyside region. A source said: Hes been relocated all over the country a large number of times costing a fortune. "This is, therefore, a wholly exceptional case and the evidence in 2019 is more than sufficient to sustain the conclusion that there continues to be a real risk of very substantial harm to (Venables). When Venables saw the mother, they told the boy to go back to her and they vanished. Venables' new identity has been changed twice after he told friends he was a convicted murderer. Youve got enormous burdens to carry around.. So, when the eight years were up in 2001, both boys were released. Apparently satisfied with their explanation, the woman simply told the two boys to take the toddler down to the nearby Walton Lane Police Station. This was largely due to the fact that Venables appeared more emotional, while Thompson often appeared chillingly unfazed. They first attempted to lure a three-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother away from their mother. The Liverpool railway embankment where James Bulgers body was found. They went out that day to kill I truly believe that. And still he followed. 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. It was also noted that Venables had not requested a release from prison or a transfer to an open jail. "I have had urges, inquisitive. Both boys were soon arrested, and it didnt take long for them to turn on each other. "But he has duped them once too often and now they have ruled against him. They were a match made in hell. At 18 years old, Venables and Thompson were both released from a young offenders institution under licence in June 2001. Jon Venables was just 10-years-old when he and Robert Thompson abducted and murdered James Bulger alongside - and now he is back behind bars after being caught with horrific child abuse images. ONE of James Bulger's killers says he has had a better life as a result of murdering the toddler. 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. The murder captivated the nation as people wondered what would motivate two 10-year-olds to abduct and murder a defenseless toddler. The case was rejected by Judge Sir Andrew McFarlane, who argued the convict could be killed if his new identity was revealed. But as they scanned the lists of children who had been absent that day from local schools, they soon received an anonymous phone call that blamed Venables and Thompson for the crime. Just a couple of days later, Bulger was found on the same railway track where his killers had left him. Both of them served their eight-year sentences and earned release from prison in 2001 after they each had turned 18. This indefinite sentence has no maximum but does have a minimum to be determined on a case-by-case basis. The report concluded: After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made whilst in custody and on licence, as well as the other evidence presented in the dossier, the panel was not satisfied that Mr Venables was suitable for re-release. Hes with two young kids hes gonna be all right.'. They were remanded to separate maximum security juvenile institutions under aliases, out of fear for their safety. He was denied parole in 2000 and ordered to stay behind bars for at least an additional two years. I think Thompson was in charge, but they both attacked James. But most did nothing and those that stopped and questioned the James Bulger killers soon enough let them go on their way to ultimately murder the toddler. Children are seen by society as innocent and pure, without malice. Ten-year-old Jon Venables poses for a mugshot for British authorities on February 20, 1993. 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. Venables was released in 2001 and soon found himself running afoul of the law. On the anniversary of James' death, he was pictured visiting James's . AT just ten years old, Jon Venables callously abducted and murdered James Bulger, 2, in 1993 in a case that sent shockwaves through the UK and the rest of the world. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Nearly twenty years later, Ralph became a father again. She was also bothered by the fact that Thompson would cry, but there wouldn't be any tears. 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