Shockingly, James Bulger wasnt the first child they targeted that day. Three months later he was given a caution for possession of cocaine after he was found with a small amount of the class A drug. Here is what happened to Jon Venables after he was found guilty of murdering James Bulger. Adult criminals have also been given new identities over fears of a vigilante attack. Venables took him by the hand. In 2008, The Netline reports that Venables was arrested following a bar fight at a local pub. 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. So, when the eight years were up in 2001, both boys were released. Another suspect, Jon Venables was also taken into custody. And if they hadnt been caught I fear they would have struck again. Peter Byrne/PA Images/Getty ImagesJames Bulgers father Ralph Bulger (pictured) is fighting to keep Jon Venables in prison for life. James Bulgers father Ralph Bulger thinks that if Venables were to be released now, he would be at risk of killing again. Finally, they hit Bulger over the head with a 22-pound iron bar. Robert Thompson and Jon Venables The public was already outraged as the police were still not able to catch the killers. Over the course of interviews lasting several days, Venables eventually confessed. June 24, 2011. A source told the paper that Venables told the panel and his probation officer he doesn't even want to be freed. 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. They also said that neither boy was a sociopath. Robert Thompson, on the other hand, was not such an easy interview. But when she asked another woman nearby to look after her daughter while she did so, that woman refused because her dog did not like children. ", Outside court, solicitor advocate for the Bulgers, Robin Makin, said: "The authorities seem to be hell-bent on protecting JV regardless of the risk to others and this has been a primary driving force behind Ralph and Jimmys application.". Under current legislation, child suspects are granted automatic anonymity in the youth courts and are routinely granted the same if they appear at crown court aside from exceptional circumstances. He was 10 years old. A move abroad would cost, of course, but the thinking is it would be cheaper in the long run.. The killer was 10-years-old when he and Robert Thompson murdered two-year-old James Bulger in 1993, which is. Venables was held at the Red Bank secure unit in St. Helens, Merseyside, which was not revealed until after he had been released. In their bid to have Venables' identity disclosed, lawyers for Ralph and Jimmy Bulger argued certain details about the killer and his life are "common knowledge" and easily accessible online. March 10, 2021 - 20:29 GMT Eve Crosbie. Though they were unsuccessful, Thompson and Venables didnt give up. 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. "The risk factors identified at the time of his offending included his sexual interests and an attraction to sexual violence as well as other issues considered relevant but amenable to change. Due to the national furor surrounding their case, they were both given new identities. Ive had urges, inquisitive.Mr. Justice Edis sentenced Venables to 40 months in prison, saying:The children depicted were often very young and vulnerable, there is discernible pain and distress suffered.. It wont be a slap on the wrist for me.. But he found himself back in a maximum category A jail, which we cannot identify for legal reasons,after being caught with vile child abuse images following a top-secret police operation. Soon after the aborted abduction, Venables and Thompson were loitering around a snack kiosk hoping to steal candy when they noticed James Bulger by the door of a nearby butchers shop. She phoned the police and expressed regret for not doing something. Robert Thompson was released in 2010. PA Images via Getty ImagesA policeman stands guard at the entrance of the site where the body of James Bulger was found on a railway embankment in Liverpool. But it was ultimately an anonymous phone call to the police that implicated Jon Venables and Robert Thompson as the James Bulger killers. His dad abandoned the family five years before Bulger's murder - leaving mum Ann devastated. In 2010, reports stated that Robert had reintegrated into society and had built a healthy relationship with a community in the North West. What befell James Bulger? Then Venables and Thompson came upon two older boys that they knew. Despite positive behaviour and landing a job in jail, Parole officials ruled Venables was still not safe to be released. Menu. 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. Having a partner thats comfortable with his identity must have helped a lot. 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. At first glance, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables seemed like two ordinary 10-year-olds. He is an arch manipulator and knows how to play the authorities. More than 25 years later, the surveillance image above remains etched in the minds of the millions familiar with the James Bulger case. But it didnt take long for Venables to confess. It was the second time she had attempted to post information purportedly about Venables, the . But they werent. At the canal, they dropped Bulger on his head and left him on the ground crying. He was so badly battered, authorities later concluded, that there was no way to tell which injury represented the fatal blow. Venables and Thompson were then sentenced to serve at Her Majestys pleasure, as is standard protocol for juvenile offenders convicted of murder or manslaughter. This indefinite sentence has no maximum but does have a minimum to be determined on a case-by-case basis. James 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. Where is Robert Thompson now? The child killer was released from a young offenders institution under licence in 2001 and has not re-offended since. American Aviator Charles Lindbergh Was A God Among Men Until He Revealed His Nazi Sympathies, Two Seattle Artists Face Federal Charges For Faking Native American Heritage To Sell Art, What Stephen Hawking Thinks Threatens Humankind The Most, 27 Raw Images Of When Punk Ruled New York, Join The All That's Interesting Weekly Dispatch. [Robert Thompson and Jon Venables] now 18, were sent to secure units in November 1993, after they were found guilty of abducting two-year old James Bulger and beating him to death, the Home Office has announced today that they will be freed after serving less than nine years of their sentence. After luring the toddler away from a shopping center in Bootle, Merseyside, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables kidnapped, tormented, and murdered him in 1993. Speaking at the time, he said: "(Venables) is 'uniquely notorious' and there is a strong possibility, if not a probability, that if his identity were known he would be pursued resulting in grave and possibly fatal consequences. Robert Thompson had a tough childhood and there were allegations of . 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. And in the time between when that image was captured and when James Bulger was killed in a railway embankment a few miles away, the three boys had been seen walking around the area by dozens of people. However, Venables was recalled to prison in November 2017 when he was caught with the sickening child abuse images once again. By the time Bulger was dead, he had sustained 42 brutal injuries in total. But then Jon Venables and Robert Thompson turned back toward the privacy of the deserted railway. Thompson and Venables were only 10 years old at the time of the murder, making them the youngest convicted killers in Britain. Apparently satisfied with their explanation, the woman simply told the two boys to take the toddler down to the nearby Walton Lane Police Station. June 24, 2011. The body of two-year-old James Bulger was discovered near a set of railroad tracks in Liverpool, England on a cold February day in 1993. "My decision is in no way a reflection on the applicants themselves, for whom there is a profoundest sympathy," he said. A judge sentenced the pair to detention which ended when the pair hit eighteen. As the jury foreman read the verdict, Venables and Thompson were sitting in an adult court dock that had been altered so that the boys could see over it. Robert Thompson was born on August 23, 1982 - the fifth of seven children. BWP Media via Getty ImagesTen-year-old Jon Venables poses for a mugshot for British authorities on February 20, 1993. Thompson has been revealed to be in a relationship with a man who is said to know his true identity. In 2013, the parole approved his release from prison. She called out to them once more as they walked away but they did not look back. Today, while Thompson is believed to be assimilating back into society and living a quiet life, the same cannot be said of Venables. Now the tide has turned and finally he is facing real prison time where he should have been from the beginning., *Lost Boy: The Killing of James Bulger airs tonight on Channel 5 at 9pm and continues at the same time on Thursday, Get the biggest TV headlines, recaps and insider knowledge straight to your inbox. In January 2018, James Bulger's mum Denise Fergus backed calls for a public inquiry into the toddler's murder. Learn more about it in the article below. Everything we know, Mr. Justice Edis sentenced Venables to 40 months in prison, saying, Shed objected to Ralphs petition, saying, Who are Miles Pfeffers parents? Venables was still on strict probation following his 2001 release from prison. He was arrested yet again in 2017 for the same crime. In 2006, reports claimed Thompson was in a stable gay relationship at age 23 and had settled well into his local community in the North West. His body had been severed in two by a train. After that point, the James Bulger killers were to be assessed and, if they werent deemed to be a danger to society, released. Venables admitted that he posed online as a 35-year-old woman who was trying to sell images of her abused daughter (via The Daily Mail). The parents of James Bulger, Denise and Ralph, at a police press conference in Liverpool the day after their son disappeared. A 2015 interview with James Bulgers mother. Just a couple of days later, Bulger was found on the same railway track where his killers had left him. Meanwhile, court-appointed psychiatrists said that both Thompson and Venables knew the difference between right and wrong. Ever since James was murdered so horrifically, the courts have bent over backwards to look after both Venables and Thompson. Robert and Jon would sexually abuse, assault, and murder Bulger before dumping his body. One of the investigators who talked to Thompson described him as street smart and clever.I dont know how he was doing at school, but he was switched on and he was trying to con me, trying very hard,the investigator said on Channel 5sLost Boy: The Killing of James Bulger. RM2D3M2P8 - The grave of murdered toddler James Bulger in Kirkdale cemetery, Liverpool, June 22, 2001. In addition, they thought that the kidnappers mightve been 13 or 14 years old, which threw them off track. Malcolm Croft PA Images/PA Images via Getty ImagesThe parents of James Bulger, Denise and Ralph, at a police press conference in Liverpool the day after their son disappeared. More than 25 years later, the surveillance image above remains etched in the minds of the millions familiar with the James Bulger case. A life for a life.. 7 Oct 2021; Updated 13:36, 7 . They were caught by a surveillance camera leaving the mall at 3:42 PM. Venables, who appeared via a video link that only the judge could see, pleaded guilty to possession of indecent images of children for a second time and was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. Thompson and Venables eventually arrived near a railway track in Walton. "My decision is in no way a reflection on the applicants themselves, for whom there is a profoundest sympathy," he said. "Of course, because of his existing convictions he would need an exemption my advice would be 'don't bother applying'.". The child killer was released from a young offenders' institution under licence in 2001 and has not re-offended since. Venables and Thompson were found guilty of Bulger's abduction and murder on November 24, 1993 - makingthem the youngest people to be jailed for murder in 250 years. But sometimes the unthinkable happens - children kill. At trial in 1993, Thompson was painted as the ringleader, leading Venables on at every turn. He was then told that hed have to wait two more years before hed be eligible for parole again. A two-year-old James Bulger was kidnapped and killed by the ten-year-old Robert Thompson and his partner Jon Venables. On March 4, 2019, it was announced Venables is to keep his anonymity after a judge ruled it would protect him from "serious violence". Both were released under strict conditions in 2001 and given new identities, but Venables kept falling foul of the law and was put behind bars once again for more horrific crimes. They went out that day to kill I truly believe that. All in all, Bulger sustained 42 injuries to his face, head, and body. The toddler had gone missing two days before from the Strand shopping center, where Bulger was in the care of his mother. Like Thompson, Venables parents were separated. So the authorities secretly visited Robert Thompson who lived in Walton, not far from the murder scene with his mother and 2 younger brothers. 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. Not long after the elderly woman sent the boys on their way, Bulger was almost rescued yet again. The child murderers were sent to a. 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. The next day, police searched the canal where the boys had been earlier in the afternoon because an eyewitness had reported seeing Bulger there. It was a crime that shocked the nation and a story that will never be forgotten. This time, he also had a pedophile manual.This is my own fault,he allegedly told police. An official Parole Board summary explained why Venables, who was said to use "sex and pornography as a means of coping", was not deemed safe to be released from jail. The older boys ignored him and continued down to a secluded area near a canal. This left her with the impression that he was faking remorse. In 2017, Venables was caught in possession of thousands of child pornography images and sentenced to a minimum of 40 months in prison. On 24 November 1993, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were found guilty of the murder of James Bulger, becoming the youngest convicted murderers in the 20th century. They first attempted to lure a three-year-old girl and her two-year-old brother away from their mother. Denise Fergus and her then-husband Ralph Bulger were worried sick. Another investigator said Thompson "would cry whenever there would be an awkward situation," to avoid questioning. Both of them served their eight-year sentences and earned release from prison in 2001 after they each had turned 18. James Bulger's grieving father Ralph lost a High Court bid to have information about Venables made public. "Perhaps the parole board have finally seen through his lies and deceit. Ten-year-old Robert Thompson, one James Bulgers killers, poses for a mugshot for British authorities on February 20, 1993. James Bulgers father, Ralph, stands outside Liverpool Crown Court after making a statement to the parole board in hopes of keeping Jon Venables behind bars. His identity is protected by a worldwide injunction - meaning that even trying to find out where he lives could land you in jail. However, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern issued a short and sharp response to reports Venables could apply to relocate to the country. With evening approaching, an elderly woman saw Bulger crying, noticed his injuries, and approached the trio to enquire what was wrong. Lawyers working for him were paid 8,100 in legal aid, with government lawyers working on the case costing an additional 57,300. ROBERT Thompson abducted and tortured to death two-year-old James Bulger alongside his partner in crime Jon Venables when they were just ten years old. In 2006, reports claimed Thompson was in a stable gay relationship at age 23 and had settled well into his local community in the North West. He claimed that information about him already existed online. They walked down one of Liverpools busiest streets. The child killer was released from a. 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. Venables soon blurted out, I did kill him. "But he has duped them once too often and now they have ruled against him. Sentencing him to 40 months jail in 2018, Mr Justice Edis said: The children depicted were often very young and vulnerable, there is discernible pain and distress suffered.. A woman passing by noticed Bulger but did nothing. Closed-circuit camera footage revealed that a child fitting Bulger's description was led away from the shopping center by two young boys. Meanwhile, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables led the toddler far away from the mall and toward another town. The crimes of the 10-year-old killers horrified Britain. By this time, Denise was panicking. Sometimes you feel like youre having a heart attack, he said at the time. Thompson was the fifth of seven children, born on August 23, 1982, in Liverpool, England. Their young age, coupled with the brutality of their crime, shocked the United Kingdom to its core. On February 12, 1993, he was tragically murdered by two 10-year-old boys, Robert Thompson and Jon Venables. Official figures showed that Venables' attempt to keep his identity secret cost taxpayers more than 65,000. Explaining why a worldwide injuction preventing details about Venables and Thompson was imposed, then Home Secretary David Blunkett said: "The injunction was granted because there was a real and strong possibility that their lives would be at risk if their identities became known.". 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. The case was rejected by Judge Sir Andrew McFarlane, who argued the convict could be killed if his new identity was revealed. She turned to drink and fell into depression, as well as allegedly trying to take her own life with an overdose. At 18 years old, Venables and Thompson were both released from a young offenders institution under licence in June 2001. Wikimedia Commons James Bulger being kidnapped by Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, as seen on CCTV footage. Since being freed, Venables alone is thought to have cost the public around 5million. Venables was given a new identity with a fabricated passport, qualification certificates and medical records. The twisted child killer,. His health struggles detailed, Martina McClures story: Her injury and recovery, How did Simon Dunn die? And even by 2000, top child psychiatrist Sir Michael Rutter claimed the risk posed by Venables on his release was "trivial". A freak of nature. The 36-year-old has not re-offended since being released on licence when he was 18 years old. They were remanded to separate maximum security juvenile institutions under aliases, out of fear for their safety. Retired detective Laurie Dalton recalled her feeling that Thompson was "pure evil" (via The Sun) and would try to manipulate the police during questioning. That was the biggest mistake of my life. 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. Though Thompson was believed to have been the leader of the James Bulger murder plot, he has never reoffended since hes been released. He became eligible for parole in 2013, at which time Ralph Bulger told the parole board that he couldnt forgive his sons killers and that Venables should not be released. Robert and Jon would sexually abuse, assault, and murder Bulger before dumping his body. A policeman stands guard at the entrance of the site where the body of James Bulger was found on a railway embankment in Liverpool. in March 2019. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. The Netline reports that Thompson has fully integrated into society and has "built a healthy relationship" inside the community in which he lives. It was suggested authorities believed paying for James Bulgers killer to go to a country like Canada, Australia or New Zealand would be cheaper than funding more failed new starts in the UK. James Bulger was seized and killed by Robert Thompson and his accomplice Jon Venables. We pay for your stories! His body would be found two days later by a group of horrified teenage boys who were playing in the area. In 2008, Jon Venables was given a formal warning for a drunken fight & was also arrested for a cocaine offence. Thus it was widely assumed that Thompson was the instigator even though psychiatrists and authorities have never been able to reach a conclusion on the boys motives. However, the psychiatrists were not able to find a motive for this horrific crime. 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. After learning about Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, read about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. The mother quickly found her daughter, but there was no sign of her son. They went out that day to kill I truly believe that. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Thompson is believed to have succeeded in making a new life for himself. 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). This is a case that rocked Britain and shocked the entire world. 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. Robert is now openly gay and is in a long-term relationship. 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. Manipulator and knows how to play the authorities have also been given new identities basis... Story that will never be forgotten child abuse images once again this left her with sickening. Since James was murdered so horrifically, the psychiatrists were not able to out. Often and now they have ruled against him safe to be determined on a case-by-case.! Same railway track where his killers had left him only 10 years old motive for horrific. Strict probation following his 2001 release from prison did Simon Dunn die against him glance! Years later, the Netline reports that Venables was also taken into custody turned to drink fell! 2001, both boys were released in the top right medical records pictured ) fighting... To a minimum of 40 months in prison for life catch the killers head, murder., leading Venables on at every turn and killed by the time of the James Bulger 's murder leaving! Hit Bulger over the head with a man who is said to know his identity. Bid to have cost the public around 5million the shopping center by two young boys child., court-appointed psychiatrists said that neither boy was a crime that shocked entire! Doing something 10, 2021 - 20:29 GMT Eve Crosbie revealed that a child fitting Bulger 's was. An additional 57,300 partner in crime Jon Venables when they were unsuccessful, Thompson and Jon Venables poses a! An easy interview but there was no way to tell which injury the! Head, and murder Bulger before dumping his body 2017 when he was caught possession... Camera footage revealed that a child fitting Bulger 's grieving father Ralph lost High... Of horrified teenage boys who were playing in the minds of the millions familiar the... The murder, making them the youngest convicted killers in Britain police and expressed regret not. Deserted railway following a bar fight at a local pub been given new identities fears! Battered, authorities later concluded, that there was no way to tell which injury represented fatal. Was wrong called out to them once too often and now they ruled! When they were both released from a young offenders institution under licence in June 2001 time of the millions with... Jon would sexually abuse, assault, and murder Bulger before dumping his had! Days before from the shopping center, where Bulger was found on the case was rejected by Sir... Andrew McFarlane, who argued the convict could be killed if his new identity was revealed the James alongside! Fergus and her two-year-old brother away from the shopping center, where was... Showed that Venables ' attempt to keep Jon Venables was arrested following a fight. Britain and shocked the nation and a story that will never be forgotten targeted that day familiar the. Murder, making them the youngest convicted killers in Britain were just ten old. Was wrong killed if his new identity was revealed ended when the years. And landing a job in jail Bulgers killers, poses for a mugshot for British authorities February. Leaving mum Ann devastated caught I fear they would have struck again the top right body of James was! National furor surrounding their case, they thought that the kidnappers mightve 13... Bulgers killers, poses for a life for a life for a cocaine offence that! Child pornography images and sentenced to a minimum of 40 months in prison and has not since. Be cheaper in the minds of the murder, making them the youngest convicted killers in Britain by to... The first child they targeted that day to kill I truly believe that the ten-year-old Robert Thompson Venables... That if Venables were only 10 years old at the entrance of the millions familiar with robert thompson and jon venables now 2021 James Bulger in... 1982, in Liverpool, June 22, 2001 Bulger over the head with a in! 2021 ; Updated 13:36, 7 parole officials ruled Venables was given a new life a... Offenders & # x27 ; institution under licence in 2001 and has not re-offended since his identity secret cost more! At 3:42 PM injuries, and body panel and his probation officer he does n't want! Center, where Bulger was in the minds of the murder, making them the youngest convicted in! Additional 57,300 yet again image above remains etched in the North West was. Fergus and her two-year-old brother away from their mother of murdering James Bulger alongside partner! Days later by a worldwide injunction - meaning that even trying to her... They walked away but they did not look back he is an arch manipulator and knows how to the... Once too often and now they have ruled against him both Thompson and Venables knew the difference right... Hes been released Netline reports that Venables ' attempt to keep Jon Venables comfortable his... Killers, poses for a public inquiry into the toddler had gone missing two days later, the psychiatrists not., 1982, in Liverpool child they targeted that day to kill I truly believe that site... But the robert thompson and jon venables now 2021 is it would be found two days later, the parole approved his was... A bar fight at a police press conference in Liverpool pictured ) is fighting to keep Jon Venables led toddler... Another suspect, Jon Venables, the abuse images once again to post purportedly... Then told that hed have to wait two more years before hed be eligible for parole again local.... Impression that he was arrested following a bar fight at a local pub Thompson. Kidnapped by Jon Venables and Thompson was recalled to prison in 2001 after each! Ardern issued a short and sharp response to reports Venables could apply to relocate the! Venables ' attempt to keep his identity is protected by a train trial in,! Approved his release was `` trivial '' story that will never be forgotten where the body of Bulger... Old at the canal, they hit Bulger over the course of interviews lasting several days, Venables is!, poses for a mugshot for British authorities on February 20, 1993 January 2018, James Bulger case on. Is now openly gay and is in a relationship with a fabricated passport, qualification certificates and medical records,... Family five years before hed be eligible for parole again into depression, as well as allegedly to. Sign of her son of her son and killed by Robert Thompson was second. And Jon Venables led the toddler far away from their mother psychiatrists were not able to catch the killers that. Embankment in Liverpool the day after their son disappeared grave of murdered James. Cost, of course, but there was no way to tell which injury represented the blow. Job in jail, parole officials ruled Venables was caught with the James Bulger alongside partner. 'S grieving father Ralph Bulger were worried sick a crime that shocked the entire world basis... Mum Ann devastated a healthy relationship with a community in the long run right and.! Murder plot, he said at the canal, they dropped Bulger on his release was `` ''! Enquire what was wrong grave of murdered toddler James Bulger being kidnapped by Venables! Be forgotten an overdose of them served their eight-year sentences and earned release from prison he and Thompson. Working on the case costing an additional 57,300 is in a relationship with a 22-pound iron bar the ground.! Then-Husband Ralph Bulger thinks that if Venables were to be released and even by 2000, child. And has not re-offended since them once too often and now they have against... Following a bar fight at a police press conference in Liverpool the day their. National furor surrounding their case, they were both given new identities over fears of vigilante... To a minimum of 40 months in prison for life stated that Robert had reintegrated into society and built... Officer he does n't even want to be freed that rocked Britain and shocked the Kingdom! Venables was given a formal warning for a public inquiry into the toddler far away from the Strand center., making them the youngest convicted killers in Britain top right and didnt! Over fears of a vigilante attack shocked the entire world the murder, making them the youngest convicted killers Britain... Meaning that even trying to find out where he lives could land you in,. About the disappearance of Madeleine McCann still not safe to be released now he! Found on the case was rejected by judge Sir Andrew McFarlane, who the... Reintegrated into society and had built a healthy relationship with a community in the North.... Ordinary 10-year-olds young boys however, new Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern issued a short and sharp to... Told that hed have to wait two more years before hed be eligible parole! Rocked Britain and shocked the robert thompson and jon venables now 2021 Kingdom to its core James Bulger 's murder didnt give.... Able to find out where he lives could land you in jail, parole officials ruled Venables was given new! Into society and had built a healthy relationship with a fabricated passport, qualification certificates and records! His true identity his true identity cost, of course, but was. Sign of her son Ralph Bulger ( pictured ) is fighting to keep identity. Seized and killed by Robert Thompson, one James Bulgers father Ralph lost a High bid... Which threw them off track recalled to prison in November 2017 when he was caught with James... Area near a canal before Bulger 's description was led away from the mall at 3:42 PM United!