FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The crimes of serial killers are always disturbing. But teenage and juvenile serial killers introduce us to another level of horror. It's almost impossible to imagine someone who hasn't even finished elementary school planning and carrying out horrific murders.
In 1968, Mary Bell of Newcastle, England, was just 10 years old when she committed her first murder, strangling 4-year-old Martin Brown and leaving disturbing notes for his family. Two months later, she killed and mutilated 3-year-old Brian Howie.
Before these horrific acts, Mary attempted to murder several other children, and expressed in her notes her desire to continue the killings. However, her macabre plans were cut short when she was arrested by the police.
Despite committing these crimes at such a young age, Mary was released from prison at the age of 23, after serving a 12-year sentence for the murders. She has lived free ever since.
A troubled childhood
Born on May 26, 1957, to Betty McCritt, a 16-year-old prostitute who reportedly expressed little affection for her daughter from birth, Mary's early life was marked by neglect and abuse.
Betty's frequent absences on "work" trips provided her with a brief respite from the abuse Mary faced in her mother's presence. Evidence produced during the investigation and trial indicated that at one point Betty tried to place Mary with an adoptive mother, but was unsuccessful.
Little Mary was often involved in mysterious accidents, leading some to speculate about neglect or possible Munchausen Syndrome thanks to the power of attorney her mother gave others to take care of her daughter.
Meri's troubled upbringing also seemed to foreshadow her violent behavior. At the age of 10, she displayed tendencies to withdraw from socializing with others, but also manipulative tendencies that bordered on violence.
In the weeks leading up to her first murder, Mary began to exhibit increasingly strange behavior. On May 11, 1968, she was playing with a 3-year-old boy who suffered a fatal fall from an air raid shelter.
Initially, the incident was considered an accident by his parents. The next day, reports emerged of Meri's attempted murder of three young girls, leading to her questioning by police agents, which was followed by a warning, but no charges.
On May 25, the day before her 11th birthday, Mary murdered young Martin Brown by strangling him in an abandoned house in Scotland, England. She later returned to the scene with a friend, Norma Bell (no relation), to find that two local boys had already discovered the body.
After Martin's death, Mary showed up at his house, demanding to see him in the coffin, and revealing her own disturbing information about the manner of his death. She and Norma also vandalized a daycare center, leaving notes claiming responsibility for Martin's death and threatening more murders
in the future.
But those notes were dismissed as a joke by the police. A few days later, Mary and Norma were arrested outside their school but released without charge. Mary's claims of murdering Martin were initially dismissed as a publicity stunt.
This approach continued until another young boy, Brian Howie, was found dead on July 31, 1968. Mary and Norma had strangled and mutilated his body. During her trial, Mary Bell's actions were described as motivated "solely for the pleasure and thrill of killing," leading to her conviction for involuntary manslaughter due to diagnosed psychopathic tendencies.
Meanwhile, Norma Bell, considered an unwitting participant in the crimes, was acquitted of all charges. Given her dangerous nature and the threat she posed to children, Mary Bell was initially sentenced to indefinite imprisonment, so-called "at the pleasure of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth", reflecting the brutality of her crimes. / Adapted from "Pamphlet"
Lini një Përgjigje