Fred West

Fred West
Fred and Rose in the mid-1980s
Born	Frederick Walter Stephen West (1941-09-29)29 September 1941 Much Marcle, Herefordshire, England
Died	1 January 1995(1995-01-01) (aged 53) HM Prison Birmingham, Birmingham, England
Cause of death	Suicide by hanging
Spouses	Catherine Costello ​ ​ (m. 1962; murdered 1971)​ Rosemary Letts ​ (m. 1972)​
Conviction(s)	Earlier convictions for: Actual bodily harm Child molestation Deception Indecent assault Possession of stolen goods Theft Unpaid fines
Criminal penalty	Died by suicide prior to murder conviction
Details
Victims	12–13+
Span of crimes	1967–1987
Country	United Kingdom
Date apprehended	24 February 1994; 30 years ago (1994-02-24)

Frederick Walter Stephen West (29 September 1941 – 1 January 1995) was an English serial killer, who committed at least twelve murders between 1967 and 1987 in Gloucestershire, the majority with his second wife, Rose West.

All the victims were young women. At least eight of these murders involved the Wests' sexual gratification and included rape, bondage, torture, and mutilation; the victims' dismembered bodies were typically buried in the cellar or garden of the West residence in Gloucester, which became known as the "House of Horrors". Fred is known to have committed at least two murders on his own; Rose is known to have murdered Fred's stepdaughter, Charmaine. The couple were arrested and charged in 1994.

Fred fatally asphyxiated himself while detained on remand at HM Prison Birmingham on 1 January 1995, at which time he and Rose were jointly charged with nine murders, and he with three further murders. In November 1995, Rose was convicted of ten murders and sentenced to ten life terms with a whole life order.