[Johnny Alias]

The murder of Rachel Nickell took place on July 15, 1992 on Wimbledon Common in south west London, UK and was a highly publicized case - largely because her rape and murder occurred while her 2 year old son was witnessing the crime, and also because an innocent man was falsely charged for the crime.

At the time of her death, Nickell was living near Wimbledon Common with boyfriend André Hanscombe, a motorcycle courier, and their son Alexander Louis. After the birth of their son in August 1989 Nickell became a full-time mother. She and Hanscombe settled down to family life with their son and a dog, Molly.

On 15 July 1992, Nickell and then 2 year old Alexander were walking the dog on Wimbledon Common. The killer pushed Alexander aside and savagely attacked Nickell. Her attacker cut her throat, stabbed her 49 times and then sexually assaulted her, with little Alexander present and screaming at his mother's attacker to stop.

A passer-by found Alexander clinging to his mother's blood-soaked body, repeating the words "wake up, mummy." Police were initially confused about a piece of paper stuck to Nickell's forehead, but soon found that her son had put it there as a makeshift bandage.

You can read the rest of this terrible story here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Rachel_Nickell

André Hanscombe later wrote a very good book, "The Last Thursday in July," about his life with Nickell, coping with the devastation of the murder of Rachel and his life with Alex afterwards. In 1996 Hanscombe moved with Alex to France, driven abroad – according to notes in his book – by media intrusion. "Callous, mercenary, unfeeling ... cowardly, snivelling scum" is how he described some of the reporters who tracked him and his son down to his "sanctuary" in the French countryside. Hanscombe has since embarked on a new career writing and illustrating children's books.

In 2011, Nickell's son Alex Hanscombe spoke for the first time about his memories of seeing his mother murdered in front of him.

He started by saying that the memories were hazy now… but they still sometimes come.

He sees the man, tall and slim with brown hair, appear out of nowhere, before he’s knocked to the ground. Then the flash of a knife blade and the blows raining down on his mother, until the man flees.

He pictures the bank notes which have fallen from his mother’s pocket. He picks them up and tries to give them back to her, placing one on her forehead.

He sees blood and, even though he is a *toddler, he is aware she is never coming back. He runs towards people in the distance.

Suddenly, he is surrounded by the *concerned faces of adults. Police arrive and he is placed in an ambulance and given a sedative, waking later that afternoon in hospital to see his father Andre crying.

“I was only a small child, but I knew she was dead,” he says.

“I wasn’t frightened, there was no time to be scared. I just *remember the shock of knowing my mother was gone for ever.”

For many years, his mother’s killer *featured in Alex’s nightmares, but he could tell no one. Not the police, not the child psychologists, not even his own father.

He knows that, for many, he will always be the “tragic tot” found by a passer-by, covered in blood, clinging to his *mother, crying “Get up, Mummy” — even though that isn’t part of Alex’s memory.

You can read the rest of the interview here:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news...-breaks-173778

[deanmine]

good read...... thanks

[Johnny Alias]

Sometimes we read the stories or watch the pictures and videos of people being killed here without realizing the true implications of what's happening, without realizing how hurt and traumatized the people are left behind to deal with the death of their loved ones. This case hit a chord with me, I'll never forget the image of a small two year old child, covered in his mother's blood, grasping at her arm and begging for her to get up. And the image of him placing notes on her forehead, as if it were some band aid that would help her cuts, come to, and get up and take the little boy home.

16 years after Rachel's murder, her real killer was found through a DNA match and he eventually confessed. When this day happened, Andre wrote his dead girlfriend a letter, and this is some of the things he had to say:

"It's been 18 years since you died. It feels like a moment. Sometimes I try to imagine what you'd be like now.

You'd be 41, but I know you'd still be the same - have the same lightness, the same sense of fun. It wouldn't matter whether you cut your hair, dyed it, wore it long or short, your essence would still come through.

Our son Alex has your essence. It's as if you've come back through him, which isn't something I'd thought of or expected. It's a wonderful surprise. He has the same lightness of character, the same humour. He's very well-rounded and, like you, he loves nature, loves animals, enjoys food - enjoys every moment of life.

He's almost 21 - a grown-up. In a few years, he'll be older than you were. Our life is full of laughter now, but only in the past six months or so. Before that, he was a very traumatised child.

The two of you were so close. There was a real passion between you. You were devoted to him and all your time, all your energy went into him. Like so many fathers, I was the provider, the one on the periphery.

I had to learn to be a father from the moment you were gone. I had to get to know my child. Because of the way the two of you were together, I didn't think he'd want to go on without you.

I was in Enfield, North London, working as a courier when I found out you were dead. I'd phoned home to speak to you and there was a strange man in the house. I knew immediately something terrible had happened. I collapsed in the street.

People were walking over me. When I could eventually pick myself up, I just had to get to Alex at the hospital. All I could think is how you'd be worrying about your son. I knew you would have sacrificed yourself in any way whatsoever to make sure he was all right.

My main concerns were that you'd gone as quickly as possible and suffered the least possible and that Alex was all right. Sometimes I wonder if you somehow knew what was going to happen. You had such a phobia about people attacking you from behind.

Our little boy was asleep when I first saw him at the hospital. When he woke up, I could see in his eyes he knew you were gone for ever. It was a look that said so much, a look of complete trust. That's one of the privileges - a perverse, strange privilege - because it's a look he'd never given me before, because there was no necessity. He'd always had you.

I took him in my arms. He hardly spoke. I didn't think he'd be capable of going on without you. To put him out of his misery and to put me out of my misery, I almost thought the best thing would be if I put a tube in the exhaust of the car and we'd both be with you.

We stayed at my mother's that night and the next morning he woke up moaning and crying. He just moaned like a broken animal. I can't really hear children crying today because of the pain of hearing that so much in the first years.

I had to explain to him that Mummy was gone. I said: 'None of us are here for ever. Life's a cycle. Even the dog Molly will get old one day and not want to be around. There's a time you don't want to go on.'

He said: 'I want to go on.' They were the most extraordinary words to hear from a small child, but that was it, his declaration of intent: we go on."

Andre went on to describe some of the happy times he had with their son:

"I wish you'd been there to see him coming home and singing his school songs over and over - to anybody who would listen. there's so much you'd have enjoyed - seeing him having fun with other kids at the school play, sports events, sleepovers."

Andre also described some of the difficulties of raising little Alex on his own:

"He was very angry with me for a long time. That was part of the traumatised child. It was hard dealing with the constant disapproval. It's always your fault as a single parent because there's no one else to direct their anger at. There were times I was really frustrated.

No matter how much I did, how much I gave, it was never enough. He'd complain about any-thing and everything - the food on the table, food in restaurants.

Alex has always been a strong character. Do you remember how he used to unplug the Hoover when you were vacuuming the floor?

The thing I've missed most is not having you as a sounding board. In the first few years, the grief just came out of nowhere. I could be paying for the shopping and see a couple standing next to me or see a mother with a small child. That's rare now."

Andre ended the letter by describing his relief at finally finding Rachel's killer:

"Now I can finally relax. The past 18 years are like a bad dream and we've come out the other side. Alex went abroad to study last year and came back a different person.

Every kid needs space from parents and our relationship was more intense than most. I know you'd be just as proud of him now as you were when you were alive.

I've realised it takes no time to make a child hateful, but it takes a lifetime to make them forgiving. I still miss you, but there's been a lot of life since you died now. The whole point for us in having a child was to bring him up well. It feels like that's been done.

I think you'd actually be shocked by how mature and at ease he is with himself and other people now. He's come such a long way.

So, Rachel, you can relax, too.

Love Andre"

You can read the entire letter here:

http://paulviking.websitetoolbox.com...5731?trail=480

[Johnny Wadd]

Victim: Rachel Nickell, left, and Andre Hanscombe with their son Alex




Alex Hanscombe as he is today



Wrongly accused: Colin Stagg was charged with Rachel's murder in 1993 - and received a huge payout when the trial later collapsed

[Johnny Alias]

A few more pics

[kellyhound]

very tragic to witness that and what huge police screw ups in this case

[luton loyal]

[z0death]

Holy shit.. it was that long ago?? Really feels like only a few years ago this happened... damn...

[dyannalane]

Jeez.....I still remember this like it was yesterday! Truly heartbreaking case!

[Ninjavandal]

How sad is that?