Babes in the Wood murders (Brighton)
The Babes in the Wood Murders were the murders of two nine-year-old girls, Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway, on 9 October 1986, by a 20-year-old local roofer, Russell Bishop in Wild Park, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, Sussex, England. Bishop was tried and acquitted in 1987. The case remained open until 10 December 2018, when Bishop was found guilty of the murders in a second trial. The investigation into the two girls' murders is the largest and longest-running inquiry ever conducted by Sussex Police.
Karen Hadaway (left) and Nicola Fellows (right) | |
| Date | 9 October 1986 |
|---|---|
| Location | Wild Park, Brighton, Sussex, England |
| Convicted | Russell Bishop |
| Charges | Murder |
| Verdict | Guilty |
| Sentence | Life imprisonment (minimum 36 years) |
The murders became known as the Babes in the Wood murders after the children's tale.
In April 2024 Sussex Police formally apologised for failings in the investigation and apologised for the wrongful arrest of Barrie Fellows, the father of Nicola, in a connected investigation in 2009.