John Darwin disappearance case
The John Darwin disappearance case involved the faked death of the British former teacher and prison officer John Darwin. Darwin turned up alive in December 2007, five and a half years after he was believed to have died in a canoeing accident.
John Darwin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1950 (age 73–74) England |
| Occupation(s) | Former teacher and prison officer |
| Criminal status | Released |
| Spouse(s) | Anne Darwin (née Stephenson) (1973–2012; divorced) Mercy May Avila (2015–present) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent | Ronald Darwin (father) |
| Relatives | David Darwin (brother) Sheila Darwin (sister) |
| Criminal charge | Fraud |
Darwin was arrested and charged with fraud. His wife, Anne, was also arrested and charged for helping Darwin to collect his life insurance of £250,000. The fraudulent claim had allowed the couple to pay off their £130,000 mortgage. In December 2007, after it was revealed the couple had been photographed together in Panama a year earlier, Anne confessed to knowing Darwin was alive and that he had been secretly living in their house and the house next door, which allowed him to receive the insurance money for his own use. On 23 July 2008, John and Anne Darwin were each sentenced to more than six years in prison.