Colin Pitchfork

THE CASE OF COLIN PITCHFORK

By Tim Lambert

Dedicated to all who knew Lynda and Dawn

Colin Pitchfork is a child killer from Leicestershire in the Midlands of England. He is sometimes known as the Black Pad killer. Pitchfork raped and strangled two 15-year old schoolgirls, Lynda Mann from Narborough and Dawn Ashworth from Enderby. Colin Pitchfork was the first murderer to be caught by DNA fingerprinting. This is a summary of the case.

The location of the murders

Enderby is a large village 5 miles Southwest of Leicester. Nearby is another large village called Narborough. Near Narborough, separated from it by a railway is the small village of Littlethorpe. There are two footpaths in the area, The Black Pad and Ten Pound Lane.

Colin Pitchfork

Colin Pitchfork was born in Leicester in March 1960. He was one of three children (Pitchfork had an older sister and a younger brother) and they lived in the village of Newbold Verdon in Leicestershire. Pitchfork attended Market Bosworth High School and Bosworth College in Desford. Colin Pitchfork left school in 1976 aged 16 and became a baker at Hampshires Bakery in Leicester. Pitchfork worked as a baker until he was arrested for murder in 1987.

Then in 1981 Colin Pitchfork married a social worker called Carole. (Pitchfork met his wife while he was doing voluntary work in a children's home). At first they lived in Barclay Street in Leicester. Colin Pitchfork had two children. In 1983 he had a son. He had another son in 1986.

Before the murder of Lynda Mann in 1983 Pitchfork was convicted of indecent exposure. Furthermore in February 1979 Colin Pitchfork indecently assaulted a 17 year old girl. Unfortunately Pitchfork was not caught afterwards.

The Murder of Lynda Mann 1983

Then on 21 November 1983 Colin Pitchfork raped and strangled 15-year old Lynda Mann, a schoolgirl from the village of Narborough.

Lynda Rosemarie Mann lived with her family in a street called The Coppice. Lynda was a schoolgirl at Lutterworth Grammar School and she was a bright student. She was learning French, Italian and German. In November 1983 Lynda was in her last year at school. It was her ambition to travel the world. By all accounts Lynda was a very nice girl. Her friends described her as bubbly or happy-go-lucky. Like most girls her age Lynda liked clothes, make-up and music. She earned money by babysitting. Lynda was also a pretty girl with dark hair and eyes. Lynda Mann had two sisters, one older called Susan, one younger called Rebecca.

Lynda

Lynda Mann

In the evening of Monday 21 November 1983 Lynda Mann went to see a friend called Karen in Narborough. She left there at about 7.30 pm. Lynda said she was going to see another friend, called Caroline who lived in Enderby. The same evening Colin Pitchfork was left in charge of his baby son while his wife was at night school. Pitchfork was driving his car with his baby son on the back seat when he saw Lynda walking along Forest Road near the Blackpad footpath in Narborough. Pitchfork parked his car, leaving the baby inside it then exposed himself to Lynda. Terrified she ran from him. Colin Pitchfork went after Lynda and grabbed her. He raped her on a piece of land next to the Black Pad footpath.

Afterwards Pitchfork murdered Lynda Mann to prevent her identifying him. Pitchfork said that before the rape Lynda said 'What about your wife?' indicating that she had seen his wedding ring and knew he was married. After the rape he realised he was losing his hair and he was wearing an earring, which could also help identify him. Pitchfork also said that at that time he was planning to move to Littlethorpe near Narborough and almost certainly Lynda would see him in the area. Colin Pitchfork strangled Lynda with her own scarf.

The body of Lynda Mann was found at 7.20 the next morning next to the Black Pad footpath near to Carlton Hayes Hospital. (Carlton Hayes closed in 1996 but the Black Pad is still there). Unfortunately the police investigation failed to catch the murderer. Colin Pitchfork was interviewed after the murder of Lynda Mann and he did not have an alibi. However Pitchfork was left in charge of his baby son at the time of the murder and it seemed unlikely he would leave a baby on its own while he committed rape and murder.

From samples taken from Lynda's body the police were able to determine the blood type of the murderer. Unfortunately it was a fairly common blood type shared by 10% of the male population and there was nothing to link Pitchfork to the murder. On 2 February 1984 Lynda Rosemarie Mann was buried in Narborough cemetery.

In December 1983 after the rape and murder of Lynda Mann Colin Pitchfork and his family moved into a house in Haybarn Close in the village of Littlethorpe. Pitchfork continued to work as a baker.

Then in October 1985 Colin Pitchfork indecently assaulted a 16 year old girl. Pitchfork threatened the girl with a screwdriver. Unfortunately, once again Pitchfork was not caught.

The Murder of Dawn Ashworth 1986

On 31 July 1986 Colin Pitchfork raped and strangled another 15-year old schoolgirl only a short distance from where he murdered Lynda Mann. Dawn Amanda Ashworth was born in June 1971. In 1986 Dawn lived in Mill Lane in the village of Enderby. Like Lynda Mann, Dawn Ashworth was a student at Lutterworth Grammar School. She was very good at drawing and painting and she liked clothes and music. Dawn was an attractive girl and she was also likeable. Dawn also had a reputation as a mature and sensible girl. In the summer of 1986 Dawn worked part time in a newsagents in Enderby. Dawn Ashworth had a younger brother called Andrew.

dawn

Dawn Ashworth

In the afternoon of Thursday 31 July 1986 Dawn Ashworth went to Narborough to see friends but they were out so she decided to go home. Dawn entered a footpath to Enderby called Ten Pound Lane. Colin Pitchfork was riding a motorbike and he saw Dawn as she entered the footpath. Pitchfork parked his motorbike and followed the schoolgirl. He caught up with Dawn and exposed himself to her. Dawn ran from him. Colin Pitchfork went after her and grabbed her. He raped Dawn in a field next to the footpath.

Colin Pitchfork murdered Dawn Ashworth to prevent her identifying him. Pitchfork strangled Dawn then hid her body with foliage. The body of Dawn Ashworth was found two days later, 2 August in a field next to Ten Pound Lane in Enderby. It was only a short distance from the site where Lynda Mann was murdered.

Dawn Amanda Ashworth was buried in the burial ground behind St John the Baptist Church in Enderby. Unfortunately police again failed to catch the murderer even though the case featured on Crimewatch UK in December 1986. A young policewoman played Dawn Ashworth in a reconstruction to try and jolt memories. There was, unfortunately nothing to link Colin Pitchfork to the crime. (Because they took place in Leicestershire villages the two murders were sometimes called the Enderby Murders or the Narborough Village Murders).

However the police arrested an innocent man. A 17-year old kitchen porter named Richard Buckland was arrested on 8 August 1986 and he confessed to the murder of Dawn Ashworth. Richard Buckland was very lucky. He might have gone to prison except for the fact that Dr Alec Jeffreys had just invented DNA fingerprinting. (Alec Jeffreys was knighted in 1994).

DNA is the blueprint of every living thing. In each person parts of the DNA sequence are unique. Dr Jeffreys found a way to extract DNA from body tissue and put it into readable form. Comparison of DNA from samples taken from the bodies of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth proved Richard Buckland was not the murderer and the police released him on 21 November 1986.

The Arrest of Colin Pitchfork 1987

The police then decided to take blood samples from over 4,500 men in the area, including the village of Littlethorpe and extract the DNA. Colin Pitchfork was one of those men but he thought of a plan to escape justice. In January 1987 he persuaded a colleague at the bakery named Ian Kelly to go in his place and pretend to be him. Pitchfork removed his photo from his passport and replaced it with a photo of Ian Kelly. When he gave a sample of his blood Kelly used the altered passport as evidence that he was Colin Pitchfork. The deception worked.

Pitchfork might have got away with it but Ian Kelly mentioned it in a pub in August 1987. A woman who heard him was worried and eventually she contacted the police. When police questioned Ian Kelly he confessed that he did indeed take the blood test instead of Pitchfork. Armed with this information on 19 September 1987 the police arrested Colin Pitchfork, who was then aged 27 at his home in Haybarn Close in the village of Littlethorpe. Pitchfork then confessed to the murders of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth as well as the indecent assaults. Pitchfork said he only wanted to expose himself to the two girls but when they ran away from him he raped them. Pitchfork murdered Lynda and Dawn to prevent them identifying him.

The Trial of Colin Pitchfork 1988

Colin Pitchfork was brought to trial for his evil crimes on 22 January 1988 at Leicester Crown Court. The trial was a short one as Pitchfork pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for the two murders. He was also sentenced to 10 years for the two rapes. Colin Pitchfork was also sentenced to 3 years for the two indecent assaults. He was also given 3 years for the conspiracy to pervert the course of justice (by avoiding giving a DNA sample). Ian Kelly, the colleague who gave a blood sample instead of Pitchfork was given a suspended sentence of 18 months suspended for 2 years.

The trial judge Mr. Justice Otten said 'The rapes and murders were of a particularly sadistic kind'.

The Appeal by Colin Pitchfork 2009

Eventually in 1994 the Home Secretary, Michael Howard decided Colin Pitchfork should spend at least 30 years in prison. However in December 2008 Colin Pitchfork was given leave to appeal against his minimum sentence of 30 years. The appeal by Pitchfork was held in May 2009. The judges reduced his minimum sentence from 30 years to 28.

The Sculpture by Colin Pitchfork

Meanwhile in 2009 a paper sculpture by Colin Pitchfork was displayed at the Royal Festival Hall in London. It was called Bringing the Music to Life and it was made from sheet music of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. However when it was revealed the sculpture was by Colin Pitchfork there was an outcry and it was removed from display.

Today Colin Pitchfork is 51. Currently he is in prison but he could be released as early as 2016. Meanwhile since 1988 DNA evidence has proved a very useful tool for detectives and many rapists and murderers have been caught because of it. Nevertheless Colin Pitchfork will always be remembered as the first murderer to be caught by DNA fingerprinting.

Dawn

Dawn Ashworth and Lynda Mann