Minette Walters: Fox Evil

Monroe, who had assumed a second voice distorter because of the number of calls Darth Vader had made, held open a polythene bag to take it. "Perhaps this is why he was so keen to go out," the other officer remarked as he dropped it in. "He was hoping to chuck them into a hedge somewhere on the other side of Dorchester."

Monroe glanced at Eleanor while he sealed the bag. "He'll deny all knowledge of them," he said matter-of-factly, "unless his wife can prove she's never set eyes on them before. There are two people living in this house and there's no evidence at the moment to say which one was responsible."

The woman gobbled like a turkey as all her fears resurfaced. It was a satisfying reaction. In Monroe's view, she was as much at fault as her husband. Her degree of involvemenl might have been less, but he'd heard some of her messages or tape and the pleasure she'd taken from bullying an old man had turned his stomach.

BBC News Online-

17 september 2002, 10:10 GMT

Death of a Fox

It was reported yesterday that "Fox Evil," the suspect at the center of one of the biggest murder investigations of the last 10 years, has died of an inoperable brain tumor in a London hospital. He was transferred there 10 days ago from the hospital wing of HMP Belmarsh where he was awaiting trial.

Brian Wells, 45, aka "Liam Sullivan," aka "Fox Evil," remained an enigma to the end. His refusal to cooperate in the murder investigation led to a "missing persons" search involving 23 police forces. Described by some as a charmer and by others as a terrifying night stalker, Wells's arrest last year caused huge public concern when police revealed he was suspected of the slaughter of three women and seven children, none of whose bodies have been recovered.

"We believe his victims were squatters or travelers," said a police spokesperson. "Either single mothers or mothers persuaded to leave their partners. Sadly, these are people whose whereabouts are seldom known to their extended families and their disappearances go unreported."

Police suspicions were aroused after Wells was taken into custody on 26 December last year. Camped with other travelers on waste ground in the tiny Dorset village of Shenstead, he was charged with a hammer attack on Nancy Smith, 28, an army officer, and the murder of Robert Dawson, 72, a gardener. Guns and stolen property were found in his vehicle and police began a search for underworld contacts.

The scope of the investigation widened after a witness reported seeing Wells murder a woman and child. Within hours bloodstained clothing belonging to seven toddlers and three women was found in a concealed compartment beneath the floor of his bus. Police feared they were looking at a sick murderer's "trophies."

Confirmation came earlier this year that two of the victims, a woman and her six-year-old son, had been identified. Their names were given only as "Vixen" and "Cub" to protect surviving family members. It is believed that DNA testing of the woman's relatives has shown genetic links to a woman's dress and a toddler's T-shirt. Police refused to comment further, saying only that the investigation was ongoing and travelers should not be afraid to come forward.

"All information will be treated in confidence," said a female detective. "We understand that some people may not want to give their real names but we ask them to trust us. Our only interest is to identify those who are genuinely missing."

The horror, particularly the brutal slaying of seven innocent children, touched a chord in the public psyche. As newspaper headlines emphasized, who cares if they never see a traveler again? "Not in my backyard," screamed one. "Out of sight out of mind," said another. "The invisible tribe." It was a shocking reminder of the vulnerability of people who live on the margins.

Wells himself could be said to be a man from "the margins." Born into a cradle of poverty in southeast London, he was the only child of a drug-addicted single parent. Described by teachers at his primary school as "gifted" and "sweet-natured," he was thought to have a future beyond the sink estate where he grew up. By secondary level this had all changed. Known to the police as an out-of-control teen, he had a string of cautions for petty theft, drug use, and drug dealing.

One of his teachers blames his altered personality on a fractured skull at 12. "His mother hooked up with some travelers. She said the bus was involved in an accident. Brian became very angry afterward." Others attribute it to his high IQ, which allowed him to exploit those around him.

Whatever the truth, his reputation for being a dangerous man to cross grew with the years. " Everyone was frightened of him," said an ex-girlfriend. "The smallest thing made him lose his temper." From 18 to 37, Wells spent a total of 12 years behind bars. Following his release in 1994 after a five-year term for illegal possession of a firearm and assault, he informed fellow inmates that he wouldn't be going back to jail.

"He said staying on the move was the only way to drop out of circulation," said a former friend. "He must have done it because we never saw him again. Probation and police are blaming each other for losing track of him, but at the time they were pleased to be rid of him. He was full of hate."

Tracking Wells's movements between 1994 and his arrest last year has proved difficult. Despite interviewing hundreds of travelers, police have been unable to establish where he was for long periods of that time. H is modus operandi was to move in on vacant property and exploit whatever possibilities arose.

"We've tied him to three squats," said a Scotland Yard detective in July. "On two occasions he accepted money to evict his fellow squatters. We are now concerned about what happened to these people. One owner remembers a woman and three children. We've found no trace of them and we don't know their names."

According to travelers who shared Wells's campsite in Shenstead, he was a chameleon. "He could mimic voices," said Bella Preston, 36. "Most of the time he talked as if he'd been to public school. I was surprised to hear he came from south London." Zadie Parrel, 32: "He'd be standing a couple of meters away and we wouldn't know he was there. I think he liked watching people to see what made them tick."

The two women still remember "Fox Evil" with shudders of fear. "We were naive," said Bella. "It never occurred to us that one of our own was bad." "He wouldn't let strangers see his face," said Zadie. "It was a terrible shock when the police found guns in his bus. I realized he could have killed us all, and no one would have known who'd done it."

Wells's arrest followed an unsuccessful attempt to rob a Shenstead farmhouse. Farmer's wife Mrs. Prue Weldon spotted an intruder in her yard and alerted local police. A routine search of neighboring properties disturbed Wells's assault on Captain Nancy Smith in the grounds of Shenstead Manor. Granddaughter of the owner, Colonel Lockyer-Fox, she fought off her assailant, suffering a broken arm and ribs in the assault. Police have commended her for her bravery.

Wells's motives for murdering Robert Dawson and attacking Nancy Smith remain as puzzling as the man himself. He is known to have squatted in a cottage tied to the Manor for three months in 1997 with a woman and two small children. He is also known to have obtained goods fraudulently by impersonating the son of the owner, Leo Lockyer-Fox, whom he was said to resemble. Police have speculated that the presence of Dawson and Smith in the grounds of the Manor on Boxing Day night foiled Wells's attempt to burgle the house, and this led to the attacks.

Psychological profiler William Hayes offers a different interpretation. "Wells's alias, 'Fox Evil' implies a fantasy relationship with this family. He knew a great deal about them before he moved into their property in '97, possibly from traveler families who had visited the area before. His original intention may simply have been to exploit a likeness to the owner's son, but something seeded in his mind that became obsessional.