Russell Bishop (55), Babes in the Wood murderer, was positive for Covid just before he succumbed to brain cancer. He never explained why he killed victims.

  • EXCLUSIVE: Bishop, who was suffering from breathing problems, was taken to the hospital and later died.
  • While being treated for Covid, he tested positive. However, the impact of the virus on his health is not known.
  • HMP Frankland prison chiefs in Co Durham are looking into the source of infection
  • Bishop was the fifth most prominent inmate who has died at the prison’s facility since the pandemic.










Before Russell Bishop died from brain cancer, a test for Covid-19 was done on Babes in Wood.

Following being taken from jail, the murderer was 55 years old and passed away in hospital.

HMP Frankland prison chiefs in Co Durham are looking into whether the man caught it inside.

Since the outbreak began in March 2020, he is the fifth most prominent death in the maximum security jail.

Peter Sutcliffe from Yorkshire, the 74-year-old Yorkshire Ripper, died in November 2020. Anthony Hardy, the Camden Ripper, died last year.

Babes in the Wood killer Russell Bishop tested positive for Covid-19 before dying of brain cancer on January 20. The murderer, 55, passed away in hospital after being rushed there from the top security HMP Frankland, in County Durham

Russell Bishop was a Babes in Wood killer and tested positive to Covid-19. He died of brain cancer in January. After being taken from HMP Frankland in County Durham, the murderer was rushed to hospital.

According to a source, Bishop tested positive for the virus while being treated at hospital.

“He passed away shortly after, making it difficult to determine the impact Covid’s underlying health had on him.

“The prison has been trying to determine if Frankland was the source of his illness, since there are fears that it may spread to others in prison.

Bishop was suffering from severe breathing problems and was rushed to the hospital.

He was alone and was accompanied by two guardians.

The spokesperson from the Prison Service said that Russell Bishop, HMP Frankland’s prisoner, had died at home on January 20, 2019.

Nicola Fellows

Karen Hadaway

In 1986, when Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows were just nine years old each, Bishop brutally murdered them both.

Bishop pictured after his initial arrest for the 1986 Babes in the Wood murders

Bishop after his first arrest in the 1986 Babes in the Wood murders

“The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman was informed.”

After murdering Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows, nine-year-olds in 1986, Bishop escaped prosecution for 32 years.

He was convicted for the famous attack. However, he was able to walk free of court thanks to his many blunders in 1987.

In 2018, DNA evidence showed that he was finally caged. However, it was discovered last year that he had been diagnosed as having bowel cancer.

He was receiving palliative care by October, despite the fact that he had undergone surgery.

Reacting to the monster's death, Karen's mother Michelle Johnson (pictured left in 2018 with Nicola's mother Susan Eismann), said: 'May you rot in hell for all eternity you evil wicked monster and I hope your family suffer in the same way as you made me and my family suffer for so long when you took the life of my beautiful nine-year-old daughter'

Karen’s mother, Michelle Johnson, was seen in 2018 with Nicola and Susan Eismann. She said that the monster had died and she wished her family the same fate.

She added: 'He put us through decades of pain and grief due to his evil actions. The suffering we have had to endure has been unimaginable'. Above: Ms Johnson (left) with Karen's mother Ms Eismann and father Barrie Fellowes

Her words were echoed by her: “He made us suffer for decades because of his bad actions.” We have endured unimaginable suffering. Above: Karen Johnson with Karen Eismann’s mother and Barrie Fellowes, her father 

David Cook, the double murderer, passed away on Christmas Eve, last year, after being tested positive for coronavirus by jail officials.

Following the murder of his neighbour, and Sunday school teacher, he was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sutcliffe Hardy, Cook and Cook all were whole-life inmates. All of them had tested positive for Covid-19.

George Naylor, aged 77, was the murderer of two women, 11 years apart. He died in December 2021 after suffering a stroke.

These are the lies and blunders which allow killers to go free 

Bishop was acquitted after a string of mistakes during his 1987 trial.

  • The sweatshirt that Bishop wore was the central piece of the case. It was originally lost.  
  • The bag was placed in brown paper bags because “no one believed it was important” during the search for the girls. 
  • Experts were able to determine that the jumper was in direct contact with the girl, but not the other girls. 
  • Human hairs and the fibres that were found on Nicola’s bodies weren’t tested. 
  • The “Pinto” jumper, which was available widely in stores across the nation, may not have been Bishop’s. 
  • Jennifer Johnson, Bishop’s partner initially identified the jumper in his name but later denied the claim when she testified.

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