Colin Pitchfork, a double-child killer who was convicted, was seen taking a walk in a park close to young families.
In 1988, the 61-year old predator was sentenced to a life term for the rape of and murder of two 15 year-old girls.
He was released on parole in September, and secretly moved from prison to a hostel near the south coast.
He was photographed here on Oct 14, wearing jeans, a shirt with light green fleece, a cap, and a shirt.
The murderer was seen wearing a high-vis helmet, a backpack and a helmet as he cycled from Portsmouth hostel – 200 yards from a school.
Pitchfork strangled and raped Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in Leicestershire in 1983 and 1986 respectively – but was freed after the Parole Board rejected the Government and his devastated victims’ families’ legal challenge.
Colin Pitchfork, a double-child killer, was spotted taking a walk in a park next to young families. In 1988, the 61-year old predator was sentenced to a life term for the rape & murder of two 15 year-old girls.
Pitchfork was granted parole in September and secretly drove from prison to a hostel along the south coast. (He can be seen in the photos above on October 14).
Lynda Mann was strangled and raped by Pitchfork in Narborough, Leicestershire in November 1983. Dawn Ashworth was raped, murdered, and killed three years later in Enderby.
He will be subjected to some of the most restrictive license conditions ever. This is a clear indication that he still poses a threat.
The killer will wear an electronic tag to monitor him at all times. He will also be prohibited from coming near his victims’ relatives and will be restricted from accessing the internet.
He could also be subject to spot lie detector tests to determine if he has violated any conditions.
Pitchfork was convicted in 1988 of murder on the grounds of DNA evidence. He confessed to two murders, two assaults on women and conspiring against the course of justice.
His minimum sentence of 30 years was reduced by two years in 2009. He was moved to an open prison 3 years ago. He was released on September 1.
Pitchfork was a baker at the time and was known to police as a serial flasher. He attacked his victims and dumped them on dark, isolated footpaths in Leicestershire.
The child killer (above), also was spotted in a high vis helmet and rucksack on October 13, as he cycled from Portsmouth to the park. He was placed in a hostel 200 yards from a school.
After dropping his wife off at evening classes, he raped Lynda and strangled her in Narborough while his baby boy slept in the back seat of his car.
Three years later, Dawn was raped by him and he murdered her in Enderby.
Colin Pitchfork in 1988, when he was first convicted and imprisoned for murder using DNA evidence. He was sentenced to a minimum term of 30 years.
The University of Leicester’s Sir Alec Jeffreys pioneered the revolutionary DNA profiling process that captured the killer.
After the world’s first mass DNA screening, in which 5,000 men from three villages gave blood or saliva samples, he was eventually found.
We did not find any matches.
But in 1987 a bakery colleague of Pitchfork – who had been there as an apprentice and had expressed a desire to set up his own cake-making business – was overheard boasting how he was set to receive £200 to pose as Pitchfork and give a sample.
Pitchfork was later detained after the conversation was reported by police.
1988 saw him sentenced to life imprisonment
His minimum term of confinement was set at 30. This was later reduced to 29 years on appeal.
A spokesperson stated that 35 conditions will be enforced by Pitchfork, including tagging and polygraph testing, extensive exclusion areas, bans on contact children, victims, and restrictions on electronic devices.
How a revolutionary DNA test helped to catch Colin Pitchfork, a child killer
DNA evidence played a crucial role in solving the murders Lynda Mann (then in its early stages in criminal cases) and Dawn Ashworth.
It was first used in the investigation into the death of Lynda Mann, Pitchfork’s first victim.
Lynda, then 15, was raped and killed as she walked back from babysitting earlier that afternoon.
DNA was used in the investigation when a sample taken from her body showed that it was from a person with type A blood.
It also matched an enzyme profile that was only 10% for males.
Volunteers took tests in 1987 to help police locate Dawn Ashworth and Lynda Mann’s murderer.
However, there were no leads or direct suspects so police decided to leave the case open.
Dawn Ashworth (15 years old) left her home to visit a friend in 1986.
After she didn’t return, a search was initiated and her body was discovered to have been raped.
Police again found similar DNA. Detectives realized they were looking to find a second murderer after the murder was carried out in a similar manner.
Officers had another suspect, Richard Buckland in mind. He was a 17 year old with learning difficulties and had confessed the second murder and had been aware of the first. He would later be exonerated.
It wasn’t until Sir Alec Jeffreys (a nearby genetics researcher) that his innocence was proven.
Together with Peter Gill and Dave Werrett, Sir Alec created genetic profiling.
He also used it for comparing DNA samples from both of his bodies.
It was confirmed that the murderer was the same person, but Buckland was not.
Later, police launched a DNA drive and up to 5,000 men in three villages were asked to volunteer blood or saliva samples.
However, there were no matches.
But in 1987 a bakery colleague of Pitchfork was overheard boasting how he was set to receive £200 to pose as Pitchfork and give a sample.
Pitchfork was later detained after the conversation was reported by police.