Rikki Neave (aged 13) stripped Rikki, 6, naked, and made a sexy image of his body, according to a jury today.
James Watson, 40, is accused of strangling the six year old in Peterborough, Ontario, in November 1994. Watson allegedly made a star-shaped body and then dumped his clothes into a wheelie container.
The Old Bailey was told that the murderer remained at the victim’s side for over an hour, and didn’t try to hide it.
Rikki’s murder was unsolved for nearly three decades until sophisticated DNA testing in 2015. This test, which used Rikki’s clothing in a “cold case review” in 2015 to find a match with Watson, revealed that Rikki had been murdered.
John Price, QC the Prosecutor told jurors that Rikki was found dead in the wood in a star-shaped form with her arms outstretched and her legs wide apart.
Rikki was able to see a tiny, white button on her shirt that was ‘perched poignantly” on a leaf.

Pictured: Rikki Neave, six, was found dead five minutes away from his house in Peterborough with his school uniform dumped in a nearby bin on the morning of November 29, 1994

James Watson, aged 40, is being tried for murdering Rikki, six years old, at London’s Old Bailey

Rikki Neave was buried in Peterborough’s woods.
A series of images showing Rikki’s body, after it was discovered in the woods were displayed in court today’s second day.
According to the prosecutor, there was no attempt at concealing the body.
Although he was standing on its back, there were still mud marks on his face and trunk. The soles of both feet had a muddy odor.
We believe that the distribution of mud stains would suggest that the killer moved and rearranged the body after taking off its clothes. He then achieved the pose he desired, which could be easily seen by other people when the body was discovered.
“There’s evidence we will consider later which suggests Rikki may have been left in that same wood as Rikki with her dead body up until an hour after she was killed.
He will certainly have put in a great deal of energy and time to remove all clothing from the body and manipulate it so that the final image is created.
Dr Nat Cary conducted a post-mortem in Cambridge at Hinchingbrooke Hospital. He determined that ligature strangulation was the cause.
This was confirmed by marks left on Rikki’s neck by the back zipper from his jacket.
This is believed to indicate that Rikki had pulled Rikki’s jacket back behind her neck over a prolonged period.

A photograph taken 1994 that shows the location where Rikki Neave, six years old, was found.

Artist’s impression of James Watson, who is on trial at the Old Bailey for Rikki Neave’s murder.
According to Mr Price, jurors were reminded of images that had been shown before.
Dr Cary stated that Rikki would have died within 30 seconds of when the pressure was applied.
“In context that’s quite long,” said Price.
“Furthermore Dr Cary says that regardless of how long it took for this to happen, the pressure must have continued after the child became unresponsive. He had already fallen into unconsciousness.
“Deprivation oxygen can cause unconsciousness and, if this continues, it causes death.”
“You’ll have to determine the motive of the individual who did this to Rikki.
You will need to pay attention to………..not only how the killing took place, what time it took to complete, and whether the force was continued on the neck until he was conscious, but also what happens to the body once it is done.
“Because it didn’t matter what the case was, Rikki Neave’s killer did not panic as though he were startled at something unexpected.
“He remained with his dead body.

Ruth Neave and Gary Rogers, her husband in April 2016. Rikki’s murder was an accusation against her, but she was cleared in 1996 by a jury. After admitting child cruelty, she spent time in jail.

Photograph taken 1995 by a computer leaving flowers at Welland County primary school, Peterborough

Pictured: Police at the scene of Rikki Neave’s murder, six-year old, naked body, was discovered in the undergrowth 500 meters from Rikki’s home.
It is clear, however, that from his actions, it was evident that he had stayed with the project for some time.
“The sudden death of his child wasn’t a surprise to him. It was a result of an unanticipated event.
“Nor was it an ending in and of itself. It was just a way to get there.
It allowed him to take off all his clothes.
“We believe Rikki Neave was killed by an individual who wanted to kill him.”
According to the court, evidence also indicates that Rikki’s strangulation attack was an unexpected one.
No evidence was found of recent “blunt force injuries”, which are often seen when victims attempt to defend themselves against a frontal attack.
Price claimed that Dr Cary had been told by Price: “This…suggested that Rikki did not know of an impending attack.
“He didn’t fear it before it started.
We suggest that it was not possible to have foreseen the situation, taking into consideration the literal and metaphorical nature of the zip marks at his neck.
It was not also possible to prove that there had been any abuse of a sexual nature.
Rikki was reportedly walking into the wood willingly, as Mr Price stated. He also said that he knew this area well.
“He seemed at peace when he was there that day. Of course, he was not the only one.
“There was never any sense of imminent danger right until the fatal surprise attack.”
“Thereafter, he would have died within less than 30 seconds and be unconscious for a while before that.
Rikki Neave was his killer.
“He was comfortable and relaxed with him.”
Ruth Neave was charged in May 1995 with Rikki’s murder and other cruelty offences.
Although she admitted to the cruelty charges, she was cleared by the jury for murdering Rikki 1996.
A court heard that Watson had shown a ‘grotesque interes’ in child murder during November 1994.
Watson, of no fixed residence, denied murdering Rikki in November 1994.
The trial is continuing.