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Name: |
Colin Evans |
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AKA: |
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D.O.B. |
1939 |
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Kill Total: |
1 |
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Kill date: |
11
March 1983 |
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Kill Place: |
Dagenham, Essex |
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Status: |
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Occupation: |
Truck Driver |
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Victim: |
Marie Payne |
|
D.O.B. |
1979 |
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Court: |
The Old Bailey |
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Judge: |
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Prosecution: |
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Defence: |
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FACTFILE
11th March
1983, The abduction of 4 year old Marie Payne from a
park near her home at Goresbrook Road, Dagenham, during
broad daylight, elicited only a passing interest at the
police station as officers noted her details, just in
case she should be seen walking around Waltham Abbey.
Several months later, an Enfield couple came across some
child's clothing in a hollow tree in St. Thomas'
Quarters,' a triangular area of forest land bounded by
Epping Road, Upshire Road and Lodge Road, the clothing
was confirmed as belonging to little Marie.
October 1983, .A widespread search of the
surrounding areas of Epping Forest took place for a few
days, For two days, 300 men, 120 Metropolitan
police, 100 Essex police, fifty police and army cadets
and twenty Forest Rangers, systematically searched the
area without success.
Less than one month, later the hollow tree in which the
items of clothing had been found was destroyed by fire,
it was believed at the time to be the work of child
vandals, but later this was called into question, was it
in fact Evans, trying to destroy evidence?
May 1984, Colin Evans, a 44 year old lorry driver
from Russell Street, Reading, Berkshire was arrested
following further attempts to steal children in Ilford,
Essex. He had previously been in prison for child
related incidents.
Friday 11th. May 1984. Directed to the exact spot
by Evans, police found the body, the body was badly
decomposed, and was identified through dental records.
Death had been primarily due to a skull fracture.
The police search of exactly the same spot some seven
months earlier had, it seems, been at fault. Although it
was defensively suggested that Evans returned to dig up
and sexually interfere with the body long after her
death, there seems little doubt that Marie lay there
when the search was undertaken.
17th December 1984 Evans pleaded Guilty to the
murder charge and three cases of child abduction, at the
Old Bailey. In sentencing him to life, the judge made a
recommendation that he serve a minimum of 30 years in
prison.
April 2008, in
the High Court in London, the recommended minimum term of thirty
years was reduced on appeal to 27 years.
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