Murder of Amanda Dowler

Infobox Person
name = Amanda Jane Dowler


image_size = 75px
caption = Amanda Dowler
birth_date = birth date|df=yes|1988|6|25
birth_place = Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, England
death_date = c. death date and age|df=yes|2002|3|21|1988|6|25
death_place = unknown
body_discovered = Yateley Heath Forest, Fleet, Hampshire
height = convert|1.53|m|ft
parents = Robert and Sally Dowler

Amanda Jane "Milly" Dowler (25 June 1988 – c. 21 March 2002) was an English schoolgirl who was murdered on the way home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Her disappearance in March 2002, followed by the discovery of her remains six months later, resulted in nationwide media attention, a police investigation (Operation Ruby) involving over 100 officers at its peak and numerous tributes. The police received over 6,000 telephone calls, questioned over 2,800 people and made 120 searches.

The current prime suspect in her killing is Levi Bellfield, who was convicted on 25 February 2008 of murdering two women and attempting to kill a third in sexually-motivated attacks.

Disappearance

At 3 p.m. on 21 March 2002, Dowler left Heathside School to go home on the train. Dowler got off at Walton-on-Thames railway station to visit a café with friends, one stop early from her usual stop of Hersham. After phoning her father at 3.47 p.m. to tell him she would be home in half an hour, Dowler set off for home on foot, and was last seen a quarter of an hour later walking along Station Approach.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1898017.stm|title=TV appeal for missing Amanda|publisher=BBC News|date=28 March 2002|accessdate=2006-08-05] It is believed Dowler was killed and buried shortly afterwards.cite web|url=http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=353&id=1047722002|title=Milly’s body is found in woods|publisher=The Scotsman newspaper|date=21 September 2002|] A nationwide search followed the disappearance, including 100 officers and helicopters searching the fields, streets and rivers around Hersham. Detectives who had worked on the abduction of Sarah Payne were called in to help.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1901520.stm|title=Payne police help in Amanda hunt|publisher=BBC News|date=30 March 2002|accessdate=2006-08-05] Police and Dowler's family made multiple appeals for information, including a reconstruction on Crimewatch, and a plea by pop star Will Young on the ITN news programme, as Dowler was a fan and had attended a concert of his the day before her disappearance.cite web|url=http://www.surrey.police.uk/news_item.asp?artid=1550|title=Pop Idol Will Young to appeal for missing teenager's return|publisher=Surrey Police|3 April 2002|accessdate=2006-08-05] The Crimewatch appeal included a direct appeal to Dowler in the hope that she had run away from home of her own accord, though the day before her father had already expressed fears that his daughter had been abducted. Dowler's mother expressed hope that her daughter had indeed run away, but admitted that she could think of no reason why her daughter would want to do so.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1897382.stm|title=Parents fear Amanda was abducted|publisher=BBC News|date=27 March 2002|accessdate=2006-08-05]

A week after Dowler's disappearance, the police stated that she was probably not taken by force, reasoning that, while Dowler was unlikely, of her own free will, to have gone off with someone she did not know, no-one had come forward who had witnessed a struggle, despite a number of apparent sightings of Dowler prior to her disappearance.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1902331.stm|title=Amanda 'not taken by force'|publisher=BBC News|date=30 March 2002|accessdate=2006-08-05]

On 23 April, the discovery of a body in the Thames prompted media speculation that the body was that of Dowler, however the body was identified the following day as 73-year-old Maisie Thomas, who had gone missing a year earlier, and whose death was not believed to be suspicious.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1947593.stm|title=Amanda family's anguish goes on|publisher=BBC News|date=24 April 2002|accessdate=2006-08-05] In June of that year, despite further searches, the offer of a £100,000 reward by national tabloid "The Sun"cite news|first=Mike|last=Darvill|title=£100,000 reward to find missing Milly|publisher=The Sun|date=4 May 2006] and Dowler's parents continued to text her mobile in the hope of a reply,cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2063326.stm|title=Parents texting Milly's mobile|publisher=BBC News|date=25 June 2002|accessdate=2006-08-05] Dowler remained missing and by the summer of that year police told Dowler's parents that she was probably dead.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2059701.stm|title=Milly's parents told: 'Expect the worst'|publisher=BBC News|date=22 June 2002|accessdate=2006-08-05]

On 18 September 2002, Dowler's skeletal remains were discovered in Yateley Heath Forest near Fleet, Hampshire, and confirmed as Dowler's two days later. The discovery of the body led the police to reclassify the case from a missing person investigation to a murder investigation. None of the clothes Dowler was wearing, nor the purse, rucksack or mobile phone Dowler had with her at the time of her disappearance were found, and as of 2008 they are still missing.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2271244.stm|title=Milly's body found|publisher=BBC News|date=21 September 2002|accessdate=2006-08-05] cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2272211.stm|title=Milly police seek fresh clues|publisher=BBC News|date=21 September 2002|accessdate=2006-08-05] cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1947954.stm|title=Timeline of Events|publisher=BBC News|date=20 September 2002|accessdate=2008-03-27]

Investigation

As of 2008, nobody has been charged with Dowler's murder. Three people have appeared in court in relation to the case.

* Paul Hughes was convicted of making threats to kill and was jailed for five years after sending letters to Dowler's mother threatening to kill her and claiming to have killed Dowler. The letters were sent whilst Hughes was in prison for indecently assaulting a twelve-year-old girl; the prison service apologised for not screening mail effectively.cite web|url=http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=353&id=530472005|title=Prisoner hate mail blunder|publisher=The Scotsman Newspaper|date=16 May 2005|accessdate=2007-05-25]

* Lianne Newman of Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire repeatedly phoned Dowler's parents, school and the police pretending to be the missing schoolgirl. She was jailed in April 2003 for five months after pleading guilty to five counts of making phone calls to cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2907541.stm|title=Milly hoax caller jailed|publisher=BBC News|date=1 April 2003|accessdate=2006-08-05]

* Gary Farr of Retford, Nottinghamshire repeatedly e-mailed Dowler's parents, school friends and police officers working on the case, claiming that Dowler had been smuggled out of the country to work as a prostitute and stripper at nightclubs in Poland, and that her death had been a cover-up. Farr was sectioned indefinitely under the Mental Health Act on 19 October 2006 for being a serious psychological danger to the public due to his history of paranoid schizophrenia after admitting a charge of harassment.cite web|url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006480692,00.html|title=Twisted Milly hoaxer caged|publisher=The Sun Newspaper|date=20 October 2006|accessdate=2006-11-27]

On 25 February 2008, the Metropolitan Police announced that Levi Bellfield was their prime suspect in the murder inquiry. On that day, he had been convicted on two murder charges as well as a charge of attempted murder. It was reported Bellfield is a "prime suspect" in the case and Surrey police were "very interested" in questioning him, though to date they have not pressed charges.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7263335.stm|title=Bellfield linked to Milly killing |publisher=BBC news|date=25 February 2008|accessdate=2008-02-25] cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7283330.stm|title=Man arrested over Milly inquiry |publisher=BBC news|date=7 March 2008|accessdate=2008-03-07]

Legacy

Dowler's parents, Sally and Bob Dowler, launched a charity called Milly's Fund on the day of Dowler's memorial service in October 2002.cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2306879.stm|title=Milly's parents launch new charity|publisher=BBC News|date=8 October 2002|accessdate=2006-08-05] The charity provides risk assessment advice to teenagers, youth workers and educators. Its work includes the "Teach UR Mum 2 TXT" campaign, which encourages children and parents to stay in contact via text messaging, including a glossary for parents of commonly-used SMS abbreviations. The campaign was awarded "Best Use of Mobile for Accessibility" at the 2004 GSM Association Awards. [cite web|url=http://www.gsmworld.com/news/press_2004/press04_12.shtml|title=GSM Association Awards Winners Take Centre Stage At Cannes|publisher=GSM Association press release|accessdate=2006-08-05] In October 2003, the running of the charity was handed over to the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.cite web|url=http://www.millysfund.org.uk/about/announce.php|title=Special Announcement|publisher=Milly's Fund|date=|accessdate=2006-08-05] At the 2005 Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, a garden designed in Dowler's memory by Penny Smith won the Tudor Rose award, the show's highest honour.cite news|title=Millie ["sic"] garden scoops awards|publisher=Newsquest Media Group|date=6 July 2005] A magenta sweetpea was named after her and made publicly available by Matthewman's Sweetpeas.cite web|url=http://www.sweetpeasonline.co.uk/|title=Varieties|publisher=Matthewman's Sweetpeas|accessdate=2006-08-05]

References

External links

* [http://www.millysfund.org.uk/ Milly's Fund website]