For over three decades, crime reporter Stephen Wright has covered hundreds of male murderers for the Daily Mail. However, he notes that cases involving female killers often attract greater public and press attention. Wright has identified six women whose crimes, in his opinion, were so depraved that they would have warranted execution had the death penalty still been in place in the UK.
Rena Salmon
Rena Salmon, then 43, was convicted in 2003 of shooting dead her estranged husband's pregnant lover, Lorna Stewart, 36, in Chiswick, west London. Wright reported on the case, detailing how Salmon, a former Army sharpshooter, walked into a beauty salon with a shotgun and shot Stewart. A witness heard Stewart ask Salmon if she was there to shoot her, to which Salmon replied, "Yes." Stewart was shot twice. Salmon later sent text messages to her estranged husband stating, "I have shot Lorna. You pushed me to it."
The trial revealed that Salmon's husband had an affair with Stewart in December 2001, leading to the breakup of both their marriages. Salmon, who had trained in firearms during her ten years in the Army, denied murder but admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The jury found her guilty of murder, concluding her actions were driven by cold-blooded revenge. She was sentenced to life imprisonment and released on license in 2016 after serving a minimum of 14 years. Detectives described Salmon as a "cold, calculating manipulator."
Jane Andrews
Jane Andrews, a former aide to Sarah Ferguson, was convicted of stabbing and beating her wealthy boyfriend, Tom Cressman, to death in September 2000 after he refused to marry her. Wright recalls the shock on the crime desk when news broke that Andrews was on the run. The prosecution argued that Andrews, described as a "Fatal Attraction" killer, attacked Cressman with a cricket bat after he rejected her proposal. Jurors rejected her self-defense claims.
Andrews was ordered to serve a minimum of 12 years for the murder. The investigation into her background revealed a pattern of seeking male attention and struggling with rejection. It was also reported that Andrews had allegedly "fleeced" the Duchess of York out of £10,000 over nine years. Andrews was released on license in June 2015 after serving 14 years and declined to comment when approached by Wright.
Sharon Carr
Sharon Carr, who was 12 years old at the time of her crime, is Britain's youngest murderess. Wright describes her upbringing as profoundly dysfunctional, marked by crime, drugs, abuse, and hatred. Carr stabbed 18-year-old hairdresser Katie Rackliff at least 29 times in an unprovoked attack and then mutilated her body. She was apprehended five years later in 1997, by which time she had committed another near-fatal knife attack.
Investigations revealed Carr's horrific childhood in Belize, where her mother practiced voodoo and she witnessed ritualistic killings. By age 11, she was drinking, smoking, and using drugs. In her diary, Carr wrote about her desire to kill Rackliff again. She was sentenced to life imprisonment, with the judge noting that "killing, as you put it, turns you on." A senior detective at the time called Carr "the most dangerous woman in Britain."
Rose West
Rosemary West was convicted in 1995 of murdering ten girls and young women, including her own daughter and stepdaughter. Wright attended her seven-week trial, describing her as a "serial liar as well as a prolific killer." Some victims were held captive for days, subjected to sexual assaults, and then murdered, with their bodies dismembered and buried at the Wests' home. West's own mother and stepdaughter testified against her.
Despite her defense attempting to portray her as a victim of her husband, Fred West, her testimony was filled with lies. Her conviction did not bring closure to all victims' families. Her son Barry died at age 40 from long-term drug addiction and mental health issues related to his childhood trauma. In 2019, West's former lawyer stated she was "enjoying" life in prison and had no desire to be released. It was also reported that West had a brief relationship with Myra Hindley while on remand.
Myra Hindley
Myra Hindley, along with her lover Ian Brady, was responsible for the torture and murder of five youngsters, including Keith Bennett. Hindley died in November 2002 at the age of 60 without revealing the location of Keith Bennett's remains, a fact that devastated his mother, Winnie Johnson. Bennett, 12, vanished in 1964.
Police efforts to find Bennett's remains included the use of a US spy satellite and a specialist Army team. Despite these efforts, his body was never found. Winnie Johnson died in 2012 without achieving her wish of giving her son a proper burial. Wright characterized Hindley as having a "controlling, psychopathic mind."
Marie-Therese Kouao
Marie-Therese Kouao and her boyfriend Carl Manning were convicted of the murder of eight-year-old Victoria Climbie in February 2000. Victoria had been brought to Britain from the Ivory Coast by Kouao, her great aunt, with the promise of a better life and education. Instead, Victoria endured severe abuse, neglect, and ultimately froze to death.
Investigations revealed blunders by multiple health authorities, hospitals, and police officers that allowed the abuse to continue. Kouao's motive for bringing Victoria to the UK was reportedly to commit benefits fraud by pretending the child was her daughter. Victoria was subjected to extreme cruelty, including being bound, forced to eat from a plate like a dog, beaten, and left naked in a bath for extended periods. A neighbor reported seeing Victoria so weak she could barely walk. Kouao took the child for an exorcism, but upon realizing the child was unresponsive, a taxi was called. The driver alerted authorities when Victoria appeared unconscious. She was taken to the hospital but died the next day. An autopsy found 128 injuries, and the cause of death was hypothermia due to severe neglect and malnutrition.
Manning had admitted manslaughter and child cruelty but denied murder. Kouao, a French citizen, denied all charges. Wright expressed hope that Kouao would never be released, unlike Rena Salmon and Jane Andrews, who have been released from prison.
