Murder Solved 32 Years Later Reveals More Horrifying Crimes

The body of 25-year-old Wendy Knell was found dead lying in her bed in 1987. She had been beaten, raped, and strangled to death. Wendy lived in a basement without walls, yet no one heard the attack. The case went cold, though police did capture a bloody fingerprint on a bag and a footprint on a shirt that was collected as evidence.

Another Body Found

About a week later, the body of another woman, Caroline Pierce, was found. The 20-year-old had been missing for three weeks when a passerby found her body in a ditch. Like Wendy, Caroline had been beaten, raped, and strangled to death. Aside from a small amount of semen on her body, the killer left little evidence at the scene. Her case also went cold.

Police determined both women died at the hands of the same person.

32-Years Later, DNA Identifies the Killer

In 2019, 32-years after the bodies of Wendy and Caroline were found, the semen found on Caroline’s body could be tested for DNA thanks to technological advances. Once tested the DNA came back with a batch. In December 2020, police identified David Fuller of Heathfield, East Sussex, as the killer.

Now in his 60s, married, and working as an electrician at a hospital, Fuller seemed like the typical American man. He denied involvement with the murders, but DNA doesn’t lie. The bloody footprint found on Wendy’s shirt matched a pair of shoes David wore in a photograph police found during a search of his home. The footprint on the shirt also matched the prints from the shoes.

More Than Murder...Fuller Sexually Assaulted Dead Bodies for Years

Also found at David’s house was a trove of phones, sim cards, and hard drives collected as evidence. The police uncovered shocking information on the hard drives and phones: photos and videos showing David sexually assaulting different corpses.

David had keys to every room in the building at the hospital due to his position as an electrician. He entered the morgue, using an area without surveillance, sexually assaulted the corpses, and headed back to the job. David carried out this abuse on corpses for several years. Police estimated at least 80 victims, the oldest being a 100-year-old woman; the youngest a 9-year-old girl.

In total police found more than 14 million images and videos combined on all the devices. They included footage of Fuller sexually assaulting dead bodies in the morgue at the now-closed Kent and Sussex Hospital and the new 500-bed Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury, which replaced it in 2011.

Fuller Pleads Guilty to 51 Charges

Police took David into custody charging him with 51 counts related to the two murders and necrophilia of the corpses. He pleaded guilty to all charges on October 8, 2021, but still awaits sentencing. He faces a mandatory life sentence and may be sentenced to life without parole due to the two murder convictions.

NHS Orders Updates to Morgue Entrances

After Fuller’s case came to light, the NHS ordered health trusts to update the way their morgues are accessed. A CCTV and swipe entry access points are now required.

Additional Information & Resources:

https://news.sky.com/story/david-fuller-nhs-orders-health-trusts-to-review-mortuary-access-after-hospital-electrician-admits-sexually-assaulting-dead-bodies-12460130

https://news.sky.com/story/david-fuller-how-was-one-of-britains-most-prolific-sex-offenders-caught-and-how-did-he-get-away-with-it-for-so-long-12459906

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/nov/04/david-fuller-man-admits-murdering-two-women-and-sexually-abusing-corpses

https://nypost.com/2021/11/04/david-fuller-pleads-guilty-to-1987-murders-necrophilia-crimes-at-mortuaries/

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