Babes in the Wood murders (Brighton)
Karen Hadaway (left) and Nicola Fellows (right) | |
| Date | 9 October 1986 |
|---|---|
| Location | Wild Park, Brighton, Sussex, England |
| Convicted | Russell Bishop |
| Charges | Murder (2 counts) |
| Trial | 1987; second trial, 2018 |
| Verdict | Acquitted (1987); guilty (2018) |
| Sentence | 2 life sentences, minimum term of 36 years (2018) |
The Babes in the Wood Murders were the murders of two nine-year-old girls, Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway, on 9 October 1986 in Wild Park, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, East Sussex, England. The perpetrator, 20-year-old local roofer Russell Bishop, was initially tried and acquitted in 1987. The case remained open until 10 December 2018, when Bishop was found guilty of the murders in a second trial. The investigation into the two girls' murders is the largest and longest-running inquiry ever conducted by Sussex Police.
In April 2024, Sussex Police formally apologised for failings in the original investigation and for the wrongful arrest of Barrie Fellows, Nicola's father, in a connected investigation in 2009.