In 2018, the Offender Database recorded the conviction of 52-year-old Russell Bishop for the 1986 murders of nine-year-olds Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway. Bishop—a former roofer from Brighton—sexually assaulted and strangled the two girls in a woodland den in Wild Park, Moulsecoomb. It was reported that while Bishop was originally cleared of the “Babes in the Woods” murders in 1987, a historic “double jeopardy” retrial was granted following a DNA breakthrough that linked him definitively to the crime scene 32 years later.
The investigation established that Bishop had seized the opportunity to attack the girls at dusk on 9 October 1986. Sussex Police reported that a blue Pinto sweatshirt, discarded on Bishop’s route home, contained DNA and fibre evidence that placed him at the scene. Furthermore, modern forensic tests on a sample from Karen’s forearm revealed a “one in a billion” DNA match to Bishop. The prosecution reported that Bishop was an “extremely dangerous” predatory paedophile who had joined the search for the girls the day after the killings to deflect suspicion from himself.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Bishop’s violent nature was further evidenced by his 1990 conviction for the kidnap and attempted murder of a seven-year-old girl at Devils Dyke, for which he was already serving a life sentence. Old Bailey jurors heard that Bishop had provided conflicting accounts and fake alibis, including inventing a “wild man” of the woods. The investigation established that Bishop even attempted to cast suspicion on Nicola’s father, Barrie Fellows, during the retrial—a claim the Crown Prosecution Service described as having “not a shred of evidence.”
Judge-led proceedings concluded with the jury delivering a unanimous guilty verdict after just two and a half hours of deliberation. For his actions in Brighton, Bishop was convicted of two counts of murder, ending the longest-running murder inquiry in the history of Sussex Police. The judge noted that the evidence was “overwhelming and incontrovertible,” finally providing justice for the families of Nicola and Karen after three decades of “wicked” deception by the defendant.
Status and Statutory Requirements
For the records reported in East Sussex, the status of Russell Bishop as of April 3, 2026, was as follows:
- Custodial Status: DECEASED (Died in prison January 2022 while serving life with a minimum of 36 years).
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Murder; 2 counts; Attempted murder of a third child in 1990).
- Judicial Oversight: Convicted at the Old Bailey (London); investigated by Sussex Police.
- Forensic Breakthrough: “One in a billion” DNA match on a Pinto sweatshirt and the victim’s forearm.
- Historical Significance: One of the most prominent “Double Jeopardy” cases in UK legal history.
- Origin: Moulsecoomb/Brighton, East Sussex.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Until his death in 2022, Bishop was managed as a Category A high-risk dangerous predator within the maximum-security prison estate. Due to the nature of his conduct, which involved the predatory stalking, sexual assault, and strangulation of multiple children, his management was the highest priority for the national MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) team. Authorities state that his 1987 acquittal was a significant failure of the justice system that allowed him to strike again in 1990.
As a convicted double murderer and child rapist, Bishop’s DNA and criminal profile remain permanently logged on the national police database for reference in any other historical cold cases. Authorities state that the 32-year fight for justice by the Hadaway and Fellows families led to significant changes in how “double jeopardy” is applied in the UK. Any associated investigations, such as potential perjury charges against those who provided fake alibis in 1987, continue to ensure that all aspects of the Wild Park tragedy are addressed by Sussex Police.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was able to commit a further near-fatal attack on a seven-year-old girl after being acquitted in 1987, do you believe that “double jeopardy” laws should be further relaxed to allow for retrials based on “new behavioral evidence” rather than just scientific DNA breakthroughs?
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