Killer is the ‘prime suspect’ in Milly case

By Shenai Raif

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

BUS stop killer Levi Bellfield was facing three life sentences for the murders of young women yesterday as it was revealed he is the prime suspect in the Milly Dowler murder.

Detectives will also look at other unsolved murders after Bellfield, 39, was convicted at the Old Bailey of murdering students Amelie Delagrange, 22, and Marsha McDonnell, 19, and the attempted murder of schoolgirl Kate Sheedy, 18.

Now, detectives offering a £50,000 reward will interview him for the 2002 abduction and killing of 13-year-old Milly as new links emerged into her death.

And Metropolitan police Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton, who led the hunt for Bellfield, said: "We are looking at other murders which have not been solved."

Mr Sutton said police would now review at least 20 other attacks on women to see if any can be linked to Bellfield.

He said: "They are not 20 murders, they are 20 attacks on women. They are over quite a long period of time and are widespread."

Families of the two dead girls added to police appeals for help in solving other murders and crimes Bellfield may have been involved in.

Milly’s parents Bob and Sally Dowler said: "We are pleading for anyone who knows anything to have the courage to speak up.

Bellfield showed no emotion as he was convicted.

Bellfield trawled bus stops and followed buses late at night looking for young blondes on their own.

He would follow them, offer them lifts and, if they turned him down, react with rage. Marsha was struck over the head with a hammer feet from her home in Hampton, west London, after getting off a bus in February 2003.

The wheel clamper stalked convent school head girl Kate Sheedy as she got off a bus near her house in Isleworth, in May 2004.

When she crossed over to avoid him, Bellfield aimed his vehicle at her and ran her over — reversing back over the girl to make sure she was dead.

But the plucky teenager survived to give evidence against Bellfield.

Amelie was battered over the head with a heavy instrument such as a hammer in August 2004, after getting off at the wrong bus stop.

Bellfield followed her as she walked back towards her home in Twickenham Green, west London, and attacked her after trying to pick her up on the local cricket green.

Kate and the families of the dead girls had held hands with friends and supporters as the verdicts were delivered. They burst into tears of relief.

Bellfield was arrested in November 2004 after a police appeal for information on a white van with distinctive markings used in the Amelie murder.

Bellfield was found guilty unanimously of murdering Amelie and by a 10-2 majority of the crimes against Marsha and Kate.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, February 26, 2008