MARK ROWNTREE: BINGLEY KILLER'S HORRIFIC CRIMES AND LONG-TERM IMPRISONMENT IN MIDDLESBROUGH

Mark Rowntree, a notorious British spree killer, is infamous for a series of brutal murders committed in the town of Bingley, West Yorkshire, during the late months of 1975 and the early part of 1976. His actions shocked the local community and led to his indefinite detention in a secure mental health facility.

On the evening of December 31, 1975, a 19-year-old Rowntree carried out his first known murder when he viciously stabbed Grace Adamson, an elderly widow aged 85, in her home in Bingley. Following the attack, he did not attempt to evade capture but instead celebrated his violent act with a drink at a nearby pub, displaying a disturbing lack of remorse.

Just four days later, on January 3, 1976, Rowntree's killing spree continued when he encountered sixteen-year-old Stephen Wilson at a bus stop in Eastburn, West Yorkshire. Wilson was fatally stabbed during this encounter, and although he was initially able to describe his attacker to the police, he succumbed to his injuries in hospital shortly afterward.

Less than a week later, on January 7, 1976, Rowntree's violence escalated further when he visited the home of Barbara Booth, a part-time model, in Leeds. There, he carried out a frenzied attack, stabbing Booth to death along with her three-year-old son, Alan. The murders of Booth and her young son shocked the entire region, highlighting the brutality of Rowntree's crimes.

By the time police arrived at the scene, armed officers were already waiting for him at his residence, having obtained a detailed description of Rowntree from the second victim, Stephen Wilson. Confronted by law enforcement, Rowntree did not deny his involvement but instead confessed fully to the crimes. During his confession, he expressed regret that he had not managed to reach five victims, citing the notorious criminal Donald Neilson, known as the Black Panther, as his hero and inspiration.

Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Rowntree's mental health issues played a significant role in his actions. In June 1976, he appeared before Leeds Crown Court and pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The court subsequently ordered his indefinite commitment to Rampton Secure Hospital, a high-security mental health facility. Over the years, he has been transferred to various institutions, including Broadmoor, Ashworth, and most recently, the Hutton Unit at St. Luke's Hospital in Middlesbrough. Today, he is recognized as one of the longest-serving patients in any British psychiatric or secure hospital system.

In January 2004, Rowntree, who had since changed his name to Evans, appeared in Teesside Crown Court to admit making threats to kill his social worker, Kath Cogley. These threats, which he claimed were genuine, followed a disturbing letter he sent to the Yorkshire Post, in which he warned he was prepared to kill again. During telephone conversations, he reiterated that his threats were serious and expressed anger over comments made by Cogley during a mental health tribunal, which he claimed had hurt his mother.

In his letter, Rowntree described experiencing a