PAUL HUTCHINSON, KEYWORTH CHILD KILLER, FOUND DEAD IN NOTTINGHAM PRISON
| Red Rose Database
Keyworth Rapist
In a tragic and somber development, Paul Hutchinson, the man responsible for the heinous murder of 16-year-old Colette Aram in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, has been discovered dead in his prison cell at Nottingham Prison. The incident occurred early yesterday morning when Hutchinson, aged 52, was found unconscious and unresponsive by prison staff. Despite immediate efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at approximately 9:58 am while en route to the hospital. The Prison Service has indicated that Hutchinson may have taken an overdose of tablets, which he had secretly stored in his cell, although the exact cause of death remains under investigation.
Hutchinson's death marks the end of a long and painful chapter in the case of Colette Aram, a young girl whose brutal murder in 1983 shocked the nation. The case gained notoriety as it was the first to be featured on the BBC's television series Crimewatch, which aimed to solicit public assistance in solving unsolved crimes. Despite the widespread attention and over 400 calls received following the broadcast, police were unable to apprehend the perpetrator at the time. It was only after advances in forensic science, particularly DNA technology, that the case was finally solved.
In January 2010, Hutchinson was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of the rape and strangulation of Colette Aram. The crime had taken place in a country lane near her home in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, on October 30, 1983. Colette, a trainee hairdresser, had left her home on Normanton Lane around 8 pm, intending to walk the approximately one and a half miles to her boyfriend’s house. Witnesses last saw her at about 8:10 pm turning into Nicker Hill, where she stopped to speak with friends. Shortly afterward, reports indicated that a woman was heard screaming, followed by the sound of a car speeding away. When she failed to arrive at her destination, her family and friends raised the alarm, and police launched a search that night.
The following morning, her naked body was discovered in a nearby field, having been raped and strangled. The investigation into her murder was extensive, and in 1984, her case was the first to be featured on Crimewatch, which helped generate numerous leads. Despite the public's response, the killer remained at large until 2008, when forensic advancements allowed police to develop a DNA profile of the suspect. This breakthrough was achieved after a sample taken from a relative of Hutchinson, who was arrested on unrelated charges, matched the evidence from the crime scene.
Subsequently, Paul Stewart Hutchinson, the father of Jean-Paul Hutchinson, was arrested and charged with Colette’s murder in April 2009. Initially pleading not guilty, Hutchinson changed his plea to guilty in December of that year. His sentencing in January 2010 mandated a minimum of 25 years behind bars, a sentence that was seen as a measure of justice for the victim’s family. Colette’s mother, Jacqui Kirkby, expressed some relief at the sentencing but also voiced her ongoing anguish, stating that her family still seeks answers about why Colette was murdered, a question Hutchinson refused to answer.
Hutchinson’s death in custody has prompted an investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, as is standard procedure in cases of death in prison. The circumstances surrounding his death, including the possibility of an overdose, remain under review. His passing closes a chapter on one of Nottinghamshire’s most notorious criminal cases, but the pain and questions surrounding Colette Aram’s tragic death continue to resonate within the community of Keyworth and beyond.
Hutchinson's death marks the end of a long and painful chapter in the case of Colette Aram, a young girl whose brutal murder in 1983 shocked the nation. The case gained notoriety as it was the first to be featured on the BBC's television series Crimewatch, which aimed to solicit public assistance in solving unsolved crimes. Despite the widespread attention and over 400 calls received following the broadcast, police were unable to apprehend the perpetrator at the time. It was only after advances in forensic science, particularly DNA technology, that the case was finally solved.
In January 2010, Hutchinson was sentenced to life imprisonment after being convicted of the rape and strangulation of Colette Aram. The crime had taken place in a country lane near her home in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, on October 30, 1983. Colette, a trainee hairdresser, had left her home on Normanton Lane around 8 pm, intending to walk the approximately one and a half miles to her boyfriend’s house. Witnesses last saw her at about 8:10 pm turning into Nicker Hill, where she stopped to speak with friends. Shortly afterward, reports indicated that a woman was heard screaming, followed by the sound of a car speeding away. When she failed to arrive at her destination, her family and friends raised the alarm, and police launched a search that night.
The following morning, her naked body was discovered in a nearby field, having been raped and strangled. The investigation into her murder was extensive, and in 1984, her case was the first to be featured on Crimewatch, which helped generate numerous leads. Despite the public's response, the killer remained at large until 2008, when forensic advancements allowed police to develop a DNA profile of the suspect. This breakthrough was achieved after a sample taken from a relative of Hutchinson, who was arrested on unrelated charges, matched the evidence from the crime scene.
Subsequently, Paul Stewart Hutchinson, the father of Jean-Paul Hutchinson, was arrested and charged with Colette’s murder in April 2009. Initially pleading not guilty, Hutchinson changed his plea to guilty in December of that year. His sentencing in January 2010 mandated a minimum of 25 years behind bars, a sentence that was seen as a measure of justice for the victim’s family. Colette’s mother, Jacqui Kirkby, expressed some relief at the sentencing but also voiced her ongoing anguish, stating that her family still seeks answers about why Colette was murdered, a question Hutchinson refused to answer.
Hutchinson’s death in custody has prompted an investigation by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, as is standard procedure in cases of death in prison. The circumstances surrounding his death, including the possibility of an overdose, remain under review. His passing closes a chapter on one of Nottinghamshire’s most notorious criminal cases, but the pain and questions surrounding Colette Aram’s tragic death continue to resonate within the community of Keyworth and beyond.