![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/heartbroken-mum-of-babes-in-the-wood-victim-begins-to-grieve-37-years-after-tragedy/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/0_64604-high_res-the-babes-in-the-wood-murders-the-prosecutors.jpg&description=Michelle Hadaway has opened up about her daughter Karen who was named as a victim in the Babes in the Wood murders - Michelle has released a book after fighting for justice in the case The heartbroken mum of a schoolgirl who was murdered says she has finally been able to "free" herself from the "torment" nearly 40 years after the tragedy. Michelle Hadaway, 66, said she has just begun to grieve following the death of her daughter Karen, 9, who was found lifeless next to her friend Nicola Fellows, 9, in a wild park in Brighton. The mum of five has opened up about her agonising pain in her new book called My Girl, which is the only insider's account of the deaths, known as the Babes in the Wood murders. Karen and Nicola were discovered in thick undergrowth in the park on October 10, 1986, after they were sexually assaulted and strangled. Unemployed labourer Russell Bishop was charged with their murders but he was released in 1987 after a jury found him not guilty after just two hours of deliberations at Lewes Crown Court. A blue Pinto sweatshirt was recorded as a vital piece of evidence for forensic clues. Jennifer Johnson, who was the partner of Bishop, claimed it belonged to him, which he denied. However, during the trial, she changed her story and said she had never seen the item before. She alleged that the police had fabricated her statement and forged her initials. The case was later re-examined and a "one in a billion" DNA match to Bishop on the shirt and Karen Hadaway's left forearm was identified, reports The Argus. In 2018, Bishop was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum sentence of 36 years. He was previously found guilty of kidnapping, molestation and the attempted murder of Rachael Watts, 7. Speaking about her journey to overcome the ordeal, Michelle said: 'I had so much kept inside me and my life was on hold. For all those years I held everything in this little bubble inside my head. As time went on, I decided maybe I should write a book. I thoug){kind=link}
Michelle Hadaway has opened up about her daughter Karen who was named as a victim in the Babes in the Wood murders – Michelle has released a book after fighting for justice in the case
The heartbroken mum of a schoolgirl who was murdered says she has finally been able to “free” herself from the “torment” nearly 40 years after the tragedy.
Michelle Hadaway, 66, said she has just begun to grieve following the death of her daughter Karen, 9, who was found lifeless next to her friend Nicola Fellows, 9, in a wild park in Brighton.
The mum of five has opened up about her agonising pain in her new book called My Girl, which is the only insider’s account of the deaths, known as the Babes in the Wood murders.
Karen and Nicola were discovered in thick undergrowth in the park on October 10, 1986, after they were sexually assaulted and strangled. Unemployed labourer Russell Bishop was charged with their murders but he was released in 1987 after a jury found him not guilty after just two hours of deliberations at Lewes Crown Court.