Rose West Is Still Serving Life Without Parole

Rose and Fred West are two of the most notorious serial killers in British history, and criminologists have spent decades trying to establish what led the couple to commit a series of chilling murders. Alongside a team of investigators, Sir Trevor McDonald delves into the West’s heinous crimes in ITV’s latest two-part documentary series Fred and Rose West: Reopened.

The true-crime doc will likely bring many questions surrounding the pair to the forefront, including what happened to Rose West and her husband Fred?

Rose West’s Crimes

In 1992, Rose was initially arrested alongside her husband Fred West – Fred for the rape of their 13-year-old daughter and Rose for child cruelty. However, the case eventually fell through.

Two years later in 1994, they were arrested again after police found signs of torture and human remains in their home. Rose said her husband had committed the crimes but maintained her innocence and distanced herself from the situation. During questioning, Fred confessed to the murder of up to 30 people. However, Rose said he had committed them alone and claimed that she had also been a victim.

Rose West’s Sentence

Rose went on trial in October 1995 and was later found guilty of ten separate counts of murder on November 22 that same year. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and imprisoned in HMP Low Newton in County Durham, where she allegedly began a relationship with Moors murderer Myra Hindley.

However, Rose launched High Court appeals against her conviction in 1996 and 2000, claiming there was new evidence to be considered and that the publicity surrounding her case had prevented her from receiving a fair trial. The 1996 appeal was eventually rejected by the courts and Rose herself later dropped the subsequent appeal in 2000.

Where Is Rose West Now?

As of 2021, Rose remains in prison and is carrying out her life sentence at New Hall jail in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Per Chronicle Live, Rose was transferred to New Hall jail from HMP Low Newton in June 2019. It is believed the move was down to threats made against her life by a fellow inmate and convicted murderer, Joanna Dennehy.

As the Mirror reported, Rose is believed to have changed her name by deed poll to Jennifer Jones in December 2020.

Where Is Fred West Now?

In December 1994, Fred was charged on twelve separate counts of murder. However, he later hung himself in his cell while awaiting his trial.

As mentioned, the crimes of Fred and Rose West are again explored in ITV’s latest true crime offering, Fred and Rose West: Reopened.

Presented by Sir Trevor McDonald and featuring former detective chief inspector Colin Sutton, investigative psychologist Donna Youngs, and author and West expert Howard Sounes, the two-part documentary aims to shed new light on the true number of the Wests' victims, which is widely believed to be much more than the 12 women and girls they are known to have killed.

Fred and Rose West: Reopened begins on Wednesday, Sept. 15 at 9 p.m. ITV.