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LEVI BELLFIELD: THE BUS STOP KILLER

Levi Bellfield: Trials, Aftermath, and Media Coverage of Three Notorious Murder Cases
The Murder of Marsha McDonnell (2003)

On the night of 4 February 2003, 19-year-old Marsha McDonnell was brutally attacked after stepping off a bus near her home in Hampton, southwest Londone. She was struck on the head multiple times with a blunt object and succumbed to her injuries two days later. The killing initially baffled police; no immediate suspect was identified, and the community was shaken by the seemingly random attack on a young woman.

In the aftermath, fear spread in the local area, especially among young women using late-night buses. It was 18 months later, after a similar murder, that detectives began to link Marsha’s case to a potential serial offender. By September 2004, Metropolitan Police openly acknowledged striking similarities between McDonnell’s murder and other recent attacks on women – notably the same method of a sudden blow to the head at night – suggesting a single predator might be responsible. This development led police to advise women in southwest London to take extra precautions, as the possibility of a serial attacker (dubbed by media as the “Bus Stop Killer”) emerged.

Trial Proceedings:

The breakthrough in the case came after the August 2004 murder of Amélie Delagrange (detailed later), which prompted an intensive investigation under Detective Chief Inspector Colin Sutton. Suspicion fell on Levi Bellfield, a 36-year-old former nightclub doorman and wheel-clamper who lived in the area. Bellfield was arrested in November 2004 and eventually charged in 2006 with Marsha McDonnell’s murder.

In the subsequent Old Bailey trial (which also encompassed the Delagrange case and other charges), prosecutors laid out evidence tying Bellfield to McDonnell’s killing. Notably, Bellfield had hastily sold his Vauxhall Corsa car just six days after Marsha’s murder – at a loss – raising suspicion that he was disposing of potential evidence. There was no DNA or CCTV footage directly identifying the killer, but circumstantial evidence mounted. Investigators highlighted the pattern of attacks on young, blonde women at night and Bellfield’s familiarity with the area. A key moment came when Kate Sheedy, an 18-year-old who survived a hit-and-run attack in May 2004, testified against Bellfield. Sheedy recounted being run over by a car in Isleworth after getting off a bus – an attack she miraculously survived. She described the vehicle as a white people-carrier with a broken wing mirror, which matched a Toyota Previa that Bellfield owned at the time. Her testimony provided powerful evidence of Bellfield’s modus operandi and violent intent toward young women. Bellfield, however, pleaded not guilty and did not take the stand in his defence, instead watching the proceedings in silence. According to later reports, he displayed no remorse during the trial; at times he even taunted the victims’ families from the dock in “extraordinary scenes” that underscored his lack of empathy. This behavior foreshadowed his refusal to formally face the court for the verdict and sentencing.

Outcome and Sentencing:

On 25 February 2008, the jury found Bellfield guilty of Marsha McDonnell’s murder, along with the murder of Amélie Delagrange and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. The verdct brought an emotional climax: relatives of McDonnell and Delagrange, as well as the injured survivor Sheedy, wept and embraced upon hearing the decision. Bellfield showed no reaction as the guilty verdicts were read. (The jury was unable to reach verdicts on two additional charges – an attempted abduction and another attempted murder – which were left to lie on file.)

The following day at sentencing, Bellfield refused to attend court – a “final act of defiance” that drew anger from the victims’ families. Mrs Justice Rafferty nonetheless pronounced three life sentences and imposed a whole-life order, meaning Bellfield would never be eligible for parole. In court, the judge directly addressed the absent Bellfield, stating: “You will not be considered for parole and must serve your whole life in prison”. There were cheers of “Yes!” from the public gallery as the sentence was delivered. The judge commended DCI Colin Sutton and his team for the “thousands of hours of unglamorous and painstaking” police work that brought Bellfield to justice.

Family and Public Reactions:

The families of Bellfield’s victims expressed relief and scorn for the killer. Outside the court, Marsha McDonnell’s uncle, Shane McDonnell, condemned Bellfield’s cowardice and the “charade of innocence” they had endured during the trial. He noted that for nearly five months the families had to listen to Bellfield’s defense deny everything, only for the truth to finally be laid bare. In a statement, Shane said it was “no surprise” that Bellfield didn’t face the court, calling him “a man who took pleasure in his victims … this latest act of cowardice comes as no surprise”.

Media coverage of the McDonnell case grew exponentially after Bellfield’s arrest and trial. The press portrayed Bellfield as a serial predator stalking young women at bus stops – earning him monikers like “the Bus Stop Killer” or “the Bus Stop Stalker” in headlines. At the time of the murders, local media had warned of a potential serial attacker, and after the trial, national outlets detailed Bellfield’s life and crimes extensively. The Guardian reported that Bellfield had even been linked to other violent attacks on women and had numerous past convictions. For the public, the successful conviction brought great relief and a sense that justice was served. McDonnell’s family stated they were “extremely happy” that Bellfield will die behind bars, reflecting a common sentiment that such a dangerous individual should never be free again.

The Murder of Amélie Delagrange (2004)


On 19 August 2004, 22-year-old Amélie Delagrange – a French exchange student – was found fatally injured on Twickenham Green in southwest London. She had spent an evening with friends and was walking home when the killer struck her from behind, inflicting severe head wounds with a blunt instrument. Amélie died in hospital later that night. The attack bore an eerie resemblance to Marsha McDonnell’s murder 18 months prior: a young blonde woman targeted at night and bludgeoned without provocation. Within 24 hours, Metropolitan Police recognized the similarities and announced a formal linkage between the Delagrange and McDonnell cases. Detectives now feared a serial murderer was at large, and this revelation received heavy media attention. Women in the vicinity were urged to remain vigilant. “Women in south-west London were warned… to take sensible precautions over their personal safety,” reported The Guardian, noting that police were investigating two murders and multiple assaults against women in the area over 18 months.

All the victims fit a pattern – young women with light-colored hair attacked at night with a blunt object – raising the specter of a single perpetrator. Indeed, DCI Andy Murphy told the press it was “hugely possible” one serial attacker was responsible, though forensic evidence directly linking the crimes was lacking at that stage. The Amélie case received international coverage as well; the fact that the victim was a visiting French student led to interest from French media and concern from the French public. Hundreds of mourners reportedly attended Amélie’s funeral in France, underlining how far-reaching the impact of this crime was for her home country as well as the UK.

Trial and Evidence:

Levi Bellfield was ultimately identified as the suspect in Delagrange’s murder during the broader investigation of the bus-stop attacks. He was living in West Drayton at the time but had many ties to the areas of the crimes. During police interviews (later made public), Bellfield denied involvement, but while on remand he reportedly made a confession about killing Amélie to a fellow inmate. In the 2008 Old Bailey trial, prosecutors outlined how Amélie had just disembarked from a bus near Twickenham Green when Bellfield likely approached and struck her with a heavy hammer-like object. No witnesses saw the blow, but her belongings provided clues: Amélie’s purse and personal stereo were found discarded miles away in Walton-on-Thames, suggesting the killer drove away from the scene after the attack. This supported the theory that Bellfield, who often cruised the area in his car at night, could quickly leave the vicinity.

Bellfield’s past violent behavior towards women also figured into the case – at trial it emerged that he had a history of domestic abuse and a deep misogyny, especially toward blonde women, which tragically fit the victim profile. The court heard that eight separate rape charges and four assault charges against Bellfield (involving other women) were “left on file,” painting him as a serial predator beyond even these murders. Bellfield’s defense in the Delagrange and McDonnell cases largely relied on denial and attempted alibis, but the cumulative evidence – and the pattern of attacks – was compelling. As noted by one detective, the crimes formed a “wicked series of attacks” by a cunning offender. Bellfield’s attempt to discredit the prosecution’s case did not sway the jury. They found him guilty of Amélie Delagrange’s murder in February 2008, alongside the other verdicts.

Aftermath and Reaction: The Delagrange family, who had traveled from France to attend the trial, delivered a heartbreaking statement at the sentencing. Amélie’s mother Dominique, in an emotional letter read in court, described her daughter as “absolutely adorable” and spoke of the “devastating impact” of losing her, lamenting all of Amélie’s unrealized hopes and dreams. The statement reduced many in the courtroom to tears. Amélie’s father, Jean-François Delagrange, expressed fury that Bellfield refused to appear for sentencing, calling it “another show of his cowardice. He was a coward in his attacks and a coward today”. Kate Sheedy – the surviving victim – also spoke after the trial, saying it “means so much to me that he got a full life term”, and that with the verdict “I can finally move on with my life”. These remarks highlight how the conviction provided some measure of closure to both survivors and bereaved families. The media coverage of Bellfield’s 2008 trial and its outcome was extensive. UK newspapers nicknamed him the “hammer killer” and “bus stop stalker,” emphasizing the randomness and brutality of his crimes. The fact that a French citizen was among the victims also drew attention; there was notable French press coverage of the case, and the French public followed the trial with interest and outrage. In Britain, public reaction to the guilty verdicts was one of palpable relief. After years of fear that a murderer was stalking London’s suburbs, the community felt safer knowing Bellfield was behind bars. The court’s decision to impose the rare whole-life tariff (ensuring he will never be released) was widely praised. At the time, Bellfield became one of only a handful of prisoners in the UK serving two whole-life sentences – a reflection of the court’s view of his exceptional danger to society.

The Murder of Milly Dowler (2002)

The disappearance and murder of 13-year-old Amanda “Milly” Dowler was one of Britain’s most high-profile crimes of the early 2000s. Milly vanished in broad daylight on 21 March 2002 while walking home from school in the town of Walton-on-Thames, Surrey. Despite massive public appeals and an extensive search, her fate remained unknown for months. Tragically, six months later, in September 2002, Milly’s decomposed body was discovered in woods about 25 miles from where she went missing.

The murder went unsolved for years, leaving the Dowler family – and the public – in agonizing uncertainty. Initially, police had no suspect and even Milly’s own parents fell under scrutiny during the investigation. In a distressing revelation, Milly’s father Bob Dowler later testified that police briefly considered him a suspect after finding an adult magazine in the family home, an ordeal that added to the family’s trauma. The case remained cold until Bellfield’s arrest for the other murders in 2004. Only then did Surrey Police begin seriously investigating Bellfield’s possible connection to Milly’s abduction, given that he had been living just 50 yards from the Dowler’s route home at the time of the crime.

In 2008, following Bellfield’s first convictions, police publicly named him as the prime suspect in Milly’s murder. A dossier of evidence was compiled over the next two years. Finally, in March 2010, Bellfield was charged with Milly Dowler’s kidnapping and murder, as well as the attempted abduction of a second schoolgirl, 11-year-old Rachel Cowles, on the day before Milly disappeared. This set the stage for a second major trial.

Trial Proceedings (2011):

Bellfield’s trial for Milly Dowler’s murder opened in May 2011 at the Old Bailey. By this time, Bellfield was already serving life sentences for the McDonnell and Delagrange killings, a fact of which the new jury was initially unaware. The prosecution faced the challenge of a largely circumstantial case: there was no DNA linking Bellfield to Milly, and due to decomposition, experts could not determine an exact cause of death. Instead, prosecutors relied on Bellfield’s proximity (he lived yards away and allegedly lured Milly to his apartment), his pattern of targeting girls, and testimony about his activities on that day. A witness described an encounter with an odd man in a red car (Bellfield drove a red Daewoo Nexia belonging to his girlfriend) approaching a schoolgirl in the area, bolstering the attempted abduction charge involving Rachel Cowles.

Crucially, Bellfield’s ex-girlfriend Emma Mills – who was the mother of some of his children – testified about Bellfield’s behavior around the time of Milly’s disappearance. (Her role was so significant that Bellfield’s family later harassed her for it, leading to charges against his mother and stepfather) Throughout the trial, Milly’s family endured painful courtroom scrutiny. Because Bellfield chose not to testify, his defense strategy was to cast doubt by attacking the family’s and Milly’s background. In what Milly’s parents described as a “horrifying ordeal,” the defence

cross-examined them about deeply personal matters. Bob and Sally Dowler were questioned about their home life and even confronted with private entries from Milly’s diary and a distressing note she had written as a fantasy “goodbye” letter. At one point, Milly’s father broke down in tears on the stand as the defense suggested Milly was an unhappy teenager with “demons,” implying she might have run away willingly. The Press Association reported that both of Milly’s parents “broke down in court” during this intense cross-examinationt. This approach by Bellfield’s lawyers – effectively putting the victim’s family on trial – sparked public outrage and a wider debate about the treatment of victims in court. Shane McDonnell (Marsha’s uncle) spoke out, saying Bellfield had “no remorse whatsoever” and had manipulated his defence to inflict “added pain” on the Dowler family. He called the defence a “charade” driven by Bellfield’s hatred and urged the legal system to reflect on how such traumatic questioning was allowed.

Despite these defense tactics, the jury was ultimately persuaded by the evidence of Bellfield’s guilt. On 23 June 2011, they returned a unanimous verdict convicting Levi Bellfield of Milly Dowler’s abduction and murdert. It was a moment of vindication for the Dowler family after nine long years.

Verdict Aftermath and Sentencing:

Immediately after the guilty verdict was announced, major media outlets flashed the news nationwide, given the intense public interest in the case. The court, however, still awaited a verdict on the separate charge that Bellfield attempted to kidnap Rachel Cowles. This led to a dramatic turn: widespread press coverage of the conviction while the jury was still deliberating the second charge prompted the trial judge to halt proceedings the next day. Mr Justice Wilkie observed that an “avalanche” of prejudicial media reports – including background on Bellfield’s other crimes that the jury hadn’t heard – made a fair consideration of the remaining count impossible. He discharged the jury on that count and ordered the Rachel Cowles charge to remain on file with no retrial. The judge angrily noted that Bellfield had once again refused to come into court, lacking the courage to face sentencing. In his remarks, Justice Wilkie condemned Bellfield as “a cruel and pitiless killer” who subjected the Dowler family to months of agony.

Bellfield was given a second whole-life prison term for Milly’s murder, making him the first British prisoner to receive two such orders of lifelong incarcerationen.. “He will never be released,” the judge emphasized on sentencing. In the courtroom, Milly’s mother, father, and sister – who had shown immense dignity throughout the trial – broke down in relief at the verdict. Outside the court, the Dowler family spoke of finally achieving justice but also decried the ordeal they had been put through. “To have our personal lives raked over in court was deeply upsetting,” Sally Dowler said, describing the trial as “mental torture” for the family. The public outpouring of sympathy for the Dowlers was enormous; their grace under pressure won admiration, and their victimization by both Bellfield and the aggressive defense tactics fueled calls for reforms. Even Britain’s Prime Minister at the time weighed in, calling the treatment of the Dowlers in court harrowing and suggesting it be examined for the future. Bellfield’s attempt to appeal this conviction in 2012 was swiftly rejected by a panel of judges. His lawyer argued that the jury should not have been told of his previous murders, claiming it prejudiced the trial. The Court of Appeal disagreed, ruling in February 2012 that the trial judge had acted properly and that Bellfield’s guilt was clear. With that, all legal avenues for Bellfield to challenge the Dowler verdict were effectively exhausted.

Media Coverage and Societal Impact: The Milly Dowler case had been under a media spotlight from day one – she was a bright, photogenic schoolgirl whose disappearance gripped the nation. The press gave daily coverage during the search, and later the trial was covered live by news channels and splashed on front pages. However, the media’s zeal also led to a scandal that reached far beyond Bellfield’s trial. In July 2011, shortly after the conviction, it emerged that journalists from the News of the World tabloid had hacked into Milly Dowler’s voicemail in the days after she went missing. Even worse, they deleted some messages to make room for more, which gave Milly’s parents false hope that their daughter might still be alive (they had thought Milly herself was checking messages).

When this egregious invasion of privacy came to light, public outrage was enormous. The revelation “played a significant role in the News International phone hacking scandal,” leading to an unprecedented backlash against tabloid journalism. The News of the World, Britain’s best-selling Sunday newspaper, was shut down in disgrace, and a major judicial inquiry (the Leveson Inquiry) was launched into press ethics and illegal news-gathering practices. Thus, Milly’s case had the unexpected broader impact of reforming media oversight and reminding the press of their moral responsibilities. Additionally, as noted, the trial provoked debate about the adversarial legal system.

The harsh cross-examination of the Dowlers prompted public discussion about whether victims’ families should be better protected from irrelevant or cruel lines of questioning in court. Although defense attorneys defended their duty to test the evidence, many sympathized with the family’s view that some tactics were gratuitously hurtful. In response, the UK government and victim advocacy groups reviewed how future trials might minimize such trauma – for example, by giving judges more leeway to limit questioning that doesn’t directly pertain to the facts in issue. The police also faced criticism and reflection. After Bellfield’s conviction, Surrey Police issued a formal apology to the Dowler family for mistakes in the original investigation.

It emerged that officers had knocked on Bellfield’s door multiple times in 2002 but never followed up with the landlord when they got no answer. By the time police finally realized Bellfield had lived there, crucial forensic evidence in the flat was lost due to new tenants and cleaning. “Mistakes were made,” an assistant chief constable admitted, apologizing for missed opportunities that might have saved lives had Bellfield been caught earlier. This stark admission underscored how Bellfield’s rampage (including the murders of McDonnell and Delagrange) could potentially have been averted with more thorough police work.

The public reaction was a mix of relief at justice served and anger at the failures that allowed a predator to remain free. In response, police forces reviewed procedures for house-to-house searches and how to better track suspects in major cases. The Dowler family, for their part, sought to create something positive from their tragedy. They established a charity called Milly’s Fund to promote children’s safety and life skills, an initiative that won widespread support. Milly’s legacy thus lives on not only in tougher media scrutiny and introspection about victim treatment, but also in programs designed to protect and educate young people – a testament to her family’s strength and the nation’s resolve that such a crime should never happen again.

Bellfield’s Confession and Later Developments

For years, Levi Bellfield adamantly denied any involvement in Milly Dowler’s murder – even after being found guilty. He never testified in court or offered an apology, maintaining his facade of innocence. However, in a dramatic turn of events 14 years after Milly’s death, Bellfield finally confessed to the crime. In 2016, during a police investigation into whether Bellfield had an accomplice in the Dowler case, Bellfield admitted outright that he had abducted, raped, and killed Milly. Surrey Police announced that this was the “first time Bellfield has made such admissions to police” regarding the Dowler case. Investigators had approached him in prison to probe a new lead (they had briefly arrested another man on suspicion of assisting Bellfield, though those allegations proved unfounded).

Confronted with these inquiries, Bellfield chose to reveal in detail how he alone carried out the horrific crime. The confession was shocking in its detail and brutality. Bellfield provided what the Dowler family later described as a “harrowing account” of Milly’s final 14 hours. According to the family’s statement (who had been briefed on the details), Bellfield said he lured Milly into his apartment near the train station, overpowered her, and subjected her to a prolonged ordeal of sexual assault and torture. He even recounted moving her to different locations – at one point taking her to his mother’s house and raping her in the driveway in broad daylight – before eventually strangling the young girl to death the next day.

These details were far more gruesome than anything the family had known before. Milly’s relatives later revealed they were told of Bellfield’s full confession in mid-2015, but had to suffer in silence for eight months while police followed up on the information. The Dowler family said “no words can describe the additional torment and pain” the new revelations caused them. They struggled knowing these facts and keeping them private during the investigation, calling the pressure “unimaginable. Ultimately, after the accomplice inquiry closed, the family decided to publicly share the horrific particulars of Milly’s fate. In February 2016, they issued a statement explaining that they felt the public “deserved to know the true extent of Bellfield’s crimes”.

They wanted everyone to understand the “true heinousness” of the man who had now been conclusively unmasked as Milly’s murderer. The reception of Bellfield’s belated confession was met with mixed emotions. On one hand, police and the public were relieved that Bellfield had finally told the truth – it ended any lingering doubts about his guilt and provided answers about what happened to Milly. Detectives noted that Bellfield’s admission, while not needed to uphold his conviction, did offer a form of closure: as the Dowler family put it, “now we know the final hours of Milly’s life, perhaps her soul, at long last, can finally rest in peace.” On the other hand, the manner of the confession – and the disturbing details – reopened wounds. Milly’s parents and sister had to relive the nightmare of her death in the most graphic way. They described themselves as “devastated” and profoundly tormented by the new information. The public, too, reacted with fresh horror at the cruelty Bellfield had inflicted. Bellfield’s willingness to confess only after years of denial was seen by many as indicative of his manipulative nature. Some speculated he confessed in search of attention or as part of some power game (given he demanded to speak only to female officers, possibly to unsettle them). Whatever his motives, his words confirmed beyond any doubt that he was one of the most cold-blooded killers in modern British history.

In the years since, Bellfield has remained in maximum-security prison under his whole-life term. He has shown little genuine remorse. Notably, he attempted to insinuate himself into another notorious case – at one point reportedly “confessing” to involvement in the 1996 murders of Lin and Megan Russell (a claim that was widely doubted and later retracted). Such incidents reinforced the perception that Bellfield craved infamy. In 2022, it was revealed that Bellfield had become engaged to a woman while behind bars, sparking public outrage and a government move to prevent marriage for offenders serving whole-life orders. Bellfield also converted to Islam in prison and now goes by the name Yusuf Rahim, though this is viewed cynically by many as another ploy for attention.

Through all these developments, one constant has been the resilience of the victims’ families and the impact their cases have had. The Dowler family, for example, testified in the Leveson Inquiry about media intrusion, helping drive reforms in press conduct. They have also continued their advocacy for victims’ rights. The families of McDonnell and Delagrange have kept a lower profile but have supported charitable efforts and police initiatives in memory of their daughters. Each year, on the anniversaries of the murders, media coverage often recounts the cases – ensuring that Marsha, Amélie, and Milly are not forgotten, and underscoring the importance of the lessons learned.

In sum, the aftermath of Bellfield’s crimes rippled far beyond the courtroom: it changed policing practices, sparked national debates on media and justice, and profoundly affected all who followed these heartbreaking cases. As Mr Justice Wilkie said in court, Levi Bellfield robbed these young women of their lives and caused “appalling anguish” to their families, but he also inadvertently galvanized changes intended to prevent such anguish for others in the future. The life sentences and comprehensive media coverage ensure that Bellfield’s name remains a byword for the very worst of criminals – and that the stories of his victims continue to resonate in British society.