What occured in February 1993?

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 What Source Have I used? 

For this section of the research I have used the Website https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/james-bulger/arrest. This website was originally published in 2017, however was modified in 2018. This means that the source will be extremely valuable because as new information has come to light they have modified the page, meaning that it will be accurate. The Date I visited this source is the 14th May 2021. 

What Have I learnt from this source?

Below is a list of the timeline and key details of the case up to the murderer's arrest(s):

  • On Friday the 12th February 1993 Denise Bulger visited the Bootle Strand Shopping Centre with her 2 year old son James Bulger
  • As she is making a final visit to A. R Tyms Butchers, she is momentarily distracted and takes her eyes off James, long enough for him to be taken. 
  • She searches frantically for him and alerts security, who call the police after the failed to locate James
  • She describes him as wearing a blue anorak with a hood and mustard coloured lining, with silver tracksuit bottoms and white trainers. 
  • At 4pm, a young PC comforts Denise after completing a thorough search of the centre. 
  • At 5.30pm the shopping centre closes for the day, and the police launch a major search for a missing child in Bootle Liverpool.
  • By Friday night, James has still not been found. 
  • Police and security work through the night reviewing CCTV footage. 
  • They manage to pinpoint James leaving the Butchers Shop earlier, followed by Denise on the ground floor searching for him moments later. Little did she know that James was on the Top floor and appears to be following 2 boys towards the exit and in the direction of the Leeds Liverpool Canal
  • On Sunday the 14th February 1993, James has been missing for 2 days.
  • Patrol cars have been used with loudspeakers and press conferences called appealing for the two young boys to come forward
  • There is a manhunt in nearby canals and wasteland areas
  • A young boy rushes into Walton Lane Police Station reporting a body has been found on the railway tracks, less than 150 yards from the back of the station
  • The manhunt for a kidnapped James turns into a murder investigation
  • After the murder of James is released, emotions in Liverpool run high. 
  • On the bank closest to where his body was found, hundreds of flowers have been laid, one of which was laid by 1 of his murderers. 
  • The police attempt to track down the 2 boys who were seen leaving with James. The problem is they needed to improve the CCTV footage, to which the Ministry of Defence agrees. 
  • On Tuesday 16th February 1993 they arrest a young boy, sparking riots in the community over the fact that someone could commit such a crime. 
  • As soon as the innocent boy is arrested he is released, he and his family are forced to move. 
  • A woman sees the CCTV footage of the 2 boys taking away James and identifies them as Robert Thompson and John Venables. 
  • A check of the register shows that they were both absent from school the day James went missing 
  • On Thursday the 18th February 1993, the police act upon this information and wear plain clothes to go and arrest them. 
  • Robert Thompson- at the time of his arrest, Thompson was aged 10 and lived in Walton with his mum and 2 younger brothers. His 4 older brothers have all been taken into care. When police arrive they realise his house isn't far away from the murder scene 
  • John Venables- at the time of his arrest, Venables was also aged 10. His parents had divorced at age 3 and had joint custody of him and his 2 siblings.
  • The police are certain that the 2 boys they have arrested are not guilty, a belief echoed by Detective Superintendent Albert Kirby. However, he wants to question them. 
  • Kirby asks crimewatch and the programme is aired on Thursday 18th February 1993. This is the first time that a murder enquiry has been broadcast the week it was committed. 
  • Even with the enhanced CCTV and images, the police fail to realise that the people they are searching for are already in their custody. 






Pictures- top- CCTV footage of Venables and Thompson leading James towards exit- source BBC
              Middle- photograph of railway track where James' body was found- source Discussed Stations
              bottom- photograph of Venables and Thompson aged 10 in custody after arrest- source Wikipedia 


Where next?
After this, I will look at the behaviours of Venables and Thompson while in custody and in interviews, once again using this source as it is extremely reliable and informative 

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