HOLLY WELLS & JESSICA CHAPMAN

 Holly  Wells & Jessica Chapman

 The Soham Murders

On the 4th August 2002, Soham became the centre of international media attention after the disappearance of two local ten-year-old schoolgirls, Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. Almost two weeks after they first disappeared, the girls badly decomposed bodies were eventually found 15 miles away in a remote patch of woodland close to RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

Ian Huntley, a caretaker from Soham Village College, along with his girlfriend Maxine Carr, a teaching assistant at Holly and Jessica's school, St Andrew's Primary were arrested soon after. On 3 November 2003 at the Old Bailey in London, Huntley was put on trial for the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman and Carr for assisting an offender. At the trial, Huntley pleaded guilty to manslaughter of both girls but was convicted of their murders by two, eleven-to-one majority jury verdicts on 17 December 2003.
Huntley immediately began serving two concurrent life sentences with a minimum of 40 years before parole would be considered. Carr who had provided a false alibi for Huntley to Police during the investigation was cleared by the jury on two counts of assisting an offender but convicted of perverting the course of justice. She was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and released on probation on 14 May 2004. On her release she was given a new identity under the witness protection program and granted an indefinite order by the High Court to protect her new identity and whereabouts from being publicly known.
After the convictions, the Government called for an national inquiry to be conducted. The Bichard Inquiry was formally opened on 13 January 2004 and the findings were later published in June 2004. Humberside and Cambridgeshire police forces were heavily criticised for their failings in maintaining and sharing intelligence records on Huntley. The inquiry also recommended a registration scheme for people working with children and vulnerable adults, like the elderly. It also suggested a national system should be set up for police forces to share intelligence information. The report also said there should also be a clear code of practice on record-keeping by all police forces.

 Service of Celebration & Remembrance for Holly & Jessica
 Ely Cathedral - 30th August 2002

 Vicar of Soham's Address at the Service of Celebration & Remembrance
 Ely Cathedral - 30th August 2002
The Reverend Tim Alban-Jones

Excerpts of Reverend Tim Alban Jones's address at the remembrance service for Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman on 30th August 2002:

This is a service of celebration and remembrance for two bright and cheerful 10-year-old girls.
In this service there is of course room for the sadness that is appropriate and unavoidable as a result of the tragedy.
But there is also a place to remember with gratitude the joy that Jessica and Holly brought to those who knew them.
In the course of their short lives, Holly and Jessica achieved about the same as most 10-year-olds - perhaps just a little bit more.
But in their deaths they have certainly achieved more than any of us will manage in our lifetime.
In the course of the past few weeks we have witnessed the most extraordinary sights.

We have seen thousands upon thousands of flowers, cards and soft toys being brought to St Andrew's Church in memory of Jessica and Holly.

We have seen strangers and friends weeping together in shared grief and anguish.
We have seen the dedication and diligence of hundreds of police officers.
We have seen our town of Soham brought together and united in a common grief.
And we have seen the extraordinary bravery, courage and dignity of two sets of parents.

All of this is a direct result of the way that Holly and Jessica have touched the hearts and lives of so many people.
It is surely fitting that we are gathered here to pay tribute to them and to rejoice with them as they now rejoice with us.
I am reminded of the comment from one of Holly's fellow majorettes that Holly is still dancing but now she is dancing in Heaven.

Holly and Jessica were both loving children.
Their head teacher described them both as being happy, generous and giving girls.
They had been friends since they were very small children and had grown up together as members of two loving families.
They were brought up to know and treasure the value of love.
In their lives and in their tragic deaths they showed the power and strength of love.

The memories will remain of Jessica's enthusiasm for everything, the way she wanted to be in there doing it all and her lovely smile and cheeky nature or how Holly was the "perfect daughter" with her love of dancing and football and the way she enjoyed helping other children with her winning smile.
Their pictures will always be with us.

For the families of Holly and Jessica there are the funerals to arrange at some future date.
Whatever else people might say about the deaths of Jessica and Holly, ultimately this tragedy is about two families each losing a beloved daughter.
The very real public grief and anguish that we have seen cannot be compared to that of Nicola and Kevin, Sharon and Les and their families.

May I plead that their needs and wishes should be respected at this, the hardest of times - the funerals of private services from which the public and the media should stay away.
And after the funerals are over these lovely, caring families will have the painful and difficult task of adjusting to their loss.

Today's [Friday's] service is a small milestone in our shared journey of grief and sorrow.

It is our hope that in this service we might perhaps draw a line under one phase of our grieving and begin to look forward.
The start of the new school term is rapidly approaching.
And there is a very strong sense in our community that we need to try and get back to some semblance of normality.
But we can at least take the first steps in that direction.
Let our lives be ruled by love and goodness, not hate and the deeds of darkness
The removal of the many flowers from the churchyard will be another visible sign of moving forward.
And that brings us to consider our thoughts for the future.
There has already been much speculation about what sort of permanent memorial might be created for Holly and Jessica.
I have heard suggestions of a stained glass window or a sculpture or a garden of remembrance.
In my opinion it is too soon to say.
I think that we need to be rather further removed from the terrible and recent events before we can properly decide about a last tribute.
Decisions of this nature can be made in the future - and not necessarily the near future.

Would not the best and most lasting memorial to these two lovely girls be a change for the better in how we behave to each other?
Jessica and Holly were two trusting and loving girls.
And the way they lived is surely the right pattern for us.

Holly and Jessica have become a part of the lives of a great number of people in the past few weeks - a far greater number than were ever lucky enough to know them during the course of their lives.
They are going to remain in the hearts of very many people for a very long while.

The Reverend Tim Alban-Jones
St. Andrew's Church Vicar
E-Mail:

 Holly & Jessica - Appeal Fund

The Holly & Jessica Appeal Fund has not yet been officially closed, although donations are no longer encouraged
Donations to the fund can still be made at any branch of Cambridge Building Society
Alternatively you can send it to the society's Head Office Administration Centre.
Cheques should be made payable to the "Holly and Jessica Appeal Fund".

Address: PO Box 232, 51 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8FF
 E-Mail:
Website: www.cambridgebs.co.uk

 Special Rose Tribute to Holly & Jessica

A rose chosen as a tribute to Soham school girls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman was unveiled at the 2003 Chelsea Flower Show. The pearl pink flower, grown by Hertfordshire-based Harkness Roses, has been named 'The Soham Rose' after the poem written by Holly's father Kevin in his farewell to his daughter. It was read out by him at a service at Ely Cathedral in memory of the two 10-year-old girls. Both the Wells and Chapman families were offered the blooms to be planted in their gardens in memory of their 10-year-old daughters who were murdered in the Summer of 2002. The rose has been specially selected by Robert Harkness who said: "It's not a revolutionary colour but in terms of its appearance, it is very beautiful.  It has been necessary to be very discreet and low key about it so we haven't had any direct contact with the families, but I understand they have been positive about it."  The idea came from rose photographer Les Puskas who approached Mr Harkness, of Harkness Roses in Hitchin, after hearing the memorial service. Soham vicar The Reverend Tim Alban Jones, who acted as intermediary, said: "Obviously the families are touched by this as they are by all such gestures. It is a fitting tribute to the girls - a beautiful rose for two beautiful girls."  A quarter of the profits from the sale of the rose will go to the Holly and Jessica Memorial Fund.

The Holly and Jessica Appeal Fund will receive 25% of sales receipts of 'The Soham Rose'.

Price for individual roses: bare-rooted £5.95; potted £6.95.

'The Soham Rose' is available from:-

R Harkness & Co Ltd
The Rose Gardens
Cambridge Road
Hitchin
Herts SG4 0JT
Tel: +44(0)1462 420402
Fax: +44(0)1462 422170
 E-Mail:
Website: www.roses.co.uk

 Holly & Jessica - Books

Beyond Evil Nathan Yates Blake Publishing ISBN: 1844540146	Goodbye Dearest Holly Kevin Wells Hodder & Stoughton Paperbacks  ISBN: 0340897910	Soham - A Story Of Our Times Nicci Gerrard Short Books, London ISBN: 1904095925

 Soham Vicar Receives MBE at Buckingham Palace

The vicar of Soham, The Reverend Tim Alban Jones, was awarded an MBE at Buckingham Palace on Thursday 12th June 2003. Mr Alban Jones, 39, vicar of St. Andrew's Church in Soham, became a high-profile figure in the town following the disappearance of the schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. The churchyard was transformed into an ocean of flowers with messages of sympathy to the families. At the same time as supporting his parishioners and the grieving town, he gave countless interviews to the world's media covering the tragedy. Speaking about being chosen to receive an MBE he said: "I was completely surprised as I was just doing my job, and it seems extraordinary to have it rewarded in such a public way. It is in recognition of the work of parish priests throughout the country day in and day out. We have been touched by an act of evil but there have been acts of kindness as well and great goodness."
On receiving the honour, he said: "It is bittersweet. I feel mixed emotions because I am still very aware of the strength of feeling in Soham, but it is a good day for me. This is for the whole town of Soham as well as me. Soham is a special place to be". Mr Alban Jones added: "The Queen asked me how things were in Soham, which was kind of her." He said that work to rebuild the town, which is still deeply affected by the murder of the 10-year-olds, is "going well". He said: "We were doing pretty well and getting better, we are working together as a community. What happened during the summer of 2002 shows quite clearly that the community is still alive and well, that it is together and fighting to overcome quite extraordinary difficulties." The father-of-three attended the investiture ceremony with his wife Cathy, a nurse, and his father.

 School Memorial Window for Holly & Jessica

A stained glass window in memory of murdered schoolgirls Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells has been unveiled at their school. The brightly coloured window spans the top of an entrance door to the main hall inside St Andrew's C of E Primary School, in Soham, Cambridgeshire. Headteacher Geoff Fisher, said: "We obviously wanted some form of memorial in the school. "As staff we felt a window would be appropriate; we wanted something bright and colourful with the sun in the middle."  The school commissioned London-based artist Amanda Moriarty to complete the work. The memorial was funded by donations to the girls' school
At the centre of the window are two doves which represent those released in memory of the girls at the beginning of the school year last September. Religious images of a cross and fish are meant to represent the role of the church and faith during difficult times. At either side of the centre panel are images of water, and music, represented by music staves.  Mr Fisher said: "Music was Holly's great interest, and the image of blue water represents Jessica's great love of swimming."  The symbolism of the window was explained to the school's 450 pupils at an assembly, and it has been blessed by Parish Vicar the Reverend Tim Alban Jones MBE of St Andrew's Church in Soham.

 Holly & Jessica Appeal Fund has almost reached £100,000

An Appeal Fund set up following the deaths of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman has raised nearly £100,000. Figures showed nearly £60,000 would go to charities and community groups in and around Soham, where the murdered girls lived, and £36,000 had been shared between the youngsters' families. The appeal, which was administered by the Cambridge Building Society, was set up by two Soham businesswomen shortly after the girls were murdered in August 2002. A spokeswoman for the Cambridge Building Society said a total of £94,751 was donated to the appeal by members of the public. She said £34,000 had been given to local charities and community organisations, including sports clubs, children's groups and churches, and £36,000 shared between the Wells and Chapman families. Trustees would also distribute a further £24,751 to local groups. She added: "The appeal fund was set up in August 2002 for the families of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman. The aim of the appeal was to raise money in order to serve local community needs in ways which recognised both the tragedy of what happened and the generosity of those who responded. The fund has not yet been officially closed, although donations are no longer encouraged." The fund reached its £50,000 milestone in October 2002 after four police officers who had worked on the murder inquiry visited 92 football clubs in a five-day trek around England and Wales - including Holly and Jessica's favourite Manchester United - to gather donations at matches and to collect memorabilia for auction.

 Soham Village College CCTV Security Installation & Landscaping Complete

Landscaping of the site where school caretaker Ian Huntley murdered schoolgirls Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman has been completed. A spokesman for Cambridgeshire County Council says the site where Huntley's house once stood has been turfed and now lies behind a new set of black iron railings. The house, which was in the grounds of Soham Village College, was knocked down in April 2004. A nearby storage hangar where Huntley hid the girls' clothes has also been demolished and the area grassed. "The landscaping of the site has been more or less completed," the spokesman said. "It is completely different from the way it was when Huntley lived there. "The site has been turfed and new railings erected to give the school site a new boundary." School staff said they wanted to erase all trace of Huntley. The murdered girls' parents were consulted about what should happen to the house and site. Soham Village College have also stepped up security with 16 CCTV cameras throughout the school, 4 are located externally and 12 internally.