Where is Rachel Nickells Son Now? Who is Rachel Nickells Son Alex Hanscombe? What happened to Rachel Nickell? How did Police Catch Robert Napper?
by Niranjani | Updated Feb 03, 2023
Who is Rachel Nickells Son Alex Hanscombe?
Alex Hanscombe experienced a traumatic event at a young age. When he was just two years old, he witnessed the brutal murder of his 23-year-old mother, Rachel Nickell, who was a model. The tragedy occurred on Wimbledon Common in South West London while they were out walking their family dog, Molly. The culprit, Robert Napper, ambushed Rachel, cutting her throat and assaulting her before ultimately stabbing her 49 times. Despite being a witness to the crime, Alex was not questioned by detectives for three weeks following the event.
Where is Rachel Nickells Son Now?
Following the loss of his mother, Alex and his father Andre relocated to Barcelona where Andre currently works as a yoga instructor. Alex, who is single and aspiring to write a self-help book, revisited the site of the crime and found it to be a "transformative" experience. He has also forgiven the person responsible for his mother's death and expressed that he harbors no ill feelings. A police investigation uncovered numerous mistakes in the handling of the case, prompting Alex to pursue legal action against those responsible in 2022.
What happened to Rachel Nickell?
The tragic fate of Rachel Nickell occurred on July 15, 1992, when she was out for a walk with her son Alex on Wimbledon Common. They were suddenly confronted by serial sex offender Robert Napper, who launched a violent attack on Rachel. In the frenzy, Napper inflicted 49 stab wounds and sexually assaulted her while her young son helplessly looked on. When the attacker fled the scene, Alex was left beside his mother's lifeless body, pleading for her to rise. Rachel had valiantly tried to defend herself, as evidenced by the cuts on her hands, but her throat had been fatally slit.
How did Police Catch Robert Napper?
The capture of Robert Napper was a long and arduous process for law enforcement. Initially, police questioned 32 individuals, including Colin Stagg, a jobless local who frequently walked his dog on Wimbledon Common. Despite the absence of any forensic evidence linking him to the crime, Stagg was charged with Rachel's murder in August 1993. The subsequent trial at the Old Bailey exposed the police's use of entrapment, leading to Stagg's acquittal. It wasn't until 16 years after the attack, in 2008, that Napper finally confessed to the stabbing of Rachel and was convicted of her manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. Unfortunately, law enforcement missed multiple opportunities to arrest Napper before he went on a six-year spree of sexual and violent crimes. They failed to interview him in connection with a 1989 rape on Plumstead Common, and did not identify him as a suspect in subsequent rapes or link him to the Wimbledon Common attack. The police eventually compensated Colin Stagg with £706,000, but neither Alex nor his father received any compensation after an unsuccessful Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation. Napper, who is diagnosed with schizophrenia, is serving a life sentence in Broadmoor Hospital.
