Child killer dies days after being convicted of historic rape

A CHILD killer suspected of murdering a Rotherham teenager 50 years ago was found dead - days after being convicted of rape.
Murderer and rapist Peter PickeringMurderer and rapist Peter Pickering
Murderer and rapist Peter Pickering

Peter Pickering, dubbed The Beast of Wombwell, died on March 25 - five days after he was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of raping an 18-year-old woman.

Pickering carried out the attack weeks before he raped and killed a 14-year-old girl more than 45 years ago.

The 80-year-old was also a possible suspect in the murder of 13-year-old Anne Dunwell, who was raped and strangled while walking to her Whiston home in 1964. 

Pickering (80) has been locked up in psychiatric hospitals since 1972, when he admitted the manslaughter of Wombwell schoolgirl Shirley Boldy.

He was due to be sentenced for rape and false imprisonment after being convicted last month but sentencing was adjourned for medical reports to be carried out.

An inquest in Reading heard last Friday that Pickering died at Thornford Park Hospital in Berkshire after complaining of back and stomach pain.

A postmortem found he had died from internal bleeding after suffering an aortic aneurysm. The inquest was adjourned until June 18.

Last year, South Yorkshire Police said they believed Pickering could be linked to Miss Dunwell’s murder.

A spokeswoman for South Yorkshire Police said this week it did not have evidence Pickering killed the teenager but he had not been ruled out of the inquiry.