Yesterday the Sunday Mirror printed a full interview with Tom Stephens. He lives on a new estate in Felixstowe. He said that he had already been questioned four times by police. I found his interview a little strange. He admitted he had no alibies and that if he was the police he would think he did it. He said he was close to all five women and that they trusted him. He has had sex with all five and kind of acted like an unpaid pimp, ensuring their safety. If this was the case where was he when they were murdered. I must admit as soon as I read it I thought 'he did it!' Has anyone else read the interview and what do you think? Is it just coincidence that the Sunday Mirror prints this story and then a guy is arrested?
2006-12-17 21:52:03 · 9 answers · asked by niccog26 3 in News & Events ➔ Media & Journalism
Not sure why you ask incongru but he did work for a supermarket and has been suspended.
2006-12-17 21:59:26 · update #1
It has hit the news services
A man who grew up in Norwich was today arrested for the murder of all five prostitutes in Ipswich.
The man is believed to be 37-year-old supermarket worker Tom Stephens - who yesterday insisted he was innocent in an interview with a Sunday newspaper.
He was arrested at his home in Trimley, near Felixstowe, Suffolk, at 7.20am today and is being held at an unnamed police station in Suffolk, where he was due to be questioned later today.
His home was just two miles from where the bodies of Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls were discovered.
The announcement about the arrest was made in a surprise Suffolk police press conference at 9.30am.
Detective Chief Superintendent Stewart Gull said: “A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering all five women, Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls.
“The man is currently in custody at a police station in Suffolk where he will be questioned about the deaths later today.”
He has not yet been charged. The bodies of Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, Annette Nicholls, 29, Anneli Alderton, 24, and Paula Clennell, 24, were all found within 10 days of each other in villages close to Ipswich.
The first prostitute, Miss Nicol, went missing on October 30 and her body was found on December 8, at Copdock Mill.
The body of Gemma Adams was the first to be found on December 2 at Hintlesham. She vanished in November. The body of Miss Alderton, who was three months' pregnant, was found on December 10 at Nacton. The bodies of Miss Nicholls and Miss Clennell were found on December 12 at Levington.
The women were all naked when they were found, but the cause of death was only established in the cases of Miss Clennell and Miss Alderton, who were both strangled.
Mr Stephens yesterday said he had been interviewed four times by police. Mr Stephens grew up in Norwich, but was born in Ipswich. He has said he knew all five murdered girls, and started visiting street walkers in Ipswich 18 months ago after the collapse of his eight-year marriage.
In the interview yesterday he claimed he was “the nearest thing to a boyfriend” Tania Nicol had. He also said the killer had picked off five of “the prettiest” prostitutes in the town.
He said: “Gemma and Tania, the ones I was closest to, are the best-looking girls who do this in Ipswich. In fact, they were probably the top five. Over time I have been involved with most of the girls.
“If you count, there are about 50 over the last year.
“I am sad and lonely. I made compromises on my morals to go down (to the red light area) the first time, so I suppose getting involved with them isn't a huge leap.
“If you want to have any relationship with a working girl you have to accept the drugs.
They work to do drugs as much as they breathe to live.
“I am from a good household. I have only told my mother today.
“I have been a terrible son. She is very ill.”
Talking about Tania, he said: “She was a lovely sweet girl. It's so easy to believe her mother didn't know what she was doing because she didn't fit the image at all.
“She was tiny, you could pick her up with one hand.
“Because the drugs do make the girls skinny, it didn't look out of place on her because she was so tiny.
“Some of the girls do look like walking skeletons.”
He added: “I should have been there to watch over them.”
A man who grew up in Norwich was today arrested for the murder of all five prostitutes in Ipswich.
2006-12-17 22:53:47 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
This is all that has been issued so far:
A 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murdering five women found dead at sites around Ipswich.
The man was held at his home at Trimley St Martin, near Felixstowe on Monday morning.
The man is in custody at an unnamed police station in Suffolk and is due to be questioned later.
Det Chief Sup Stewart Gull said: "We will not be naming the police station where the man is being held.
2006-12-17 22:00:35 · answer #2 · answered by Polo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's no point in speculating. Pointing a finger at the 'obvious suspect' runs the risk of ignoring the real killer. Serial killers can be very clever, it's just as likely to be a churchgoer as it is a pimp (maybe even more, as it's not in a pimp's interest for the women to be killed. i'm unsure whether he really was unpaid, maybe he said so because otherwise he would get arrested for living off immoral earnings). We'll find out who the arrested guy is soon enough.
2006-12-17 22:31:23 · answer #3 · answered by Nikita21 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He is the one they have arrested - 37 year old Tom Stephens - a supermarket worker from Trimley xxxxxxxxxxx
2006-12-17 22:22:05 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think he is a potentially psychotic murderer of women and not the sort of person I'd invite round to look after my children.
2006-12-17 21:54:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Maybe it is him but it sounds more like an attention seeking, 'get my name in the paper' freak. People will do anything for publicity. Time will tell I suppose.
2006-12-17 21:55:28 · answer #6 · answered by koolkatt 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is all very strange.
Its sad that this kind of pimp culture exists.
2006-12-17 21:57:28 · answer #7 · answered by Nothing to say? 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i read it online it was indeed odd. i doubt he is the arrested fool.
2006-12-17 21:57:04 · answer #8 · answered by scooprandell 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I HAVE NO IDEA JUST HOPE ITS THE RIGHT MAN
2006-12-17 22:44:22 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋