Peter Chapman (murderer)

Peter Chapman (born January 1977)[1] is an English convicted murderer who has featured heavily in the media in the United Kingdom and has become known as the "Facebook Killer". He was jailed for a minimum of 35 years in March 2010 for the October 2009 rape, kidnap, and murder of 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall. His crime has led to serious criticism of police monitoring of offenders, and of Facebook.[2][3]

Peter Chapman
BornJanuary 1977 (age 46)
Darlington, County Durham, England
Other namesThe Facebook Killer
Criminal statusImprisoned
MotiveSexual
Conviction(s)Rape, kidnapping, murder
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment (minimum 35 years)
Details
Date25 October 2009
Location(s)County Durham, England
KilledAshleigh Hall
Imprisoned atHM Prison Frankland

Life prior to the murder of Ashleigh Hall

Peter Chapman was born in Darlington and was brought up by his grandparents in neighbouring Stockton-on-Tees before moving to Liverpool in 2005 aged 26. Chapman returned to County Durham in 2007 and had been charged with sexual offences before the murder of Ashleigh Hall prior to moving to Merseyside when Chapman was living in Middlesbrough. He was first investigated at the age of 15, and four years later he received a seven-year prison sentence for raping two sex workers at knifepoint. He was released in 2001, and had eventually fallen off the 'police radar.' This has led to serious criticism and a report to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.[4][5] He has been convicted of motoring offences and theft.[6]

The murder of Ashleigh Hall

Chapman used a fake Facebook profile, impersonating a teenage boy, to befriend Ashleigh Hall, a 17-year-old student from Darlington.[7] In reality, he was a 33-year-old man living in his car. She met him on 25 October 2009 and according to the prosecution, "When she met him on 25 October last year, he kidnapped, raped and murdered her". Following the rape and murder of Ashleigh Hall, Chapman dumped the teenager's body in a field near a layby on the A177, close to the services near Sedgefield, County Durham. Following his conviction Peter Chapman is being held at HM Frankland High Security Prison the United Kingdom's largest category A prison; located in County Durham not far from where he raped and murdered Ashleigh Hall in 2009.[4]

Facebook's response

On 3 March 2010, Facebook, as a direct response to the killing, warned under-18 users not to meet people from the internet, and gave advice on how to stay safe online. They also said they were "deeply saddened".[8]

References
  1. "The vile past of Ashleigh Hall's evil killer Peter Chapman". Gazette Live. 9 March 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  2. "Facebook death 'lessons to learn'". BBC News. 9 March 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  3. Siddique, Haroon (9 March 2010). "Facebook security measures criticised after Ashleigh Hall murder". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  4. Carter, Helen (8 March 2010). "Facebook murderer who posed as teenager to lure victim jailed for life". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  5. Fahey, John (9 March 2010). "Watchdog to probe force's sex killer failure". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2010.
  6. "Facebook killer Peter Chapman 'slipped away from police'". BBC News. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  7. Townsend, Catherine (27 September 2017). "How To Protect Yourself Against Serial Killers Who Stalk Their Victims Online - CrimeFeed". CrimeFeed. Discovery Communications, LLC. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  8. "Internet users warned after girl kidnapped, raped and murdered by stranger". Archived from the original on 11 March 2010. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
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