Murder & homicide · 1993 · 1990s

Murder of James Bulger

In 1993 two-year-old James Bulger was abducted from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside, and murdered by two ten-year-old boys. The case shocked the world, led to changes in how child killers are dealt with and remains one of Britain's most notorious crimes.

This summary is written in our own words from published historical sources. Map locations are approximate. Every case in the archive is at least ten years old.