Murder & homicide · 1973 · 1970s

The Bakewell Murder

In 1973 Wendy Sewell was found beaten to death in a churchyard in Bakewell, Derbyshire. Stephen Downing, a 17-year-old with learning difficulties, was convicted and spent 27 years in prison before his conviction was quashed in 2002.

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.