For many years, one half of Britain’s most notorious criminal pair lived in obscurity, concealing horrific acts behind the guise of a family home.
Alongside her husband, this woman was involved in a series of murders and sexual assaults that horrified the nation, preying on young women — and even their own offspring.
Over a period exceeding 20 years, the couple committed such savage acts that they remain hard to fathom.
So, what transformed a seemingly typical young woman into one of history’s most infamous murderers? Was she ever genuinely “ordinary” at all? To grasp how she evolved into a mass murderer, we must begin at the very start — her childhood.
Appeared flawless
Born in North Devon in 1953, this woman was brought up by her parents along with six siblings. Even before her birth, her mother underwent electroconvulsive therapy for severe depression, which some believe affected the child’s early development.
From the outside, her family appeared perfect. Her father, Bill Letts, had served on aircraft carriers during the war and was known for his politeness and charm. Her mother, Daisy, petite and dark-haired, was regarded as a local beauty — shy, soft-spoken, and seemingly satisfied with her life.
However, beneath that serene exterior, things were far from typical. There were already significant concerns even before the girl who would grow up to be one of the world’s most infamous killers came into the world.
In 1950, the family relocated to a new council house in Northam. Daisy already had three children, and Bill was frequently away, still serving in the Navy.
Left alone at home, Daisy’s difficulties began to emerge. She fell into episodes of depression and became fixated on maintaining an immaculate house, scrubbing herself and her children to an unnatural degree of cleanliness. Her behavior grew increasingly erratic, bordering on neurotic.
Electroconvulsive therapy
In 1953, Daisy experienced a breakdown and was admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Bideford, where she received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). This process involved shaving her head, placing large electrodes on her scalp, and delivering electric shocks to her brain — resulting in blackouts and severe convulsions.
Despite being pregnant with her fifth child, the treatment persisted, sending jolts through her body and affecting the baby in her womb, continuing right up until just days before the child was born.
When the baby finally came into the world, everyone remarked on her beauty, but something seemed amiss. She would rock her head for hours, and her older siblings often complained about her rhythmically banging her head against the crib at night.
As she grew older, these unusual behaviors continued; she would sway her head back and forth in long, trance-like motions, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. This was the first indication that life for this little girl would be far from ordinary.
Additionally, her father was said to have struggled with mental health issues, including paranoid schizophrenia. Author Jane Carter-Woodrow noted that she was groomed and sexually abused by her father and may have also faced abuse from her grandfather.
Meeting her future husband
The young woman in our narrative met her future husband at the age of 15 while waiting at a bus stop. He was 12 years older, divorced, and already a father.
Their bond quickly turned romantic, and she took on the role of nanny to his daughters, a seemingly innocent position that would soon lay the groundwork for a partnership filled with horror.
Her husband’s background was equally troubled. He claimed to have experienced abuse as a child and suffered several traumatic head injuries, which reportedly changed his personality.
By his teenage years, he had already engaged in serious criminal activities, including sexual assault, and even as a young adult, he maintained a pattern of violence and manipulation.
Once the couple tied the knot in the early ’70s, their depravity intensified.
Their first child was born in 1970, but the girl’s older siblings were not exempt from abuse. Within months, the young mother committed her first murder, taking the life of an 8-year-old girl in the household while her husband was incarcerated.
The child was laid to rest beneath the kitchen window of their Gloucester residence.
A trail of horror
From 1973 onward, the couple’s criminal activities grew. They targeted young women, frequently enticing them to their home under the pretense of offering jobs as nannies for their children. The assaults escalated to murder, with victims often subjected to torture, sexual assault, and dismemberment before being buried on their property.
Their own children were also victims. Throughout the years, all nine children endured beatings, abuse, and sexual assault. Between 1972 and 1992, hospital records indicate 31 admissions for injuries, yet social services were never notified.
The couple’s last known act of violence was the murder of their daughter Heather in 1987, after she attempted to break free from her parents’ control.
How the crimes were revealed
Authorities initially learned about the situation through an anonymous tip after Heather shared her concerns with a friend. Investigators discovered supporting statements from her siblings, and medical professionals verified a history of abuse.
In the records of the Gloucester police, there was a long-standing family “joke” suggesting that a missing daughter was “under the patio”.
Despite this, the first charges against the parents were dismissed.
However, a tenacious detective continued to pursue the case. A search warrant enabled the police to dig at 25 Cromwell Street. Heather’s remains were found, and her father ultimately admitted to several murders.
She, the mother, was taken into custody shortly after on April 20, 1994.
Before long, the complete, chilling story made the news, and two names became forever associated with these heinous acts: Rose West and her husband, Fred West, who lived double lives as serial killers.
All five of their underage children were placed into protective custody following their arrest.
Trial and conviction
Before Fred could stand trial, he took his own life on January 1, 1995 — but his wife was unable to escape her destiny.
During her trial in 1995, Rose insisted she was a victim of her husband, asserting that she had no part in the murders.
Nevertheless, several witnesses came forward to testify against her, including her stepdaughter Anna Marie, her mother Daisy, her sister Glenys, and Owens, who had survived one of the couple’s previous assaults.
At one point in the trial, Rosemary West broke down in tears in the witness stand as the evidence against her was presented. The dark-haired mother of eight sobbed and expressed that she was ”sorry”.
Her defense team contended that Rosemary was unaware of the events occurring at home and had been influenced by her husband. After all, she was only 15 when they first met, and Fred West was already married and much older — making it easy for him to control her.
The prosecution, on the other hand, argued that if Rosemary West was living in the same house as Fred West, she could not have been oblivious to what was happening.
“He used to say it wasn’t a place for pregnant women or small children. He would just lock the doors and do whatever he was doing,” Rosemary West explained, noting that Fred West would not permit anyone into the cellar of their home.
Janet Leach, who acted as Fred’s court-appointed appropriate adult and confidant, also provided testimony, revealing that Fred had confessed Rose “played a significant role” in the murders. She elaborated that, prior to their arrest, the couple had come to an agreement that Fred would take the blame for the killings.
After seven weeks of court proceedings, Rose was found guilty on ten counts of murder and received a life sentence without the possibility of parole. She has steadfastly claimed her innocence, submitting appeals that were ultimately rejected.
The residence at 25 Cromwell Street, where Rose and Fred committed the majority of their crimes, was demolished in October 1996.
Rosemary West today
Currently serving her sentence at HM Prison New Hall in West Yorkshire, she occupies her time by listening to music, playing board games, and teaching cross-stitch to other inmates.
Transfers between prisons have been common, including one move that was triggered by a discovered plot against her life.
The unsettling Netflix docuseries Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story, which debuted on May 14, provided many viewers with their first in-depth look at the notorious case.
Anna Marie, the oldest surviving child of the Wests, was the sole sibling to testify in court regarding the abuse she and her brothers and sisters endured at the hands of Rose and Fred.
In May 2025, Anna Marie’s husband shared with the Daily Mail that she is still distant from her siblings, despite their close proximity.
“The siblings are the ones who bear the burden of the suffering and anguish from what transpired in that household, and the trauma is likely too overwhelming for them to maintain any connection,” he explained. “Even though some of them are neighbors, they refrain from communicating or meeting because it only reopens old wounds for them.”
He also commented on the renewed focus brought about by the Netflix series:
“Every few years, the case resurfaces in the media, as it is now with this new documentary, and the public becomes interested once more, but it’s the children who endure the pain of what occurred every single day.”
