Sarah Payne was abducted and murdered in England in July 2000
The abduction and murder of Sarah Payne is one true crime story that has remained in our minds decades after the case unfolded.
The case has hit headlines again after convicted murderer Roy Whiting was attacked in prison earlier this week.
Whiting is currently serving life in prison for the murder, abduction, and assault of Sarah Payne.
West Yorkshire Police confirmed that he was assaulted in prison on February 11th, 2024.
In a statement, a spokesperson for HMP Wakefield confirmed that an investigation into the attack is ongoing.
“At 5:14 pm on Sunday 11 February 2024, police received a call from a member of staff at HMP Wakefield reporting a male prisoner had been stabbed. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening or life-changing. Enquiries are going on with Wakefield CID.”
What happened to Sarah Payne in July 2000?
The English girl was only eight years old when she was taken from a quiet country lane near her grandparent’s home in Kingston Gorse, West Sussex.
Sarah had been playing with her siblings, brothers Lee and Luke, and sister Charlotte, but ran away from them after she was hurt during a game.
Her family reported her missing to the police and a search of the local area commenced.
However, the search quickly expanded to a nationwide search, with the case becoming prominent in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Sarah’s disappearance was on every news station, and radio channel, and on the cover of every newspaper.
Her parents, Michael and Sara, appeared on TV and in newspaper interviews on multiple occasions, pleading for their daughter to be returned home to them.
However, a harrowing discovery was made 16 days after Sarah Payne vanished. Police found a body on July 17th, leaving Sarah’s loved ones, and the nation completely heartbroken.
Sarah’s body was discovered in a shallow grave just a few miles away from where she had been playing with her siblings.
Police identify Roy Whiting as a suspect
Roy Whiting was already a convicted criminal before Sarah Payne’s abduction and murder. In 1995, he kidnapped, threatened, and assaulted a nine-year-old girl. Whiting was sentenced to four years in prison.
Before Sarah’s body was discovered, officers questioned Whiting at his home in Littlehampton. They questioned him for an hour before leaving but left with more concern over how he reacted to news of Sarah’s disappearance. According to the officers, Whiting showed a strange lack of concern for the missing girl.
After he was questioned by police, Whiting attempted to get away but officers took him into custody. However, they had little evidence at the time and had to release the convicted sex offender on bail.
They quickly realised his alibi was false after discovering a receipt for fuel from the Buck Barn garage on the A24, close to where one of Sarah’s shoes was discovered.
He wasn’t charged with Sarah’s murder until police gathered enough forensic evidence against him. He denied the charges but was later found guilty of murder and kidnap on December 12th, 2001.
Whiting was sentenced to life in prison after the four-week trial. Mr Justice Curtis said a life sentence should mean life in this case.
“You are every parent’s and every grandparent’s nightmare come true. You are and will remain an absolute menace to any little girl.
Speaking in court to Whiting, Judge Curtis said:
“It’s one of the rare cases where I shall recommend to the appropriate authorities that you be kept in prison for the rest of your life so that no further child is added to the list of your victims and the lives of a third family are not ruined.”
Sarah’s Law and prison attacks
Following her daughter’s untimely passing, Sarah’s mother and father backed the ‘Sarah’s Law’ campaign. The campaign called for controlled access to the sex offender registry so parents/guardians could know if a sex offender was living in their area.
Sara Payne has always stated that her daughter would still be here if ‘Sarah’s Law’ was around at the time of her kidnapping.
Her mother Sara went on to write a book about Sarah’s murder called ‘Sara Payne: A Mother’s Story’. She was also given an MBE for her involvement with the Sarah’s Law campaign in 2008.
Sara suffered a life-threatening stroke in December 2009, but luckily made a full recovery.
Sadly, Sarah’s father, Michael suffered from depression and divorced his wife Sara after 18 years of marriage. He had issues with alcohol abuse and sadly died from an alcohol-related illness in October 2014.
Roy Whiting has been attacked by fellow inmates multiple times since he was sentenced to life in prison. The most recent attack occurred on February 11th, 2024, but his injuries were not life-threatening.
Whiting’s minimum term was reduced to 40 years by the High Court, but he will not be eligible for parole until he’s 82 in 2041.
READ MORE:
- ‘You can meet monsters in the boardroom as well’ – Nicola Tallant unphased by the criminal underworld
- Murdaugh Murders: Alex Murdaugh denied new trial despite allegations of jury tampering
- Six true crime podcasts to listen to on your way to work
