Tonight, a new Channel 4 documentary series will examine the terrible kidnapping and disappearance of five-year-old April Jones (Monday, December 12).
The three-part programme will examine the ten years since April vanished from her Wales home.
Although the tragedy rocked the country and the hunt for her body made national news, she hasn’t been located yet. On October 1, 2012, April vanished after being spotted near her Machynlleth house getting into a car.
What Happened To April Jones?
After being observed getting into a car near her Machynlleth, Wales, home on October 1, 2012, five-year-old April Jones vanished. When her mother appealed emotionally to her daughter, Prime Minister David Cameron followed suit. Police designated the case a murder inquiry on October 5, 2012, even though April had not been located. With help from volunteers, friends, and family, the police conducted a thorough search operation close to her home.
Mark Bridger was reportedly detained the day after April vanished because he matched the description of the man who spoke to April and left with her in his car, according to eyewitnesses. Even though April’s body was never located, DNA evidence collected during a search of Mark’s house persuaded investigators that she had been slain violently.
Who Took April Jones?
After being observed getting into a car near her home on October 1, 2012, April went missing. She had begged her parents to let her out so she could play outside with a buddy. Her parents last observed her pedalling a pink bicycle around 7:00 p.m. After April had been let to leave the house for around 20 minutes, Coral went outside to seek her. Mark Leonard Bridger was born in Carshalton, Surrey, the middle of three children, on November 6, 1965. In addition to unlawful corpse disposal and concealment, Bridger was accused of murder, attempted perversion of justice, and kidnapping.
Was April Jones Murdered?
In addition to unlawful corpse disposal and concealment, Bridger was accused of murder, attempted perversion of justice, and kidnapping.
On January 14, 2013, he entered a not-guilty plea, but he acknowledged that he was “probably to blame” for her passing. On April 29, 2013, a forensic expert testified in Mold Crown Court that portions of his residence had been searched, and it had been discovered that they included human bone and blood fragments that matched April’s DNA. The DNA proof convinced the jurors that April had been injured and couldn’t have lived. On May 30, 2013, he was adjudicated guilty of kidnapping, murder, and meddling with the legal process. Bridger was given a life sentence with the possibility of never being paroled. Even though April’s body was never located, DNA evidence collected during a search of Mark’s house persuaded investigators that she had been slain violently.
Who is Mark Bridger?
Mark Leonard Bridger was born in Carshalton, Surrey, the middle of three children, on November 6, 1965. When he was 19, he was found guilty of firearms and theft. He reportedly worked in a slaughterhouse as a hotel porter, firefighter, mechanic, and welder before relocating to Wales from London in the 1980s. He relocated to Machynlleth, claiming to be an ex-army man to hide his history. Later, this assertion was disproven by the Ministry of Defense. He volunteered as a lifeguard at the pool, where April took swimming lessons.
Where Is Mark Bridger Now?
In Manchester’s Strangeways jail, Bridger is still detained. While he was there, he admitted to dumping April’s body in the Afon Dulas river, though investigators believe he may have dispersed her body parts over the area near his house. After Jones’ parents launched a campaign, Google and Bing changed their search engine algorithms in November 2013 to prevent the display of photographs of child abuse.
Where Was April Jones Found?
The murderer allegedly ran over the five-year-old. Mark admitted to authorities that he had been drinking and panicking when he put April’s body in the car, which is why he couldn’t recall what he had done with it. Mark even acknowledged throwing the girl’s body in a river to a priest. Police declared on March 27, 2013, that the search would be suspended at the end of April 2013, having failed to find April’s body. The burial service for April Jones was performed in Machynlleth on September 26, 2013.
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