Retired pig farmer has been found guilty of the 1982 murder of his wife, whose body was found hidden in a septic tank on their farm 37 years later.
David Venables, 89, tried to blame serial killer Fred West for the murder of Brenda Venables but was convicted Friday by a 10-2 majority.
During the months-long trial of the retiree, his legal team said West had ties to the Worcestershire village of Kempsey, where Brenda disappeared in May 1982.
They also claimed that Ms. Venables may have left her matrimonial home at Quaking House Farm and “killed herself or met or met someone who wished her harm.”
But the jury of seven women and five men deliberated for nearly 17 hours for four days before convicting Venables for the murder of his wife on May 3 or 4, 1982.
At the start of the trial, prosecutor Michael Burrows QC said Venables “got away with murder” for nearly 40 years after dumping his wife in the septic tank near Quaking House Farm.
Her skull and other bones were discovered while clearing the underground chamber on July 12, 2019, six years after Venables sold the property for more than £460,000.
Defending Venables’ defense as ridiculously dismissive, Mr Burrows told the start of the trial: “The truth, the prosecution says, is that it was David Venables who killed her.
“He wanted her out of the way – he wanted to resume his long-standing affair with another woman, Lorraine Styles.
“He knew about the septic tank in his remote location. It was almost the perfect hiding place for him.
“It meant he didn’t have to travel and risked making a suspicious trip around the time of her disappearance or risking throwing her body elsewhere.
“And of course, even if someone thought to look inside the tank, her body would be hidden from view.
“And for almost 40 years it was the perfect place and he got away with murder.”
The jury heard that Venables’ affair with Mrs. Styles started around 1967, and continued.
Burrows said that by 1981 Ms. Styles “was again doubting David Venables’ feelings for her,” but that the farm owner rekindled the Christmas and New Year’s extramarital affair months before his wife disappeared.
Venables, described by a witness at the trial as a smartly dressed “typical gentleman farmer,” told the jury that he woke up on the morning of May 4, 1982 to find his wife, then 48 years old, had disappeared.
He said he then searched surrounding lanes and a stretch of the nearby River Severn.
After the murder, the court heard, Venables seemed calm to those who knew him.
He later filed for annulment of his marriage to Mrs. Venables, who was described by relatives and friends in court as a kind, hospitable and kind woman.
Worcester Crown Court the retiree was told that after his arrest in 2019, the retiree informed police that he believed West may have murdered Brenda, who had been diagnosed with depression.
A friend of someone who knew Venables, the court heard, had told him that “Fred West picked her up early one morning in Worcester from a bus stop and she managed to escape”.
Venables, of Elgar Drive, Kempsey, told investigating officers, “I wondered if he was responsible for picking up and eventually disposing of her body.”
It was also filed on behalf of Venables that West had been working on emptying septic tanks and that Mrs Venables’ disappearance had been wrongly “ignored” during investigations into the Gloucester builder following his arrest by Gloucestershire Police in 1994.
Venables was remanded in custody and will be sentenced next Wednesday.
Speaking on behalf of the West Mercia Police Department, Detective Sergeant James Beard said: “We are very pleased with the verdict and that justice has now been done.
“The terrible truth is that Brenda was murdered by the person who cared for her most. After that, he let her family and friends go for so long without knowing what was happening to her.
“They were robbed of a sister and aunt and left without closure for 40 years.
“We cannot imagine the pain they must have caused and I would like to commend them for the courage and dignity they have shown during the investigation and legal proceedings.”
Ms Venables’ cousins said in a statement: “We are relieved that today, after 40 years of waiting, there is finally justice for Brenda.
“Venables can no longer get away with murdering his wife, hiding her body and all his deceptions, lies and fabrications.”
The family expressed their gratitude to the “many people who have worked hard over the past three years to bring justice for Brenda,” stating: “Thanks to the police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the help with homicide, the in this case, the attorneys, jury, judge and all staff of Worcester Crown Court testify for all your time and effort leading up to today’s conclusion.
“Our sincere thanks to the member of the public who found her remains three years ago. And thanks to our family and friends for your support and understanding as the search for justice for Brenda has increasingly taken over our lives over the past three years.”