Who is Colin Pitchfork and where is he now? A look at Lynda Mann & Dawn Ashworth’s murderer
FOLLOWING the confession of a local youth, Leicestershire detectives believed they had found the killer of Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth.
But investigators utilised the then brand-new technology of genetic fingerprinting to avoid convicting the wrong man, leading them to the real monster — here’s everything you need to know about Colin Pitchfork.
Colin Pitchfork was jailed in 1988 for the rape and murder of two teensRex
Who is Colin Pitchfork?
Colin Pitchfork was jailed for life in 1988 for raping and murdering teens Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth in Leicestershire.
He was the first person in the world to be arrested and convicted using DNA evidence.
Pitchfork grew up in Newbold Verdon, Leicestershire, before moving to Littlethorpe when he got married.
He worked there as an apprentice baker and had two sons with his wife.
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Pitchfork famously left one son sleeping in the back of his car while he raped and murdered his first victim, Lynda, before driving home and putting the baby to bed.
Prior to marrying his wife, Pitchfork had been convicted of indecent exposure and had been referred for therapy at a local hospital.
Who were Colin Pitchfork’s victims?
Lynda Mann and Dawn Ashworth were killed by Pitchfork.
Both young women were just 15 years old when they were murdered.
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On November 21, 1983, Lynda was taking a shortcut on her way home from babysitting in her village of Narborough when she disappeared.
Her parents spent the evening looking for her but the next morning her body was found dumped on a local footpath, having been strangled.
Lynda had also been raped.
It wasn’t until Dawn’s body was found in similar circumstances in July 1986 that the police had any leads or evidence.
She had left a friend’s house in Narborough but vanished on the short walk to her home in the neighbouring village of Enderby.
Her body was found in the corner of a field hidden under branches and showed signs of a terrible struggle before she was killed.
Cops arrested Richard Buckland, a local 17-year-old with learning difficulties who knew Dawn, shortly after her body was found.
However, DNA evidence proved Buckland was innocent and eventually led to Pitchfork’s arrest.
Pitchfork pleaded guilty to the rape and murder of both teens and was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years in 1988.
Dawn Ashworth was killed by Pitchfork in 1986
In 2009, his sentence was reduced, on appeal, to 28 years.
What happened when Colin Pitchfork was on day release in 2017?
On November 13, 2017, The Sun reported that Pitchfork had been allowed out to roam Bristol city centre alone for six hours.
Pitchfork, who changed his name to Thorpe, went to a job centre and visited three banks, as well as eating a pulled pork sandwich and reading Great British Bake Off books.
He was later returned by staff to HMP Leyhill, an open prison in Gloucestershire.
What art has the killer exhibited?
In April 2009, Pitchfork sparked public outrage when he exhibited a sculpture at the Royal Festival Hall.
The design, titled Bringing Music To Life, was created from inside HMP Frankland, County Durham and was described as being made “in meticulous miniature detail by folding, cutting and tearing the score of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony”.
The work was removed from display when the family of Pitchfork’s victims expressed their distress.
Lynda Man was murdered by Pitchfork in 1983
When was Colin Pitchfork released from prison?
After being denied parole on two occasions in 2016 and in 2018, the Parole Board deemed in June 2021 that Pitchfork was no longer a danger to the public.
He was released in July 2021, but was back in jail two months later after breaching the licence conditions of his release.
It was revealed that he had “sidled up” to young women while out on long walks and was arrested over “concerning behaviours” after being freed.
Where is Colin Pitchfork now?
In June 2023 Pitchfork was ruled safe for release — less than two years after he was thrown back in jail.
However, his parole was ultimately denied following a review following intervention from the Lord Chancellor.
Due to concerns about the risk he poses, the Parole Board determined he should remain in a closed prison, rather than being transferred to an open prison or released.
How to watch Child Snatcher 3: Who Took Lynda & Dawn
Featuring firsthand testimonies from the families and officers involved in the case, a new C5 documentary shows how DNA evidence not only proved the initial suspect’s innocence, saving him from a life sentence, but also provided a genetic blueprint of the true killer, Colin Pitchfork.
With archive footage of the world’s first DNA-based manhunt, the show highlights how science shattered a deadlocked case and finally brought justice to a community torn apart by fear.
Child Snatcher 3: Who Took Lynda & Dawn? is scheduled to air at 9pm on Channel 5 on Thursday, July 31, 2025.
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