World's Most Evil Killers - Season 5, Episode 9 - Stephen Farrow - Full Episode | Forensic Files

NARRATOR: On the 4th of January 2012 in the English market town of Bewdley, Worcestershire, the body
of 77-year-old grandmother Betty Yates was discovered in her isolated cottage along the banks
of the River Seven. Her killer had vanished without a trace. JENNIFER MEIERHANS: The community
felt extremely distraught, devastated, but also very much in fear. You know, the killer was on the loose.
So it was something that people were really frightened about. NARRATOR: Betty's murderer was 47-year-old Stephen Farrow,
a homeless drifter with a penchant for petty crime and a violent disposition. This was not the first time he'd targeted a trusting victim,
nor would it be the last. I don't think it's any coincidence that Farrow targeted elderly people.
Elderly people are one of the most targeted groups by British serial killers. This was a very deliberate choice of victim.
NARRATOR: Fear spread through Bewdley, but the case remained a mystery. And soon after, Farrow struck again.
This time, his victim was a parish vicar. GEOFFREY WANSELL: The most striking moment of the case
is the posing of John Suddards' body. It's an act of gross depravity. NARRATOR: Driven by selfish greed,
he showed no remorse for the crimes he committed. He ruthlessly beat, stabbed, and killed two elderly victims
and left another scarred for life. This makes Stephen Farrow one of the world's most evil killers.
[MUSIC PLAYING] In January 2012, the unprovoked murder of a beloved retired school teacher Betty Yates
shocked the small English town of Bewdley to its very core. Local journalist, Jennifer Meierhans
followed the shocking case from the very beginning. I vividly remember the-- the phone
call coming into the newsroom. My chief reporter putting the phone down and saying to me,
there's been a murder in Bewdley. Police are calling a press conference. Can you get over there?
NARRATOR: Residents from the small town couldn't believe such a violent attack had happened on their doorstep.
RICHARD PERRIN: She was loved, yes. And that's why the people of Bewdley were-- were so shocked.
I mean, there have been occasional murders in Bewdley, but none as violent as this.
You know, we are only a small community. You can imagine the effect it had on everybody.
NARRATOR: Six weeks later and over 60 miles south in the peaceful market town of Thornbury,
another brutal murder with chilling similarities shocked the entire nation. 59-year-old Reverend John Suddards had been stabbed
to death in his vicarage. The following day we had a vigil where people came all through the evening to light a candle
and to remember John. So the whole town was shocked and disbelieving that this had happened in this place.
Betty Yates and John Suddards were exemplary members of our community. They were decent, honest people, the kind
of people that go out of their way to help people in need. Is it that fact alone that makes this the most awful of cases.
NARRATOR: The prime suspect was a tall imposing outsider, a 47-year-old drifter carrying a large backpack,
a man called Stephen Farrow. The killer's story begins in 1964 on the outskirts of Shropshire in the Midlands.
Stephen Farrow was one of six children born to parents Doreen and Reginald. The family were deeply religious, and life at home
was strict. The relationship that he had with his parents was quite a contrasting one.
So he didn't get along with his father. He was quite a disciplinarian. He was very strict.
His mother, on the other hand, idolized him. So he's got this real inconsistency
in terms of the messages he's been given by his parents. JENNIFER MEIERHANS: Even from a young boy,
he was quite a hyperactive unpredictable child. I think I heard that he was sent home on his first day
at school for disruptive behavior. NARRATOR: During his early school years, Farrow's behavior became more alarming.
JENNIFER MEIERHANS: It became quite apparent that he had a real loathing for the church.
There was an example given that when he was 10, he set fire to a church altar and just sat and watched
it burn to the ground. ELIZABETH YARDLEY: Farrow claimed to have this hatred of the church from a very early age.
And he suggests that that is because he was sexually abused by somebody who was in the church.
So there just seem to be quite a lot of aggression directed at religious institutions.
NARRATOR: During adolescence, Farrow's unruly behavior started coming to the attention of the law.
JENNIFER MEIERHANS: So Farrow's offending started in his teenage years. He was convicted for a burglary.
He was convicted of arson. And later on, he had a jail term for theft and deception.
GEOFFREY WANSELL: Certainly, by the time he got the first proper conviction, that sense of not being like other men or other young men
was firmly established. He couldn't hold down a job really. He lived on the edge of society.
He was always bumping along the bottom. NARRATOR: By the time Farrow reached adulthood,
he was firmly established as a petty thief and a detached loner. In and out of prison, his offending
was beginning to escalate. But it wasn't until 1994 that his criminal pursuits would become violent.
Farrow was doing a four-year stretch in prison for burglary, deception, and theft when he was allowed out on day release.
And he'd previously known a woman called Stella Crowe, who operated kind of informal premises
in Stourbridge. So on his day out of jail, Farrow sought out Stella and turned up to stay with her.
NARRATOR: 78-year-old Stella was not expecting what happened next. GEOFFREY WANSELL: He knocks on her door and forces his way in.
And he produces a knife. And a really nasty-- a scuffle breaks out. And then, in an absolute explosion of violence,
he starts punching her. And he punches her brutally in the face repeatedly, not only blackening both her eyes,
but also knocking some of her teeth out. It's a brutal, brutal attack, leaving the poor lady
absolutely traumatized. NARRATOR: After the ferocious assault, Farrow headed into the kitchen, leaving
Stella beaten, bloodied, and unconscious on the floor. I think he did deliberately choose this place.
It was somewhere he knew. It was somewhere he was familiar with. He knew exactly where the jar of money
was that she kept downstairs. And I think he fully intended to steal from Stella on the day
that he went there. NARRATOR: Farrow searched the cupboards, and made off with just 24 pounds.
It didn't take long for police to track Farrow down. But the challenge would be arresting him.
Like a cornered animal, he bit one of the officers. Farrow's attack on Stella Crowe
was really the first long jail term he got. He got eight years for aggravated burglary.
And until then, his crimes had been more lower level, certainly not as violent. So this was the first time in his conviction history
that he's gone down for a violent attack. NARRATOR: Having convinced the authorities that he was
a reformed character, Farrow was released from prison early in 2000. He then disappeared without a trace.
GEOFFREY WANSELL: He became, I suppose you'd call it, now a vagrant, really, certainly a rough sleeper.
He was quite fond of building camps in the countryside, sustaining himself by thieving, you
know, bits and pieces from shops, little bits of money here and there, little bits of burglary.
Then he would fish. He was a keen fisherman, which had developed throughout his life.
He would cook the fish he caught to sustain himself. It wasn't a life that many people would recognize.
It was completely dissociated from society as a whole. ELIZABETH YARDLEY: I think the choice
to live his life in this quite transient way is a very conscious one for Farrow.
I don't think he relates very well to other people at all. So I think during the time that he's on the road,
he's ruminating, he's-- he's fantasizing, he's-- he's starting to have these thoughts that would
eventually become actions. NARRATOR: During this time, Farrow surfaced in the small town of Bridport, Dorset.
One man who saw the violent nature of this insular drifter firsthand was local vicar, Andrew Evans.
ANDREW EVANS: The first time that I-- I met Stephen Farrow was on the door with--
with another one of the homeless people, whom I knew well. And he introduced himself as a project worker.
And what that meant for me was that he was somebody who was employed. He was somebody with a degree of authority.
He was somebody who was already working with this other person. So I accepted him on those terms as somebody
who perhaps worked for social services or for another charity, and so on. Of course, it actually turned out to be
that none of that was true. NARRATOR: During his time on the road, Farrow often used a local church communities across the country
to gain access to food, shelter, and money. GEOFFREY WANSELL: He would beg, for example, the hard up--
he might turn up at a vicarage door asking for money. He might go to a church coffee morning
for the coffee and a sandwich. There was a time when he was looking perhaps, to settle in the area.
He'd been around for several months, which is quite a long time for him. And he was looking for a flat, or he-- at least
he said he was looking for a flat and he needed a deposit or money towards the deposit.
And that was one time when he-- he really did put quite a lot of pressure on me to give him money.
And I could sense that he was becoming more and more angry, more and more frustrated.
And I said, well, no, no. The answer's no. That's not what-- we don't do it. That's it.
But that was one time when I could really say that I'd felt concerned for my own safety,
because he had become very frustrated. NARRATOR: After his tense encounter with Reverend Andrew Evans, Farrow
disappeared without a trace. However, it would not be long until his violent temper
and selfish desires surfaced once more. On the 22nd of December 2011, the 47-year-old drifter
arrived in Thornbury. Here, he broke into a small cottage on the outskirts of the town.
Vine cottage was empty because the owners were away. Now, Farrow broke in. And he absolutely ransacked the place.
He-- he turned out the draws. And whilst he was at the house, he helped himself to food and drink,
which he left partially consumed in the kitchen. GEOFFREY WANSELL: He's like a man possessed.
He steals a watch. He steals a radio, [INAUDIBLE] rather a nice radio, which he puts in his backpack and keeps there.
But more worryingly, more frighteningly, he doesn't stop there. This time, he leaves the occupants a message.
NARRATOR: Pinned to the kitchen table with two carving knives was a chilling message for the owners of Vine cottage.
In terms of Farrow's intentions when it came to Vine cottage, I think this is a man who literally follows his own wants and needs
at any given point in time. So I think at this time, he probably needed money. He was probably hungry.
He was probably thirsty. And those immediate needs that he was fulfilling. But then, I think when he's there,
he realizes he's got this chance to frighten people at the same time. And this is why he leaves this really menacing note.
NARRATOR: Little did the residents of Thornbury know, this sinister message would be an omen of things to come.
Farrow's hatred for the church would lead him onto even more despicable deeds. Stephen Farrow's attitude to the church in--
in my experience-- it was slightly-- he-- he spoke about the Church and Christian folk
that he didn't particularly like it. He didn't like it as an institution. He saw Christians as hypocrites, I think.
And that made him angry. ELIZABETH YARDLEY: Farrow is somebody who claims to hate Christianity.
But spent an awful lot of time around the church. And I think because some of those Christian values,
the kindness, the openness to strangers are things that Farrow knew that he could prey on,
they provided access and opportunity for him to get to these victims. So he completely exploited this.
NARRATOR: Approximately 10 days after the burglary at Vine cottage, 47-year-old Farrow arrived
in Bewdley on the banks of the River Seven, 60 miles north of Thornbury. JENNIFER MEIERHANS: Bewdley was a really lovely quiet patch.
And I'd mostly be reporting there on Bewdley Festival. They've got a huge arts and culture scene there,
or you know, Bewdley duck race or something-- mostly positive news was-- was coming from there.
NARRATOR: One of the town's most affable residents was Betty Yates, a sprightly 77-year-old widow
with an active social life. Betty's friend from the town, Richard Perrin remembered her outgoing personality.
RICHARD PERRIN: I knew Betty really quite well for something like over 20 years.
And the reason for that was that she was a member of Bewdley Civic Society. She was very gregarious.
She talks a lot, but she talks a lot of sense. And she was generous. And therefore, people liked her.
And she was very popular in the community. JENNIFER MEIERHANS: She was so involved
in so many different aspects of the local community. She used to go to a walking group.
She hosted a book club in her cottage once a month. People told me that they would be there,
all around her table with cups of tea and coffee and huge piles of biscuits. She was a retired schoolteacher, so generations of people
knew her and loved her. NARRATOR: At 2:30 PM on the 2nd of January 2012, Stephen Farrow spotted Betty's secluded cottage
nestled in the trees along the riverbank, far from prying eyes. The 47-year-old drifter scooped out his target,
and then forced his way into Betty's home. No sooner is he inside the house than he
grabs a walking stick and assaults Betty Yates brutally with it. In an act of the most barbaric savagery, he poses her almost.
He puts her head on a cushion and then proceeds with a knife to stab her in the neck.
It's a horrifying thought that he was determined, unlike Stella Crowe all those years
before, that he wasn't going to leave someone alive who can identify him. NARRATOR: As Betty lay lifeless on the hall floor,
Farrow was in no rush to leave the scene of the crime. ELIZABETH YARDLEY: After the murder,
Farrow spends some time tidying up. And he puts the blinds down. And he locks the house.
And so I think he's trying to postpone the time that Betty will be discovered. He just disappears like a ghost.
This is not a man who is in a panic of any kind at all. He's a man who is remorseless, calculated, and sadistic.
NARRATOR: Two days later on the 4th of January 2012, a worried friend called in at the cottage when Betty didn't
arrive at her walking group. The devastating truth behind Betty's absence was about to be revealed.
Betty was found at the bottom of the stairs. She'd been beaten with our own walking stick
so hard that the stick had actually splintered. Her head had been arranged on a pillow.
And she'd been stabbed in the neck. When police found her, the knife was still sticking out of her neck.
NARRATOR: The sleepy town of Bewdley suddenly found itself at the center of a murder investigation.
RICHARD PERRIN: Well, it was exceptional to us around here, because it was not something we come across very
often in-- in Bewdley. We're a pretty close community, a friendly community. And this thing doesn't happen.
So we were shocked. Why on Earth would anyone want to murder Betty Yates? OK, she lived in an isolated spot.
But that was no reason for-- for this to happen. It was-- it was shocking. NARRATOR: The forensics team underwent
a lengthy investigation of the crime scene. Betty had been stabbed four times, one of which
severed her jugular vein. Investigators also made a surprising discovery when they examined the cushion underneath Betty's head.
The fact there's no blood beneath the cushion is a very unusual finding. If you're putting a cushion under somebody's head
to look after them or comfort them, you'd expect blood on the floor. It implies that her head is on the cushion
when the stab wounds are inflicted to her neck. It's a very bizarre sequence of events.
ELIZABETH YARDLEY: This isn't some act of empathy or anything like that. It is something that is serving his immediate needs.
So it could be that he gets irritated by the sound of her head hitting the floor.
It might be that this absorbs some of the sounds. So this is all about him. This is not about his victim.
NARRATOR: Jennifer Meierhans was one of the first local journalists to hear about the murder.
It was quite dark. And we just gathered outside a police station. And the policeman told us the very little
information that they had. That there'd been a murder. An older woman had been killed in a remote Riverside cottage.
And that was really all we had to go on at the time. NARRATOR: Dozens of police and forensics investigators
descended upon the small community looking for potential leads. JENNIFER MEIERHANS: Betty Yates' murder
was a huge case for the area. So there were 50 officers working on it. So you'd see search teams in the areas around the house
and also in the town, speaking to people. And Crime Stoppers actually offered a very rare reward
of 10,000 pounds for anyone that had any information that helped them catch Betty's killer.
NARRATOR: But the killer had disappeared without a trace. Local police launched a community appeal to help
identify this violent murderer. The police had invited press to come as part of their appeal
and to see the location, so it might help people jog their memory. And I remember walking around the house and it feeling--
really not feeling right to be able to see into this-- this lovely home. You could see through the conservatory there
was still fruit in the bowl. And this was someone's idyllic-- their solace, their home.
And-- and it didn't feel right that that happened there. NARRATOR: As details of the murders
started to filter through the town, fear that the killer could strike again caused dread amongst the locals.
RICHARD PERRIN: This murderer could still be amongst us all. The police didn't seem to have any-- any leads.
There was a very big concerted effort by the police. You could see that by the number of police officers
around the place. And you know, naturally, people were worried that-- that might be somebody still around Bewdley.
JENNIFER MEIERHANS: I think because Betty was so well known in the community, her death and the horrific manner of it
touched a lot of lives. As the local paper, each week we were following the latest leads.
And there were things like the idea that it could have been a burglary gone wrong,
the idea that it could have been someone Betty knew. There was an appeal for a gray Audi,
a man wearing a red hoodie. And there were all these different lines that never really got anywhere.
NARRATOR: Tensions mounted in Bewdley as the weeks led by and the police came no closer to catching Betty's killer.
47-year-old Stephen Farrow was hiding in the British countryside avoiding the authorities.
Here is a man who's existing beyond society, beyond the law, under the law, under the radar.
It's as if he just disappears into the undergrowth. Commits a crime, disappears.
It's that extraordinary ability to hide that makes it so remarkable for me. NARRATOR: But as the English weather continued
to deteriorate, Farrow made the decision to visit one of his regular haunts. Once again, he arrived at the door
of Reverend Andrew Evans in Bridport on the South Coast of England. ANDREW EVANS: It was a surprise.
It was dark. It was pouring with rain. He was all covered up. With him, I was always--
always very friendly, always very respectful, as I try to be with all of them. But also, very-- always very cautious.
And I felt cautious that night. Steve Farrow had said that he-- he had actually been in Gloucestershire.
Then I think he said that he was heading towards Kent, where I'm not sure if he had a family member or sister or friend
or something. Which, again, is an unusual detail for him. It was quite evident that he wasn't right, even for him.
I suspect he had probably spiraled out of control. One of the reflections for me was that you know, he--
I'm glad he walked away that night. Because he said to me, you don't know me. You don't really know me.
You don't know what I'm capable of. NARRATOR: As Reverend Evans reflected on his narrow escape,
Farrow traveled north. And on the 13th of February 2012, he arrived in Thornbury, the location of his burglary
at Vine cottage six weeks before. Bruce Goodwin was the curate at Thornbury parish church, alongside the vicar
there, 59-year-old Reverend John Suddards. BRUCE GOODWIN: John was a really nice man.
He's in the model of an old fashioned priest. He took Jesus's word to love your neighbor
as yourself to heart. And he had a real heart for the poor and needy, those on the margins.
And perhaps as a single man, he was able to give more time and energy to those things
within the church. NARRATOR: Charitable and gentle, Reverend Suddards had arrived six months earlier to bring
his community-focused ministry to the local area. Back in November 2011, he appeared on the local radio.
DANIEL WAY (ON RADIO): This is Gloss FM, and you're listening to Daniel Way with Nick
Thornley and Daphne Ashton. DAPHNE ASHTON (ON RADIO): How do you feel about the Church
staying open, John? JOHN SUDDARDS (ON RADIO): I think it's very important. We want the church to be there for anyone who needs.
And we try to make sure that it's open during daylight hours. But the church has been there for the people of Thornbury
for hundreds of years. BRUCE GOODWIN: One of the things that he chose to do as a single man in a fairly sizable vicarage
was to allow those who were perhaps passing through, or needed a place to sleep to lodge on his porch.
JOHN SUDDARDS (ON RADIO): And we do have to take risks. But we believe that they're the risks
that we're called upon to take. BRUCE GOODWIN: He had that kind of open-door policy.
And he often left his light on so that those passing could see that he was there.
NARRATOR: At approximately 5:00 PM, Farrow appeared on the reverend's doorstep. The unsuspecting vicar opened the door as he always did.
GEOFFREY WANSELL: Suddards is attacked almost immediately he opens the door. He's stabbed repeatedly, at least three
in the neck and the abdomen and one specifically, in the chest, which actually punctures his heart.
NARRATOR: The 59-year-old vicar was taken completely unawares by the violent Farrow.
GEOFFREY WANSELL: He's talked in the past about sometimes the dangers of being in a vicarage
and having to answer the door to strangers. I doubt he could ever have thought that he
would actually lose his life to someone who knocked on his door. NARRATOR: During the attack, the vicar tried to defend himself,
sustaining cuts to his hands and arms. ELIZABETH YARDLEY: Whilst Farrow was killing John,
he told him to hurry up and die. And this is incredibly revealing about Farrow. He's irritated by him.
This is taking longer than he expected. He's probably quite tired at this point in time.
So this shows us how selfish this individual is. NARRATOR: As the reverend lay lifeless
in the vicarage hallway, the remorseless Farrow made himself at home and settled down for the night.
JENNIFER MEIERHANS: When this picture of how the reverend had died and-- and what had happened afterwards with Farrow staying
at his house the whole evening with his body and drinking his beer and watching his DVDs,
it really feels very chilling that someone could do that. ELIZABETH YARDLEY: This would appear
to be quite high-risk behavior for somebody who's just carried out a murder. But the thing you need to remember about Farrow
is he only cares about himself. NARRATOR: By 6:00 AM the next morning, Farrow had locked up
and left the vicarage. He boarded a local bus and disappeared once again. Farrow's in the wind.
He's absolutely under the radar again. He's hiding, as he's always hidden, beneath the radar
in the undergrowth. NARRATOR: Later that morning, two workmen arrive to do some renovation work on the vicarage.
When they entered the property, they were confronted with a horrifying sight. JENNIFER MEIERHANS: The way that John Suddards was-- was found,
there were various items scattered around his body, things like a Bible, picture of Jesus, a calendar.
And there had been party poppers let off over his body. ELIZABETH YARDLEY: Farrow created
an incredibly dramatic scene, which was designed for an audience. He had a mirror.
He put condoms around the body, erotic DVDs, men's magazines. And he's creating this scene to kind
of display his own handiwork and also humiliate his victim. It's not enough that he's killed John.
He wants to demean him. He wants other people to think badly of him. NARRATOR: Shortly after the discovery,
Bruce Goodwin received a distressing telephone call. BRUCE GOODWIN: The church secretary who'd started work
called me and said, you need to come to the vicarage now. And I said, why? She said, John's dead.
And I was completely shocked. And jumped in the car, drove quickly down to the church.
I couldn't believe that he died. I never expected to hear the news that I heard.
NARRATOR: Police immediately got to work sealing off the area. BRUCE GOODWIN: So at the time, the police
designated both the vicarage and the church a crime scene. So the workmen, the secretary, the chap who'd
let the workmen in, and myself were all taken to the church and kept there. And we were then told this was a investigation.
It was very important we didn't leave the area. NARRATOR: Farrow's depraved acts also
extended beyond humiliating the innocent vicar's body. ELIZABETH YARDLEY: Police found "help"
written in blue ink behind a painting at the crime scene. And Farrow wrote this, because I think,
he's essentially trying to create a bit of a mental instability narrative around this murder.
He's perhaps trying to appear to be unstable and insane. NARRATOR: As Farrow traveled south back to Thornbury,
local police were hot on his trail. Unlike Betty's isolated cottage, John's vicarage
was just outside the hustle and bustle of Thornbury town. Using CCTV, police tracked Farrow's movements
as he walked up Castle Street towards the vicarage on the evening of the murder.
They then located him on Castle Street once again on the morning after the murder.
So police managed to pick up Farrow on CCTV after he'd left the vicar's home. And he then was on a journey to Kent.
GEOFFREY WANSELL: But now, you've got the Crime Watch appeal for Betty Yeats's killer.
And you've got a sustained appeal from the police in Thornbury for the killing of John Suddards.
And this time, they've got some advantages, in particular, CCTV. They now have screengrab of the man they're looking for.
NARRATOR: The image was quickly circulated amongst national news outlets, with an appeal for information
from the public. GEOFFREY WANSELL: A number of people describe, in the Betty Yates case,
seeing this tall man with a backpack passing. And we now have of course, in Suddards' case,
a tall man with a backpack getting onto a bus in the CCTV images. NARRATOR: Farrow was a wanted man.
On the run from the police, he started making his way across the country. GEOFFREY WANSELL: He hasn't realized that his face
is now appeared on television. A lot of people are beginning to recognize. And now, two police forces are collaborating.
NARRATOR: On the 19th of February 2012, Farrow knocked on the door of an old friend's house.
GEOFFREY WANSELL: When he gets to Folkestone, the friend, who's just seen the television appeal,
apparently welcomes him. But at the same time, disappears and calls the police. REPORTER: This is the house in Folkestone where Kent police
arrested Stephen Farrow early this morning, following a tip off from the public.
GEOFFREY WANSELL: At first, Farrow denies everything. But gradually, as it becomes clear
that there is an overwhelming amount of evidence against him, he begins to accept that he's not going
to be able to simply deny it. NARRATOR: Shortly after his arrest, Avon and Somerset police announced
47-year-old Stephen Farrow was the prime suspect in both murders. We got that news I think, on the Sunday morning.
And we were I think, quite relieved. And it was interesting, because I was half term.
So I actually went into the school, which is very near to the church and vicarage, and did an assembly
and talked to many of the parents afterwards. And there was a relief that they'd-- they'd apprehended
the person who was responsible. NARRATOR: The vicious killer had been caught at last.
However, Farrow wasn't going to go down without a fight. And his controlling behavior was going to extend
into the trial itself. Oliver Saxby QC was the barrister tasked with defending him.
Stephen Farrow didn't run consistent defenses. He said as far as Betty Yates was concerned, it wasn't me.
Somebody else did it. There is a killer out there. As far as the Reverend Suddards is concerned,
he said, well, that was me. But it was diminished responsibility. ELIZABETH YARDLEY: I think that Farrow
confessed to John's murder because the evidence was so overwhelming. And when it was presented to him,
he realized that the game was up. But I think he still felt quite confident that his cover story for Betty's murder would still stack up.
He-- he really did think that he'd gotten away with that one. NARRATOR: Farrow's defense team were
attempting to secure a reduced sentence for their client. OLIVER SAXBY: Diminished responsibility
reduces what would otherwise be murder to manslaughter. It is what it says on the tin.
It's the law recognizing that people can do terrible things, but their responsibility for what they've done
can be the less, because of their mental disorder or mental illness. NARRATOR: But the evidence against Farrow was undeniable.
JENNIFER MEIERHANS: When police had arrested Farrow for the two murders, they then had to get the evidence
together to prove it. So I understand they found a footprint on an exercise mat at Betty's house, which they were able to match
to a pair of boots that Farrow was wearing when he was arrested. They later were able to get a full DNA
profile of Betty and Farrow from the back of her hand. There was something like a billion
in one chance of it being from someone else other than physical contact between Farrow and Betty Yates.
One of the key principles of forensic science is that every contact leaves a trace.
So offenders always take something to the scene of the crime with them that they leave there.
And they always take something away. And that was very much the case here. So Betty's body was--
was covered in his DNA, her hands, her ear, some of the items relating to her murder.
And it was a similar case with John's killing as well. So even though Farrow had made attempts
to-- to clean up, particularly at Betty's murder, there was no way that that evidence
was going to be erased. STUART HAMILTON: In this case, Farrow has picked on two older victims.
He has stabbed them and stabbed them in slightly unusual places. So the head and neck are not as common a target
as the chest and abdomen. So we're starting to build a picture of similar events,
similar mechanisms of assault. And that will start to produce links between those two crimes,
simply from the way that somebody committed them. GEOFFREY WANSELL: In the end, it is the DNA
evidence that is conclusive. And Farrow can wriggle as much as he wants. But the DNA doesn't lie.
NARRATOR: The trial began on the 4th of October 2012 at Bristol Crown Court. OLIVER SAXBY: In order for diminished responsibility
to become a defense, the jury has to be satisfied, not only that there was some problem with mental functioning,
some mental disorder or mental illness, but also that it played a part in what happened.
JENNIFER MEIERHANS: Various psychiatric reports were run on Farrow. And they were read out to the jury.
And psychiatrists found that, yes, he-- he was a psychopath. But he did know the difference between right and wrong
and that he knew what he was doing. GEOFFREY WANSELL: The personality disorder that's associated with Farrow is psychopathic personality
disorder. So this is about having a lack of empathy, a lack of guilt, a lack of remorse, essentially not feeling
bad when you hurt other people. He knew that he was harming these people. He knew that it was wrong.
And as a result, he was culpable for these crimes. NARRATOR: After his initial hearing,
Farrow refused to attend the trial. Instead, his interactions with the court were conducted by video link.
OLIVER SAXBY: At one point, the jury passed a note asking whether they were going to hear from him-- hear his account of things.
They used his first name. They said something like, are we going to hear from Steve,
I think. But he didn't give evidence. He didn't want to give evidence. He was quite happy for the case to carry on in his absence.
We explained to him that it may count against him in the minds of the jury. Although, having said that the judge was good enough,
I think quite right too, to warn the jury against jumping to any conclusions about his non-attendance.
I mean, goodness, they heard an awful lot about him and his background. And I suppose the fact he didn't turn up to court
was the very least of his problems. I think he just was quite happy where he was, frankly.
JENNIFER MEIERHANS: For me, I was reporting almost in isolation, Betty's case. So during the court case for all the other violent episodes
of his past to come forward and to hear about what happened to John Suddards, it really you know,
paints a picture of a very violent and dangerous psychopath. NARRATOR: On the 2nd of November 2012,
all 12 jury members found Stephen Farrow guilty of the murder of John Suddards. He was also convicted of the murder of Betty Yates
by a majority of 11. ELIZABETH YARDLEY: This was not a fit of rage. He didn't just kind of kill these people
in some delusional episode and then come to afterwards. Because he was so methodical, he was so strategic in cleaning
up and getting away afterwards. GEOFFREY WANSELL: It is truly dreadful. And Farrow's lack of remorse, underlining, as if we needed
to be underlined, his callousness, his brutality, his lack of empathy-- there could be no clearer indication
that the jury did not believe a word of this diminished responsibility defense. NARRATOR: On the same day, Judge Mr. Justice
Field passed a whole life sentence for these ferocious crimes. Farrow would remain behind bars for the rest of his life.
There are some people who have committed crimes that are so heinous that we can never justify
releasing them into society. I think it's wholly appropriate sentence. GEOFFREY WANSELL: These were, in the words of the judge
who sentenced him to a whole life term of imprisonment, one of broadly only 60 or so prisoners in the British system
given whole like terms-- called him a sadist. Called it an absolutely sadistic killing.
That's precisely what they both were, utterly sadistic. The crimes of a man who wanted no more than the pleasure
of taking another life. NARRATOR: Throughout the trial, Betty Yates's family remained
dignified in their grief. Her daughter gave a brief statement when Farrow was finally put behind bars.
It is important that our mom does not become defined by the brutality of her death, but is celebrated
for the 77 years of her life. She will be remembered by her family, friends, colleagues,
and pupils as a woman who was kind, determined, and above all, good fun. JENNIFER MEIERHANS: The murders had a tremendous effect
on the community. Certainly in Bewdley where I was, the loss of Betty was really keenly felt. So the communities
were both absolutely devastated, really shocked, and very frightened by what happened.
BRUCE GOODWIN: It's very sad. But it's one of those things that you know, has affected many people's lives in-- in Thornbury.
Fortunately, the Christian hope is that beyond the grave, you know, John is safe in the arms of God.
And so we have that reassurance. ELIZABETH YARDLEY: I think what's exceptional about this case is nothing
to do with Farrow at all. It's actually his victims. They were vibrant. They were very community spirited.
They were good people. And I think they're the ones that we need to remember. NARRATOR: He was a remorseless and selfish drifter,
whose sense of entitlement drove him to brutal acts of violence. Two of his victims were subjected
to cruel and ferocious attacks that ultimately claimed their lives. That labels Stephen Farrow forever as one of the world's
most evil killers. [MUSIC PLAYING]

Stephen Farrow committed two murders in early 2012 motivated by an obsessive hatred of Christianity, which he attributed to sexual abuse from a priest.

An in-depth look at the lives and crimes of some of the world's most evil killers, including Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Richard Ramirez, Cary Stayner, Leonard Lake, Dorothea Puente and more.

Brief Summary

Stephen Farrow murdered two elderly victims, Betty Yates and John Suddards, leading to his arrest and life sentence for their brutal killings.

Key points

The Murder of Betty Yates. The brutal murder of a beloved grandmother shocked the town of Bewdley.
A Chilling Message. Farrow left a menacing note after ransacking a cottage, foreshadowing future violence.
Community Shock. Residents of Bewdley were left in fear after the violent attack.
Reverend Suddards's Tragic Fate. Reverend John Suddards is brutally attacked by Steve Farrow at his vicarage.
Farrow's Chilling Behavior. After the murder, Farrow stays in the vicar's home, displaying a shocking lack of remorse.
The Arrest of Stephen Farrow. Farrow is apprehended after a tip-off from a friend who recognized him from a TV appeal.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

This makes Stephen Farrow one of the world’s most evil killers.

Narrator describes the nature of Farrow's crimes.

1:40WatchAug 19, 2021

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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