Murder of Tia Rigg
Encyclopedia
The murder of Tia Rigg was committed in Cheetham Hill
, Manchester
, England on 3 April 2010. Twelve-year-old Rigg was torture
d, rape
d and murdered by her maternal uncle, John Maden. On 4 October 2010 38-year-old Madden, who had pleaded guilty to the crime, was sentenced to life imprisonment
with a recommendation that he should never be released, meaning that he will probably remain in prison until he dies. Sentencing, Mr Justice Keith said: "This is one of those exceptional cases in which the only just punishment requires you to be imprisoned for the rest of your life." Maden is one of only around 40 prisoners who have been told by the appropriate authorities that their life sentences must mean life.
his ten-year-old daughter. When she arrived at 15:00 he drugged her with Olanzapine
, an antipsychotic
tranquilizer
which had been prescribed to him previously. He then inflicted a "horrific catalogue of sexual injuries" on her before stabbing her and strangling her with a ligature made from a guitar string. At 15:45 Maden telephoned the 999
emergency services number and said: "Hi, I would like to report a murder." He then gave his name and address and when asked by the operator what had happened he replied: "My niece has been murdered by me ... I have just finished killing her now." Asked why he had killed her he answered: "Because I felt like it" and terminated the call.
Police officers from Greater Manchester Police
arrived at the address two minutes later. Maden opened the door to the officers, who described him as "chillingly calm", and directed them upstairs. They found Rigg's body face-up on the floor of a spare bedroom, naked except for her socks, with the ligature still fastened around her neck and her hands tied behind her back with shoelaces. Next to the body were two knives, a broom handle and a sex toy, all of which were stained with blood.
An autopsy
found that Rigg had suffered severe blood loss from her stab wounds and internal injuries but the primary cause of death was ligature strangulation.
on 4 October 2010. Prosecutor Gordon Cole QC
told the court: "In the year or so prior to April this year, the defendant had developed what can properly be described as an obsessive interest in images and literature relating to paedophilia, rape and torture. He had an extensive library of such materials which included literature dealing with methods of killing." Police had found "hundreds of extreme images of child abuse and violent pornography" on Maden's laptop, plus more material on his mobile phone in folders named "snuff", "snuff stories" and "brutal rape". Detective Chief Inspector David Warren, who led the investigation, revealed that Maden refused to explain his actions and had never shown remorse for the killing.
After pleading guilty to rape and murder, Maden was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he should never be released. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Keith told him: "It is inescapable that Tia Rigg died because you decided to realise your fantasies about torturing and killing a young child. It is difficult to know how long Tia's ordeal lasted. The terror, the unimaginable pain you inflicted on her, the indignities you subjected her to while still alive. It was planned, it was premeditated and her agony must have been prolonged. This is one of those exceptional cases in which the only just punishment requires you to be imprisoned for the rest of your life."
Cheetham Hill
Cheetham Hill is an inner city area of Manchester, England. As an electoral ward it is known as Cheetham and has a population of 12,846. It lies on the west bank of the River Irk, north-northeast of Manchester city centre and close to the boundary with the City of Salford...
, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England on 3 April 2010. Twelve-year-old Rigg was torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
d, rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d and murdered by her maternal uncle, John Maden. On 4 October 2010 38-year-old Madden, who had pleaded guilty to the crime, was sentenced to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
with a recommendation that he should never be released, meaning that he will probably remain in prison until he dies. Sentencing, Mr Justice Keith said: "This is one of those exceptional cases in which the only just punishment requires you to be imprisoned for the rest of your life." Maden is one of only around 40 prisoners who have been told by the appropriate authorities that their life sentences must mean life.
Murder
At 14:17 on 3 April 2010 Maden, who had an "obsessive interest" in pornography relating to paedophilia, rape and torture, telephoned Rigg's mother and asked for Tia to go to his home in Dalmain Close, Cheetham Hill in order to babysitBabysitting
Babysitting is the practice of temporarily caring for a child on behalf of the child's parents. Babysitting is commonly performed as an odd job by teenagers for extra money.-General:...
his ten-year-old daughter. When she arrived at 15:00 he drugged her with Olanzapine
Olanzapine
Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic, approved by the FDA for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder...
, an antipsychotic
Antipsychotic
An antipsychotic is a tranquilizing psychiatric medication primarily used to manage psychosis , particularly in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. A first generation of antipsychotics, known as typical antipsychotics, was discovered in the 1950s...
tranquilizer
Tranquilizer
A tranquilizer, or tranquilliser , is a drug that induces tranquility in an individual.The term "tranquilizer" is imprecise, and is usually qualified, or replaced with more precise terms:...
which had been prescribed to him previously. He then inflicted a "horrific catalogue of sexual injuries" on her before stabbing her and strangling her with a ligature made from a guitar string. At 15:45 Maden telephoned the 999
999 (emergency telephone number)
999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....
emergency services number and said: "Hi, I would like to report a murder." He then gave his name and address and when asked by the operator what had happened he replied: "My niece has been murdered by me ... I have just finished killing her now." Asked why he had killed her he answered: "Because I felt like it" and terminated the call.
Police officers from Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police
Greater Manchester Police is the police force responsible for law enforcement within the metropolitan county of Greater Manchester in North West England...
arrived at the address two minutes later. Maden opened the door to the officers, who described him as "chillingly calm", and directed them upstairs. They found Rigg's body face-up on the floor of a spare bedroom, naked except for her socks, with the ligature still fastened around her neck and her hands tied behind her back with shoelaces. Next to the body were two knives, a broom handle and a sex toy, all of which were stained with blood.
An autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
found that Rigg had suffered severe blood loss from her stab wounds and internal injuries but the primary cause of death was ligature strangulation.
Trial
Maden was tried at Manchester Crown CourtCrown Court
The Crown Court of England and Wales is, together with the High Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal, one of the constituent parts of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
on 4 October 2010. Prosecutor Gordon Cole QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
told the court: "In the year or so prior to April this year, the defendant had developed what can properly be described as an obsessive interest in images and literature relating to paedophilia, rape and torture. He had an extensive library of such materials which included literature dealing with methods of killing." Police had found "hundreds of extreme images of child abuse and violent pornography" on Maden's laptop, plus more material on his mobile phone in folders named "snuff", "snuff stories" and "brutal rape". Detective Chief Inspector David Warren, who led the investigation, revealed that Maden refused to explain his actions and had never shown remorse for the killing.
After pleading guilty to rape and murder, Maden was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he should never be released. Passing sentence, Mr Justice Keith told him: "It is inescapable that Tia Rigg died because you decided to realise your fantasies about torturing and killing a young child. It is difficult to know how long Tia's ordeal lasted. The terror, the unimaginable pain you inflicted on her, the indignities you subjected her to while still alive. It was planned, it was premeditated and her agony must have been prolonged. This is one of those exceptional cases in which the only just punishment requires you to be imprisoned for the rest of your life."