CRUELLEST END
Inside sick murder of Eliza Bibby as 24 Hours In Police Custody shows how killer Jamie Boughen scrambled to cover tracks
One sickened detective at the scene said: 'I’ve never seen anything like it'
A DISABLED woman was stabbed to death in her own home - but police are left baffled as to who would want to murder someone who rarely went outside.
The complex investigation into the horrific murder of Eliza Bibby, 47, is the subject of a gripping new 24 Hours in Police Custody: Murder on Prescription, which concludes tonight.
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The two-part Channel 4 documentary reveals how Eliza was tortured before she was discovered in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor of her home in Wisbech, Cambs, in January 2023.
Cameras follow detectives for every twist and turn of the case, with cops uncovering that Eliza ran a drug store from her home where she had an “open door policy”.
With a huge list of potential suspects and conflicting accounts, the team faced a mammoth task to uncover the truth.
Detective Inspector Dale Mepstead, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit says in the film: “It’s like trying to wade through weeds because all our witnesses are drug addicts, can’t remember anything or are trying to minimise what their actions are so we’re not getting the whole truth.”
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Police bodycam footage shows detectives examining the scene, with one officer grimly saying: “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
A scenes crime officer says: “She had three small stab wounds to the side of her neck and sort of underneath her chin which went through to her tongue and she swallowed a lot of blood.
“And then a larger stab wound to the side of her neck.”
Investigations reveal the mum-of-one lives alone and rarely leaves her home. She is disabled and can’t walk, using a wheelchair or frame to get around.
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Her carer arrives and the police have to break the news of her death. Visibly horrified, she says: “She was an innocent soul. She had ulcers on her legs. She couldn’t really walk.”
She adds: “Poor girl.”
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Door-to-door enquiries reveal Eliza sold prescription and controlled drugs - including heroin - from her bungalow.
One neighbour tells the cops: “She was a drug dealer.”
And one customer tells how Eliza would tell them to take their shoes off in the kitchen because “she was really house proud.”
An officer says: “She deals Class A and regular customers are known to just walk in. Things like an open door policy.”
Wisbech is quite a poor area, massive unemployment and with any area where there’s poverty there’s quite often addiction
Detective Inspector Dale Mepstead
Due to the number of people coming and going from her bungalow, cops struggle to nail down who could be responsible for her murder.
However, shortly after a prolific drug user called Mark Coleman is named as a potential suspect within the murder in the local community.
He is arrested and bailed on suspicion of her murder.
Speaking in the film, Mark says: “Society is just downright dirty at the minute. There’s nothing out there for anyone.
“I live in the doorway of a bingo hall and all of a sudden I’m a murderer on someone else’s say so, that can’t happen. It’s not fair. It’s not fair at all. To murder a woman, you’d have to pay me millions.”
DI Mepstead says in the film: “Within the Wisbech community everyone’s a detective.
“I think the rumour mill always brings difficulties because we have to then look into that information. We can't just ignore it but there’s a difference between intelligence and evidence.”
She adds: “Wisbech is quite a poor area, massive unemployment and with any area where there’s poverty there’s quite often addiction.
“Addiction tends to come with despair and trauma. I think if you haven’t got a purpose, a job then that can quite often lead to addiction.”
In late January 2023, the 45-year-old was found dead in prison, where he had been remanded in custody in connection with “unrelated allegations”.
DI Mepstead says in the documentary: “Mark Coleman’s heart gave up and he died in prison with people in his local community potentially thinking he was a murderer.”
The detective then reads out a social media message posted by his daughter Mackenzie Coleman. It reads: “The town of Wisbech have apparently become detectives.
“My dad was a suspect in the murder case. Yet everyone assumed he was guilty before he was charged. Some of you even tried to say that my dad killed himself.
“We couldn’t even grieve my dad the way we wanted. You all took that from us. Rest in peace dad, I love you so much. Until we meet again.”
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The detective adds: “The rumours and trial by media and social media that goes on, the consequences of that on his whole family, his children and his loved ones, what impact is that going to have on their future?”
Then cops get the breakthrough after an 8.2in knife is recovered on the roof of garages near Eliza’s home.
Traces of DNA belonging to her were discovered on it. There is also other DNA on the knife that doesn’t belong to any of the previous suspects.
The hit that comes back is to a local man called Jamie Boughen.
DI Mepstead says in the documentary: “Jamie has come out of leftfield. He’s a surprise.”
After being arrested in March 2023, Boughen, 48, who bought drugs from Eliza, denies killing her in an interview and claims he could not remember what he was doing the night she was murdered.
He was caught on in his shared accommodation doing his laundry not long after returning from her home - the day before she was found dead.
Cameras showed him putting bleach and water into a bucket after going into the utility room.
He was found guilty of murder in October 2023 at Cambridge Crown Court.
Judge Mark Bishop said Boughen subjected her to significant violence before stabbing her as he attempted to extract information from her in relation to drug taking.
Boughen has been sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum term of 22 years before he will be considered for parole.
She deals Class A and regular customers are known to just walk in. Things like an open door policy
Detective
Judge Bishop added the consequences of her death had caused "great suffering and anguish" to a family "who clearly loved her".
The film also features the three children of Mark Coleman who reveal their heartache at his death - and their treatment by the local community.
His son says: “Our last name is dirt to everybody in Wisbech.”
His daughter adds: “It’s just horrible how they could turn their backs like that without having factual information.”
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She adds: “Most of our phone calls consisted of him saying I didn’t do it.”
24 Hours In Police Custody: Murder on Pescription is available to watch or stream on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight
Who are the UK's worst serial killers?
THE UK's most prolific serial killer was actually a doctor.
Here's a rundown of the worst offenders in the UK.
- British GP Harold Shipman is one of the most prolific serial killers in recorded history. He was found guilty of murdering 15 patients in 2000, but the Shipman Inquiry examined his crimes and identified 218 victims, 80 per cent of whom were elderly women.
- After his death Jonathan Balls was accused of poisoning at least 22 people between 1824 and 1845.
- Mary Ann Cotton is suspected of murdering up to 21 people, including husbands, lovers and children. She is Britain's most prolific female serial killer. Her crimes were committed between 1852 and 1872, and she was hanged in March 1873.
- Amelia Sach and Annie Walters became known as the Finchley Baby Farmers after killing at least 20 babies between 1900 and 1902. The pair became the first women to be hanged at Holloway Prison on February 3, 1903.
- William Burke and William Hare killed 16 people and sold their bodies.
- Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe was found guilty in 1981 of murdering 13 women and attempting to kill seven others between 1975 and 1980.
- Dennis Nilsen was caged for life in 1983 after murdering up to 15 men when he picked them up from the streets. He was found guilty of six counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to life in jail.
- Fred West was found guilty of killing 12 but it's believed he was responsible for many more deaths.
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