Sian O’Callaghan’s young and promising life was tragically cut short in March 2011 as she returned home from a club. The ensuing investigation uncovered not one but two murders, creating a chilling story. Survey Discovery’‘See No Evil: Watch Me Disappear’ reveals how authorities used surveillance footage and forensic evidence to capture Sian’s killer. So, let’s find out what happened next, shall we?
How did Sian O’Callaghan die?
Sian Emma O’Callaghan was born in Wiltshire, England in June 1988. At the time of her disappearance, Sian was working as an office administrator and living in Swindon with her boyfriend, Kevin Reape. The 22-year-old was out with friends one night in March 2011 when tragedy struck. She was last seen alive leaving a nightclub in Swindon, Wiltshire at around 2.50am on March 19, 2011. She was reported missing by Kevin a few hours later.
About five days later, authorities found Sian’s body by the side of a road in Oxfordshire, England. Her body was face down and naked from the waist down. There was blunt force trauma to the back of Sian’s head and face. Besides the neck cuts, she also had stab wounds to her head and neck. Authorities would go on to find plenty of physical evidence linking the killer to Sian.
Who killed Sian O’Callaghan?
Sian had left the club to travel the short distance home at the time. Kevin then texted her around 3:24 a.m. on March 19. But analysis of mobile phone data showed Sian’s phone was in Savernake Forest near Marlborough, England, around 20km from the club. Authorities believed the distance could only have been covered with a vehicle in this short time. Thanks to the investigation, the police made significant progress and began to search for a taxi seen in the area and recorded by surveillance cameras.
Authorities were eventually led to Christopher Halliwell, then a 47-year-old taxi driver. He was arrested in a supermarket and his car matched the description of the vehicle sought by the police. After initially denying knowing anything about the murder, Christopher eventually led authorities to his body after hours of questioning. Additionally, forensic evidence linked him to the murder, sealing his fate.
Christopher admitted to driving around Swindon looking for a victim and picking up Sian. After turning off the radio inside his car, he drove Sian into the forest. Christopher confessed to sexually assaulting and stabbing the 22-year-old. After that, he attempted to suppress the evidence by burning his seat cover and cleaning his car. However, Sian’s blood was found in the vehicle and Christopher’s DNA was found on her left breast. Prior to his arrest, Christopher was placed under surveillance, and during that time he went into the forest four times and moved the body to where it was eventually found.
In another twist, Christopher also admitted to a second murder. At the time, he told authorities he kidnapped and killed a woman between 2003 and 2005 and led police to her body in Gloucestershire, England. The remains were identified as belonging to Becky Godden-Edwards, a sex worker. Christopher had met her in January 2003 while working as a taxi driver. He strangled her to death and buried the body after he had sex with her.
Where is Christopher Halliwell now?
Initially, Christopher was arrested for the murders of Sian and Becky. However, he was not charged with the latter’s murder. A judge has ruled that the detective investigating the case failed to read Christopher his rights and let him get a lawyer. As a result, his confession was ruled inadmissible. Christopher pleaded guilty to Sian’s murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life in October 2012.
About four years later, in September 2016, he was tried and found guilty of Becky’s murder. Christopher was later sentenced to life in prison, which means he is not eligible for parole. Authorities considered the possibility that Christopher killed other people. In the pond where he threw Sian’s shoes, they found several items that appeared to be clothing. Christopher has also shown an interest in hardcore pornography like child abuse and bestiality. A 2019 report said he was incarcerated at HM Prison Long Lartin in Worcestershire, England.
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