Murder of Rikki Neave

Rikki Neave
Born	(1988-03-04)4 March 1988 Peterborough, England
Died	28 November 1994(1994-11-28) (aged 6) Peterborough, England
Cause of death	Strangulation
Known for	Victim of murder

Rikki Neave was a six-year-old boy who was murdered on 28 November 1994 by a 13-year-old boy, James Watson, in Peterborough, England. In 1996, his abusive mother, Ruth Neave, was tried and acquitted of his murder. Watson was convicted of the murder in 2022 after new DNA evidence was found.

Rikki Neave was born on 4 March 1988 and lived on the Welland Estate in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England. On 28 November 1994, he was strangled by a 13-year-old boy, James Watson.^[1][2] His naked corpse was found in woods next to the A15 road the following day.^[1][2]

At the time of the murder, Rikki's mother Ruth was the only adult living in the family house. She was hated by her neighbours due to her drug addiction and poor parenting, including physical abuse, which attracted visits by the police and social services during the early 1990s.^[2] Many neighbours believed she had killed her son, and the police treated her as the prime suspect.^[2] In 1996, she was tried and acquitted of the murder.^[1][2] Before the trial, she had pleaded guilty to child cruelty offences, for which she was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment.^[2][3]

Watson was arrested for the murder in April 2016.^[4] Watson was born on 1 April 1981 and was also from the Welland Estate. At the time of the murder he was 13 and lived in Woodgate children's home.^[2][5] Watson had convictions for various offences, and when he was 11 he sexually assaulted a five-year-old boy.^[2][5] Watson was briefly spoken to by police in late 1994.^[2] Despite being aware of being gay, when Watson was 15, he had a relationship with a girl who lived at Woodgate and they had a son.^[2][5]

After his arrest, Watson fled to Portugal and was extradited back to the UK.^[2] He was tried for murder at London's Old Bailey from 18 January to 21 April 2022.^[1][2] Amongst other evidence against him was new DNA findings which revealed his DNA was on Rikki's clothing.^[2][6] He claimed that this was from where he had lifted Rikki to see over a fence, but this fence had not been built in 1994.^[1] Watson was convicted of the murder and on 24 June he was sentenced to life by judge Mrs Justice McGowan, with a minimum of 15 years.^[1][2][6]

In June 2023, Watson was granted permission to appeal his conviction. His lawyer argued before the Court of Appeal that Watson was not able to get a fair trial because too much of the evidence from which the killer's DNA could have been recovered was lost or destroyed in the intervening years.^[7] On September 4, an appeals panel of three judges upheld the conviction, ruling that Watson had received a fair trial.^[8]

• HM Prison Durham – where Ruth Neave was held alongside Myra Hindley and Rose West during her sentence for child abuse
• Murder of Brian McDermott – similar UK child murder case in which an individual who was only 16 at the time is the prime suspect
• Michael Weir case – a prior notable case presided over by Justice McGowan

Other UK cold cases in which the DNA of the perpetrator is now known: