The Bedsit Murders and the Hidden Crimes of David Fuller

A cold case solved after 33 years that exposed one of the most disturbing criminal histories in modern Britain

A Cold Case That Never Let Go

For more than thirty years, the killer behind two unsolved murders in Tunbridge Wells lived in plain sight. The crimes, later known as the Bedsit Murders, haunted Kent police and the victims’ families for decades. There were no arrests, no trial, and no sense of resolution.

When the truth finally emerged in 2020, it did not simply close a cold case. It exposed a second, far darker pattern of abuse that had remained hidden for years.

Illustrated sketch based on publicly available photographs. Not an original image.

The Murders in Tunbridge Wells

In June 1987, Wendy Knell, aged 25, was found dead in her rented bedsit apartment in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled. Despite an intensive investigation, no suspect was identified.

Five months later, in November 1987, another young woman was killed in similar circumstances. Caroline Pierce, aged 20, was found dead in her bedsit. She too had been sexually assaulted and strangled.

The similarities between the two crimes led investigators to believe they were linked. However, with limited forensic technology available at the time, the investigation stalled. The killer disappeared, and the case went cold.

Illustrated sketches of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce, created from archival photographs. Not original images.

Decades of Silence

For years, the Bedsit Murders remained unresolved. Evidence was preserved, files were revisited, and families waited for answers that never came. The passage of time offered no comfort, only the growing realization that the person responsible had likely continued living an ordinary life.

That assumption would later prove true.

A DNA Breakthrough

In 2020, advances in forensic science allowed Kent Police to re examine preserved evidence from the 1987 crime scenes. DNA samples that could not previously be analyzed were finally strong enough to be tested and compared against national databases.

The result identified David Fuller, a hospital electrician living in Kent.

In December 2020, Fuller was arrested. After more than three decades, the Bedsit Murders were finally solved.

But the arrest marked the beginning of a far wider investigation.

Illustrated sketch based on publicly available photographs. Not an original image. David Fuller getting arrested.

What Police Found Next

When officers searched Fuller’s home following his arrest, they expected to find evidence connected to the murders. Instead, they uncovered material that revealed an entirely separate pattern of criminal behavior.

Police seized thousands of digital storage devices, including USB sticks, hard drives, CDs, DVDs, and floppy disks. They also discovered a handwritten notebook described as a small black book.

What these items contained would redefine the case.

Abuse of the Dead

Fuller worked as an electrician at hospitals operated by Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. His role granted him access to restricted areas, including hospital mortuaries.

Over many years, Fuller used this access to sexually abuse the bodies of deceased patients. Investigators later confirmed at least 101 victims, primarily women and girls. The abuse occurred over a prolonged period, largely between 2008 and 2020.

The crimes were not isolated or impulsive. They were repeated, deliberate, and carefully concealed.

The Little Black Book

Among the most disturbing discoveries was Fuller’s handwritten notebook. Inside, he recorded victims’ names, dates, locations, and details of his actions.

The notebook functioned as a personal log of crimes committed over years. Its existence left no doubt about the scope or intentional nature of the abuse.

A Vast Archive of Evidence

Police analysis revealed an enormous digital archive. Across thousands of storage devices, investigators found millions of images and videos documenting sexual abuse of the dead.

In court, prosecutors described the collection as a library of unimaginable sexual depravity. Judges echoed this description during sentencing, emphasizing both the scale of the material and the sustained nature of the crimes.

The volume of evidence was so extensive that it required years of specialist analysis.

A Life Lived in Plain Sight

David Fuller was born in September 1954. At the time of the Bedsit Murders in 1987, he was 32 to 33 years old.

When police arrested him in December 2020, he was 66 years old.

Court proceedings confirmed that Fuller was married at the time of his arrest and had children and grandchildren. Authorities deliberately withheld identifying details about his family, and there is no evidence that any family member was aware of his crimes.

Outwardly, Fuller lived an unremarkable life. He maintained long term employment, had family relationships, and attracted no public suspicion. In court, this contrast between his ordinary appearance and his hidden actions was repeatedly noted.

The Court Proceedings

In November 2021, Fuller pleaded guilty to the murders of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce.

He also pleaded guilty to numerous additional charges related to the sexual abuse of corpses.

In December 2021, Fuller was sentenced to life imprisonment, with no possibility of parole. The judge stated that he would never be released.

Institutional Failures and Aftermath: Bedsit Murders

The case prompted widespread concern about hospital security and oversight within the NHS. Independent reviews were commissioned, and mortuary access procedures were examined and revised.

For families of the victims, the revelations were devastating. Many had believed their loved ones were safe in death. That belief was irreparably shattered.

Hospital authorities issued public apologies, and support services were offered to affected families. However, the scale of the harm ensured that closure would remain elusive.