Watch Killing Field: The Murder Of Annette Wade documentary on YouTube
A documentary revisits the historic case of Annette Wade, a little girl who was tragically murdered in Carleton, 37 years ago.
A true crime documentary revisits the brutal murder of 9-year-old Annette Wade, who was killed and set alight in Lancashire woodlands in July 1989.
Little Annette, who was described as friendly and ‘sunny’ by those who knew her, had been groomed by a ‘strange’ man who was living in the woods. John Heeley had escaped bail and was hiding out in a hedgerow, in the Carleton area, when he raped and murdered the young girl before burning her body on a makeshift funeral pyre...and going on the run.
In the documentary, Evening Gazette journalists recall how the nationwide manhunt, and Heeley’s court trial, sparked a national media frenzy, 37 years ago this month.
Court reporter, Richard Hunt, remembers: “He was handcuffed to a police officer, and he looked like he was going to try and run from the dock. Outside, there were lots of angry young men trying to get at him as he was taken to the van.”
Annette's younger brother who argues why this case is a powerful reminder of 'stranger danger'.
Watch the full documentary on the Blackpool Gazette Youtube page here.