ROBERT NAPPER: THE PLUMSTEAD SERIAL KILLER AND RAPIST WHO SHOCKED LONDON
| Red Rose Database
Plumstead Rapist
Robert Clive Napper, born on 25 February 1966, is a notorious British criminal whose heinous crimes have left a dark stain on the history of London. His criminal activities span over a decade, culminating in multiple murders and sexual assaults that shocked the nation. Napper was ultimately remanded to Broadmoor Hospital indefinitely on 18 December 2008 after being convicted of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility for the murder of Rachel Nickell, a case that had haunted the police for years.
His criminal record is marked by a series of violent and sexually motivated offenses, beginning with minor incidents and escalating to brutal murders. Napper's most infamous crimes include the 1993 double murder of Samantha Bisset and her four-year-old daughter Jazmine in Plumstead, South East London. On 3 November 1993, he forced his way into the Bisset family home, stabbing Samantha in the neck and chest, resulting in her death. He then sexually assaulted and smothered Jazmine, mutilating her body in a gruesome display that shocked investigators and the public alike. The police recovered a fingerprint belonging to Napper from the crime scene, which led to his arrest and subsequent conviction at the Old Bailey in October 1995. During this trial, he also confessed to two rapes and two attempted rapes.
Prior to these murders, Napper had been linked to a series of over 70 savage attacks across south-east London, known as the 'Green Chain Rapist' series, which spanned four years ending in 1994. His detailed records of attack sites and surveillance notes revealed a methodical and obsessive approach to his crimes. His violent tendencies and sexual deviancy were masked by his dull and unassuming demeanor at work, where colleagues described him as boring and unremarkable. Yet, beneath this facade, he kept a cache of weapons, ammunition, and detailed maps of potential attack sites, indicating a highly dangerous and calculated predator.
His early life was marred by violence and instability. Born in Erith and raised in Plumstead, Napper was the eldest of four children in a household marked by domestic violence. His parents' marriage was tumultuous, and after their divorce when he was nine, he and his siblings were placed in foster care. He received psychiatric treatment at the Maudsley Hospital in Camberwell for six years, which was indicative of his troubled mental state. At age 13, a traumatic event occurred when a family friend sexually assaulted him during a camping holiday, leading to a significant personality change. His mother later described him as becoming introverted, obsessively tidy, and reclusive, with troubling behaviors such as bullying his siblings and spying on his sister.
Throughout his adolescence and early adulthood, Napper's criminal activities began with minor offenses, including shoplifting and carrying a loaded gun in 1986, which earned him a conditional discharge. His obsession with guns and weapons grew, and by the late 1980s, he was involved in a series of sexual offenses, including flashing, voyeurism, sexual assault, and rape. Police estimates suggest he committed over 100 attacks, although he was only charged with a handful of these.
His first major known attack was on Wimbledon Common on 15 July 1992, where he stabbed Rachel Nickell forty-nine times in front of her young son, Alex. The brutal nature of this attack and the fact that he was questioned but eliminated from the investigation added to the complexity of his criminal profile. Despite this, he continued his violent spree, culminating in the 1993 Plumstead murders. His mental health was a significant concern, with pre-sentence reports indicating he was an immediate threat to himself and others. His diaries and notes revealed signs of paranoid schizophrenia, including fears of being poisoned, delusions of persecution, and references to Nazi atrocities.
Despite his violent tendencies, Napper was able to maintain a facade of normalcy, working as a warehouseman and machine operator at a plastics factory. His colleagues found him dull and unremarkable, unaware of the deadly arsenal he kept hidden at home. His collection of weapons, detailed attack plans, and surveillance notes painted a picture of a highly organized and dangerous individual. His diaries contained handwritten references to words associated with violence and destruction, such as 'immolate,' 'necropolis,' and 'holocaust.'
In 2004, advances in DNA profiling finally linked Napper to the murder of Rachel Nickell, leading to his conviction for manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. His arrest and subsequent trial revealed the extent of his depravity and mental illness. The case also resulted in a formal apology to Colin Stagg, an innocent man previously wrongly accused of the Nickell murder. The judge at Napper's trial described him as 'a very dangerous man,' emphasizing the grave threat he posed to society.
Today, Robert Napper remains confined at Broadmoor Hospital, where he is considered a grave and immediate risk to the public. His case continues to serve as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of untreated mental illness combined with violent tendencies, and the importance of vigilant psychiatric assessment and intervention in preventing such tragedies.
His criminal record is marked by a series of violent and sexually motivated offenses, beginning with minor incidents and escalating to brutal murders. Napper's most infamous crimes include the 1993 double murder of Samantha Bisset and her four-year-old daughter Jazmine in Plumstead, South East London. On 3 November 1993, he forced his way into the Bisset family home, stabbing Samantha in the neck and chest, resulting in her death. He then sexually assaulted and smothered Jazmine, mutilating her body in a gruesome display that shocked investigators and the public alike. The police recovered a fingerprint belonging to Napper from the crime scene, which led to his arrest and subsequent conviction at the Old Bailey in October 1995. During this trial, he also confessed to two rapes and two attempted rapes.
Prior to these murders, Napper had been linked to a series of over 70 savage attacks across south-east London, known as the 'Green Chain Rapist' series, which spanned four years ending in 1994. His detailed records of attack sites and surveillance notes revealed a methodical and obsessive approach to his crimes. His violent tendencies and sexual deviancy were masked by his dull and unassuming demeanor at work, where colleagues described him as boring and unremarkable. Yet, beneath this facade, he kept a cache of weapons, ammunition, and detailed maps of potential attack sites, indicating a highly dangerous and calculated predator.
His early life was marred by violence and instability. Born in Erith and raised in Plumstead, Napper was the eldest of four children in a household marked by domestic violence. His parents' marriage was tumultuous, and after their divorce when he was nine, he and his siblings were placed in foster care. He received psychiatric treatment at the Maudsley Hospital in Camberwell for six years, which was indicative of his troubled mental state. At age 13, a traumatic event occurred when a family friend sexually assaulted him during a camping holiday, leading to a significant personality change. His mother later described him as becoming introverted, obsessively tidy, and reclusive, with troubling behaviors such as bullying his siblings and spying on his sister.
Throughout his adolescence and early adulthood, Napper's criminal activities began with minor offenses, including shoplifting and carrying a loaded gun in 1986, which earned him a conditional discharge. His obsession with guns and weapons grew, and by the late 1980s, he was involved in a series of sexual offenses, including flashing, voyeurism, sexual assault, and rape. Police estimates suggest he committed over 100 attacks, although he was only charged with a handful of these.
His first major known attack was on Wimbledon Common on 15 July 1992, where he stabbed Rachel Nickell forty-nine times in front of her young son, Alex. The brutal nature of this attack and the fact that he was questioned but eliminated from the investigation added to the complexity of his criminal profile. Despite this, he continued his violent spree, culminating in the 1993 Plumstead murders. His mental health was a significant concern, with pre-sentence reports indicating he was an immediate threat to himself and others. His diaries and notes revealed signs of paranoid schizophrenia, including fears of being poisoned, delusions of persecution, and references to Nazi atrocities.
Despite his violent tendencies, Napper was able to maintain a facade of normalcy, working as a warehouseman and machine operator at a plastics factory. His colleagues found him dull and unremarkable, unaware of the deadly arsenal he kept hidden at home. His collection of weapons, detailed attack plans, and surveillance notes painted a picture of a highly organized and dangerous individual. His diaries contained handwritten references to words associated with violence and destruction, such as 'immolate,' 'necropolis,' and 'holocaust.'
In 2004, advances in DNA profiling finally linked Napper to the murder of Rachel Nickell, leading to his conviction for manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. His arrest and subsequent trial revealed the extent of his depravity and mental illness. The case also resulted in a formal apology to Colin Stagg, an innocent man previously wrongly accused of the Nickell murder. The judge at Napper's trial described him as 'a very dangerous man,' emphasizing the grave threat he posed to society.
Today, Robert Napper remains confined at Broadmoor Hospital, where he is considered a grave and immediate risk to the public. His case continues to serve as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of untreated mental illness combined with violent tendencies, and the importance of vigilant psychiatric assessment and intervention in preventing such tragedies.