The case of John William Cooper is a chilling example of a serial killer who evaded justice for years. Born on 3 September 1944 in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Cooper had a long history of crime, including 30 robberies and violent assault.
In 2011, Cooper was given four life sentences for the 1985 double murder of brother and sister Richard and Helen Thomas, and the 1989 double murder of Peter and Gwenda Dixon. He was also sentenced for the rape of a 16-year-old girl and a sexual assault on a 15-year-old girl, both carried out at gunpoint, in March 1996, in woodland behind the Mount Estate, Milford Haven.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the case is the way that Cooper was caught. He appeared on the TV game show Bullseye in May 1989, and footage from the show was later used as evidence against him. His image was compared with a sketch of a suspect in the Dixons’ murder.
Cooper was sentenced to 14 years in 1998 for burglary and robbery, which enabled the police to collect further evidence against him. He was released from prison in January 2009, but through a cold case review and subsequent developments in DNA and forensic science, the police were able to identify Cooper’s shotgun as the murder weapon. He was arrested in May 2009 and convicted in May 2011 for the double murders and sexual assaults.
Overall, the case of John William Cooper is a chilling reminder of the dangers that can lurk in our communities. Through a combination of luck, persistence, and advancements in forensic science, the police were able to bring this serial killer to justice.
