Netflix’s ‘The Murder of Rachel Nickell’ is a true crime documentary film that deals with the horrific crimes of Robert Napper, who killed Rachel Nickell, Samantha Bisset, and Jazmine Bisset in the London area in the 1990s. The detectives originally identified another man as the killer of Rachel, but DNA evidence ultimately linked Robert to the case. As they delved deeper into the perpetrator’s life, they uncovered a dark past and the possibility of his involvement in many other crimes in the area.
Robert Napper Was Allegedly Involved in Over 100 Sex Crimes
Born on February 25, 1966, to Brian and Pauline in Erith, London, Robert Clive Napper grew up in a dysfunctional household in the Plumstead area of London, alongside his three siblings — two brothers and a sister. It is alleged that his father was abusive towards his mother, which ultimately led to their divorce when he was just nine years old. After being placed in foster care, he and his siblings underwent psychiatric treatment at the Maudsley Hospital in Camberwell for about six years. At the age of 13, he was allegedly sexually assaulted by a family friend during a camping holiday. According to his mother, his personality underwent a drastic change as he began bullying his siblings and spying on his sister.
Robert’s first run-in with the law enforcement came in 1986 when he was found in possession of an airgun, for which he was fined and granted a conditional discharge. In October 1989, he also reportedly admitted to raping a woman on Plumstead Common, but since the police found no case matching the evidence, they let him go. Not long after, his mother disowned him. Although he maintained his innocence, the authorities alleged that he was responsible for more than 100 sex crimes, including rape and indecent assault, along London’s Green Chain Walk. Still in his 20s, Robert stabbed a young mother named Rachel Jane Nickell about 49 times in front of her son, Alex Hanscombe, on July 15, 1992, on Wimbledon Common in Southwest London.
The investigation led the detectives to wrongfully arrest and charge Colin Francis Stagg for Rachel’s homicide. More than a year after Rachel’s killing, on November 6, 1993, Robert stabbed 27-year-old Samantha Bisset to death before sexually assaulting her in her Plumstead home. He also killed her 4-year-old daughter, Jazmine Bisset. His fingerprint was found at Samantha’s flat, which led to his arrest in May 1994. After spending over a year in police custody, Colin was acquitted as the judge ruled the evidence inadmissible. In October 1995, Robert was convicted of the double homicide and also reportedly admitted to two rapes and two attempted rapes. He was also suspected of being responsible for Rachel’s murder. Upon being questioned about the same in December 1995, he denied having anything to do with it.
Robert Napper Remains at a Psychiatric Hospital in Berkshire, England
Rachel’s homicide case went cold until it was reopened in 2002 after the advent of advanced forensic techniques. A couple of years later, Robert was identified as a possible suspect in the case. He was eventually charged with it on November 28, 2007, after DNA testing linked him to the murder. At the time, he was being held at the Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire, England, as he had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. In January 2008, he pleaded not guilty to killing Rachel but ended up pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility on December 18 of the same year.
Robert also confessed to four other instances of attacks on women. Ultimately, he was sentenced to indefinite detention at Broadmoor Hospital. It was reported that the detectives were going to interview the convicted killer about his possible involvement in the killings of three other women — Claire Tiltman, Penny Bell, and Jean Bradley. According to reports, in 2013, he received multiple death threats from other patients at the hospital. He has been reported to be a model inmate who participates in board games and plays sports. Currently in his 60s, Robert is still in the custody of the authorities at Broadmoor Hospital.
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