Amelie Delagrange

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Amelie Delagrange (February 2, 1982 - August 20, 2004) was a French-born student living in Twickenham, south-west London, England[1] murdered by Levi Bellfield. Police linked Delagrange's murder with that of Marsha McDonnell and a number of other similar attacks in the south-west London area[2] finally arresting a suspect in 2006.

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[edit] Murder

Delagrange, who had been working in England for two months to improve her English, had spent the evening out with a friend at Cristalz Winebar. Deciding to return home for the night, she boarded a bus shortly before 10 pm. She left the bus after missing her stop at Hampton and asked the bus driver for directions. She began walking back towards her home but was attacked by an unknown assailant while passing through Twickenham Green, where she was assaulted and sustained a severe head injury and was left on a nearby cricket pitch.

Around a half hour later, a passerby discovered her and flagged down a police car. Taken to a nearby hospital, she died from her injuries after midnight. A post-mortem examination revealed her injuries had been caused by an object similar to a hammer or a crowbar.

In the days following Delagrange's murder, police began a large scale campaign investigating similar unsolved murders in south-west London.

[edit] Levi Bellfield

In March 2006, a west London bouncer, Levi Bellfield, was arrested and charged with her murder as well as Marsha McDonnell's murder and a charge of the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. In October 2007, he was put on trial for these offences.[3]

On 25 February 2008, Levi Bellfield was found guilty of the murder of Amelie Delagrange, as well as the other murder and attempted murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he should never be released.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Murder victim 'missed her stop'. BBC (2004-08-21). Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
  2. ^ Student murders linked by police. BBC (2004-09-20). Retrieved on 2007-10-13.
  3. ^ BBC NEWS | England | London | Driver 'left schoolgirl for dead'

[edit] External links