| John William Cooper | |
|---|---|
Cooper in 2009 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | John William Cooper |
| Also known as | The Bullseye Killer, The Wildman The Game Show Killer |
| Born | 3 September 1944[1] Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, Wales |
| Conviction | 4 murders, |
| Sentence | Life imprisonment |
| Killings | |
| Number of victims: | 4 |
| Span of killings | 1985 – 1989 |
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
| State(s) | South Pembrokeshire |
| Date apprehended | 2009 |
John William Cooper is a serial killer from Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire. On the 26th May 2011 he 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.[2] Cooper 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 gun point, in March 1996, in woodland behind the Mount Estate, Milford Haven.[3]
Cooper had a history of crime, including 30 robberies and violent assault, and a May 1989 appearance on the TV game show Bullseye. Footage from the show was later used as evidence against him, comparing his image with a sketch of a suspect in the Dixons' murder. Cooper was imprisoned for 14 years in 1998 for burglary and robbery, enabling the police to collect further evidence against him. He was released from prison in January 2009. Through a cold case review, and subsequent developments in DNA and forensic science, in April 2009 the police were able to identify Cooper's shotgun as the murder weapon. He was arrested in May 2009 and was convicted in May 2011 for the double murders and sexual assaults. In September 2011, he launched an appeal against his convictions. Unless the appeals are successful, he has no possibility of parole.
On the 22 December 1985, Cooper targeted a three-storey farmhouse at Scoveston Park, killing brother and sister Richard and Helen Thomas, later burning down the house.[3]
In 1989 Peter and Gwenda Dixon were on holiday in Pembrokeshire and were due to take their last walk along the coastal path when they failed to return. Their bodies were later found along the coastal path.[4]