Shivangi Sinha
Heather West lived with her parents and seven siblings in Gloucester in Gloucestershire, England, during the 1980s. After completing school, she informed her friends that she had secured a job in Torquay, England, but after June 1987, no one heard from her again. Her parents claimed that she had run away and wouldn’t return. Her sudden disappearance raised suspicions, and when the police began investigating Fred and Rose West in February 1994, Heather was the first person they inquired about. The episode titled ‘The West Murders’ of Peacock’s ‘World’s Most Notorious Killer’ explores the investigation and eventual capture of those responsible for her fate.
Heather Ann West’s Parents Told Her Siblings She Ran Away From Home
Heather Ann West was born in the UK on October 17, 1970, to Rose Letts and Fred West as the couple lived in a two-story house on Midland Road in Gloucester in Gloucestershire, England. At the time of her birth, her parents were not yet married, and she spent her early months with Fred’s two daughters from a previous marriage, Charmaine and Anne. After Fred’s release from prison in June 1971, her parents got married, and in 1972, they moved to a house on Cromwell Street in Gloucester. By 1983, Heather had seven younger siblings, but she was particularly close to the older two, Mae June and Stephen.
It is unclear whether Heather completed high school, but she was no longer attending after 1986. She had expressed to friends and siblings her desire to leave home and start working independently. Heather set her sights on a job at a holiday camp in Torquay, England, where she hoped to work as a chalet cleaner. Those close to her were excited about this opportunity, but on June 18, 1987, she revealed that her application had been rejected. Devastated, Heather cried throughout the night. Her siblings saw her acting normally the following morning, June 19, before leaving for school, but when they returned home, she was no longer there.
Heather’s parents, Fred and Rose West, told her siblings that she had run away and would not be returning. They claimed she had a girlfriend and wanted to be with her, so Heather would not stay in touch with the family. Although Fred and Rose occasionally received calls from her, none of the siblings ever heard Heather’s voice again after she left. On February 23, 1994, police discovered Heather’s remains buried under the patio of the Wests’ home. The cause of her death was determined to be strangulation and suffocation. The investigation into her apparent murder uncovered far more disturbing truths than anyone could have imagined.
Heather West Told Her Friends That She Was Being Abused
One of the primary reasons the police initially came to Fred and Rose West’s house on Cromwell Street was due to reports of alarming behavior toward their children. One of their daughters had informed the police that she was being abused but was hesitant to testify. She also revealed that her parents often threatened her, telling her to obey or she would “end up under the patio like Heather.” Following these allegations, the police arrested Fred and Rose, launching a full investigation into the horrific events that had taken place in their home.
The other siblings revealed that they had all endured abuse in their parents’ home. Heather, Mae June, and Stephen had even made a pact to support one another. They alleged that both Fred and Rose had been sexually abusing Heather, leaving her deeply distressed from a young age. Heather had begun confiding in her school friends about the abuse, and when her parents found out, they had beaten her. At school, her teachers and friends noticed troubling signs—Heather was reluctant to shower after sports and exhibited a general reluctance to follow the rules, raising further concern about her well-being.
Heather’s Parents Had Orchestrated Fake Calls From Her to Keep up the Ruse
Heather West had attempted to run away from home, and she started applying for jobs to escape the toxic environment that was negatively affecting her. She realized that in order to survive, she needed to find a new path in life. Her half-sister, Anna Marie, had similarly fled the household in 1979, and when she and her husband later encountered Heather, she offered her help. However, Heather warned them that their father would kill them all if they ever confronted him. When the police initially questioned Fred and Rose West about their eldest daughter’s whereabouts, they maintained their story that Heather had run away.
Fred and Rose West had further claimed that Heather had become a sex worker and wouldn’t return home. After Heather’s remains were discovered, the police were able to track down individuals whom Fred and Rose had instructed to call the family, pretending to be Heather. This evidence, combined with the testimonies of the other children, confirmed the fate Heather had suffered. Both Fred and Rose were charged with the crime and faced the judicial system. In Fred’s final letter to Rose, he expressed his love for Heather and wished she was at peace with her half-sister.
Read More: Rose West: Where is the Serial Killer Now?
