Shivangi Sinha
In June 2017, police were called to a crime scene in Chatham, England, where they discovered Molly McLaren suffering from severe bleeding caused by multiple stab wounds. Despite emergency responders’ efforts to revive her with CPR, she was pronounced dead at the scene. While the perpetrator was quickly identified, understanding the motive behind the attack and the events leading up to it proved far more complex. Lifetime’s ‘Sleeping With a Killer: Molly McLaren’ examines the case in detail, tracing the sequence of events that culminated in this crime.
Molly McLaren Was Stabbed While Sitting Inside Her Car
Molly Joanne McLaren was born on May 26, 1994, in Cobham, England. To her parents, Doug and Joanne McLaren, she was a true “ray of sunshine,” and her older brother, Tom McLaren, equally adored her. She was a deeply sensitive person and she faced challenges in her teenage years when she was diagnosed with bulimia. Throughout this period, her family remained steadfast in their support, ensuring she received the medical care she needed. She overcame this difficult chapter with their support and also her own strength. By 2015, Molly had become an advocate for self-love and was enrolled at the University of Kent, where she was studying Exercise, Sport, and Health Education.
Molly was flourishing in college and possessed a natural passion for academics. She aspired to build a career in fitness instruction and was performing well in her studies. However, on June 29, 2017, at around 12:15 pm, police responded to reports of an attack on a car in the Dockside Outlet Shopping Centre car park in Chatham, England. When officers arrived, Molly was in critical condition. Despite efforts to administer CPR, she was pronounced dead at the scene. She had been stabbed more than 75 times and did not survive the brutal assault. Molly was found still inside her car, with the window shattered by a knife used during the attack.
Molly McLaren Had Been Harassing Her For Several Days
In late 2016, while she was in college, Molly McLaren joined Tinder and met Joshua Stimpson, a warehouse worker from Wouldham, near Rochester. Although the relationship initially appeared happy, it soon became unhealthy. Joshua was allegedly controlling and it was something Molly was unwilling to tolerate. She ended the relationship on June 15, 2017, not knowing what would follow. After the breakup, Joshua began sending her messages on Facebook and made multiple derogatory allegations against her in public. Concerned for her safety, Molly went to the police with her mother to file a complaint. On June 20, police visited Joshua at his home, where they warned him and informed him that he could face prosecution if the harassment continued.
However, his behavior continued to escalate. He began following and stalking Molly, repeatedly showing up at places she visited and sending degrading messages about her to her friends and family. Molly returned to the police on June 27, but no formal action was taken against Joshua at that time. On June 29, 2017, Molly was at her gym when she noticed that Joshua had arrived there as well. She immediately called her mother, who urged her to leave and come home. Molly was in her car in the shopping centre car park when Joshua smashed the passenger-side window, climbed inside, and attacked her.
It was Molly’s screams and pleas that drew the attention of people nearby and prompted them to call the police. After the attack, Joshua calmly washed his hands in a nearby fountain and waited at the scene for officers to arrive. He was found in possession of three Stanley knives, and investigators later recovered CCTV footage showing him purchasing the knives several days before the murder. His phone revealed internet searches that pointed to an escalating obsession, and he later admitted that intrusive, violent thoughts had driven him to carry out the attack.
Joshua Stimpson is Behind Bars in England Today
Joshua Stimpson pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. In his defense, he claimed that childhood abandonment by his parents had left him with a heightened sensitivity to rejection and argued that the killing was not premeditated, portraying himself as a victim of his circumstances. However, this plea was rejected after psychiatric experts testified that there was no evidence to support diminished responsibility in his case. In February 2018, Stimpson was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 26 years. He remains incarcerated and is expected to spend many years in His Majesty’s Prison.
You must be logged in to post a comment.