The Netflix documentary “Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story” offers a haunting exploration of one of Britain’s most notorious criminal cases. Detailing the relentless police investigation, it recounts how Gloucestershire officers uncovered the gruesome truth behind the Wests’ decades-spanning spree of torture, rape, and murder.
Between 1967 and 1987, Fred and Rose West committed a series of brutal murders, mostly at their home on Cromwell Street in Gloucester, infamously dubbed the “House of Horrors.” The investigation began intensively when their daughter Heather, aged 16, went missing. Subsequent searches of the property uncovered nine sets of human remains buried in the garden and cellar.
Fred West voluntarily attended police interviews but did not stand trial, taking his own life in prison in January 1995. Rose West was convicted in 1995 of murdering 10 young women and girls, including Heather and her stepdaughter Charmaine. She is currently serving a life sentence.
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The investigation timeline reveals meticulous police work, beginning with warrants issued in February 1994 and progressing through extensive searches, forensic examinations, and multiple interviews with both suspects. Remains of victims were discovered not only at Cromwell Street but also at other locations such as fields near Kempley and 25 Midland Road. Support group officers, skilled detectives, and specialists like Professor Bernard Knight played crucial roles during the painstaking excavation and identification processes.
Throughout the investigation, both Fred and Rose West faced multiple charges with extended remand periods as discoveries unfolded. Fred West ultimately confessed to several murders before retracting confessions, while Rose West consistently denied involvement until her conviction.
The documentary includes exclusive previously unseen police video footage and audio recordings, offering insight into the victims’ families’ decades of anguish. Directed by Dan Dewsbury and executive produced by Dan Chambers, David Herman, and Fiona Stourton, the series shines a light on the horror behind one of the UK’s darkest criminal chapters.
This timeline offers a comprehensive view of the investigation’s key events — from initial suspicions, arrests, and interviews to body recoveries, legal proceedings, and final charges — highlighting the overwhelming scale and complexity faced by the Gloucestershire Constabulary.