Visitors to the True Crime Museum on Hastings seafront will soon have the opportunity to view a more macabre piece of history: the undergarments of Rose West. Museum curator Joel Griggs has reportedly spent £2,500 to acquire the items, which are associated with one of Britain’s most notorious criminal duos.
Rose West, alongside her husband Fred West, was implicated in the torture, rape, and murder of an undisclosed number of women between 1967 and 1987, predominantly at their home on Cromwell Street in Gloucester. The couple’s horrific acts have left a lasting scar on the communities affected, with the remains of some victims discovered in Much Marcle, Herefordshire—the home area of Fred West.
Speaking to the Mirror, Mr Griggs recounted the unusual acquisition process, revealing, "A prison worker received them from laundry and later offered them to us for a ridiculous amount of money which we turned down. When our 10th anniversary came around, I thought it would be worth contacting the worker again and that resulted in us buying them for £2,500." The undergarments were retrieved from HMP Bronzefield, where Rose West served a prison sentence until 2008. Notably, Lucy Letby, a nurse convicted of murdering multiple infants, is currently incarcerated at the same facility.
The True Crime Museum is also home to a varied assortment of artefacts linked to infamous criminals, including the bath utilized by Bruce George Peter Lee for dismembering six individuals and the skull of triple murderer Louis Lefevre, alongside items associated with the notorious Kray twins. Griggs stated, "An exhibit like this appears banal at first. I think people then realise the connection with something."
The timing of this announcement coincides with a new Netflix documentary titled Fred and Rose West: A British Horror Story, which will feature previously unseen police video and audio recordings. The series aims to explore the impact of the couple's crimes, shedding light on the experiences of the families affected. Directed by Dan Dewsbury and executive produced by Dan Chambers, David Herman, and Fiona Stourton, the documentary promises exclusive insights into the investigation that ultimately revealed the extent of the Wests' criminal activities.
As the museum prepares for the display of West's undergarments, the growing fascination with true crime narratives continues to captivate audiences, prompting reflection on both the historical and psychological implications of such dark aspects of human behaviour.
Source: Noah Wire Services