“I want to have my fun. I need you to get my fun.”
Joanna Dennehy to Gary Stretch, her accomplice
This is one of those cases that is so twisted that it left me flabbergasted. If there was a person that was irredeemably evil, Joanna Dennehy just might be it.
about the killer
Joanna Dennehy is a rare breed of female serial killers in that she came from a stable home. She was born on August 29, 1982, and she grew up in the affluent town in Hertfordshire in England. Dennehy was intelligent and was a good student and athlete. Ironically, at one time, she had plans to attend university to become a lawyer. By all accounts, as a child, Dennehy was a normal, well-adjusted child.
But when she became a teenager, everything began to change. She stopped caring about school and fell in with the “wrong” crowd. By the age of 14, she began dating a man, John Treanor, six years older than she, much to the chagrin of her parents. But when they tried to intervene, she ran away with him. A few weeks later, she was found and brought home, but it wasn’t long before she ran away again.
The relationship between Dennehy and John was tumultuous, but they had two children together. But that didn’t stop her from cheating on him repeatedly. She began to drink heavily, which led to increased self-arm. She carved her arms, torso, and neck, and tattooed a star under her right eye. She also became more and more violent against John, and he eventually left in 2009, taking their children with him.
That was when her criminal history began. At first, it was minor, enough so that local law enforcement was familiar with her. But none of it led anyone to guess that one day she’d become one of England’s most notorious serial killers.[1]Minn, Hayley. “Who Is Serial Killer Joanna Dennehy? The Woman Who Stabbed Five Men ‘for Kicks’ Is Serving Life in Prison.” Mirror UK, 27 July 2017, Mirror UK, … Continue reading
the crime
Joanna Dennehy’s victims were three men, all three of whom were stabbed in Cambridgeshire, England, and later found in ditches outside Peterbourough. But because she couldn’t handle the resulting bodies alone, she enlisted Gary Richards, a known criminal who was infatuated with Dennehy, and a friend of his, Leslie Layton, to help. She told Richards that she didn’t want to kill a woman, especially one with children. She told him she wanted to kill men for fun. Her goal was to kill a total of nine men.
The victims
image: The Times UK
Lucasz Slaboszewski
On March 19, 2013, 31-year-old Lucasz Slaboszewski got a text from Dennehy. They’d met on the streets, and many thought that Lucasz was romantically interested. The text invited him to her flat, where she got him to wear a blindfold, telling him it was “part of a game.” Once his eyes were covered, she stabbed him repeatedly through the heart. Richards and Layton came to her flat with another friend, and together they relocated his body to a garbage bin outside a nearby apartment building. A few days later, they moved the body to the Peterborough ditches. He was found on April 3rd.[2]Philipson, Alice. “Female serial killer admits murdering three men before dumping their bodies in ditches.” The Daily Telegraph. 19 Nov. 2013.
John Chapman
On March 28, 2013, Dennehy visited her neighbor, 56-year-old John Chapman, at his flat, bringing alcohol. She encouraged him to drink until he passed out. Then, using the same knife she’d used on Slaboszewski, she stabbed him six times in the chest. And once again, Richards and Layton dumped the remains in the ditches. He too was found on April 3rd.[3]Philipson, Alice. “Female serial killer admits murdering three men before dumping their bodies in ditches.” The Daily Telegraph. 19 Nov. 2013.
Kevin Lee
The very next day, Dennehy invited Kevin Lee to her flat. Kevin was Dennehy’s landlord, as well as a sometimes lover. She proceeded to stab him in the heart, killing him. She dressed his body in a black sequined dress of hers, and Richards disposed of the body in the ditches. His body was found the next day, on March 30, 2013.[4]Philipson, Alice. “Female serial killer admits murdering three men before dumping their bodies in ditches.” The Daily Telegraph. 19 Nov. 2013.
after the murders
After the murders, Dennehy went on the run with Richards. An appeal was put out, and a police officer and Norfolk saw it and put it together with a petrol theft he was investigating. The car involved with the theft was Kevin Lee’s, after he’d been murdered. The pair committed a series of burglaries, not even trying to hide from CCTV cameras. During their run, the two came across, 63-year-old Robin Bereza. Dennehy attacked him not far from his home, stabbing him twice and leaving him for dead, in broad daylight. That wasn’t enough. Later that same day, she came across 56-year-old John Rogers, attacked him by stabbing him more than 30 times.[5]Donnelly, Tracey. “Is This Britain’s Most Terrifying Female Serial Killer?” Medium, 2 Feb. 2021, Medium, … Continue reading
“Oh, look, you’re bleeding, I’d better do some more”.
Joanna Dennehy to John Rogers as she stabbed him
the capture
Not long after the final attack, Dennehy was captured. She was calm and did not resist. Instead, she was jovial during her booking, flirting and laughing with police, making a series of racially-charged comments. She sang Singing in the Rain as she was led to her cell.[6]Donnelly, Tracey. “Is This Britain’s Most Terrifying Female Serial Killer?” Medium, 2 Feb. 2021, Medium, … Continue reading
the punishment
On November 21, 2013, Joanna Dennehy pled guilty to all charges. On February 28, 2014, she was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole life tariff, or no chance of parole.[7]Donnelly, Tracey. “Is This Britain’s Most Terrifying Female Serial Killer?” Medium, 2 Feb. 2021, Medium, … Continue reading
her mental health
Even before her murder arrests, Joanna Dennehy had been diagnosed with a range of mental health issues, some of them with concerning aspects. During a short stay in the Peterborough City Hospital, she was diagnosed as having an antisocial personality disorder and OCD. Later, once in prison after the murders, she was diagnosed with paraphilia sadomasochism. In other words, she experienced sexual excitement from acts that included the infliction of pain, degradation, or bondage. Whether receiving those things, or giving it. She was also a compulsive liar.[8]Donnelly, Tracey. “Is This Britain’s Most Terrifying Female Serial Killer?” Medium, 2 Feb. 2021, Medium, … Continue reading
some interesting bits and bobs
- The infamous Rose West, who with her husband Fred killed at least 10 women, is incarcerated in the same instution as Dennehy. Within moments of arriving, Dennehy apparently threatened to murder West. Her threat was serious enough that West was taken immediately to solitary and then transferred to another prison the next day.[9]McCaffery, Julie. “‘Just Pure Evil’: Serial Killer Joanna Dennehy Threatened to Kill Rose West within Minutes of Arriving at Same Prison.” Mirror UK, 27 Mar. 2018, Mirror UK, … Continue reading
- Dennehy is a huge fan of The Great British Bake-Off and baker Mary Berry.[10]Sharman, Jonathan. “Serial Killer Joanna Dennehy ‘Religiously Watches Great British Bake-Off’ and Is Massive Fan of Mary Berry.” Mirror UK, 16 Mar. 2016, Mirror UK, … Continue reading
- Joanna Dennehy has been using her time in prison to write horrific erotic fiction about a woman who has sex with men before killing them. She is hoping to have it turned into a movie. A source says that it is less a book than sick rantings.[11]Higgins, Erica D. “Serial Killer Joanna Dennehy Using Prison Time to Write Blood-Soaked Erotic Fiction about Woman Who Has Sex with Men She Murders.” The Sun UK, 14 July 2018, The Sun … Continue reading
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