The depraved killer of schoolgirl Sarah Payne used a chilling ‘hide and seek’ ruse to lure the eight-year-old to her death, a shocking new account has revealed.
Paedophile Roy Whiting, now serving a life sentence, snatched Sarah from a country lane in Kingston Gorse, West Sussex, on 1st July 2000. Her disappearance sparked one of the largest manhunts in UK history before her body was discovered 16 days later.
According to a powerful new book, ‘Sarah Payne: A Mother’s Story’ by author and former detective Howard Jackson, Whiting’s method of abduction was calculated and deceitful. He is said to have engaged the young girl in a twisted game, exploiting a child’s innocence to commit his horrific crime.
The calculated deception used by Whiting highlights the predatory nature of this evil monster, said a source close to the investigation. It was a premeditated act designed to gain her trust without raising alarm.
Sarah had been playing with her brothers and sister near her grandparents' home when she was targeted. The new details offer a harrowing insight into the final moments before her abduction, a case that horrified the nation and led to the creation of Sarah’s Law, allowing public access to information about convicted sex offenders.
Whiting, a known sex offender at the time, was convicted of her murder and kidnap in 2001. He was given a whole-life tariff, meaning he will never be released from prison.
The revelation serves as a grim reminder of the case that forever changed how child safety is approached in the UK, and the enduring pain suffered by Sarah's family, particularly her mother Sara who became a tireless campaigner in her daughter's memory.
