Alex Hanscombe, the son of murdered Rachel Nickell, has spoken about the traumatic moment he told his father that his mother was dead. He was just two years old when he witnessed her brutal killing on Wimbledon Common in 1992.
Alex was found clinging to his mother's body, having stuck a piece of paper on her like a plaster in a desperate attempt to 'make mummy better'. Despite his young age, he provided police with an accurate account of the attack, which helped their investigation.
After the murder, Alex and his father André Hanscombe moved to France and then Spain to start anew. Alex suffered night terrors and struggled during his teenage years, but eventually reconciled with his father after moving to London to study music.
For years, Alex believed the falsely accused Colin Stagg was guilty. However, in 2008, the real killer, Robert Napper, was convicted of manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. Napper, a paranoid schizophrenic, is detained indefinitely in Broadmoor Hospital.
Remarkably, Alex expressed no anger towards Napper after learning about his traumatic upbringing and psychiatric history. He has since written a book about his experience, titled 'Letting Go: A True Story of Murder, Loss and Survival'.
