Serial killer Rose West spends her days in isolation and has become increasingly frail in her older age, it has been revealed.
Along with her husband, Fred, the couple tortured, raped and murdered an unknown number of women between 1967 and 1987, mostly at their home in Cromwell Street, Gloucester which became known as the “House of Horrors”.
The couple remain two of Britain’s most prolific serial killers, alongside Manchester doctor Harold Shipman and “The Yorkshire Ripper” Peter Sutcliffe.
Fred West, who was charged with murdering 12 young women and girls, committed suicide while in custody on New Year’s Day 1995. Rose, however, faced trial and was found guilty in 1995 of killing 10 women and girls including her 16-year-old daughter Heather and eight-year-old stepdaughter Charmaine.
Three decades later, now 71, Rose remains an inmate at women’s only HMP New Hall in West Yorkshire and has since changed her name to Jennifer Jones to disassociate herself from her serial killer husband.
New details of her life in prison suggest that she spends most of her days alone in her cell, knitting and watching nature documentaries.
It is understood she now finds it difficult to walk and rarely leaves her wing, though she can sometimes be seen sitting in the common areas on her own.
Other inmates, who are aware of her real identity, have reportedly spurned any attempts at friendship, according to The Sun.
“No one talks to her because everyone knows who she is and what she did, even if she has changed her name,” a source told the newspaper.
“When I was there, she tried to make friends with the other women and gave them gifts, like vapes, but she was rejected.”
Since she abandoned her attempts to appeal her conviction in 2001, Rose is understood to be resigned to dying in the prison, according to The Sun.
Rose West is one of 36 women serving life sentences at HMP New Hall and one of around a dozen over the age of 60.
She is said to be “very set in her ways” and is allegedly “abusive” to prison guards when she doesn’t get her own way.
A new Netflix documentary delves into the story of Fred and Rose West and features “previously unseen police video and unheard audio recordings”.
Fred & Rose West: A British Horror Story hears from the families impacted by the couple’s murderous spree, and explains how Gloucestershire Constabulary uncovered their crimes.
