Colin Maxwell

Colin Maxwell vanished after going off on an errand on 19 February 1984.

His skeletal remains were found two years later on 19 June 1986 in undergrowth in a garden yards away from his home.

Colin Maxwell vanished after going on an errand for his mother. His body was found two years later by children clearing a back garden in Polworth Road, Streatham. The garden had belonged to some housing association flats.

In the early stages of the investigation, it was thought that Colin Maxwell might have returned to Glasgow at some point to see his grandmother, who lived in McDonald Street, Rutherglen, and it was reported that a sighting of him in the Lochgelly area of Fife had been made in February 1984, with three more sightings of him at a garage in Lochgelly in March 1984.

His inquest was held in September 1986 and a verdict of unlawful killing was returned. However, it was noted that his mother claimed that she had not been informed anytime before the inquest that foul play was suspected, and had not been informed that she could have his remains.

It was noted that his remains were found only yards from his home, but that they were not found in the initial search for him. Colin Maxwell's uncle said:

At the time of his dissapearance, Colin Maxwell had lived with his mother in a new flat at Peabody Estate, Horseferry Road, Westminster.

A 55-year-old man later confessed to his murder in 2002 and was tried, but the court found there was no evidence against him he was acquitted in January 2004. The court heard that when the man confessed to the murder that he had been mentally ill.

The man had been the boyfriend of Colin Maxwell's mother at the time, and living with her, and when he vanished, Colin Maxwell had been sent to the man's former flat to get some food. however, he never returned.

Over the years following the murder the man had been interviewed three times over Colin Maxwell's dissapearance but had denied involvement each time.

Colin Maxwell's body was found near to the house that the man had formerly lived in, but he had told the police that he had left earlier in the morning and didn't see Colin Maxwell.

It was whilst serving serving a sentence in Barlinnie Prison for rape that he told a prison officer he had killed a 13-year-old boy, claiming that he had attacked him with his fists, feet or a weapon on the head. He was said to have been in an emotional state when he made the confession, but to have retracted it two days later, saying that he had just wanted to get out of the unit where he was being held.

It was noted that there was more evidence, other than his confession, but that it was no longer reliable.

It was further noted that when Colin Maxwell's body was found that there was no sign of blood or injury, and that his cause of death could not be established.

The only thing noted about his appearance when found was that his scarf had been knotted tighter than might be expected for someone of his size, it being only 9½ inches in circumference.

The prosecution noted:

When the man made his confession, he said that he killed him 'for no reason'.

It was heard that the man had known Colin Maxwell's mother for some years before his death, and that she had moved back to Scotland from London to start a relationship with him whilst Colin Maxwell stayed with his maternal grandmother in Rutherglen. however, it was heard that the relationship was volatile and that in the latter part of 1983 Colin Maxwell's mother moved back to London with Colin Maxwell and stayed with a man in Horseferry Road, Victoria before sooner after moving to a halfway house in Polworth Road, Streatham.

However, the man followed her to London and Colin Maxwell's mother continued seeing both men. However, two weeks before Colin Maxwell vanished, the two men had a fight, during which the man that lived in Horseferry Road received serious head injuries.

At the time Colin Maxwell vanished, Colin Maxwell's mother had been staying with the man at Horseferry Road and it was there that she sent Colin Maxwell on the errand to Polworth Road on 19 February 1984 from which he never returned.

Folowing his disappearance, the man that confessed was questioned by the police three times, in 1985, 1986 and 1988, having come under suspicion because of his relationship with Colin Maxwell's mother and the fight that took place two weeks before Colin Maxwell vanished.

When he was questioned by the police, he said that he spent the night of 18 February 1984 at Polworth Road, but left early the next morning and had not seen the Colin Maxwell at all.

However, he later voluntarily confessed in January 2002, but soon after retracted his confession.

It was heard that not only was his confession unsafe due to his mental condition at the time, but that his statement was not supported by the medical evidecne , whcih didn't reveal any injuries, and suggested that he had been strangled. When he was asked what he did with Colin Maxwell's body, he said he thought he had dumped the body in a garden.