Police fear Bullseye killer who executed 4 people may have another secret victim

The detective that brought down serial killer John Cooper fears he could have had another victim.

Vile Cooper, 76, is currently serving a life sentence for the execution style killings of four people in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, in the 1980s.

Handyman Cooper got away with the murders for decades until DS Steve Wilkins, 61, took over serious crime at Dyfed-Powys police in 2006 and launched a cold case review.

Developments in DNA and forensic science saw Cooper convicted in 2011 of shooting dead Peter and Gwenda Dixon on a coastal path in Little Haven,

Pembrokeshire in 1989.

Cooper, right, was given four life sentences

His appearance on TV quiz show Bullseye was used as crucial evidence to match him to witness descriptions.

He was also found guilty of murdering sister and brother Helen and Richard Thomas in their home near Milford Haven in 1985 as well as a string of other offences including rape.

But DS Wilkins, who is now retired, still wonders to this day if Cooper could have killed his elderly neighbour Flo Evans.

Mrs Evans, who was in her 70s when she died, was mentioned by Cooper in his defence evidence and he and his late wife Pat lived nearby and would visit her at her small farm house to do odd jobs.

 

Victims (l-r) Victims Peter and Gwenda Dixon and brother and sister Richard and Helen Thomas

She died soon after holidaymakers Peter and Gwenda Dixon were murdered by Cooper on the Pembrokeshire coastal path in 1989.

The body of the widow, who was in her 70s, was found fully clothed in the bath.

Mr Wilkins explained: “There a few theories that Cooper could have killed others but the thing about him for me is he had a hunting ground, a geographical footprint.

“He offended in areas he knew. He offended in areas he knew because he was confident in moving about and in his escape roots.

“If you look at a map of all of his offending it is like looking at bicycle wheel and his house right in the middle on the spoke it is quite unbelievable.

“So he may have been linked to other crimes but there is no logical geographical or comparable link in my mind.

“However in his arrogance he would bring things in to interview which told us where to look.

“And there was a person he mentioned in interview that he used to do some work for called Flo Evans who lived nearby.

“Now Flo Evans was found fully clothed, drowned in her bath, and the coroner put it down to accidental death saying she must have fallen in and drowned.

“I know that Cooper had been at her house on the day she died – that troubles me greatly.”

Her niece Jean Murphy has previously confirmed that her aunt was friendly with Cooper and his wife, and that he would visit and do odd jobs for her.

She also said Mrs Evans never took baths, and that her aunt would not have had any hot water at the time of her death, as no fire had been lit in the kitchen.

However Mr Wilkins admits they never had had enough evidence to charge Cooper with the crime.

He said: “Unfortunately because it was a coroner’s case there were no forensic exhibits to examine but he (Cooper) raised Florence Evans in his interview, he actually started to talk about her, why would you do that?

“He brought it up in relation to the murder of Helen and Richard Thomas.

“Helen was home alone but Richard came back and there was a struggle by the car door outside and Cooper brought up the fact he used to work for Flo and how Richard Thomas came by one day while he was there in his car and he helped him fetch something from the back.

“So he is thinking that will explain the fingerprints on Richard’s car door but at the same time he is putting himself in Flo’s house – why would he do that?

“Although I can never prove it the circumstances of her death trouble me to this day.”

Mr Wilkins’ dramatic six year investigation into Cooper, which took in evidence from beyond the grave and even an appearance by Cooper on popular TV quiz show Bullseye, has now been made into a three-part drama starring Luke Evans and Keith Allen set to be aired on ITV next month (Jan).

• The Pembrokeshire Murders airs on ITV on 11th, 12th and 13th January at 9pm. ‘The Pembrokeshire Murders’ by Steve Wilkins and Jonathan Hill is published by Seven Dials Paperback on January 7.