Stephen Akinmurele
Behind Closed Doors: The Quiet Rage of One of Britain’s Youngest Serial Killers
Stephen Oladimeji K. Akinmurele was a British-Nigerian serial killer whose crimes between 1995 and 1998 targeted elderly victims in Blackpool and the Isle of Man. His case remains one of the most chilling examples of gerontophobic violence in the UK. Though charged with five murders, his suicide in prison prevented a full trial, leaving many questions unanswered.
The tabloids nicknamed him, “The Cul-De-Sac Killer”, and there was also a documentary released in 2018 named, “Murder by the Sea” which depicted the murders Stephen had committed. It was originally released on CBS Reality, clips can now be found on Youtube, if your interested.
Early Life and Childhood
Born in Nigeria on the 16th March 1978, Stephen’s father was of Nigerian descent, and his mother was a white British woman. Akinmurele moved to the Isle of Man with his mother in 1988 after an alleged breakdown in the relationship between her and Akinmurele’s father.
By the age of 11-years-old, he had already committed crimes against older individual’s in his community. It’s not know whether this took place in Nigeria, or in the Isle of Man. It’s also not known what type of crimes were committed.
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His childhood was marked by emotional instability, social isolation, and early signs of mental illness. Teachers and peers noted his violent tendencies and a disturbing hatred toward elderly people, which later became a defining feature of his crimes. There are multiple reports mentioning the history of violence displayed against the elderly from a young age, but it’s not known whether he was ever questioned about this in his youth.
This early behavior is often cited as part of his psychological profile, indicating a long-standing pathological hatred of elderly people, but the records from his time in Nigeria are either not documented publicly or were never formally investigated.
He later moved to Blackpool, where he worked as a barman and lived a seemingly normal life. However, beneath the surface, he harbored a deep-seated resentment and rage that would manifest in a series of brutal murders.
Blackpool, United Kingdom
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First Murder: Marjorie Ashton (72), Isle of Man
There is very little public information on Majorie. What we do know is Majorie was 72-years-old, and lived in Ballasalla, a quiet village on the Isle of Man. It’s unknown if Majorie had been widowed, or if she had any children or living loved ones when she was brutally slain by Akinmurele. We also have no idea what ethnicity or race Majorie was, or if this played a part in the killing.
Majorie was strangled in her home in May 1995, similar to the other cases you will read in this article, there is no publicly available information to tell us whether Majorie was strangled manually, or if something was used to strangle her. There is no public information on whether or not she was sexually assaulted, and no evidence available to tell us whether or not Akinmurele had broken into her flat.
Originally, Majorie’s death had been treated as a sudden, unexplained death, her body had been discovered after a fire in her property which Akinmurele admitted to starting. Akinmurele confessed to murdering her when he was arrested in 1998, which led to the case being reopened and reclassified, this will be a reocurring theme throughout this article.
Her murder was the earliest known killing linked to Akinmurele and was considered the only unsolved murder on the Isle of Man in recent years until he was charged in 1998. Her death helped investigators establish a pattern of targeting elderly women living alone.
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Second Murder: Dorothy Harris (68), Isle of Man
Dorothy Harris was a 68-year-old woman who lived alone in her flat on Glashen Terrace, Ballasalla, Isle of Man. She was described as being partially blind and deaf which made her extremely vulnerable. There is no known further information about Dorothy or her personal life. It’s unknown if she was married or widowed, whether or not she had children, or what race or ethnicity is, which is a frustrating theme throughout this case.
Akinmurele, similar to the deaths of his other victims, Majorie, and Jemimah, deliberately set fire to Dorothy’s flat in order to cover his tracks. Similar to these cases, the police had not ruled Dorothy’s slaying as a murder originally, instead treating it as accidental. It was only when Akinmurele was arrested in November 1998, that he confessed that he’d murdered her and the case was reopened and reclassified.
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Given the motive Akinmurele seemed to use with these victims was strangulation, it’s believed that Dorothy was also strangled, and that he had broken into her home unlawfully and deliberately in order to harm her. Investigators fully believed that Dorothy was targeted because of how vulnerable she was.
Third Murder: Jemimah Cargill (75), Blackpool
Jemimah Cargill, aged 75, was Akinmurele’s former landlady. She lived in a flat on Caunce Street, Blackpool. She was a retired civil servant and was believed to have been widowed, however, there is very little information available to clarify this. It’s not known if Jemimah had children, or grandchildren. There is also no public information available to clarify what ethnicity Jemimah was.
Jemimah was murdered in October 1998 by strangulation, it’s not known whether Akinmurele used a makeshift noose, or if it was the result of manual strangulation. It’s believed Akinmurele set fire to her flat to cover his tracks and destroy evidence.
Initially, the fire was considered accidental, but upon reinvestigation it was ruled that the fire had been set intentionally. Her body was found among the debris after the fire was extinguished. Her death had not been deemed as suspicious until Akinmurele later confessed to killing her, leading to the case being reopened and reclassified as a homicide.
There is no publicly available details about specific injuries beyond the strangulation and fire damage, and no evidence of sexual assault or burglary has been reported in connection with her death.
Fourth and Fifth Murders: Eric (77) and Joan Boardman (74), Blackpool
Eric Boardman (77) and his wife Joan (74) lived in a quiet street on Seafield Road, Blackpool, UK. They had three children, Philip, Antony and Marilyn.
Stephen had gained entrance to their home by breaking in, the exact method of entry has not been publicly released. Once he was inside, he waited silently downstairs until the victims descended the stairs. There’s no indication of any prior relationship with the Boardman’s and reports state that his entry into the property was unauthorised and deliberate, which would become a consistent pattern when targeting his eldery victims, all of whom lived in a quiet residental area.
It’s believed he targeted Joan, first, strangling her when she entered the livingroom. It’s not publicly known if Akinmurele used manual strangulation, or some kind of makeshift noose to murder Joan. There was no sign of sexual assault.
Unfortunately, there are no images available of the real Mr and Mrs Broadman
Eric was then repeatedly bludgeoned with a cosh made of six torch batteries wrapped together with masking tape. The weapon was later found underneath Eric’s body, and he was found under a wardrobe. The cosh was a key piece of evidence in this particular case. There was also no sign Eric had not been sexually assaulted, but there was clear evidence of head, facial and neck injuries.
The time of death has not been released, but it is believed they were killed late at night, or early in the morning. On the 30th October 1998 their bodies were found by their heartbroken daughter, Marilyn, and the police were notified.
As far as those involved with the case could tell, there was no evidence that burglary had been the motive. It’s believed the murders were borne out of Akinmurele’s pathological hatred of the elderly.
Eric and Joan left behind their three living children, and at least one grandchild.
Sixth and Final Victim
Whilst Akinmurele was officially only charged with five murders, he had actually confessed to an additional three murders. One of these included a “rambler” on the Isle of Man. He claimed that this body was buried in a makeshift grave on a cliff. All that is known about this victim is that he was a male, which didn’t fit the usual MO of Akinmurele.
Investigators searched extensively, without success. The body of this sixth victim has never been found. They later speculated that these confessions may have been made to intentionally mislead them about his true motives.
Police Finally Caught Up
Akinmurele was arrested on the 1st of November 1998, just two days after the murders of the Broadman’s. He was charged with their murders, first, before he then admitted to the murders of Jemimah, Dorothy and Majorie. The crime scene of the Broadman’s had provided crucial forensic evidence, the key piece of evidence being the homemade cosh.
He was due to stand trial in September 1999 for all five murders, as the sixth victim had not been recovered, he was not charged with his murder, or the others he had admitted to, due to lack of evidence.
Before Akimurele stood before a judge and jury, as well as the victims families, he committed suicide via hanging in HMP Manchester (the infamous Strangeaways prison) on the 28th August 1999. He was just 21-years-old when he took his life. He was able to hang himself using a ligature tied to a window in his cell. The death meant there was no justice served for the victims and their families, and all the questions were left unanswered.
It was alleged that Akinmurele was already under suicide watch whilst in prison, as he had attempted it several times before, in his suicide note he expressed remorse for the killings, but did not give a motive.
Prior Red Flags with Akinmurele’s Mental Health
Akinmurele had twice attempted suicide whilst in custody, even his girlfriend at the time alerted the police that Akinmurele was mentally unstable and a risk to himself. She stated that he told her that he regretted getting caught and had no desire to face trial for the crimes he committed.
The first attempt at suicide was an overdose of medication, which landed him in the prison’s health care ward, under self harm watch. Whilst on the ward, it was discovered he had a sharpened toothbrush and was fantasizing about taking a female member of prison staff, hostage. He was released back into a segregated wing, where staff were supposed to keep an eye on him as he was still under suicide watch. However, two short days later, he managed to complete suicide, which raised serious questions about the effectiveness of the monitoring protocols in place.
The prison psychiatrist told investigators that Akinmurele had admitted to being haunted by the images of his victims, and admitted he constantly thought about murder. He had written in a note (not clear if this was to his psychatrist, or someone else), “I know it’s not right always thinking like this, but it’s always on my mind… I feel for them, but it doesn’t mean I won’t do this again.”
Inquest Findings
The inquest into Akinmurele’s death concluded with a verdict of suicide, but it also revealed troubling details about how he was able to take his own life despite being under suicide watch.
Key Findings from the Inquest:
Mental Health Struggles: Akinmurele was described as being tormented by his obsession with murder. He had previously told a prison psychiatrist that he was haunted by images of his victims and constantly thought about killing
Suicide Attempts and Warnings:
He had attempted suicide twice before his death.
His girlfriend warned prison authorities that he was a danger to himself, stating he didn’t want to go to trial and wished the police had never found him
Security Failures:
After a suicide attempt via medication overdose, he was placed in the prison’s health care ward under self-harm watch.
Staff later discovered he had sharpened a toothbrush and was fantasizing about taking a female staff member hostage.
Despite these red flags, he was moved back to the segregated wing, still under suicide watch.
Two days later, he was found hanged by a ligature tied to a window in his cell
Suicide Note:
Akinmurele left a note to his mother expressing his inability to cope with his mental state:
“I couldn't take any more of feeling like how I do now, always wanting to kill.”
The inquest highlighted systemic failures in monitoring and managing high-risk inmates, especially those with severe psychological issues. Despite multiple warnings and clear signs of danger, protocols failed to prevent his suicide.
Psychological Analysis of Akinmurele
According to psychologists Akinmurele’s psychological profile was made up of the following conditions:
Gerontophobia - A pathological hatred or fear of elderly people. This was evident in his choice of victims - all elderly and vulnerable.
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) - His manipulation, initial lack of remorse, and violent behaviour are all traits of ASPD. His suicide note, whilst depicting remorse, claimed he couldn’t control his urges and would likely kill again.
Possible Schizophrenia or Psychosis - His confessions included delusional elements, such as the claims he had committed additional murders with no evidence, which suggested possible psychotic episodes or breaks.
Suicidal Ideation and Depression - He attempted suicide multiple times before succeeding, indicating severe mental distress.
Conclusion
Akinmurele’s crimes were driven by a complex mix of psychological disorders, deep-seeded hatred, and emotional instability. There is a huge question mark on whether something in his childhood prompted these violent tendencies.
His victims were elderly, vulnerable, and brutally attacked for no reason, they were innocent, and often in the supposed safety and comfort of their own homes.
Although his life ended before justice could be served in Court, his case remains a haunting example and reminder of the dangers of untreated mental illness, and the devastating impact of unresolved trauma.