Assignment: “I ain’t got no body”.
Can a person be convicted of murder if no body has ever been recovered? We know that many missing persons are runaways. Find and write about a case where someone was convicted of murder without a body ever being located
1. The Murder of Helen McCourt (1988):
Helen McCourt, a 22-year-old insurance clerk from Merseyside, England, disappeared on February 9, 1988, after getting off a bus near her home. Despite extensive searches, her body was never found. Ian Simms, a local pub landlord, was arrested and subsequently convicted of her murder based on substantial circumstantial and DNA evidence, making it one of the first UK cases to secure a murder conviction without a body. Simms maintained his innocence and never revealed the location of McCourt’s body. This case led to the introduction of the Prisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) Act 2020, commonly known as “Helen’s Law,” which aims to ensure that offenders who withhold information about their victims’ remains may face stricter parole conditions.
Requirements: 4 page minimum, double-spaced, references
Be as specific as possible.
Papers are graded on their originality, content, clarity, and proper use of references