Serial Killer Documentary - A Predator Hidden in Plain Sight - Robert Howard

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1:03Excludes fully electric vehicles applied to 2026 model-year vehicles non-transferable, visit MoPAR.com for complete details on a copy of the powertrain limited warranty. Cummins is a Registered Trademarks of FCAUS LLC. In August 1994, in the town of Castle Durg, Northern Ireland, 50-year-old Arlene Arkinson went out to a disco and never came home. I just wished that I said no, I need to go, please, to go. The last person to see Arlene was 50-year-old Robert Howard. He was in a relationship with Arlene's friend's mother and they convicted sex offender. This is part of his pattern going to a place infiltrating himself with people, often people that had young daughters. He would attract children to his flat at one, named calling the Pied Piper.

2:05Arlene's disappearance went unsolved. Seven years later, another teenager went missing in Southeast London. It's doing my mind the last word she said to me. My love you and I'll never leave you. When Hannah Williams' body was found a year later, all roads led to Robert Howard. We put his name into the police national computer and was staggered to find what we would describe as a career sexual offender. Though it took decades to bring him to justice, Robert Howard was finally proven to be one of the world's most evil killers. Robert Howard was a serial sex offender who prayed on vulnerable women and girls for over

3:1735 years. Howard was a prolific, predatory sex offender and had been a sex offender from a very, very young age. He was someone who everywhere he went would have an interest in young girls and then eventually that would become difficult for him so he would move on and he would just do it somewhere else. Though there was plenty of suspicion along the way, it would take years for the true horror of Howard's crimes to be uncovered. There's no doubt night that hired, modern dining. Why did there you see that hanging up away with that? He was in the field for assaulting a North Bay, a public inquiry to examine all of us. This killer story begins on the 20th of April 1944.

4:20Robert Howard was born into a large family in the tiny rural community of Wolf Hill in the Republic of Ireland. Howard would come to be known as Wolfman and later gave himself a middle name, Les Arian. His name was Robert Les Arian Heard and Les Arian as an aim of a mythical chader killer. From early childhood, Howard rarely attended school and soon turned his attention to making money any way he could. His first acknowledged burglary came when he was 13 and he was sent away. Remember we're talking about Ireland in the 1950s and he put into Catholic institutions and in recent years we've come to know that those were sometimes difficult and dangerous places to be. Robert Howard came out of the institution at the age of 16 but wasn't welcome back into the bosom of his family. Howard was forced to live as a vagrant, staying in local barns, sheds and other derelict buildings

5:26in the countryside around Wolf Hill. Robert Les Arian That is an incredibly young and vulnerable age to suddenly find yourself having to look after yourself completely. Robert Les Arian He had a nomadic difficult background and no question of that and I think he was someone who was continually and difficult as a lawyer. At one point he was actually effectively forced to leave Ireland and go to the UK. By the age of 21 Howard was living in London where in 1965 he committed his first known sexual offense. He broke into a house and tried to rape a six year old girl.

6:28He got away at that point. It returned a week later and was caught. He got nine days forced to for that. This slap on the wrist did nothing to deter Howard. He was deported back to the Republic of Ireland but quickly returned. He returns to the UK and in 1969 at the age of 24 he breaks into the home of a young married woman in Durham in the north of England and tries to rape her. She clearly fought with him, ran into the street seeking help. The attacks are in grabs around the throat in the street in front of people who were coming to her aid. Now that's a really serious escalation. Howard was sentenced to six years in HMP Franklin but served only three. On his release he moved to the Republic of Ireland and began reoffending.

7:33From that point on Howard went on a litany of sexual offending. He was someone who was continually prosecuted for a number of serious offenses. The point here being that is not somebody who was below the radar. In May 1973 Howard attacks a 58 year old woman who breaks into a house. He reaps her, so it reminds us that leaves her tied to the bed and drives off in her car. He is arrested for that offense and he's arrested in an airport so he's probably trying to leave the country again to escape. This time he's actually exposed to a psychiatrist and the psychiatrist says he's softly spoken. He's courteous. You could never imagine that he would do anything violent. The psychiatrist knew full well that Howard had an interest in teenage guards and described

8:36Howard as an explosive psychopath. Howard was sentenced to ten years in jail. Upon his release eight years later the 38 year old showed himself once again to be a wolf in sheep's clothing. He had a propensity to befriend people and to befriend vulnerable people. The fiend is way into their home. Not long after his release Howard marries a young woman and they have a relationship for three years. That marriage was never going to be anything but abusive. Probably that was simply to trap her as this ever present victim. After the marriage broke down Howard settled in Castle Durg, a small town in County Tyrone near the Irish border. They did have a period of time where it was living in a caravan.

9:37There's an allegation of the case whereby he kept a lady captive. She was a vulnerable woman. He befriended in Dublin and invited to stay with him. He was 47 years old. She was 22. He keeps a prisoner there for three weeks, raping her repeatedly. She was actually rescued by her family, not by the police. There's a huge reluctance into an island for people to go to the police. You didn't think you'd be believed. Thought that you might end up under suspicion yourself. Eventually the police were told many years after this event but they didn't press charges. They believed she was too vulnerable to give evidence. Howard moved to a flat in the centre of Castle Durg and started a friendship with a woman who had a teenage daughter. It's very common in cases like this where a man has an interest in younger people that

10:38he will often become a very trusted friend of the family which gives them access to abuse young girls. This girlfriend seemed to suspect his true intentions. She actually commented that she was aware he was more interested in younger girls than in women. Howard began to befriend his girlfriend's daughter and her friends, one of whom was a 16-year-old girl. Robert Howard had lured this young girl to his flat in Main Street Castle Durg on the pretence of meeting the taxi driver who the young girl wanted to meet and perhaps go out with. When she got into his flat she complained of her head ache and he gave her tablets. The next thing she knew she woke up naked in his bed with a ligature around her neck. He effectively drugged her and kept her captive and he rapes her repeatedly.

11:40Very much as he'd done with all of her young women from Dublin. On the third day of this nightmare when Howard had fallen asleep the girl jumped out of a second floor window. She reported everything to the police. They did arrest Howard. And what did Howard say? Yeah, all of that happened. But it was with consent. Howard was charged but let out on bail. He was free to continue praying on teenage girls and his next attack could leave no victim to testify. It's fall in Jeep country and during the driving to fall sales event get a great deal on four by fours that refuse to be contained. Like Jeep Wrangler, confidence built into every drive with the most awarded SUV ever, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and freedom that can't be denied with the open air freedom in Jeep gladiator. After 85 years, it's no surprise that Jeep became America's SUV brand.

12:42Get a great deal during the Jeep driving to fall sales event. Jeep is one more awards over its lifetime than any other SUV brand, even the Jeep Grill or Registered Trademarks of FCA US LLC. It's fall in America. Make it count. At the Ram Drive into Fall sales event, make it powerful with our strongest Ram 1500 ever. Make it move with the Ram Heavy Duty with an available Cummins diesel and make it go to the distance with a 10 year or 100,000 mile powertrain limited warranty. Korea now for great deals during the Ram Drive into Fall sales event. Excludes fully electric vehicles applied to 2026 model year vehicles non-transferable visit MoPAR.com for complete details on a copy of the powertrain limited warranty. Cummins is a Registered Trademarks of Cummins ain't Ram and Heavy average to trade marks of FCA US LLC. It's fall in Jeep country and during the driving to fall sales event get a great deal on four by fours that refuse to be contained. Like Jeep Wrangler, confidence built into every drive with the most awarded SUV ever, Jeep Grand Cherokee and freedom that can't be denied with the open air freedom and Jeep gladiator. After 85 years, it's no surprise that Jeep became America's SUV brand.

13:42Get a great deal during the Jeep driving to fall sales event. Jeep is one more awards over its lifetime than any other SUV brand, cheap in the Jeep Grill or Registered Trademarks of FCA US LLC. In 1994, Robert Howard was on bail accused of rape and unlawful imprisonment and living in Castle Durg a small northern Irish town close to the border with the Republic of Ireland. At this point, there was still a militarized border in parts, so you did see a lot of soldiers around. These are interesting places they can be quite lawless, particularly in the 90s when the troubles were still going on, but it was surprisingly easy still to just get across the border. A short drive from where Howard lived, 15-year-old Arlene Arkinson was staying with her brother, near her older sister, Kathleen. Arlene was a beautiful child, Arlene was bubbly. Every time she wanted she got it.

14:43She just was a baby of the house and she was spoiled. Mummy passed and that had a wild poll on Arlene, so Arlene was on her left. Arma had died a few years before and she had been living with her father for a while, but he was a bit unstable, so hadn't been able to take care of her and she'd kind of moved around living with her different siblings and their families. So she was a somewhat vulnerable girl but very loved and cared for. On Saturday the 13th of August 1994, Arlene was helping out her sister. I asked her to be beside the lovely August, some more time, lovely day. When Kathleen got home around 10-30pm, she found out one of Arlene's friends had invited her out. She's been out at her own money, though, it's on her way. Don't bother Arsus. But then Kathleen heard a knock at the door. It was Arlene's friend. I said, we're going to the door and I want Arlene to go out and ask Arsus Arlene to get

15:49no money and she's Arlene. Come on here, David, Hannah. Kathleen was led to believe Arlene's friend's mother was going to be looking after them, but it was the mother's boyfriend who shaperoned them that night. Arlene goes out with her friend to a local disco. They've been driven there by Robert Howard. Then Arlene didn't arrive by home at Kathleen's house. I think Kathleen had that time reasonably assumed that Arlene had been left off at her brother's house. But of course, when they realized the next day that Arlene wasn't with either of them, when the alarm bells started to ring. Kathleen's first port of call was to visit the mother of Arlene's friend, who she believed was taking care of the girls the night before. Kathleen of her own volition went to the family to try to find out exactly what had happened. They all denied any knowledge of anything, of any harm, common to Arlene.

16:52And there was even allegations that Arlene wasn't even present that you didn't go to a bone door. The following day, Mary, Kathleen and Arlene's sister knocked at the door of Arlene's friend and her mother. Robert Howard answered. Mary's sisters were Arlene and I often don't know and I close the door in her face. Mary came down here crying and I said, what's wrong? She said, do you forget the last time you've seen Arlene? I think it's the last. I'm a portion during the time they went to the authorities, including the social services and to the police, but the family just laid to Kathleen's face and so did Howard. The last time Arlene was seen was in Howard's car. When questioned, Howard, who at the time was on bail for the rape and imprisonment of another teenager, denied all knowledge of her whereabouts. The one stage he was saying that he had left her off at a local pub, but that doesn't

17:56make any sense leaving a young girl and castled her at that time. The thing to do for him on of that age was a change in the car, is to make sure that she was left at the door, but an appropriate adult. And he didn't do that because what he said, of course, was a complete pack of lies. What is difficult to come to terms with is that in view of his background and the charges that he was axiote on bail upon a hard to beat suspect number one. 46 days after Arlene's disappearance, Robert Howard was arrested. We know that when the police did arrest Howard, that the bootlining from his vehicle was missing, and that the clothing that he'd worn on the night he went to Bundaura had disappeared. So anything that might have indicated some harm had come to Arlene was now gone. Howard's alibi that he returned home to his girlfriend's house at around 2.30am

19:01was corroborated by his girlfriend and her daughter. They sort of went along with what Howard was telling them to see, and I could really, really complicated to work out what the truth was. I think men like Robert Howard, they know how to target vulnerable girls as well. Robert Howard was released without charge, the case went cold. Arlene did not return to Castle Durg. In 1995, Howard agreed a plea bargain. In the case of the 16-year-old girl he'd been accused of holding captive two years earlier. In return for pleading guilty to unlawful carnal knowledge, the rape and unlawful imprisonment charges were dropped. The unlawful carnal knowledge at that point was having sex with consent of a girl under the age of 17, while the victim was 16. She attended court, ready to give evidence,

20:02but her evidence was never given, because the prosecuting authorities made that deal, and Howard was given a suspended sentence. Despite his victim's bravery, Robert Howard escaped proper punishment for a heinous sexual crime. Local feeling turned against Howard, and he received a visit from certain individuals who threatened his life, engaging the period of time to leave the province, and Howard did. In 1995, Howard fled to Glasgow. Third, moving away, and was the police that actively pursued him. They pursued an all-in-one query. Their suspicions seemed to fall in Arlene's family, and they actually went around to her sister's house as she was living with. The police claimed that they had information from a reliable source that Arlene had been murdered in her sister's home,

21:04and that Arlene was pushed down the stairs, and then she was buried at the home. In April 1996, police and soldiers turned up to Kathleen's home, accompanied by the press. They brought in diggers even to dig up the garden. Um, they said they battled the door down as well. The search continued for a number of days. There was forensics everywhere. It was just like something really alarming. That should took my call out of my fire. It only was my call. It was our boat. Took the clothes out of the clothes line. And of course, that resulted in nothing being found at all. But that event in 1986 completely soared in the relationship between the Parkinson family and the police investigation, and the only person who benefited from that, of course, was hired.

22:06Undeterred, Kathleen found out through a friend who lived in Scotland exactly where Howard had moved to. So I found one of the papers, and I said, hers, and Scotland. I think it was Drum Chapel. Leave that with me. It says... He's outed by the Sunday mail, called the face of evil, and pointing to his crimes in the past. Howard is literally hounded out of Glasgow. He travels south to the outskirts of London. Howard moved to London in 1998. In 2001, Hannah Williams was a 14-year-old girl living in Deadford, southeast London. Hannah was my daughter, my youngest daughter. My relationship with Hannah was just fantastic.

23:07She was very happy. She enjoyed being at home, loved, going out to the higher street, loved, going to the adventure playground. She was a bit like a tom girl. She loved climbing things and jumping in that. Very energetic. I bought all three of them up myself, and I don't ever think for them. It's hard bringing up the children by yourself, but yeah, I had done it, and I loved it. But Bernadette's world was about to be torn apart. On April 21, 2001, Hannah goes shopping in Deadford Market. It was about 11 o'clock, so she got out, and she said, Mum, I'm going to the market. So I said, well, if you hang out and I'll come with you, she said, Mum, I'm only going around the corner, just so you could get stores and whatever.

24:10It was a decision that would change both of their lives forever, an innocent shopping trip that would take a disastrous turn for the 14-year-old. As doctors approached in Deadford, South East London, Hannah Williams still hadn't returned. She didn't come home. Her mum is absolutely frantic. I just walked and cried and walked, trying to see if I could find her, or see her anywhere in Deadford. I just didn't understand why. She didn't answer her phone, because she always answered her phone to me. But when she goes to the police, the police do not suspect that anything has happened to Hannah.

25:11They are convinced that she's runaway or she's gone off with friends, and of course, this was a catastrophic decision by the police. The Metropolitan Police told me to wait for 24 hours before they could do anything, and I didn't hear nothing. I didn't hear nothing from them. When the school year hits full speed, don't let dinner fall behind. Make the week easier with Good Ranchers. Good Ranchers delivers high-quality 100% American beef, chicken, pork, and more straight to your door, so your freezer is stocked before the chaos starts. With Good Ranchers in your freezer, dinner is already halfway done. Everything arrives vacuum sealed and frozen, ready for burgers, chicken, steaks, or an easy family favorite on a packed night. When the school year speeds up, Good Ranchers keeps dinner, one step ahead. Visit GoodRanchers.com now and stock your freezer before the school week's grambles starts. Good Ranchers, one less dinner decision, all week long. Hiring fast is one thing. Hiring fast and staying compliant across different countries

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27:20Whether you're getting ready for crisp mornings, cozy nights, or everyday moments, QVC has what you need for the season ahead, with brands like Laurie Geller, philosophy, Ninja, and so many more. Shop now at QVC.com. I didn't think she was dead, but something was really bad that's happened to her as she can't get home.

28:21I remember contacting the missing people's section of Lurian Police. The officer in question was absolutely convinced that this was a down and out family, you know, runaway daughter, troublesome child. Getting police attention, especially in a missing person case, comes back to this thing. Are you the ideal victim? The less ideal you are, the less attention and sympathy you're going to get. The Metropolitan Police have since improved missing persons' investigations. How we investigate missing people has evolved in the 23 years since Hannah went missing. We take the investigation of missing people incredibly seriously, and have teams in every local policing area dedicated to this work. In 2001, a number of high-profile missing children's cases

29:30meant that Hannah's story also struggled to capture the attention of the media. It seemed at the time there was quite a few missing children. Hannah was one of many that you had Daniel Jones millied out there. I feel like because they were living in more suitable places, and me I was in debt for it, and single mum, so I felt that they got more coverage. The Bernadette made sure that her daughter had a good warm, clean home, so it seemed preposterous that Hannah was written off just because of her background. I just didn't hear anything for a whole year not knowing. I hope that she'd walk through the doors very high, my mum home. Not once was Bernadette told, look, there's a very good chance

30:31the old author is not going to be found alive, and so she was constantly filled with this hope. It's doing my mind the last word she said to me, my my love you, and I'll never leave you. In March 2002, nearly 11 months after Hannah's disappearance, Bernadette's worst fears came true. At the time that Hannah Williams went missing, I was a senior investigating officer in major crime and camp police. On Friday the 15th of March 2002, a digger driver was carrying out excavation work in a very woodier area in preparation for the international railing at EBSFIT Rail Terminal. He saw a blue tarp all in wrapped in rope, and he looked inside a good sea, was clearly the skeletal remains of the body. The call came straight into DCI muddy and he attended the scene immediately.

31:38It was torrential rain at the time, the excavation work meant it was thick with mud, so straight away I'm beginning to doubt whether we could get much forensic evidence. The body was found with a ligature around the neck. It was clear this was no accidental death. Kent police immediately launched a murder investigation. We went public with details of her clothing, and immediately I had a phone call from a local reporter to say I know who this girl is, and he said it's Hannah Williams. Kent police took DNA and she was my daughter. And the guy I sent him a thank you letter of find near out, he must have been so shocked to come across a body, and I was so happy that he found her, because if he didn't, then I still wouldn't know what's happened to her.

32:39And I went actually up to that site, and I can't even tell you how I felt, be honest. I mean, to see where your daughter has been lying for a year. DCI Murray's first line of inquiry was to look into every detail of Hannah's final movements. On the day she went missing just after 11 a.m., she had a 14-second phone call from a mobile phone that was listed as belonging to a woman who lived very close to the deposition site. Detective's went to her home, she told them she hadn't made the phone call, and it must have been her partner. Robert Howard. When Robert Howard's name was given to us, and we looked at his record, and his photographs, it was just a mind-blowing, because this man became our instant suspect for that murder.

33:49Police quickly discovered the link between Howard and Hannah. Howard's girlfriend was previously in a relationship with Hannah's father. DCI Murray also found out that Howard had previously been arrested in relation to Arlene Arkinson's disappearance, and about the 16-year-old, he'd held captive in Castle Durg. We had Robert Howard as their number one suspect, but we had no evidence at all, apart from a possible 14-second phone call that he made, which in reality proved little if anything. And the biggest fear that I had at that time was this man may go on a spru of killing. Ken Police knew they didn't have enough evidence to charge Howard, but they wanted him off the streets immediately. So we took the decision to arrest him, because may my view to do nothing was not an option.

34:51DCI Murray and his team searched Howard's girlfriend's home, and also his allotment, which housed a derelict caravan. But they found no forensic evidence. In the meantime, Howard was taken in for questioning, but only responded, no comment. We certainly never had any evidence to charge Howard with Hannah's murder, and he was released from custody. Detectives needed to find out more about Robert Howard's pattern of offending. We've got a man ostensibly who's moved from Scotland, down to London, and during that period of time he's not come to the notice of the police. Had Howard been targeting other children, and the answer was almost undoubtedly yes. Ken Police worked with social services to identify and interview any at-risk children living close to Howard's home. And we identified one particularly

35:53young girl who would absolutely prove to be vital to our investigation. She was just six years old. Robert Howard had invited her into his flat. He indecently assaulted her, and she, called him a pervert, and ran out of the flat. DCI Murray liaise with a metropolitan police who agreed to arrest Howard on suspicion of indecent assault. The six-year-old girl then told the police that Howard had also taken her on a swimming trip to the lake right next to where Hannah's body was found. Now we've got obviously the background of Arlene, the young girl who'd had a ligature tied around her neck whilst Howard raped her. And now we have this young girl, similar profile taken down to very close to where Hannah lay. With strong circumstantial evidence

36:53showing a clear pattern of behaviour, Ken Police were able to arrest Robert Howard, but did they have enough to convict him for murder? In May 2002, Ken Police charged 57-year-old Robert Howard with the murder of 14-year-old Hannah Williams, while in custody, Northern Irish police arrested him for the 1994 murder of 15-year-old Arlene Arkinson. But then an anonymous tip-off accusing Arlene's sister Kathleen put both investigations into jeopardy. We're going ahead with the trial of Robert Howard. The week before I get a phone call from an SIO in Northern Ireland to say that they've had recent intelligence to say that Arlene's body was buried under a floor in Kathleen's house.

38:03DCI Murray was told if the case against Howard in Northern Ireland collapsed, it could throw serious doubts on the prosecution case against him for Hannah Williams' murder. But nobody was found at Kathleen's home and she willingly came forward to help Ken Police prove their case. In our dealings with the Arkinsons, they wanted to do everything they could to help us in the prosecution of then Robert Howard and were happy to come to England and give evidence at his trial. I done everything by myself and to have the Arkinsons actually come over and come to the courtroom to support me even though they're going through the grief of their sister. I mean, I thought that was so nice of them. Ken Police successfully persuaded the judge to allow Howard's previous arrests

39:05and convictions to be presented to the jury. The court in England were able to introduce similar fact evidence of what happened in Arlene's case. At QVC, fall shopping is more than just checking out. It's discovering the brands you love across beauty, fashion, home and culinary, all in one place. Whether you're getting ready for crisp mornings, cozy nights, or everyday moments, QVC has what you need for the season ahead, with brands like Lori Geller, Philosophy, Ninja and so many more. Shop now at QVC.com. At QVC, shopping is more than just checking out. It's discovering something new every day. Start with today's special value. Then explore exciting finds across the brands and categories you love from beauty and fashion to home, culinary and outdoor living. Shop now at QVC.com.

40:16At QVC, fall shopping is more than just checking out. It's discovering the brands you love across beauty, fashion, home and culinary, all in one place. Whether you're getting ready for crisp mornings, cozy nights, or everyday moments, QVC has what you need for the season ahead, with brands like Lori Geller, Philosophy, Ninja and so many more. Shop now at QVC.com. Robert Howard's trial for the murder of Hannah Williams began at Made Stone Crown Court in October 2003. The prosecution called upon evidence from Kathleen Arkinson, the 16-year-old Howard abducted in 1993, and also the six-year-old girl from South London. Details of how Hannah's body was found were also presented to the jury. Bernadette sat through the entire trial. She felt it was the least

41:17she could do to honour her daughter. To hear how he put blue rope around her neck, she must have struggled to try and get away, but she wasn't obviously strong enough and probably the more she struggled, the rope was tightening. So, he strangled her. But then laughing, he raped her as well. She sat through the court hearing about how the gusset of her teenage daughters underwear had been cut out probably to hide DNA evidence. Howard continued to proclaim his innocence. He stood on the stand and was telling lies after lies. He never looked up at me. I think Robert Howard, phone panel Williams on the day she went missing, used some pretext to meet her and the cause of death was the ligature around her neck. And I think at that point, he then took

42:23Hannah by vehicle over to the blue lake. And but for the construction of the EBS fleet rail terminal, she would have laid there for years, bless her. The only time he looked up is when the jury left the courtroom to make their decision. They took the jury just three hours to convict him. In October 2003, Howard was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment. Kathleen approached the police van as he was being driven away. I felt big relief. It is such as I done the best I could and I did get justice. That's why I'm happy.

43:40In 2005, Robert Howard now incarcerated for life is brought to trial for Arlene Arkinson. The jury weren't allowed to be told that he had murdered another teenage girl. In fact, he was in prison for that murder and had been brought from prison to be on trial. And they don't convict him of Arlene's killing. Now, however, I ever be able to jury wasn't a fault. They didn't know nothing. I'm on my far just something looking at them on the box. I'm not looking at the person that murdered your child. Despite Howard's acquittal, Kathleen continued her tireless fight to find justice for Arlene. To the next legal possibility, no other trial has collapsed. It is an inquest.

44:43Howard was going to be called once again to give evidence in the inquest hearing. But down in October, two-thousand and fifteen higher days, Howard never once admitted killing Arlene. Like many murderers, he wanted to keep those secrets to himself. His last bit of control over the family and over the world. He took Arlene's location to his grave and it's so, so sad that Arlene's never been recovered. After a number of legal challenges, the inquest was due to start in 2016. And then on the eve of the inquest starting, the sacred estate issues, what is known as a P.A.I. Certificate, a public interest immunity, certificate. So it's effectively the government

45:46saying on the grounds of the national security of our country, we cannot reveal this information. What on earth are they trying to keep from the inquest involving the death of a fifteen-year-old child? There had been a lot of rumors that Robert Howard had been a police informer. When asked if Howard was an informer, the police have said they will neither confirm nor deny, and that no inference should be drawn from this. The P.I.I. certificate limited what evidence could be shared, but the inquest went ahead as planned at Belfast Coroner's Court. Arlene's friend and her mother, Howard's girlfriend at the time of Arlene's disappearance, were called to give evidence. Their stories kept changing. His partner initially was saying they did come back in the early hours of the morning, but then that changed to him coming back later in the morning.

46:49And they were still wearing the same clothes that he wore even before. So there's no doubt he had more than adequate tame to murder Arlene and dispose of her body. Detectives dropped a bombshell that they had some inside information. A confession Robert Howard had made to a cellmate. The chief investigating officer was able to relate to the court what Howard had said about how he heard it held Arlene over a sink. There was a lot of blood and how she had put up a good fight. And so that was very upsetting for Kathleen to hear. Due to huge delays in the court system, it wasn't until July 2021 that the conclusions of the inquest were shared at Omar Cortes, 27 years after Arlene disappeared. The inquest into Arlene's death did conclude that Robert Howard had killed her.

47:50They ruled that. They were confident her remains were still near the town where she disappeared. I think this case is just so shocking really. We have this man with a long history of violence and convictions who's literally on bail for assaulting another teenage girl. And he's the last person to see a teenage girl alive. And yet he's still completely gets away with it and is able a few years later to kill another girl. I've always maintained that if Howard had been properly sentenced for rape, unlawful imprisonment, Arlene Arkinson and Hannah Williams would be alive today. She never got her prom. She never got to 16th birthday. 21st, 30, 40. All up, taking her away from her. That's just one of whom. Arlene's body has never been found. What exactly happened on the night of her disappearance remains a mystery. I just wished that I said no, I need to go, please, to go.

48:55I don't know. I still remember my sister. I just hope she doesn't stop her. But I know she does for her. But then you won't ever go to the top. Never going to ever, ever. The last breath I take. I'm only failure. You're a decent barrel. I hate him. I'm just taking my 14-year-old daughter and killing her and raping her. I hate it. I always think about what she would be doing now. I just wish Hannah was still here. But that evil person just killed her. She's always in my heart. I know she's saying mum be strong. She's looking down on me. Right, this minute. Blast that.

49:57Robert Howard was a violent sex offender known to the authorities. He managed to brutally attack women and children for over 30 years. We may never truly know the extent of this master manipulator's crimes. But after the deaths of Arlene and Hannah were finally proven, there is no doubt that he is one of the world's most evil killers. 33 Months Earn your Farm D in as little as 33 months with West Coast University's hybrid program no

51:00bachelor's degree required. Eligible transfer credits may be accepted. West Coast University, as real as it gets. Visit westcoastuniversity.edu. WCU cannot guarantee employment. Your path to pharmacy can be closer than you think. West Coast University's hybrid doctor of pharmacy program can be completed in as little as 33 months and no bachelor's degree is required to apply. If you've started pharmacy coursework elsewhere, WCU may accept eligible transfer credits to help students keep moving forward. Learn online, train hands-on at our Center for Graduate Studies in Los Angeles and prepare for real-world pharmacy practice. West Coast University, as real as it gets. Visit westcoastuniversity.edu. WCU cannot guarantee employment. Earn your Farm D in as little as 33 months with West Coast University's hybrid program no bachelor's degree required. Eligible transfer credits may be accepted. West Coast University, as real as it gets. Visit westcoastuniversity.edu. WCU cannot guarantee employment.