A man beat his neighbour to death before dismembering him and hiding his body.
William Wilkinson murdered Edward Forrester with a wooden stick, which had a heavy bung at the end of it, on September 1, 2023. The 65-year-old then systematically dismembered Mr Forrester’s corpse with tools, including an electric saw.
Wilkinson then tried to hide the body parts, with some being recovered. However, the heart and other vital organs were never found, reports LancsLive.
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Mr Forrester, known as Eddie, was described as “somewhat vulnerable” due to his mild learning difficulties from a brain injury he suffered in the 90s. During a sentencing at Preston Crown Court today, January 19, a lifelong friend was heard to describe him as a “very likeable man”.
Wilkinson was jailed for 19 years and three months. As he was sentenced a member of the victim’s family could be heard shouting “animal”. Blood pattern analysis shows the defendant struck forceful blows into wet blood
The forensic scientists concluded those blows were reined down on Mr Forrester when he was both upright and on the floor. The dismemberment took place in the kitchen.
On 1 September, CCTV shows Wilkinson carrying loaded plastic bags out of his property and returning empty handed. This was the first of a number of journeys on foot to local bins, with the smaller body parts and Mr Forrester’s possessions.
Wilkinson, of Sealand Road, Blackpool, hid a key to Mr Forrester’s flat in the brickwork of a wall in an alleyway. He them moved other body parts to his van which was parked outside the flats.
In the days after the murder, Wilkinson set about a “systematic, considered and geographically wide ranging” effort to distribute the body parts. His sole aim was to frustrate the police investigation.
He loaded up body parts and walked around Blackpool depositing body parts into various public bins, on September 1, 2, and 3. By the time the police discovered Mr Forrester had been murdered the bins had been emptied and it was not possible to recover the parts from the bins or landfill sites.
Wilkinson also drove to Cumbria in his van and disposed of larger body parts at various locations on the way. Forensic experts later found Mr Forrester’s blood in areas of Wilkinson’s flat, including the carpet, walls, skirting boards and stairs, as well as in the communal hallway.
Lancashire Constabulary officers found a broken wooden stick with a heavy metal bung at one end in a bin liner. Wilkinson used this stick – thought to be the murder weapon – to strike Mr Forrester to the head multiple times.
Wilkinson was subsequently arrested by officers from Cumbria Police in Windermere on September 5.
Following sentencing, Mr Forrester’s family said: “As the siblings of Edward, we cannot believe that this savage, brutal and diabolic murder has happened. This was inflicted on our brother Edward – a quiet and harmless individual, who wouldn’t hurt a soul.
“We, as his family, have had to live with what happened to Edward, leading to sleepless nights, nightmares and flashbacks. When we were initially told that Edward had been murdered we thought it would be a single act, possibly a punch, an irrational act, someone who would be sorry for what they had done.
“But what we have found to have happened to Edward, to disregard him as a human being and prevent him from being laid to rest as a whole person has sickened our family and is something that we will never get over. Edward will be sadly missed and loved by many and we are happy that today, justice has been served.”
Det Supt Mark Haworth-Oates said: “On the afternoon of Friday September 1st 2023, Edward Forrester was captured on CCTV as he walked home with his beloved dog. There was no indication that this was would be the last time he would be seen alive.
“Eddie was a quiet man, a creature of habit, and when he failed to meet a friend for dinner the following day the alarm was raised. A missing from home investigation quickly developed into a murder investigation with the notable absence of his neighbour, William Wilkinson, and signs of blood and a clean-up inside Wilkinsons flat raising concerns.
“Wilkinson was tracked down and arrested whilst sleeping in his van in Cumbria. He denied all knowledge of Eddie’s disappearance or any dispute with him. He explained that it was a coincidence that he had fled to Cumbria and that he was just enjoying a holiday in the countryside.
“Through close co-operation with the CPS, Wilkinson was charged with Edward Forrester’s murder prior to any of Eddie’s remains being recovered – based on the forensic evidence found at his address and piecing together of Wilkinsons movements.
“Sadly, the investigation that followed revealed a horrific sequence of events. Eddie had likely been attacked shortly after returning home on that Friday afternoon. The reason for that attack remains a mystery but Wilkinson repeatedly struck Eddie around the head with a heavy wooden stick and killed him. Having done so, he systematically dismembered Eddie’s body in his kitchen, before wrapping the body parts in plastic bags and putting them into his van.
“Over the course of the weekend Wilkinson made attempts to keep up appearances. He kept his usual routine of going to a car boot sale, going shopping and placing bets at the bookmakers. His movements were tracked on CCTV for four days up until the time of his arrest and revealed that he had visited dozens of waste bins around Blackpool, depositing items and destroying evidence. He also changed his clothing and drastically changed his appearance with a trip to the barbers – all again in an effort to cover his tracks.
“He then fled to Cumbria, where a search investigation lasting several weeks, covering miles of open land and involving dozens of officers resulted in the gruesome discovery of Eddie’s remains. They had been disposed of carefully and separately, some in suitcases thrown into woodland and covered with undergrowth.
“The joint focus and perseverance of Lancashire and Cumbria Police and in particular the CCTV and search officers deployed in this harrowing task led to the recovery of the majority of Eddie’s remains.
“Sadly, for Eddie’s family, some of his remains were never found, and such is the passage of time that it is unlikely that they ever will be. William Wilkinson had his chance at the outset, to do the right thing, to assist the Police in recovering the remains and to allow the family and friends of Eddie the opportunity to properly lay him to rest. He never took that opportunity.
Instead, he frustrated the investigation, destroyed evidence and only admitted his guilt in the face of overwhelming evidence against him.
“William Wilkinson was a man of previous good character and only he knows what happened on that Friday afternoon that led him to commit this most appalling crime. I welcome the life sentence imposed upon him today and hope that the family and friends of Eddie can have some comfort knowing that the person responsible for the offence will likely never be released.”
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William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
