One of the
most evil living convicts is Michael Sams who will
die behind bars. In 1991 he kidnapped Julie Dart and murdered her when she
tried to escape. The next year he kidnapped Stephanie Slater and released her
after a ransom was paid. Here I am at the grave of the first one who was just
18 years old.
On 9th July 1991 Sams drove to a local red
light of Leeds and picked up Julie Dart who working as a prostitute. He
overpowered her, blindfolded her and drove her to his warehouse in Newark (he
ran a business selling power tools.) The kidnapping was planned for awaiting
her was coffin-like box which he’d chained to the floor and fitted with an
alarm. At some point Julie was left alone and freed herself from the box but
couldn’t get out of the room within the warehouse. Her nightmare deepened when Sams returned to the warehouse and found her. He chained
her to a roof beam. The next day her forced Julie to write a letter to her
boyfriend demanding a £140,000 ransom. Other notes were written but Sams murdered Julie with a hammer. He dumped her in a
wheelie bin and continued to make demands for money. When the smell of
composition got too strong he drove Julie to the countryside in Easton in
Lincolnshire and dumped her.
A few months later he set up an appointment with estate agent
Stephanie Slater to view a property. He attacked her and forced her into a box
at his warehouse. She was tied up, handcuffed, blindfolded and gagged (and raped
on the first night.) Her employer paid the ransom of £175,000 and a few hours
later - still drugged and traumatised - Stephanie she gave a press conference.
The case was presented on the popular television programme Crimewatch and Sam’s first wife recognised
the voice. Police arrested him, gathered
overwhelming forensic evidence against him and the case was sent to trial. He admitted
to the kidnapping but denied any involvement with Julie Dart. The jury didn’t
believe him and he was sentenced to life imprisonment (also for four attempts
to blackmail the police and British Rail.) Days later in prison he confessed to
Julie’s murder.
Sams is now in his eighties and has had a leg
amputated due to cancer. He attacked a female probation officer with a metal
spike and had eight years added to his term. He keep trying to get parole (last
one was in April 2023) but they’ve been denied.
The second victim Stephanie Slater moved to the Isle of Wight and
worked with police forces advising them on how to deal with kidnap survivors.
Sadly she died of cancer aged 50. Police never found the £25,000 missing part
of the ransom.
Here I am at Julie’s grave in Leeds. I was returning home from a few
days at the coast and veered off the motorway to find the grave (thank you to
Dave, a fellow grave-hunter.) Eighteen - just a kid. I did a salute and left.
Some of the recovered ransom money...