Borehamwood is a quiet town in southern Hertfordshire but heinous crimes can and do happen anywhere. When body parts started being discovered in March 2009, it became clear that something horrible had occurred and the search for the real-life jigsaw killer was soon underway. With some excellent police work and some help from the public, the name Stephen Marshall came to light, which lead to this crime being fully uncovered.
Stephen Marshall biography
Stephan Marshall was from Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England. He was a personal trainer, bouncer, bodybuilding and he previously owned a gym in the area. At the time of the offence, he was 38 years-old and living in a Southgate flat with his 21-year-old girlfriend Sarah Bush, and the victim, 49 year-old Jeffrey Howe.
What Did He Do?
Stephen Marshall murdered Jeffrey Howe on the night of March 8th, 2009, going into March 9th. He stabbed him in the back twice with a 4 inch-blade and one of those stab wounds punctured his lung. It is estimated that Jeffrey could have taken up to an hour to die from his wounds and was no doubt in a lot of pain during that time. After Stephen Marshall killed his victim, he skillfully removed his limbs and even went as far as removing his face from his head in order to hinder the identification process. This was done with precision and according to experts, would have taken at least 12 hours to complete. The body parts of Jeffrey Howe were disposed of around the country in different bags are suitcases, and this got Stephen Marshall the nickname “the jigsaw killer”.
The motive for the killing of Howe was no doubt financial because he wanted Marshall and Bush out of his flat after they stopped paying rent, but they refused to leave. After the murder, the couple in question used Howe’s bank account for shopping, takeaways, and other consumer goods. They even wrote forged checks in his name and took out store cards, rinsing Howe for every penny that they could while they still had the chance.
Although Jeffrey’s family had their suspicions, Marshall and Bush told them that he had just upped and left. When body parts soon started being discovered by members of the public, however, the truth soon came out. Stephen Marshall actually confessed to four more murders and disposed of them in Epping Forest. Despite this confession, he never named these alleged victims. These bodies were never found so while these other murders by Marshall cannot be confirmed, the professional nature of this particular murder and dismemberment definitely hint towards it not being his first!
The trial for the murder of Jeffrey Howe started on 12th January 2010 and initially, Stephen Marshall tried to blame Sarah Bush for the entire thing. The evidence mounted however and on 29th January, he changed his plea to guilty. On February 1st, he was sentenced to life imprisonment and he would not be put up for parole for at least 36 years.
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