The Murder of Katie Rackliff
Katie Rackliff was an 18-year-old apprentice hairdresser living in Camberley, Surrey. She was described as trusting and a happy girl.
On 7th June 1992, Katie was walking home from a nightclub when she was attacked and stabbed 32 times with a 6.5 inch knife. Injuries were found to her breasts, ribs, heart, vagina and anus and her clothes had been pulled up. Some knife wounds went straight through the body and the victim’s breasts and genitals had been mutilated. The body had then been dragged along a road and dumped by a cemetery wall. Due to the severity of the attack and the apparent sexual motivation, police believed the killer to be an adult male, the real killer remained unidentified and the case went unsolved for years.
Sharon Louise Carr was a 12-year-old schoolgirl at the time of Katie’s murder and was not even considered as relevant to the case until years later when she confessed. Carr had a long history of cruelty to animals, she had also been excluded from school multiple times for being violent. Two years after Katie’s murder, Carr attacked a fellow pupil with a knife. She was quickly arrested and sent to a medical centre where she tried to strangle two members of staff and was charged with two counts of actual bodily harm in addition to her charges against the girl she had attacked in school. Carr was transferred to Bullwood Hall young offenders’ institution where it was thought her violent and sexualised behaviour could be better managed.
While incarcerated at Bullwood Hall, Carr began talking about Katie’s murder and her diaries contained descriptions of the sexual excitement she had felt at hearing her victim screaming and a drawing of the knife that had been used. When questioned, Carr admitted the killing and graphically described the injuries and a bracelet Katie has been wearing at the time of her death, as these details had not been released to the public they were considered to be things only the killer would have known. Carr helped police film a reconstruction of the murder and repeatedly laughed when asked about the details.
Carr was charged and convicted of murder making her Britain’s youngest ever female convicted murderer. Carr was seen smiling as she left the dock after conviction. While in prison Carr continued to assault staff and other residents, threatening to slit another inmate’s throat.
Carr’s case is particularly unusual not only due to her young age at the time of the crime; female murderers themselves are unusual but those who kill strangers even more so. A 12-year-old girl killing an adult woman who she had never met before has been described as unique.
