Aug 7, 2025
Meadow Vole
Mark Bridger / Getty Images
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Meadow Vole
Mark Bridger / Getty Images
📷 Mark Bridger
🫀
A large red deer stag calling to the hinds in the bracken one misty autumn morning, 2013 - by Mark Bridger, English
The Abduction and Murder of April Jones
April Sue-Lyn Jones was a 5-year-old girl from Powys, Wales, she was last seen getting into a vehicle near her home. A huge search for the girl began and the Prime Minister issued an appeal for information on her whereabouts.
On 2nd October 2012, less than 24 hours after April went missing, Mark Bridger, a 46-year-old local man, was arrested. On 6th October he was charged with child abduction, murder, and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
April's body was never found however at trial the jury heard that fragments of human bone consistent with a 'younger individual' had been found in the fireplace of Bridger's cottage. Blood found in several parts of the cottage was matched to April's DNA and was enough to show April had suffered injuries which she could not have survived from. Bridger claimed he accidentally ran over April and could not remember disposing of her body. The prosecution accused him of being a 'pathological liar,' and 'a paedophile,' evidence included an extensive collection of child pornography found on his computer. Bridger was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. After the verdict it was revealed that Bridger claimed to have disposed of April's body in a fast flowing river, police stated they doubted this claim and believe he scattered April's remains throughout the countryside near his home.
On October 1, 2012, 5 year old April Jones was playing with her friend in her hometown of Machynlleth, Powys, Wales, when she suddenly walked over to a car, being seen willingly getting in. April was known to suffer a mild case of cerebral palsy.
On October 3, 2012, April’s mother made an appeal for information about her daughter. The next day, Prime Minister David Cameron also made an appeal to the public, saying “clearly having this happen to you, and the fact that she suffers from cerebral palsy, something i know a little about from my own children, only make this worse. My appeal would be to everyone. If you know anything, if you saw anything, heard anything, have any ideas you could bring forward, talk to the police.”
The days following her disappearance, there was a large search operation for her in and around the Machynlleth area, involving police and search and rescue teams using specialized equipment, as well as hundreds of volunteers. On December 12th, police said the search for April would go into 2013, but on March 27, 2013, the police revealed they would call off the search by the end of April, and on April 22, police confirmed that the search was officially ended. The police stated that “a reactive team of specialist officers are available to respond to any new information that is received. This was the largest missing person search in UK police history.
The day after April’s abduction, a local man named Mark Bridger, 46, was arrested. He became a suspect in the case because he matched the description of the man in the vehicle which an eyewitness had seen April entering, following a conversation with him.
On October 6, 2012, Bridger was charged with child abduction, murder, and attempting to pervert the course of justice. He appeared before magistrates at Aberystwyth on October 8th, where he was additionally charged with the unlawful concealment and disposal of a body. He was reprimanded into custody and held at HMP Manchester pending an appearance at court, which happened on October 10th, via video chat.
On January 14, 2013, Bridger pleased not guilty to the charge of murdering April, but accepted that he was “probably responsible” for hear death.His trial began on April 29, 2013.
At his trial, a forensic expert told the court that bone fragments consistent with a “younger individual” had been found in his fireplace of Bridger’s cottage. Blood found in several parts of the cottage matched April’s DNA. Bridger’s defense was that he accidentally ran over April with his car, not remembering to dispose of her body due to alcohol and panic.
On May 30, 2013, Bridger was found guilty of abduction, murder, and perverting the course of justice. Later that day, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a whole-life tariff, having been called a “pathological liar” and “a pedophile” by the judge.
In July 2013, while serving his sentence, Bridger was attacked by fellow inmates with a shank, resulting in facial and throat injuries. Mark Bridger is still serving his sentence today.
dan kitwood and mark bridger//panic! at the disco
Meadow Vole
Mark Bridger / Getty Images