Bio

Mark Andrew Rowntree was born in 1956 in Bradford, Yorkshire, England. He grew up in a wealthy middle-class family. His early years in school were uneventful, and he achieved good grades. With his academic record, he could have gone to any college he wanted. However, Rowntree felt that he had completed enough schooling and wanted to start working. He decided to become a bus driver, which he thought was a satisfactory job.

During his teenage years, Mark faced some personal issues. He dealt with rejection from a girl he liked, which left him feeling confused and inadequate. This experience started to shape his view of women and made him develop feelings of inferiority. Over time, these feelings grew into a deeper disdain. By late 1975, he was in a troubled state of mind.

In December 1975, Rowntree began to act on his violent impulses, leading to a series of tragic events. He was later diagnosed with schizophrenia, but this diagnosis came after a pattern of troubling behaviors and thoughts emerged. After his arrest, Rowntree would not show remorse for his actions, and instead, he seemed focused on achieving a certain level of notoriety. In June 1976, he pled guilty to several charges and was sent to a mental hospital, where he would spend a significant portion of his life.

Murder Story

Mark Andrew Rowntree, a British spree killer, committed a series of four murders in Bingley, West Yorkshire, between December 31, 1975, and January 7, 1976.

On New Year's Eve, Rowntree went to the home of 85-year-old Grace Adamson. He pretended to be a police officer to gain her trust. Once inside, he stabbed her multiple times with a knife, killing her. After the murder, he left the house and went to a nearby pub to drink a beer.

A few days later, on January 3, 1976, Rowntree attacked 16-year-old Stephen Wilson at a bus stop. Rowntree stabbed Wilson, who later died in the hospital. Before he passed away, Wilson was able to give a description of his attacker to the police.

On January 7, 1976, Rowntree met 24-year-old Barbara Booth, a prostitute, at her home. He stabbed her to death. He also killed her three-year-old son, Alan, to prevent any potential witness to the crime. After this murder, police were already at Rowntree's home, waiting for him based on the information provided by the previous victim.

Rowntree did not resist arrest and confessed to all his crimes. He expressed disappointment that he had not killed a fifth victim. In June 1976, he pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was sentenced to an indefinite commitment to Rampton Secure Hospital. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and became one of the longest-serving patients in British psychiatric care.