Man, 38, who was aged 13 when six-year-old Rikki Neave’s naked body was found in woods near his home appears in court for first time over 1994 murder
- Rikki Neave, 6, was found strangled in woodland in Peterborough 25 years ago
- He disappeared after leaving home to walk to school at 9am in November 1994
- Naked body was found the following day and his uniform dumped in nearby bin
- James Watson, 38, at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court charged with his murder
A man appeared in court today charged with the murder of six-year-old Rikki Neave who was found strangled in woodland 25 years ago when the defendant was 13.
The youngster disappeared after leaving home to walk to school at about 9am on November 28, 1994 and his naked body was found the following day.
The discovery was made a few minutes’ walk from his home in the Welland area of Peterborough, and Rikki’s uniform was found dumped in a nearby bin.
James Watson (left) was charged with the 1994 murder of six-year-old boy Rikki Neave (right)
A court sketch of Watson, 38, who appeared before Peterborough Magistrates’ Court today
James Watson, 38, has appeared before Peterborough Magistrates’ Court charged with Rikki’s murder.
The defendant, of no fixed address, would have been 13 years old at the time of Rikki’s death.
Watson spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth as he was flanked by two dock officers during the one-minute hearing today.
He is accused of murdering Rikki in Peterborough between November 28 and November 29, 1994.
The defendant, who had short brown hair and wore a dark green fleece over a striped shirt, was not asked to enter a plea.
He was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey tomorrow.
Watson is pictured as a boy. Rikki was found strangled in woods in 1994 when Watson was 13
Ruth Neave, pictured with her husband Gary Rogers in April 2016, was accused of his murder, but she was later cleared of the killing and instead found guilty of child neglect and cruelty
Watson was previously arrested on suspicion of murder in April 2016 before travelling to Portugal, where he was re-arrested in Lisbon in August and then extradited back to Britain.
Watson and Rikki both grew up on the same estate in Peterborough, where Rikki was found strangled to death, although Watson was seven years older at the time of the death.
Originally Rikki’s mother, Ruth, was accused of his murder, but she was later cleared of the killing and instead found guilty of child neglect and cruelty, and jailed for seven years.
In 2014, police looked again at the cold case and began re-investigating it in 2015.
The Crown Prosecution Service said it gave Cambridgeshire Police the authorisation to charge Watson with murder following ‘careful consideration of all the evidence’ following a cold case review.