"Essex Boys" Range Rover Murders

[apocalypse_when]

It's just over 23 years now since the infamous "Essex Boys" Range Rover murders in Rettendon, Essex where Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Rolfe were murdered in what bore all the hallmarks of a professional hit. Each was shot in the head at very close range with a 12 gauge shotgun (although Tate was shot in the liver first to incapacitate him, it has been speculated that this was so his murderers could speak to him before they finished him off). There have been numerous documentaries on the subject and it was also the subject of a couple of movies, "Rise Of The Footsoldier" being the most well known.

While 2 men, Jack Whomes and Mickey Steele were jailed for the murders, it is pretty much universally agreed by local villains and those "in the know" that these 2 men are innocent and were fitted up by a man called Darren Nichols who was a police informer. There are several individuals who have been "named" as the ones most likely to have carried out the murders, such as, Bernard O'Mahoney, Steve 'Nipper' Ellis, The Blundell brothers, and several others.

I've recently been watching a couple of excellent YouTube channels on the subject the best of which is a one called "Cartoon Creations Inc" and another called "J54605". I've also been reading quite a lot online about the killings too (one if which showed the autopsy photos... if you've never seen what 00 buckshot does to a human face at point blank range then they're worth a look.. not for the squeamish though. Tucker's jaw was literally moved through 90 degrees and shifted half way along his face... really awful).

Anyone else fascinated (or even just mildly interested lol) in this case??

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

I was actually working down in Chelmsford for a few days when this occurred so I wasn't a million miles away. I remember hearing about it on the radio shortly after they were discovered.

And before you fuckin start, no it wasn't me wot dunnit...

 

[invegauser]

^ i would ask for proof but none can be provided.

will take word on faith.

 

[Jabberwocky]

a professional hit.

Tate was shot in the liver first to incapacitate him, it has been speculated that this was so his murderers could speak to him before they finished him off

It isn't that professional if they wasted time only to make a point to a man that was gonna die anyway, in that time frame they could've been caught or etc. But how were the made arrested if they were innocent? The whole arest was based on information provided by a CI? without any proof or? I'm curious about this one, never heard about it as I'm not from the UK.

 

[apocalypse_when]

I was actually working down in Chelmsford for a few days when this occurred so I wasn't a million miles away. I remember hearing about it on the radio shortly after they were discovered.

And before you fuckin start, no it wasn't me wot dunnit...

They were by all accounts a complete bunch of cunts who had it coming.

Was reading about some small time dealer who owed them money that they drove out into the countryside and forcefully intravenously injected with a cocktail of ketamine, cocaine, heroin and anabolic steroids (the latter being oil based and would result in a horrible, painful death) then threw out of the car and left to die in a ditch. Absolute scum

People were apparently queing up to off the cunts and they had a habbit of ripping off local drug dealers, some of whom were connected to some seriously hard fuckers from South London.

It was however, the whole Leah Betts thing that caused them some serious problems and brought the wrong kind of attention down on them...a few weeks later and they were dead.

Like many of these things, there are a lot of things that don't make sense and so many different people who had good motives to kill them. They must have been lured down that road by someone they trusted, mainly due to the fact that non of them were armed, even though they were all known to carry guns and Tate had bought an H&K MP5 submachine gun just days previously, yet didn't bring it with him that night.

 

[apocalypse_when]

https://youtu.be/MY3aagPfuPI

Video showing autopsy photos (not for the squeemish)

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

https://youtu.be/MY3aagPfuPI

Video showing autopsy photos (not for the squeemish)

Mmm, nice!

Incidentally, it was that very same week that I was suffering my first heroin rattle. It was bad enough having to push myself to work during the day, but the worst bit was the nights - having to share a Travelodge room with two other guys, unable to sleep, sweating buckets, and tossing and turning all night (I was even sharing the double bed with one of them).

 

[apocalypse_when]

Mmm, nice!

Incidentally, it was that very same week that I was suffering my first heroin rattle. It was bad enough having to push myself to work during the day, but the worst bit was the nights - having to share a Travelodge room with two other guys, unable to sleep, sweating buckets, and tossing and turning all night (I was even sharing the double bed with one of them).

it wasn't the heroin rattle that had you tossing and turning, unable to sleep and sweating buckets was it? It was the excitement at the thought if sharing a bed with another bloke

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

it wasn't the heroin rattle that had you tossing and turning, unable to sleep and sweating buckets was it? It was the excitement at the thought if sharing a bed with another bloke

Heheh, 'tossing' being the operative word...

 

[apocalypse_when]

Mmm, nice!

Apparently there was a shooting range near the place where they were killed and also lots if land where people hunted with shotguns making it not unusual to hear gunshots around that area (although not so much at night).

Those autopsy photos are pretty grim though aren't they? Especially the ones showing Tuckers jaw shot off..Apparently that was from a shot that went straight through his mouth and didn't kill him, necessitating a coup de gras second shot. Can't imagine the pain he must have been in after the first one though.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

Apparently there was a shooting range near the place where they were killed and also lots if land where people hunted with shotguns making it not unusual to hear gunshots around that area (although not so much at night).

Those autopsy photos are pretty grim though aren't they? Especially the ones showing Tuckers jaw shot off..Apparently that was from a shot that went straight through his mouth and didn't kill him, necessitating a coup de gras second shot. Can't imagine the pain he must have been in after the first one though.

Tbh, they weren't as much of a mess as I was expecting considering a shotgun was used. Presumably as it was such short range the shot didn't spread out much.

 

[apocalypse_when]

Tbh, they weren't as much of a mess as I was expecting considering a shotgun was used. Presumably as it was such short range the shot didn't spread out much.

Exactly, people over estimate how much the pellets from buckshot actually spread out based on what they've seen in movies etc. At that range they would barely spread out at all and would hit as one big mass. You can also get a choke that fits into the barrel to constrict the spread even more. Still, 00 buckshot contains eight 0.36 calibre lead pellets moving at around 1400 feet per second all arriving as one solid mass and so make quite a big hole..Just not the scatter effect that people often associate with a shotgun fired from a greater distance (if that makes sense).

In the army we used Benelli semi-automatic shotguns (as in the movie John Wick) loaded with 00 buck for the point man in a patrol (who also carried the metal detector to sweep for mines) on the premise that if we were bumped at close range, he would be the first man in contact and a shotgun is ideal for that scenario.

Did you see the photo of Craig Rolfe with his eye almost popped out? I assume from the overpressure of the pellets entering his skull. Also the one of Tucker's teeth at right angles to his mouth and spread half way accross his face was a bit grim.

 

[Jabberwocky]

lol that guys jaw's position is unbelievable

 

[apocalypse_when]

lol that guys jaw's position is unbelievable

Lol.. It was wasn't it? And from what I've read, that was the first shot which pretty much entered his cheek and exited through his mouth thus sending his jaw spread half way accross his face but not killing him. He would have remained alive for a while until they finished him off with a shot to the brain. I wonder if you'd be in much actual pain at that point of it the adrenaline would be flowing so much and you'd be in such shock that you wouldn't feel it? I was shot in the leg and I certainly felt it...It hurt like fuck

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

I don't know, and I certainly wouldn't want to find out, but I imagine that severe trauma of that magnitude would send endorphin production into overdrive. Though I'm sure that if he hadn't been finished off pretty quickly after then it would soon start to hurt like fuck!

 

[apocalypse_when]

I don't know, and I certainly wouldn't want to find out, but I imagine that severe trauma of that magnitude would send endorphin production into overdrive. Though I'm sure that if he hadn't been finished off pretty quickly after then it would soon start to hurt like fuck!

Yeah, he was found clutching his phone as well. I think though, that he must have been just sitting clutching it before he was shot as he's unlikely to have been in any fit state to be phoning a fucking freind is he?

From what I've read, they shut Rolfe first as he was driving and you probably want to shoot the driver first so he doesn't drive off (his foot was still on the brake and his hands on the wheel).. they then shit Tate through the liver, Tucker in the face causing the injuries we've just discussed then again in the head to finish him off and then lastly shot Tate in the head after apparently talking to him for s bit first..

Not sure exactly how they know all of that since they were no surviving witnesses, but that's apparently the order in which it went down. Makes me shudder somewhat to think of being executed like that. It's one thing to be shot in a battle from a distance but something else else entirely to be executed so cold bloodedly from point blank range with a shotgun like that...

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

Yeh, it makes you wonder what type of people can do that to other human beings - whether they deserve it or not.

 

[theMerovingian]

Rise of the Footsoldier is a good film. Thats how I found out about the real life incident.

 

[blondin]

Profession killers don't use shotguns.... 9mm double tap is normal so I told. I live in Essex and know a few 'faces' but leave it at that except say don't believe what you read in the ptess

 

[apocalypse_when]

Profession killers don't use shotguns.... 9mm double tap is normal so I told. I live in Essex and know a few 'faces' but leave it at that except say don't believe what you read in the ptess

It is infinately easier to kill someone with close range with a shotgun than a double tap from a handgun....even at close range.

A double tap (2 shots in close succession with the same sight picture) is quite hard to do for anyone without extensive military training.

If it was me and I had to kill 3 guys in a range rover at close range I'd pick a 12 gauge pump or autoloader any day..(that's just me though) and shotguns are easier to get as well.

Yeh, it makes you wonder what type of people can do that to other human beings - whether they deserve it or not.

It does yeah, but people have different perspectives on killing other humans.. not everyone places the same sanctity on human life. It is a lot easier to shoot someone who's shooting at you first than it is to kill someone who isn't expecting it...this is something I've thought about quite a bit