When Killer Boys Grow Up

Two infamous 10-year-old murderers in Britain have become men. Do they merit new, anonymous lives?

In 1993, a mall security camera captured a shaky image of two 10-year-old boys leading a much smaller boy out of a Liverpool, England, shopping center. The boys lured James Bulger, 2, away from his mother, who was shopping, and led him on a long walk across town. The excursion ended at a railroad track. There, inexplicably, the older boys tortured the toddler, kicking him, smearing paint on his face and pummeling him to death with bricks before leaving him on the track to be dismembered by a train. The boys, Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, then went off to watch...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!