Where is Helen McCourt’s killer Ian Simms now?

Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised.

In November 2019, The Guardian reported that Ian Simms, the man convicted of murdering Helen McCourt, was to be released from prison after serving 31 years behind bars. He was released in 2020 and was pronounced dead in June 2022 at the age of 66, according to Wigan Today. Helen’s mother Marie McCourt expressed her hope that one of Simms’ friends and family could come forward to reveal where he buried Helen as he is now dead.

Since the court’s decision to free Ian Simms was made public, Marie McCourt has been fighting for the court to consider whether the killers disclosed the whereabouts of the victims’ remains when they released them on parole. Throughout the three decades that Ian Simms has been behind bars, he has denied guilt. He also did not reveal where Helen McCourt’s remains were. Even after its release in 2020, there was no information about its ending.

Sky News reported that Marie McCourt campaigned for the Prisoners (Disclosure of Information About Victims) Act. It later came to be known as Helen’s Law. She argued it was unfair to let convicted murderers go free without forcing them to reveal information about the victim’s whereabouts. The law was adopted in 2021.

Helen McCourt was a 22-year-old British insurance clerk who disappeared on her way home from work in 1988. She lived in Merseyside and was reported missing by her mother. The police investigated and learned that Helen McCourt was murdered after she disappeared that day.

How was Ian Simms caught?

As soon as Helen McCourt was reported missing, authorities searched the area near her Merseyside home. Just a few feet away from her residence was George and the Dragon on Main Street. Ian Simms worked as a pub landlord there. He soon became the prime suspect in the case, and his house and car were searched. Although Helen McCourt’s remains were never found, he was found guilty based on overwhelming DNA evidence, Wigan Today reported.

According to court documents, forensic evidence suggested he strangled her with a ligature. He apparently lied about where he was at the time of the murder. He also gave false reasons behind certain injuries he had on him at the time. This made the authorities even more suspicious. Ian Simms received a life sentence and was to serve a minimum sentence of 16 years and a day. He also tried to appeal his conviction, but was unsuccessful.

In 2019, the court decided that the risk posed by the release of Ian Simms would not be too great. This was because his behavior towards the latter part of the sentence was considerably better. Although the motive and motive behind the crime remained unknown due to his repeated denials, several psychiatrists studied the case and suggested that the risk he posed was minimized. In addition, no criminal activity was carried out during his time in prison.

Ian Simms stood by his declaration of innocence to the end and the search for the location where Helen McCourt was buried continues.