Levi Bellfield, known as the “Bus Stop Killer,” terrorized London and the surrounding areas in the early 2000s with a series of brutal attacks, predominantly targeting young women.
Born Levi Rabbetts on 17 May 1968, Bellfield would later adopt various aliases, including Yusuf Rahim, after a conversion to Islam in prison. A towering presence at six feet, Bellfield leveraged his jobs as a nightclub bouncer and business owner to mask a dark, violent history that eventually erupted into a spree of terrifying assaults and murders.
Early Life and Descent into Crime
Bellfield was raised on a council estate in Isleworth, London, where his family struggled following the death of his father when Bellfield was only 10 years old. He quickly fell into a life of crime, committing burglary as early as 1981, and accumulating a series of convictions over the years. He fathered eleven children with five different women, fostering relationships that, as detectives would later uncover, followed a disturbing pattern of charm turned to control and abuse.
The Murder Spree Begins
Between 2002 and 2004, Bellfield’s crimes escalated dramatically. Detectives would later describe his “massive ego” and violent rage against young women who he felt disrespected him. Bellfield targeted vulnerable young women as they waited at bus stops, earning him the nickname “The Bus Stop Killer.” Often, his motivation was terrifyingly simple: a young woman would brush off his advances, and he’d respond with deadly violence.
Milly Dowler was one such victim. Only 13 years old, Milly vanished from Walton-on-Thames in 2002. Six months later, her body was found in Yateley Heath Woods. It wasn’t until years later, in 2011, that Bellfield was convicted of her murder, becoming the first British criminal to receive two life sentences without the possibility of parole.
Marsha McDonnell, 19, was another victim of Bellfield’s brutality. She was attacked near her home in Hampton in 2003, succumbing to head injuries inflicted by a blunt object. Bellfield sold his car shortly after the attack, a telltale move that would raise police suspicions.
Amélie Delagrange, a 22-year-old French student, was found with severe head injuries at Twickenham Green in August 2004. She died in the hospital the same night. Surveillance footage showed her walking toward Bellfield’s path, and investigators later established a link between her death and the murder of Marsha McDonnell.
Kate Sheedy, only 18, had a near-fatal encounter with Bellfield when he deliberately ran her over in Isleworth in May 2004. Miraculously, she survived and later testified against him. Her description of a white people carrier with blacked-out windows matched Bellfield’s Toyota Previa, linking him definitively to the attack.
Capture and Conviction
In November 2004, police arrested Bellfield for the murder of Amélie Delagrange. Surveillance had captured him approaching young women at bus stops—a tactic he used to lure his victims. Soon after, additional charges were filed, including the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy and the assault of other women. Bellfield’s charm and manipulative personality became evident during the investigation; even as he attempted to befriend officers, his ex-girlfriends provided a grim insight into his character, describing him as charming at first but quickly revealing his violent, controlling nature.
A Legacy of Violence and Incarceration
In 2008, Bellfield was convicted of the murders of Marsha McDonnell and Amélie Delagrange, along with the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy. Then in 2011, his conviction for the murder of Milly Dowler cemented his status as one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers. Both convictions earned him whole life orders, marking him as the first person in the UK to receive two such sentences.
A Twisted Life Behind Bars
Since his incarceration, Bellfield has continued to capture media attention. In 2022, he applied to marry a woman who had been visiting him in prison, sparking widespread controversy and concern. The following year, he announced his conversion to Islam and adopted the name Yusuf Rahim. Despite his apparent remorse and repeated attempts to appeal his sentences, Bellfield remains a chilling figure in British crime history.
Legacy and Impact
The heinous crimes of Levi Bellfield left a lasting scar on the communities he terrorized. His brutal killings served as a dark reminder of the dangers lurking even in seemingly mundane places. Today, Bellfield’s name is synonymous with some of the most disturbing crimes in recent UK history, and his case has influenced both policing and judicial policies regarding the handling of violent criminals. For the families of his victims, the shadow of his violence remains—a haunting legacy of lives stolen far too soon.
