Warwick Crown Court found Anthony Russell guilty on Thursday.
After killing three people in six days, a “callous and calculating” heroin user was found guilty of raping his fifth and last victim, who was five months pregnant.
In the past, Anthony Russell entered a guilty plea to the killings of Julie Williams,58, and her son David Williams,32, which occurred on October 25 and October 21, 2020, respectively, at different Coventry apartments.
Additionally, he had acknowledged killing Nicole McGregor, 31, on October 26. Three days later, her body was discovered in a nearby woodland near Leamington Spa.
Following a retrial at Warwick Crown Court, the jury deliberated for just one hour and twenty-three minutes before unanimously finding Russell guilty of raping Ms. McGregor on Thursday.
A few hours after she had shown him a photo of her baby ultrasound, the 39-year-old attacked her.
In the hours following her disappearance, Russell also said to Ms. McGregor’s partner, the expectant father, “I bet you can’t wait for it to be born,” knowing full well that he had killed and raped her.
The body of Mr. Williams, covered in 87 injuries, was discovered by police five days after the murderer used a lanyard to strangle him.
Russell later stated that he had murdered a man who “had sex with his girlfriend.”
Russell assaulted the mother of Mr. Williams five times in the head and neck during a “violent and sustained attack” that resulted in her being strangled, according to the prosecution.
She is thought to have been slain after learning that Russell had killed her son, despite the fact that she suffered 113 different injuries.
During the trial, the jury was shown CCTV footage of Ms McGregor, who resided in a Leamington flat, showing her strolling alongside Russell on 26 October at 7:45 p.m.
Prosecutor Zoe Johnson QC stated of the video during her opening statement, “This is the last time Nicole is seen alive.”
Nicole seems to have agreed to accompany the defendant into Newbold Comyn about three hours after they first met.
“We propose that Nicole was led to the Comyn by the defendant, probably for drugs rather than sex.
“The defendant killed Nicole McGregor only a few hours after that picture was taken.
He feigned to assist Ms. McGregor’s companion in finding her after the murder.
The murderer finally became the focus of a nationwide manhunt and absconded from Leamington by taking a 78-year-old man’s automobile.
Russell rang the elderly man’s doorbell to ask for directions. While the man was preoccupied, he struck him over the head with a brick from behind, breaking his skull and causing a bleed on his brain.
On October 30, the murderer was apprehended by the authorities after they discovered Russell on the rear seat of the pilfered Ford C-Max that was parked close to Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire.
As he was being taken into custody, he confessed to the officers, saying, “I did it.”
Russell, who resides in Coventry’s Riley Square, will be sentenced on Friday.
