April Jones
Five-year-old April Jones was abducted and murdered in Machynlleth, Wales by Mark Bridger. Only small bone fragments were ever recovered. Bridger was sentenced to whole life.
On October 1, 2012, five-year-old April Jones was abducted while playing near her home on the Bryn-y-Gog estate in Machynlleth, mid-Wales. A friend saw her getting into a vehicle.
Mark Bridger, a local man who lived alone, was arrested the following day. Investigators found traces of April's blood and bone fragments in his cottage and fireplace, along with evidence that he had searched for child sexual abuse material.
Only tiny bone fragments positively identified as April's were ever recovered. Prosecutors believed Bridger dismembered and burned her body. He claimed he accidentally hit her with his car and could not remember what happened next.
Bridger was convicted of murder, child abduction, and perverting the course of justice. He was sentenced to a whole-life order.
Curated starting points for verifying and researching this case. Direct references are checked; search links are provided as further-reading aids. ColdCaseIndex is an index of public information — see a case correction? Email info@coldcaseindex.com.
Have Information About This Case?
Cold cases are solved when someone comes forward. Even a detail that seems minor can matter. If you have any information about this case, contact law enforcement through one of these channels:
- FBI Tips (tips.fbi.gov) — submit a tip online to the Federal Bureau of Investigation
- FBI Tip Line: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324)
- The local police department or sheriff's office in United Kingdom, or the state bureau of investigation
Tips can usually be submitted anonymously. To report an error on this page, email info@coldcaseindex.com.