Father commits suicide after finding out that man who molested and killed his daughter could be released from prison

Forty-two year old Lewis Poole-Warren committed suicide last week after he found out that there was a possibility that the pedophile who killed his 12-year-old daughter in 1993, was about to be released from prison and move back to the neighborhood.

In 1993, 24-year-old Keith Collard was convicted of kidnapping Warren’s daughter, Katrina Monk a few yards from her home in Enfield, England as she was returning from school.

When the preteen’s body was found in an alleyway close to her home, her wrists and ankles were bound and a plastic bag had been put over her head and taped up.

The day after Monk’s body was discovered, Collard, who was a loner with an obsession for pornography and a neighbor, was arrested for the murder.

During his trial, prosecutors said Collard dragged Monk into his garden shed at gunpoint before molesting her, suffocating her and dumping her body in the alleyway, where it was found.

Warren’s wife, Valerie, said when they found out that Collard, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in December 1993, had a parole board hearing scheduled for December of this year, and, there was a possibility that he could be released back to the area, he hung himself.

“We had been trying to find out about what was happening with Keith Collard so we contacted the parole board,” Valerie, 50, said.

“They told us Collard has a hearing on December 22 this year to decide if he should have immediate parole or whether he should be sent to an open prison.  Then if he is a good boy for six months he will be released,” she continued.

She said they were shocked to hear that the man who had molested and killed their daughter could be released from jail, and to make matters worse, Collard had given an address in their neighborhood as his return address.

“It was too much for Lewis,” she said.  “When he found out he was so furious he punched a wall, shattering his hand.  As he’s a carpenter, he couldn’t work and had to sign on.  He just couldn’t cope, before he killed himself he hadn’t worked for several weeks.”

Valerie, who has two younger daughters with Lewis, said the news of the possibility of the pedophile being released brought everything “back for Lewis,” who became a suspect immediately after his daughter was found.

“Lewis was devastated when police searched the house as he loved her like his own and would never hurt her,” she said.

The devastated woman said during the trial, they struggled to cope with everything and after a while, they split up then got back together, then eventually split for good in 2003.

She said the day before he hung himself, she went to his house to pick up their two daughters, Michaela, 12, and Shannon, 9, and he seemed to be in good spirits.

“Keith Collard should never be allowed out for what he did to our little girl, he’s a monster.  Lewis just couldn’t stand the thought of him being released,” she said.