After their releases in 2001, both Thompson and Venables were given new identities on the understanding that they had been rehabilitated and did not break the law again. The case against them was based largely on 20 hours of video interviews conducted by police – the boys did not speak during the trial. There was lots of physical evidence tying them to the scene of the crime, including paint on their clothing that matched that on James’ body. They were charged with his murder on 20 February 1993.

Thompson and Venables took James to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, where he was dropped on his head and suffered facial injuries. Thirty-eight people saw the three boys together, but most did nothing to intervene, or left after Thompson and Venables claimed they were all brothers. CCTV footage showed James being abducted from the shopping centre by the two boys (Photo: Getty) Venables, whose identity has been changed twice more since his initial release on account of it being compromised, is expected to have a parole hearing in October.James’ younger brothers have spoken about the pain their family still feels from losing him in a new documentary, Lost Boy: The Killing of James Bulger, which is airing on Channel 5. He’s never not been part of the family. We have a spare chair around the Christmas table,” said Michael Fergus, 27. What happened to James Bulger? After they left the scene his body was cut in half by a train, and found two days later. How were Robert Thompson and Jon Venables caught? The Parole Board recommended his release in 2013. However, in 2017 he was arrested again for possessing child abuse images, and sentenced to 40 months behind bars in February 2018.

On 24 November 1993 Thompson and Venables were found guilty, becoming the youngest convicted murderers of the 20th century. In 1993, two 10-year-old boys tortured and murdered the toddler after leading him away from a shopping centre in Bootle, Merseyside. James suffered 10 skull fractures after the boys dropped a 10kg iron bar on his head, and eventually died from his injuries. They were sentenced to a minimum of eight years in a juvenile detention centre. What happened to them afterwards? Killers Robert Thompson and Jon Venables were sent to a young offenders’ institute, where they stayed until their release at the age of 18 in 2001.James had been taken to the shopping centre by his mother Denise, who was briefly distracted in a butcher’s shop and noticed her son had disappeared.