Uncle's Chilling 911 Call Minutes After Raping and Murdering 12-Year-Old Niece
Sixteen years ago, a horrific uncle called police and made a chilling murder confession just minutes after raping and killing his young niece in a disturbing case that shocked Manchester.
The Fatal Afternoon in Cheetham Hill
Unemployed John Maden, then 38, called his sister Lynne Rigg at 2:14 pm on April 3, 2010, asking for his 12-year-old niece Tia Rigg to come to his house in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, claiming he needed a babysitter. Tia arrived just before 3 pm, but within 45 minutes, Maden was on the phone to police, calmly reporting the murder.
The operator heard Maden state, "I've just finished killing her now." When asked why he committed the act, he gave a chilling five-word response: "Because I felt like it."
A Catalogue of Horrific Acts
Tia was subjected to grotesque sexual acts, stabbed in the abdomen, and strangled with a guitar wire. Police officers rushed to the scene where Maden directed them upstairs to find Tia lying naked on the floor of a spare bedroom, wearing only socks, with a ligature around her neck.
Her hands were tied behind her back with shoelaces, and two blood-stained knives were found near her body. Some wounds were inflicted while she was still conscious, but the predominant cause of death was ligature strangulation.
Tests later revealed the antipsychotic drug Olanzapine in her blood, which would have had a sedative effect. Maden was a secret pervert who collected child pornography and 'snuff videos,' with an extensive library of materials related to paedophilia, rape, and torture.
Justice Served and Heartbroken Tributes
Maden was due to go on trial but eventually admitted to murder. After being handed a mandatory life sentence, Mr Justice Keith stated, "This is one of those exceptional cases in which the only just punishment requires you to be imprisoned for the rest of your life."
Prosecutor Gordon Cole QC told the court, "It was murder purely for his sexual gratification—it had a sexual motive. The facts reveal clearly features of torture, rape, physical abuse and the ultimate murder of a child."
After her brother was jailed for life, Tia's heartbroken mother Lynne paid tribute to her daughter, saying, "Tia was my baby girl. She was always happy and never sad. She brought a smile to everyone who she met. Tia was loved by everyone, family and friends but to me she wasn't just my daughter she was my best friend."
She added, "When this nightmare happened, it killed me inside. My heart has been broken and will never mend. All that is left is a big empty hole. For me, this nightmare will never end but now justice has been done at least Tia can rest in peace."
