Fred and Rose West Were British Serial Killers Whose Children Were Also Their Victims

When it comes to meeting the right person for you, an old saying suggests there is a lid for every pot. Regardless of how lonely or alienated one might feel, the perfect partner could be a grocery store trip or even a swipe away. Sometimes a lid and a pot are objectively bad, both together and separately. Such was the case for Fred and Rose West, two British serial killers who were bonded by their intense love of murder and sexual abuse.

The couple's disturbing deeds were carried out in their Gloucester home, which was later dubbed a House of Horrors by the media. By the time Fred and Rose were arrested in August 1992, they were responsible for the deaths of 12 girls, two of whom were their own children.

The Wests shared 10 children between them, and it was one of those kids who first tipped law enforcement off to what was going on in their home. Where are the surviving children now? Here's what we know.

According to Marie Claire, in May 1992, the Wests assaulted their 13-year-old daughter Louise multiple times. A few weeks later, Louise confided in a friend who, in turn, told her mother what happened. Police were called, which resulted in a thorough search of the Wests' home.

Fred was arrested for rape and sodomy while Rose was charged with being his accomplice. Two years later, they were arrested again and charged with murder. The surviving West children were placed in foster care.

As of May 2025, there are seven living West children, though the Daily Mail reports they do not speak to each other. Each wrestles with their own demons and evidently approaches their childhoods from vastly different paths.

Fred and Rose's oldest biological son, Stephen West, told the outlet that he doesn't talk to his siblings and there are no "large, happy family get-togethers." He believes it's because it's simply too painful for them.

Fred had two children with his first wife, whom he killed. His oldest daughter, Anne Marie, was not interested in speaking with the Daily Mail, but her husband, Philip, confirmed the siblings are estranged.

"Even though some of them live near each other, they don't speak or see each other because that only opens up old wounds for them," explained Philip. In 2020, their son Barry West died of an overdose.

Charmaine West was one of Fred's two daughters from his first marriage to Rena Costello. The 8-year-old disappeared in June 1971 while Fred was in prison for 10 months for "dishonesty offenses," per The Independent. Rose told Anne Marie that Charmaine had gone to live with her mother, but she actually killed her and buried her beneath the kitchen floor, reported The Guardian.

Her body wouldn't be found for another 23 years.

Heather West was Rose's first child with Fred. In 1987, the 16-year-old simply vanished, like so many other victims of the depraved duo. When police questioned Fred and Rose about their missing daughter, they changed their story multiple times. Her body was the first one found by police in 1994.

The dismembered remains of the teenager were buried in the Wests' backyard.