FBI to help police with inquiry into Southport killer Axel Rudakubana
The FBI are providing support as police try to recover deleted searches from Southport killer Axel Rudakubana’s online accounts.
Rudakubana cleared his internet history just before he travelled to the dance class.
He was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years – one of the highest minimum terms on record – for murdering Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport on July 29 last year.
Senior investigating officer Det Ch Insp Jason Pye said in January that the process to retrieve his online history "could be years" because the crime had not been categorised as terrorism as officers did not find evidence that Rudakubana had been motivated by any specific ideology.
In a joint statement, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Merseyside Police said: “A specialist liaison CPS Prosecutor in the United States has been working with international partners to obtain material which may be relevant.
“We are thankful to the US Department of Justice and the FBI for their ongoing assistance and the importance which they have placed upon our request.”
According to reports, investigators now hope to recover deleted searches from the killer’s Google and Microsoft accounts within weeks.
Police discovered a number of devices during a search of Rudakubana’s home in Banks, Lancashire after he fatally stabbed Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, at a dance class in Southport on July 29 last year.
The 18-year-old cleared his internet history before he left to travel to The Hart Space just after 11am.
A search on social media site X for the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, made minutes before he left home, was the only thing that remained, police have said.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Jason Pye said in January that the process to get the information is ongoing, but “could be years”.