Wife killer who never revealed where he hid body to be freed from jail

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A murderer who has never revealed where he hid his wife’s body is set to be freed from jail after the government decided not to challenge the decision.

Russell Causley made UK legal history last year when he became the first prisoner to face a public parole hearing.

Causley was handed a life sentence for killing Carole Packman, who disappeared in 1985, a year after he moved his lover into the family home in Bournemouth, Dorset.

He was freed from prison in 2020 after serving more than 23 years for the murder but was sent back to jail the following year after breaching his licence conditions.

Earlier this month the Parole Board said he was suitable to be released from prison again.

At the time, Justice Secretary Dominic Raab – who described Causley as a “calculated killer” who “callously prolonged the suffering” of Ms Packman’s loved ones by “refusing to reveal the whereabouts of her body” – said he was “carefully” considering whether to appeal against the decision.

But on Tuesday the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed it would not ask the Parole Board to reconsider the ruling because there were no grounds to do so.

A MoJ spokeswoman said: “We have thoroughly examined the Parole Board’s decision but detailed legal advice concluded there were no grounds to ask them to reconsider their decision.

“We know this will be incredibly difficult for Carole Packman’s family, but Russell Causley will be under close supervision for the rest of his life and can be recalled to prison if he breaches the strict conditions of his release.

“Our parole reforms will stand up for the rights of victims in cases like this, making public safety the overriding factor in parole decisions and adding a ministerial veto on release of the most serious offenders.”