Who is the Essex Boys killer Michael Steele and where is he now?
THE Rettendon murders in 1995, in which three men were shot dead, shocked the nation.
Here we look at Michael Steele, who was one of the men convicted in the case, and where he is now.
1
Who is Michael Steele?
Michael Steele hails from Great Bentley, Essex.
He was jailed for the shotgun killing of three drug dealers in December 1995 in Rettendon, Essex.
Steele has served much of his sentence at Wakefield Prison in West Yorkshire since being sentenced to life in prison in 1998.
What happened to the Essex Boys?
Tony Tucker, Pat Tate and Craig Wolfe were gunned down in a Range Rover on a dirt track in Rettendon on December 6, 1995.
All three men were well-known drug dealers involved in the notorious gang, The Essex Boys.
They were found by a farmer the next morning after hitting several shotguns.
The murders received national attention and have since been adapted into books and feature films such as Essex Boys in 2000 and The Rise of The Footsoldier film series.
A new show re-examining the case is set to air on Sky Documentaries. The Essex Murders is a three part series in which private investigators examine evidence and facts surrounding the murders.
The show will air on April 15, 2023 at 9:25 p.m.
Where is Michael Steele now?
Steele remains in prison following his 1998 murder conviction.
He was imprisoned along with Jack Whomes, both of whom were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder.
Both men have consistently protested their innocence since their conviction.
In March 2022 it was revealed that Steele had been downgraded from a Category A prisoner, meaning he was no longer considered to be at high risk and could be transferred to a less stringent prison.
Steele has been told he will face a parole hearing in May 2023 after more than 24 years behind bars.
Whomes was paroled from prison in 2021 after serving 22 years.
Whomes’ minimum sentence of 25 years, which he received, was reduced by two years in 2018 for exemplary conduct during incarceration.
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