Murder of Roy Tutill

Roy Tutill, known as "Tuts" to his friends, disappeared on 23 April 1968 on his way from Kingston Grammar School in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, to his home in Brockham. He left school at 3:30 p.m. and boarded a bus with his friends. To save on bus fare to buy a new bicycle, he then decided to hitchhike the rest of the way home, something he did regularly. Tutill was last seen in Chessington, trying to hail a car. The body of the schoolboy was found by a policeman three days later outside the gates of Cherkley Court, in Mickleham. He had been strangled and sexually assaulted. ==Investigation==

The only information police learned was that a bus driver had seen a schoolboy talking to a driver of a silver-grey Austin Westminster Mark II car. The driver was described as a "short, stocky man with whitish-grey hair." The same car had been reported seen near where the body was dumped. Samples taken from Tutill's body and clothing were analysed at the time, but provided no evidence except that the suspect was of either 'A' or 'O' blood group. Scotland Yard was called in to assist in the investigation, but there were no breaks in the case. The investigation remained open and was regularly reviewed. Detectives, however, held the belief that the perpetrator was a repeat offender and the murder was not a random act. ==Arrest and confession==

On 21 February 2001, police arrested Field at his flat in Birmingham. He was held in police custody during which time his detention was extended for more than the initial 24 hours in order to assist the investigation. Field denied knowing Tutill or having anything to do with his death, and while admitting to his historic sexual offences against boys said he had put that behaviour behind him. Just before Field was put into his cell for a third night he had been asked to submit DNA samples. Field could not sleep that night, and the following day he confessed in detail to the abduction, rape and murder of Tutill. He said he had seen the boy get off a bus and thumb for a lift, and that he had picked him up. He then drove the boy to a layby where he anally raped him over the front seat and, when he finished, panicked. Field drove to a second layby and strangled Tutill by wrapping a rope around his neck twice. He kept the boy's body in his car's boot for several days before dumping him in woodland. ==Sentence==

On 15 November 2001, 65-year-old Field was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Tutill. He pleaded guilty to murder, but not sexual assault. Tutill's parents did not live to see his murderer sentenced. ==See also==