Murderer who killed stepdaughter Bernadette Walker dies in prison without revealing where he left Peterborough teenager's body

A man who murdered his teenage stepdaughter in Peterborough has died in prison – without revealing where he left his victim’s body.

Seventeen-year-old Bernadette Walker was last seen alive on Saturday, July 18 2020, when Scott Walker – known to Bernadette as ‘Dad’ but not her biological father – arrived to pick her up from her grandparent’s home in Werrington.

A huge search operation was carried out by police, but it is still not known how Bernadette, known as Bea, met her fate, and her body has never been found.

Court told Scott Walker would likely never be released from prison

In September 2021, Scott Walker – then aged 51 – was given a life sentence, with a minimum term of 32 years – after being found guilty of Bea’s murder at a trial. Cambridge Crown Court heard how it was likely that he would never be released from prison as he had a number of serious health issues.

Today, a spokesperson for the prison service confirmed Scott Walker had died in jail a few days before Christmas.

‘Our thoughts are with Bernadette’s family’

The spokesperson said: “Prisoner Scott Walker died on 22 December at HMP Full Sutton and, as with all deaths in custody, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman will investigate.

“We know this will be difficult news for the family of Bernadette Walker and our thoughts are with them.”

Detectives visited Scott Walker in prison following his conviction for her murder, in a bid to try and find where her body was – but he never revealed the answer.

Today, when asked if there were any new leads on where Bernadette had been left, a Cambridgeshire Police spokesperson said there were no updates on the search.

The trial heard how in the days leading up to her disappearance Bernadette had made allegations to her mum, Sarah Walker, that Scott Walker had sexually abused her – and that had been the reason she had left the home she shared with her mum and Scott Walker in Century Square, Millfield, to stay with her grandparents.

But rather than bring the youngster home, Scott Walker killed her.

His mobile phone activated cell sites in the Dogsthorpe and Gunthorpe areas, both in the opposite direction, and at just before 11.30am it disconnected from the network and didn’t reconnect for an hour-and-a-half.

Web of lies created to suggest Bernadette was alive

For the following seven weeks, Scott and his former partner, Sarah Walker, deceived friends, family and police by laying a false trail to suggest Bernadette was still alive and had run away from home.

During the six-week trial in 2021, the jury heard Bernadette’s mother had not reported her missing to police until 21 July.

Scott Walker claimed he had stopped the car on their way back from his parents’ home to speak about the allegations Bernadette had made, but she had got out and ran off in Skaters Way, leaving her rucksack behind.

However, police discovered that instead of going straight to collect her that morning, Scott had gone to a lock-up garage owned by his parents in Walton. And it was not the only time he visited this location in the days after Bernadette was reported missing.

Having disconnected from the network for an hour-and-a-half after Scott picked Bernadette up, once it reconnected the first call he made was to Sarah, lasting nine minutes.

In the following 48 hours, both Scott and Sarah made multiple trips to the lock-up as well as to Cowbit, a rural area of Lincolnshire, in the dead of night.

Passwords on Bea’s social media accounts were changed and messages sent to friends and family to make it look as though Bea had simply run away from home.

The allegations Bea had made about being sexually abused by her father were passed to police via a social worker on 22 July.

On 10 September, Scott was arrested for this and allegedly coercively controlling Sarah. The following day, the investigation became a murder enquiry.

Bea’s rucksack was found in the Walton lock-up and a diary found inside. An extract read, “Told my mum about my dad and the abuse. She called me a liar and threatened to kill me if I told the police. What kind of parent wouldn’t believe their daughter?”

Guilty verdicts delivered at court

Scott Walker was found guilty of murder and two counts of perverting the course of justice, relating to providing false information to police and sending messages from Bernadette’s phone.

Sarah Walker had previously admitted perverting the course of justice by sending messages from Bernadette’s phone and providing false information to police (without knowing Bernadette was dead and with the intention to cover up the sexual allegations against Scott). However, she was found guilty of alternative charges of perverting the course of justice, which were identical to the charges she admitted but with the knowledge that Bea was dead.

Scott Walker was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 32 years, while Sarah Walker was sentenced to a total of six years in prison, and she was told she must serve at least half before being considered for parole. It is understood she was released from prison last year.

Information about the support available for those who have suffered sexual abuse, along with how to report information, can be found on the Cambridgeshire Police website at https://www.cambs.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/.

Information about the investigation can be passed on to police either online or by calling 101.