August 11th 2024.
Juliet Eden, a photographer from Bridgend, was initially hesitant when she was offered £30 to take photos of a woman in the nearby Welsh village of Beddau. She wasn't sure if the small amount would even cover the cost of petrol for the round-trip. But after speaking to the woman, known locally as 'Mad Lee', on the phone, Juliet decided to take on the job.
Little did she know that this decision would lead to her photos being featured in news headlines and magazines all over. The woman, who went by the name Lee Anne Sabine, had a shocking secret - she had murdered her husband and hidden his body for 18 years. But it wasn't until her death at the age of 74 in 2015 that the crime was discovered.
Juliet reflects on her experience with Sabine in her book, "Frog Murderer." She describes how some people are like onions, with layers of good, bad, and evil, and they only show you the layer they want you to see. She took a photo of Sabine a year before her death, when John's body was likely hidden under the bed.
Sabine's husband, John, had disappeared from their home in 1997, and his wife claimed he had left on his own. But in reality, Sabine had brutally killed him with a stone frog and hid his body under the bed, later moving it to a garden shed and then her attic. She even collected his pension for 18 years.
Sabine's shocking secret was only revealed when her friend, Michelle, found John's mummified corpse in a package in the attic while sorting through Sabine's belongings after her death. The discovery was so disturbing that Michelle was briefly arrested by police on suspicion of attempted murder.
When the story made headlines, so did Juliet's photos of Sabine. In each one, Sabine appeared confident and posed like a "seventies biker chick" in a black outfit. Juliet, who had since moved to Cheltenham, was shocked and traumatized when a hair salon owner in Wales called her to explain what had happened.
Detectives from South Wales Police visited Juliet's home to search for any evidence in her photos. They found that the injuries on John's skull matched perfectly with the frog-shaped ornament that Sabine had left to Michelle. Some of Juliet's photos were taken in Sabine's bedroom, where it is believed John's body was hidden. Juliet believes this hiding spot allowed Sabine to repeatedly wrap his body in plastic.
The detectives also took Sabine's memoirs that she had given to Juliet, hoping to find a confession, but there was none. They also swabbed the pages for fingerprints. At first, Juliet didn't want to talk about her involvement with Sabine and tried to move on. But as the 10-year anniversary of Sabine's death approaches, she has decided to share her story and reveal the complexities of "Mad Lee" to the world.
Lee Ann Sabine was a name that sparked both curiosity and fear in the small Welsh village of Beddau. Known as 'Mad Lee' by the locals, she was a reclusive and eccentric woman who kept to herself. But when she offered a local photographer, Juliet Eden, £30 to take her picture, it piqued Juliet's interest. At first, she wasn't sure if it was worth the trip from her home in Bridgend, but after speaking to Lee on the phone, she decided to take the chance.
Little did Juliet know, her photos of Lee would go on to make headlines and be featured in news bulletins and magazines. That's because Lee, whose real name was Lee Ann Sabine, had a dark secret. She had murdered her husband, John, 18 years ago and had been hiding his body ever since. It wasn't until Lee passed away in 2015, at the age of 74, that the truth was revealed.
Juliet recalls her experience with Lee, saying that "some people are like onions - they have good layers, bad layers, and evil layers, and they show you the one they want you to see." In her book, "Frog Murderer," Juliet revisits her interactions with Lee and how she had no idea about the horrors that were hidden beneath the surface.
John, a 67-year-old accountant, had disappeared from their home in Beddau in 1997. Lee had claimed that he had left on his own accord, and the disappearance was never reported to the police. But the reality was far more sinister. Lee had brutally murdered her husband with a stone frog that she kept by their bed. She then wrapped his body in plastic and hid it in their home, later moving it to a garden shed and then to the attic. For the next 18 years, she continued to collect John's pension as if nothing had happened.
It wasn't until Lee's friend, Michelle, was sorting through her belongings in the attic that the truth was uncovered. Michelle came across a large package and, unaware of its contents, opened it to find John's mummified corpse. The discovery was shocking, and Michelle was briefly arrested by the police for suspicion of attempted murder.
As the story made headlines, so did the photos that Juliet had taken of Lee. In each one, Lee posed confidently, dressed in a 'seventies biker chick' outfit, with no hint of the horrific crime she had committed. Juliet remembers feeling shocked and traumatized when she received a call from a hair salon owner in Wales, informing her of the discovery.
Soon, detectives from South Wales Police visited Juliet's home to examine her photos for any evidence. They discovered that the injuries to John's skull matched perfectly with the protrusions on the frog-shaped ornament that Lee had used as a murder weapon. The frog was found in a box of trinkets that Lee had left to Michelle.
Some of Juliet's photos were taken in Lee's bedroom, where it is suspected that John's body was hidden under the bed. Juliet believes that this hiding place gave Lee easy access to repeatedly wrap her husband's body in plastic.
Detectives also took away memoirs that Lee had given to Juliet, hoping to find a confession. However, they were disappointed when they found no such thing. They also swabbed the pages for fingerprints, but with no luck.
At first, Juliet chose not to talk about her involvement with Lee's case and tried to move on from the experience. But as the 10-year anniversary of Lee's death approached, she decided to tell her story and shed light on the complexities of 'Mad Lee.' It was a story that shocked the world and left many wondering how someone could keep such a dark secret for so many years.
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