What Makes Kelly Anne Bates’ Murder One of History’s Most Unsettling Crimes?

Kelly Anne Bates endured weeks of torment, including partial scalping and eye gouging, before James Patterson Smith murdered her on April 16, 1996.

Content Warning! The following story contains descriptions, which some readers may find disturbing.

James Patterson Smith informed the Greater Manchester Police on April 16, 1996, that Kelly Anne Bates, his adolescent girlfriend, had unintentionally drowned in the bathtub. She passed away at the age of barely 17, despite the fact that he claimed to have tried to revive her.

When the police finally got to Smith’s residence, the situation was more worse than they could have ever imagined. Bates was not only dead, but her blood was discovered all over the home, and it was obvious that she had had many horrifying injuries prior to her “drowning.”

James Patterson Smith was swiftly taken into custody by the authorities, and his tale quickly came apart. The autopsy results soon revealed that Kelly Anne Bates had been subjected to weeks of terrible torture by Smith before she succumbed to her injuries.

“In my career, I have examined over 600 victims of homicide, but I have never…