Where is Black Widow killer Dena Thompson now?

Dena Thompson targeted lonely single men and tricked them out of more than £500,000 murdered Julian Webb on his 31st birthday.

Dena Thompson

Dena Thompson was sentenced to life in prison but was released in 2022 (Image: Chris Ison/PA)

Dena Thompson was jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering her husband and attempting to kill her two other husbands. Sky documentary Black Widow will explore the criminal history of Dena Thompson, who over a span of 20 years, orchestrated a relentless campaign of fraud, deception, bigamy and murder.

Thompson used Lonely Hearts columns to prey on a number of husbands and lovers and manipulated them with her convincing yet outlandish tales into surrendering their life savings, homes, families and freedom. Julian Webb was killed by Thompson when she spiked a curry with lethal doses of antidepressants on his 31st birthday in June 1994.

She was described by police as a "dangerous woman" and "every man’s nightmare" and was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Webb in 2003. After her controversial release from prison, where is she now?


Where is Black Widow killer Dena Thompson now?

Dena Thompson arriving at court

Dena Thompson arriving at court during her trial (Image: Central News)

A High Court ruling in 2007 determined she would serve 16 years and she would not be eligible for release until 2019. In May 2022, the Parole Board controversially granted Thompson’s bid to be released.

The Parole Board said they were satisfied with her progress and rehabilitation in prison and was suitable for early release.

In a document setting out the decision, the Parole Board said: “After considering the circumstances of her offending, the progress made while in custody and the other evidence presented at the hearing, the panel was satisfied that Ms Thompson was suitable for release once suitable accommodation became available in early June 2022.”

Dena Thompson was let out of prison in June 2022 after serving 19 years behind bars. Now aged 64, Thompson has kept a low-profile back in society and was previously spotted in Reading and London.

For an unspecified amount of time and as part of her conditions of release, Thompson had to disclose any new relationships, provide details of vehicles she uses, as well as her passport and bank details when required. She also had to wear an electronic tag and adhere to a curfew for a specific period of time.

Dena Thompson and Julian Webb

The cold-blooded killer on the day she married Julian Webb, who died on his birthday (Image: Handout)

Despite the Parole Board being satisfied with Thompson’s behaviour, her third husband Richard Thompson who survived being attacked by the killer, told Mail Online: “She’ll get karma.”

Martyn Underhill, a former detective chief inspector who exposed Thompson’s crimes said: “This woman is every man’s nightmare.

“For a decade, she targeted men sexually, financially and physically.

“I believe she still poses a danger. The authorities must keep a close eye on her.”

In a three-part series, Black Widow includes first-hand testimony from those affected by her crimes, with exclusive access to her first husband, who ended up homeless believing he was on the run from the mafia.

Black Widow premieres on Sunday, September 15 on Sky Documentaries. Each episode will be around an hour in length and the series will also be available to watch as a box set on Sky and NOW.

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