Lucy Letby, 33, is a British serial killer who was found guilty of the murder of seven babies, and the attempted murder of six more, while she worked as a nurse in neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. Last week, Lucy Letby was sentenced to life imprisonment with no chance of parole.
She is the fourth woman in British history to ever be given a whole-life sentence. As the case becomes one of the most high profile serial killer trials in recent history, there is an understandable interest in Lucy's background. Right now, search for 'Lucy Letby parents' is up 160% and 'where did Lucy Letby live' is a breakout search term on Google.
Here is what we can gather about Lucy Letby's family life.
Who are Lucy Letby's parents, Susan and John Letby?
Lucy Letby was born in Hereford on January 4, 1990. Her parents are furniture retail boss John Letby, 77, and accounts clerk Susan Letby, 63.
Do Lucy Letby's parents support her?
Lucy Letby's parents are said to have supported her throughout the trial. They attended every court hearing and her dad stayed at her house the night she was arrested. They even relocated from Hereford to Manchester to be closer to Lucy during her long trial.
Lucy was the first person in her wider family to go to university and her parents have been described as 'doting'. In messages obtained by the court, she is said to have told her colleagues that she felt 'guilty' for moving away from her parents who were always keen to maintain a close relationship with their daughter. Lucy's parents also helped her to buy a house, close to the Countess of Chester Hospital where she worked as a neonatal nurse.
What was Lucy Letby's upbringing like?
It is understood that Lucy had a normal upbringing. She went to Aylestone School and Hereford Sixth Form College and had a part time job in WHSmith, before attending the University of Chester to pursue her education in nursing. During her degree, she undertook placements at Liverpool Women’s Hospital and the Countess of Chester Hospital.
To celebrate their daughter’s graduation, her parents put a notice in the local newspaper which read ‘Letby Lucy BSc Hons in Child Nursing. We are so proud of you after all your hard work. Love Mum and Dad.’
There is no suggestion that Lucy endured a distressing or abusive childhood, as has been the case with other convicted serial killers.
What did Lucy Letby's parents act like in court?
Early on in the trial, the court heard how the couple had previously helped their daughter secure a letter of apology from senior doctors who had raised concerns about her and threatened to report them to the General Medical Council. They have stood by her side since her arrest and throughout the case and maintained her innocence throughout the trial, even renting a flat nearer Manchester Crown Court so they could attend every day.
However, Lucy's parents chose not to attend her sentencing. Like their daughter, they were not present in court to hear the testimonies from the victims' parents.
It is said that when all the verdicts were made public last Friday, Susan Letby was crying in her husband's arms and shouted: 'You can't be serious. This cannot be right.'
What did Lucy Letby's parents act like when she was arrested?
Lucy was first arrested on 4 July 2018, and her father watched her being taken away by the police. Speaking at her trial, Lucy said that after the arrest, her father, who had been staying the night after taking her home from a family holiday in Torquay, made her bed for her.
Lucy was arrested again in June 2019 and November 2020. At the time, her mother pleaded to take her instead, saying ‘I did it.’
One neighbour of the family told The Times they were distraught in the aftermath of the arrest. 'She's an only child,' they said. 'Do I have to say anymore? I just feel for them so much. I feel so helpless that there is nothing we can do.'
Where is Lucy Letby in prison?
Lucy Letby will serve a whole-life order at HMP Low Newton in Durham. Low Newton is a high-security prison located in the village of Brasside near Durham that holds women from 18 years old upwards. It houses some of Britain’s most high-profile killers, including Joanna Dennehy, who became the first woman to receive a whole-life order at sentencing after she murdered three men during a 10-day spree in 2013.
Low Newton has also housed Rose West, who was convicted of 10 murders, carried out with her husband Fred, at Winchester crown court in 1995, and Tracey Connelly, the mother of Baby P. As of April last year, there were 242 prisoners at the facility.
Has Lucy Letby got siblings?
No, Lucy Letby has no siblings and is an only child.
Did Lucy Letby have a boyfriend?
Lucy lived alone in a semi-detached house near the Countess of Chester Hospital with her two rescue cats. Any further details about her relationship status are not known.
What was Lucy Letby's home like?
Lucy moved into the house where she was arrested after leaving nurse's accommodation on the site of the hospital. She cried in the docks when jurors in the court were shown pictures of her bedroom taken by a crime scene officer following her arrest. The walls were decorated with art that read 'happy prosecco season' and 'friends are angels in disguise' and notes in her kitchen read 'Happy Birthday Mummy' from her cats which were sent by Lucy's mum, Susan.
Who are Lucy Letby's friends?
By all accounts, Lucy has had lots of friends and was well liked by colleagues. She even received messages of support from her nursing colleagues checking in on her when so many babies died under her supervision, seemingly as the result of underlying health conditions, with colleagues at the time having no idea of the extent of her crimes.
Another of Lucy's closest friends Dawn, who went to school with her, spoke to BBC Panorama during the trial, where she refused to accept her friend's guilt.
She said: 'I grew up with Lucy and not a single thing that I’ve ever seen or witnessed of Lucy would let me for a moment believe she is capable of the things she’s accused of. It is the most out-of-character accusation that you could ever put against Lucy.
'Think of your most kind, gentle, soft friend and think that they’re being accused of harming babies… Unless Lucy turned around and said "I’m guilty", I will never believe that she’s guilty.'
When approached by another publication to ask whether she maintained her stance ahead of Lucy's sentencing, she replied: 'I stand by that statement.'
Janet Cox, another of her close friends and former nursing colleague, regularly appeared in court alongside Lucy's parents. When approached by a publication outside her home and asked if she still believed in her friend’s innocence, she replied 'yes' but refused to elaborate.
However, Lucy was found guilty by the court and will spend the rest of her life in prison. The trial lasted for more than 10 months and it is believed to be the longest murder trial in the UK.