Teen assassin who stabbed stepdad and canine to demise had chilling ‘kill lists’

Logan Procter, 20, was sentenced to custody for life with a minimum term of 20 years and 10 months for the murder of his stepfather Christopher Owen and family dog, Poppy

View 3 Images

A former college student who murdered his stepfather and family dog at their home for the thrill of it had compiled multiple “kill lists” on his mobile phone. Logan Procter was 19 when he used two knives to inflict more than 70 wounds on Christopher Owen, 57, and 15 stab injuries to their Jack Russell, Poppy, on the evening of 22 October last year, because he believed it would make him feel “unique”.

The defendant, now 20, had amassed a collection of knives and Samurai swords at the family home in Valley Road in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, and declared he “wanted to end so many lives”, Derby Crown Court was told.

Procter admitted murder and was jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years and 10 months on Friday. Sentencing Procter, who sat in the dock wearing a prison-issue grey tracksuit, Judge Shaun Smith KC said: “The killing of your stepfather and family dog was brutal, sustained and frenzied.

“No-one foresaw the tragedy that was to unfold in terrifying events at your home.”

Prosecutor Maryam Syed KC told the court that Procter had two mobile phones, adding: “Within the material extracted, there were compiled lists of various methods of killing and in particular various kill lists, what the prosecution say are kill lists, with various names.

“There was a specific list in relation to ‘home’, which included ‘Mum’ and another family member, but top of the list was ‘Chris’.” The prosecutor revealed there was another list for “work” naming six individuals, one for “college” with 14 names, and online searches on his devices related to torture and cannibalism.

Ms Syed stated that Procter dialled 999 with “extreme calmness” following the murder, where he detailed how the dog had “screamed” during the assault and “explained he wanted it to be quick”.

She said: “One of the key phrases in the 999 call, we say, was ‘I wanted to end so many lives. I planned to go off so much further than this’.”

The prosecutor added that Procter mentioned carrying out the murders for the “thrill” and that “this was one way, in killing his stepfather and the dog, that he was good at something”.

Procter described not feeling “unique”, the court heard, and executed the attacks to “counteract” that.

He also, during the call, referred to his stepfather, who had been part of his life for a decade, as “stronger than I thought” and said he didn’t think “it would go that far”.

It is believed that Procter knew that Mr Owen’s older brother had been murdered in Dudley in 2007, for which two people were convicted at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Ms Syed said.

In a victim impact statement, Procter’s mother, and Mr Owen’s partner, Alison Owen, wrote that her son had “never shown any form of anger or violence in all his life”.

She stated: “The outcome of this situation will bring me no comfort at all because I have lost everything I hold dear to me – a precious partner Chris and my precious boy Logan.

“Chris was kind, protective, loyal and truly a beautiful gentleman. We should have had so many more years together.”

Defending Procter, Clive Stockwell KC said he had been bullied and was a “vulnerable young man” due to his mental health issues.

Mr Stockwell added: “In this case, not only did Logan have an interest in collecting knives, but Christopher Owen had an interest in collecting knives.

“It was Christopher Owen that would buy Logan knives to be collected in the home.”

Mr Stockwell informed the court: “His (Procter’s) position to us has always been acknowledgement and sorrow for the misery that he caused.

“Christopher Owen was a completely innocent victim. Not for a moment does Logan seek to ascribe any blame or criticism of Mr Owen.

“There had been no cross words, there had been no hostile behaviour from Mr Owen, there had been no ill treatment perpetrated by Mr Owen.”

Detective Inspector Kane Martin, of Derbyshire Police, said: “The murder of Christopher Owen has devastated his family and friends and throughout this investigation seeking the truth for them has always been our focus.

“What they will never know is why Mr Owen was killed as, while Logan Procter has taken responsibility for his murder, he has never given a reason for why he carried out the attack and it was made clear that Mr Owen was an entirely innocent victim who had done nothing to justify the attack.

“What is clear is that Procter planned to kill Mr Owen and he did so in the most brutal of manners.”