UK Teens Watched Murder Videos On "Dark Web" Before Stabbing Trans Girl

Brianna Ghey was stabbed 28 times in the head, neck, back, and chest. Her body was discovered by dog walkers in a park.

A UK judge took the unusual step on Friday of allowing the identification of two juveniles in court after they were found guilty of murdering a 16-year-old transgender girl in a "frenzied and ferocious" knife attack. Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, both 16, killed Brianna Ghey in Warrington, northwest England, in February last year. The case shocked the country due to their young ages.

The victim was stabbed 28 times in the head, neck, back, and chest. Dog walkers discovered her body in a park. Jenkinson and Ratcliffe were 15 at the time.

In the UK, individuals under 18 on trial typically remain anonymous, but the media can challenge this restriction in serious cases after a conviction.

Judge Amanda Yip agreed to lift the anonymity order after the trial, allowing their names to be reported at Friday's sentencing hearing. A jury of seven men and five women convicted Jenkinson and Ratcliffe after nearly five hours of deliberations, following a four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court.

Before returning the pair to prison, the judge told them she had to impose life terms for their convictions and would determine the minimum time they must serve before being considered for release based on further reports.

During the trial, it was revealed that Jenkinson and Ratcliffe had discussed killing Ghey in the days and weeks before her death. Jenkinson, referred to as girl X during the trial, had downloaded an internet browser app allowing her to watch videos of real people's torture and murder on the "dark web."

She had an interest in serial killers, taking notes on their methods, and admitted to enjoying "dark fantasies" about killing and torture. The pair created a "kill list" of four other youths they intended to harm until Ghey was befriended by Jenkinson, who became "obsessed" with her, according to prosecutors.

Ghey, with thousands of followers on TikTok, was described as a withdrawn, shy, and anxious teenager who struggled with depression and rarely left her home, the jury heard.

Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor Ursula Doyle, after the verdict, said the case was "one of the most distressing" she had ever dealt with, emphasizing the planning, violence, and the age of the killers as "beyond belief."