Who is Essex Boys killer Michael Steele and where is he now?

THE Rettendon murders in 1995, which saw three men shot dead, shocked the nation.

Here, we look at Michael Steele, who was one of the men convicted in the case, and where he is now.

Who is Michael Steele?

Michael Steele is from Great Bentley, Essex.

He was jailed for the shotgun killings of three drug dealers in Rettendon, Essex, in December 1995.

Steele has served much of his prison sentence at Wakefield Prison, West Yorkshire, since receiving a life sentence in 1998.

What happened to the Essex Boys?

Tony Tucker, Pat Tate, and Craig Rolfe were gunned down in a Range Rover on December 6, 1995, on a farm track in Rettendon.

All three men were known drug dealers who were involved with the notorious gang The Essex Boys.

They were found the following morning by a farmer, having suffered multiple shotgun blasts.

The murders gained nationwide exposure, and have since been adapted into books and feature films, such as Essex Boys in 2000 and The Rise Of The Footsoldier film series.

Three-part Sky Documentaries series The Essex Murders re-examines the case, with private investigators examining evidence and facts of the killings.

The show is airing on April 15, 2023, at 9.15pm.

Where is Michael Steele now?

Steele remains in prison following his 1998 conviction for murder.

He was jailed alongside Jack Whomes, both of whom received life sentences for the killing.

Both men have continuously pleaded their innocence since being convicted of the crime.

It was revealed in March 2022 that Steele had been downgraded from a Category A prisoner, meaning he was no longer thought to be high risk and could be moved to a less strict jail.

Steele has been told that he will receive a parole hearing in May 2023, after over 24 years behind bars.

Whomes was released from prison on parole in 2021 after 22 years inside.

Whomes' minimum 25-year sentence that he received was reduced by two years in 2018 for exemplary behaviour whilst incarcerated.

Who were the Essex Boys?

The Essex Boys were a gang which operated in the 1980s and 1990s.

They were mainly involved in drug deals, and were thought to be major players in the supply of ecstasy, which became popular with the rave scene that was taking off in the UK.

Carlton Leech was involved with the gang, a former criminal who had connections with gangs and West Ham hooliganism group the Inter City Firm.

Leech turned his back on a life of crime and started writing books.

His 2003 autobiography Muscle was adapted into the first Rise Of The Footsoldier film in 2007.