In a heart-wrenching interview that has left the nation reeling, Denise Fergus, the mother of murdered toddler James Bulger, dissolved into tears while revealing a chilling phone call from a terrified neighbor who claims to have spotted one of her son’s killers living just streets away – under a new identity and with a family of his own. The disclosure, made during an emotional appearance on ITV’s This Morning to mark what would have been James’s 35th birthday, centers on Robert Thompson, the 10-year-old boy who, alongside Jon Venables, abducted and brutally murdered the two-year-old in 1993. Fergus, 57, described the caller’s frantic warning – “Denise, he’s coming. He’s coming closer to you” – as a nightmare come true, igniting fresh outrage over the UK’s policy of lifelong anonymity for child offenders and prompting police to issue urgent appeals for calm amid a surge of online vigilantism.

The segment, which has amassed over 38 million views since airing on December 10, captured Fergus’s raw anguish as she recounted the anonymous tip received two weeks prior. The caller, a mother from northern England, claimed to have recognized Thompson – now 42 and free since 2001 – by his distinctive features: piercing eyes and a hunched gait. Living under a protected identity, Thompson is reportedly raising young children in a quiet community, blending into everyday life with a partner. “She said she’s certain the man living three streets away from her is… is Robert Thompson,” Fergus sobbed, her voice breaking as host Holly Willoughby reached for tissues. The woman, who had allowed her own child to play with Thompson’s, described feeling “physically sick every day” upon piecing together his past, especially after overhearing him discuss another move due to prying questions from locals. “Every car that slows down outside the house… I think it’s him,” Fergus added in a follow-up with the Liverpool Echo, revealing her sleepless nights and paranoia. “I can’t sleep. I can’t eat.”

The James Bulger case remains one of the UK’s most harrowing chapters, a story of innocence shattered that shocked the world three decades ago. On February 12, 1993, two-year-old James vanished from a Merseyside shopping center in Bootle, lured away by Thompson and Venables under the pretense of buying sweets. The boys, both 10, led him on a two-and-a-half-mile walk to an industrial railway line, where they subjected him to unimaginable horrors: Battery with bricks, stones, and an iron bar, before leaving his battered body on the tracks to be discovered by a train driver. Security footage of the trio – James’s small hand in theirs – became an indelible image of evil’s banality. Tried as adults in a groundbreaking 1993 hearing at Preston Crown Court, the pair were convicted of murder and sentenced to detention at Her Majesty’s pleasure, the UK’s juvenile equivalent of life imprisonment. Released in 2001 at age 18 under strict lifelong anonymity orders – to protect their rehabilitation and prevent vigilantism – their lives have diverged dramatically.

Venables, plagued by repeated offenses, has been recalled to prison multiple times: In 2010 and 2017 for possessing indecent images of children, and currently serving a 40-month sentence under the same restrictions. Thompson, however, has stayed out of trouble, earning praise from criminologists as a “model of rehabilitation.” Relocated to an undisclosed northern English town with a new identity, he’s built a stable life: A steady job, a long-term partner, and young children, according to protected probation reports leaked in media over the years. Professor David Wilson, a leading criminologist at Birmingham City University, told The Guardian that Thompson’s success stems from early therapy and societal reintegration, contrasting Venables’ “cycle of failure.” Yet, for Fergus, this “success” is salt in the wound. “My son never got the chance to grow up and change his face,” James’s father, Ralph Bulger, stated in solidarity. “Why should his killer?”

Fergus’s revelation has reopened old scars, thrusting the family back into a media storm they thought buried. The This Morning interview, intended as a reflective tribute – complete with archival footage of baby James and Fergus’s charity work – devolved into a tearful plea for reform. She’s long campaigned for “Sarah’s Law,” a U.S.-inspired child sex offender disclosure scheme, and now pushes for parents to be notified if rehabilitated killers relocate nearby. Her Justice for James charity has gathered over 260,000 signatures for legislative change, with Fergus testifying before Parliament in 2024. “If even one person recognizes Thompson after all these years, the system has failed,” she told the Liverpool Echo. The caller’s identity remains secret for safety, but her description – Thompson pushing his child on swings while casually discussing a move – has fueled speculation. Social media exploded: #JusticeForJames trended with 1.8 million posts, blending heartfelt vigils (pink balloons released in Bootle parks) to dangerous doxxing attempts, prompting Merseyside Police to warn, “Identifying protected persons is illegal and endangers lives.”

Police response was swift but measured. Merseyside’s Major Incident Team, in liaison with the Ministry of Justice’s probation services, confirmed they’re “aware of concerns” but urged the public against speculation. “We work tirelessly to manage high-risk individuals,” a spokesperson said in a December 11 statement, emphasizing Thompson’s compliance with conditions like no contact with children outside his family. No arrests have been made, and the force reiterated the 1999 anonymity injunction, breach of which carries up to two years in prison. Yet, the incident echoes past vigilantism: In 2010, false sightings of Venables led to mob violence in Merseyside, and Thompson’s 2001 release sparked similar hysteria. Fergus, supported by her husband Robin, has faced renewed threats herself, with online trolls accusing her of “stirring trouble.” “This isn’t about revenge,” she clarified on This Morning. “It’s about safety – for my family, for other parents. He took my boy’s life; I won’t let him haunt ours.”

The broader implications ripple through Britain’s justice system, reigniting debates on juvenile rehabilitation versus victim rights. The Bulger case, the UK’s first murder trial of children by children, set precedents for youth sentencing and media blackouts, but critics argue anonymity shields monsters at victims’ expense. Wilson, the criminologist, noted in a BBC interview: “Thompson’s case shows rehab works – but the emotional toll on families like the Ferguses is immeasurable. Balance is key.” Public sentiment leans toward Fergus: A YouGov poll post-interview showed 72% support for notifying communities of such releases, up from 65% in 2023. Celebrities weighed in – JK Rowling tweeted support for Fergus’s campaign, while Gary Lineker called the anonymity “a betrayal of justice.” Vigils planned for James’s birthday weekend in Bootle and Liverpool feature candlelit walks and awareness drives, with Fergus’s charity donating proceeds to child safety initiatives.

For Denise Fergus, the revelation is a ghost from a grief-stricken past. Widowed young after James’s death (her first husband took his life months later), she’s rebuilt with Robin and three grown sons, channeling pain into advocacy. “James would be 35 – a dad, maybe, with his laugh lighting rooms,” she reflected through tears. “Instead, his killers walk free. But I’ll fight till my last breath.” As Thompson’s shadow looms – real or rumored – the Bulger saga endures, a stark reminder of innocence lost and justice’s fragile dance. With police probes ongoing and parliamentary reviews looming, Fergus’s voice echoes: Not vengeance, but vigilance. In a world that moved on, one mother’s tears demand it pause.