Face of the wheelie bin murderer, 17
Revealed, teacher’s killer named after boxer who inspired Stallone
THE boy who murdered a teaching assistant and hid her body in a wheelie bin is named after the boxer who inspired film character Rocky, it emerged last night.
Rocky Marciano Price, 17, ambushed and killed 47-year-old Lindsay Birbeck in woods.
He dragged the mum-of-two’s naked body through the streets in the heavy bin, then buried her in a shallow grave. Price can be named and pictured for the first time after a judge yesterday agreed to lift restrictions imposed due to his age.
The killer, whose family are travellers, grew up with five siblings and parents Creddy, 47, and Martina, 39, in Accrington, Lancashire. He has a low IQ of 65 – the average is around 100 – and attended a special school, where he was taught practical skills including woodwork.
He was also diagnosed with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
‘Limited understanding of his emotions’
Price is named after US boxer Rocco Francis Marchegiano, known as Rocky Marciano, who held the world heavyweight title in the 1950s. His career inspired Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky Balboa character.
Price denied the killing and insisted a ‘stranger’ offered him ‘a lot of money’ to get rid of the body. But on Wednesday a jury at Preston Crown Court convicted him of murder. Price buried Mrs Birbeck’s remains in a shallow grave in Accrington Cemetery, five days after killing her in woodland on the outskirts of the town. Members of his own family are buried at the cemetery including his grandfather, also named Rocky Price.
A post-mortem examination found Mrs Birbeck, who worked at a primary in Burnley, suffered injuries consistent with someone stamping or kneeling on her neck. Her body was not discovered for 12 days. Price wheeled it to the cemetery in the blue bin – and was captured on CCTV, prompting his parents to take him to police. The court heard Price, who has no previous convictions, loved taking care of chickens on his family’s farm and enjoyed watching films, including westerns, and playing on his Xbox.
Teachers described him as ‘non-verbal’ and ‘very quiet’ but a ‘strong lad for his age’.
Timothy Bradley, who taught Price for 18 months, said he had ‘no problem’ doing the bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award.
But a psychologist said the teenager had ‘limited understanding of his emotions’ and another teacher said: ‘Usually you’d get one or two word answers from him.’
Mrs Birbeck had separated from her husband Tim, 49, who is chairman of nearby Hapton Parish Council, and was in a new relationship. Price is due to be sentenced today.