Where is Luke Deeley now? The man who killed June Fox-Roberts
A new true crime documentary explores how police caught June Fox-Roberts' killer, Luke Deeley
Viewers of ITV's Code Blue want to know where Luke Deeley is now and what happened to June Fox-Roberts.
In November 2021, June Fox-Roberts was killed in her home in South Wales. Two days later, 25-year-old student Luke Deeley was arrested in connection with her death, claiming to police that he had been instructed to kill someone by a "higher power". New ITV true crime documentary, Code Blue, explores the police investigation into the crime in two parts, as law enforcement hunts for the killer.
With viewers curious as to where Luke Deeley is now, it's not the only murder documentary that has had true crime fans wondering about the whereabouts of the culprits recently. Elsewhere on ITV, viewers want to know where Belle Gibson is now, following The Search for Instagram's Worst Con Artist. Meanwhile, Netflix subscribers have also been asking where Joji Obara is now, from The Lucie Blackman Case, as well as what happened to Griselda's husbands, the men who were brave enough to get close to the drug lord, and what happened to Griselda's sons too.
Where is Luke Deeley now?
Following his trial, Luke Deeley is currently detained at a high-security hospital under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter in March 2023, when appearing at Newport Crown Court.
Luke had previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and had spent time at a psychiatric hospital. It was also reported that he had stopped taking his medication for periods of time. Due to the nature of his illness, the Crown accepted his plea of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.
In his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice Griffiths said: "There is a high risk you will commit further serious offences if you are not detained. Detention is necessary to protect the public from serious harm. It's not possible to say how long that will be so."
He also said: "You only did this terrible thing because of your mental illness. You have no previous convictions and there’s no evidence you had any rational motive for what you did.
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"You thought you were receiving messages from what you described as a higher power and were acting out commands. You also had the delusional belief there was a group of individuals out to get you."
Who is Luke Deeley?
Luke Deeley murdered June Fox-Roberts in her own home in November 2021. Following time in a psychiatric hospital, he had enrolled at the University of South Wales and moved into shared student accommodation in Roath, in Cardiff.
Shortly before June's murder, Luke was thrown out of his student accommodation because his housemates found his behaviour "challenging". He left all his belongings behind and was sleeping rough in the days before killing June.
He was reportedly obsessed with "Satan and demons" and had "demonic" artwork in his room. He also reportedly called one female student a "b**** and a c***" and threw water all over her.
Who was June Fox-Roberts?
June Fox-Roberts was a 65-year-old grandmother living in Llantwit Fardre, near Pontypridd in Wales. June had three children, and had previously been a director of her family's IT firm as well as a renowned cook who ran a bakery nearby.
Speaking after Deeley's sentencing, June's family said in a statement: "June was a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother and loved spending time with her extended family.
"June was so excited to meet her great-granddaughter, born earlier that month but sadly Luke snatched that chance from her.
"June had a huge heart and would welcome anyone with open arms into her home – she was well known for not letting you leave her home or garden without a cuppa or glass of wine and a good natter first.
"And she was generous, if anyone had a problem, she would do anything in her power to help - which makes it so much harder to accept Luke could be so cruel to her for no reason."
What happened to June Fox-Roberts?
June Fox-Roberts was murdered by Luke Deeley on November 21 2021. He knocked her unconscious before killing her, and a post-mortem showed June died from a blow to the head and she was likely stamped on. After killing June, Luke dismembered her body.
At the trial, John Hipkin KC, prosecuting, said police were able to reconstruct what happened to the retired IT consultant through forensic and pathology investigations. He said: "The defendant entered her home through an unlocked door. It is likely that June Fox-Roberts was disturbed and went downstairs encountering the defendant at the foot of the stairs.
"It was here the violence began. She was assaulted while upright in the hallway and further assaulted while on the floor."
It was revealed that Luke was experiencing hallucinations when he committed the crime. He claimed that he was told to do it by a "higher power".
How was Luke Deeley caught?
Luke Deeley was arrested just two days after killing June, in a nearby village. Police found him sitting on the floor in an alleyway, eating what appeared to be a packet of sweets.
A member of the public had told the police about a man they dubbed 'Container Man' who was seen leaving an industrial area.
After the murder, Luke had tried to change his appearance, by shaving his head and dying his hair. He was also wearing clothes that belonged to one of June's daughters.
The police arrested Luke on November 23, and they found evidence that he had shaved and changed the colour of his hair at June's house before running away.
If you're a fan of true crime, we've also revealed where Ben Field is now - the killer from The Sixth Commandment - as well as the true story behind The Staircase and what happened to Melissa Caddick, who also features in a new ITV documentary.
Ellie is GoodtoKnow’s Family News Editor and covers all the latest trends in the parenting world - from relationship advice and baby names to wellbeing and self-care ideas for busy mums. Ellie is also an NCTJ-qualified journalist and has a distinction in MA Magazine Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and a first-class degree in Journalism from Cardiff University. Previously, Ellie has worked with BBC Good Food, The Big Issue, and the Nottingham Post, as well as freelancing as an arts and entertainment writer alongside her studies. When she’s not got her nose in a book, you’ll probably find Ellie jogging around her local park, indulging in an insta-worthy restaurant, or watching Netflix’s newest true crime documentary.
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