I'll Be Mummy & Daddy

When his wife was murdered Michael Ross made their sons a promise. So, 13 years later, how has he done?

Little has changed in Michael Ross’ home since his wife, Jacquie, was murdered 13 years ago. There is the same orderly attention to housework: kitchen surfaces shine, a scented candle burns in the cosy sitting room.

Outside, flower beds are weeded and dug and from the front garden, constant and eternal, the glorious vista of the Strines Valley in Derbyshire spreads up to the peaks beyond.

‘You can see quite clearly, on the other side of the valley, the wooded area that hides the Peak Forest Canal where Jacquie was attacked,’ says Michael. ‘You can also see the road the murderer ran up and the side street to his parents’ house.’ 

Some have wondered how Michael remained in the house – its outlook an ever-present reminder of his wife’s brutal death – and his reason is simple: he chooses to focus on the beauty of the place. He won’t allow blissful family memories to be usurped by the horror of what happened. And, he points out, why would he move from a home so redolent of the wife he loved when it’s the only one their sons – who were four and six years old when their mum was killed – have ever known? Today, Ben, 19, runs his own fitness business, while Ollie, 17, is studying photography. Both are personable, polite young men.