Where is Jemma Mitchell now?
The Truth About My Murder is a crime documentary series featuring forensic pathologist and author Dr Richard Shepherd who uncovers the truth behind horrific crimes as told through the victims’ bodies.
One murder victim featured on the programme is a woman named Deborah Chong. Her remains were found in Devon in 2021 after a fellow churchgoer named Jemma Mitchell killed her in her London home.
In this article, we take a look at this chilling true crime case and ask the question: Where is Jemma Mitchell now?
What did Jemma Mitchell do?
Jemma Mitchell (born 22 July 1984) grew up in Australia where her mother worked for the British Foreign Office. She moved to the UK with her mother where she attended King’s College London in 2004 to study a human sciences degree. As part of her course, she learned how to dissect the human body.
Mitchell returned to Australia to set herself up as an osteopath. She then returned to the UK in 2015 and lived with her mother and sister in North West London.
Sometime around August 2020, she became friends with a lady named Deborah Chong after attending the same church.
Chong, who had paranoid schizophrenia, was taking antipsychotic medication to manage her condition. She believed Mitchell was curing her with spiritual healing, which is ironic considering her new friend was later responsible for her murder.
Chong agreed to give Mitchell £200,000 for a house renovation project but later changed her mind and told Mitchell to sell the house and enjoy the money instead.
The last time Chong was seen alive was on June 10, 2021. Her body was found a few days later. So, what happened to her?
On June 11, CCTV footage showed Mitchell leaving Chong’s home with a very large suitcase. Inside the suitcase was the dead body of Chong, whose ribs had apparently been broken.
On June 26, Mitchell drove 200 miles to Salcombe in Devon to dispose of the body and dumped it on a woodland path. The body, with the head missing, was found the following day by holidaymakers. The head was found four days later during a police search.
Chong’s body was badly decomposed so it was difficult to determine a cause of death. But during the post-mortem, it was ascertained that she had received a fracture to the skull that may have been caused by some kind of weapon.
It’s believed that Mitchell killed Chong so as to benefit from her money. She had forged a copy of Chong’s will to ensure 95% of her estate was left in her name.
Where is Jemma Mitchell now?
Mitchell was arrested on July 6, 2021, and charged with Chong’s murder. At her trial on 28 October 2022, Judge Richard Marks KC described her as “extremely devious”.
He said:
“You have shown absolutely no remorse. It appears you are in complete denial as to what you did, despite the overwhelming evidence against you. The enormity of your crime is profoundly shocking, even more so given your apparent religious devotion as well as the fact that Deborah Chong was a good friend to you and had shown you good kindness.” (source)
The judge then sentenced to Mitchell to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 34 years. This means she will not be eligible for parole until October 21, 2056.
What do you think of this case? Let us know in the comments below.