Delroy Grant’s wife could not believe that a man so gentle with her could turn into a devil just when the clock struck midnight.
This blog talks about a serial rapist and burglar from South East London who attacked the elderly for almost two decades without leaving any clue. In addition, we will also cover two of his marriages and how he managed to keep his crimes under wraps for so long.
Delroy Grant’s Age and Early Life
Before we look at Delroy Grant’s wife and how he was as a husband, let’s get an insight into his age and early life.
Grant was born on 3 September 1957 in Kingston, Jamaica. His mother left his father when Delroy was just two years old. After that, he started living with his grandparents.
Soon after, his father decided to move to the United Kingdom. So at the age of fifteen, Delroy also landed in the UK. He began committing criminal offenses just after relocating from Jamaica.
Initially, Delroy Grant started with theft. However, it soon turned into even more serious crimes, including burglary and armed robbery. In fact, he also had to spend time in jail due to the latter.
At present, Grant is in his sixties, serving jail time for a series of crimes.
Why Was Delroy Grant Branded as the Night Stalker?
While looks and words may be deceiving, actions display who a person really is. Well, that’s exactly what happened to Delroy Grant’s wife, Janet Watson, when she first began dating him.
She was so blinded by his sweet words that she did not realize the degree of trouble that was going to haunt her for the rest of her life. We will be talking about what went down in their relationship, but first, let’s see why Delroy Grant was known as the Night Stalker.
Grant led a series of criminal offenses across South East London. There were several similarities in these crimes – Delroy attacked the elderly, sexually assaulted them, and even robbed them.
Most importantly, he did this during the nighttime when the aged people were the most vulnerable. Thus, the investigators gave him this name – The Night Stalker.
How Did Delroy Grant Come into the Limelight?
After carrying out petty thefts, burglary, and armed robbery, Delroy Grant began targeting elderly women who lived alone. They were aged between the late sixties and early nineties.
It is believed that Delroy Grant committed more than 100 crimes from 1990 to 2009. However, the registered cases are now less than the actual number. It is mainly because the victims were too traumatized to report to the police.
While committing these crimes, Delroy took breaks from time to time, which made it impossible for the police to catch him.
He made his first attempt in 1992, then stayed lowkey for five years, and struck again in 1997. Delroy Grant’s most violent attack took place in 1999 when his victim suffered from life-threatening injuries. However, he went dormant again.
All this while Delroy Grant’s wife was Jennifer Edwards, who got married to him in 1991.
Grant started targeting victims again; between 2002-2003, seven attacks were reported. After going silent for another five years, Delroy started attacking in 2008. He was finally caught in 2009 by a team of officers who were leading Operation Minstead.
Talking about Operation Minstead, it was one of the most complex rape investigations that shook the Metropolitan Police to the core.
During the inquiry, it was revealed that Delroy committed these crimes mostly in or around South East London. Moreover, he planned his crimes very carefully and usually kept his victims under surveillance before striking them.
Delroy Grant’s Wife: Everything About His First Marriage to Janet Watson
Coming to Delroy Grant’s wife, Janet Watson, the couple met in 1975 when he was just eighteen years old. Within two weeks into their relationship, Delroy and Janet got engaged.
While Delroy was everything that Janet was looking for in a man, things took a crazy turn when the couple got married. Well, Janet found out that Delroy was obsessed with tidiness and keeping things in order. In addition to that, he also liked being in control of everything.
If he ever found watermarks on knives or forks, or if they were not in the right drawers, Delroy would beat Janet mercilessly.
Though Delroy publicly behaved very nicely towards his wife and their two boys, he turned into a completely different person at home. So, after getting abused by him for five years, Delroy Grant’s wife, Janet, finally decided to give him a divorce.
Who was Delroy Grant’s Second Wife?
After Delroy Grant’s wife, Janet left him, he moved to Leicester. There he got into a relationship with another woman. However, there isn’t a lot of information about her and the couple’s two children.
Moreover, the couple went their separate ways after Grant was sentenced for handling stolen goods.
In 1991, Delroy moved to South London. There he met Jennifer Edwards, who is a devoted Jehovah’s Witness. Soon enough, Grant became a part of Jennifer’s life and community.
The couple moved to Brockley and welcomed two boys. In addition, they were also taking care of Jennifer’s two daughters, who were born out of her first marriage.
After Delroy Grant’s wife, Jennifer, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, he became her primary caregiver. For the same reason, he took a night job so that he could provide for the family while taking care of his wife during the daytime.
However, little did anyone know that underneath a nice, family-loving man is a devil who loots and rapes the elderly.
How Many Children Does Delroy Grant Have?
After finding out the truth about Delroy Grant, his ex-wife, Janet was utterly shocked. She regretted that she had had a chance to know him. The former couple had two sons, and after Delroy was taken into custody, he accused Janet and their elder son of committing the crime.
In fact, he even went on to the lengths of saying that the DNA found at the scene of the crime should be matched with his son’s.
Apart from that, he also said that his ex-wife had stored his DNA at a hospital with the help of her male friend and was trying to frame him for all the crimes. However, these accusations proved false, and Delroy was found guilty.
Delroy Grant’s wife, Jennifer, moved out of the couple’s house the same day he was arrested and has refrained from talking about him publicly.
Delroy Grant Now: Is He Still Alive?
Delroy Grant is still alive and locked up in HMP Belmarsh in South East London. He was convicted for 27 years in prison and will only be eligible for parole after serving 25 years.
Since he was sentenced on 25 March 2011, Delroy Grant’s release date will be in 2036.
Final Verdict
Delroy Grant is considered one of the most sophisticated criminals for the way he carries out each crime. The Night Stalkers terror went on for almost two decades, making it impossible for the police to find the preparator.
However, with the help of DCI Colin Sutton and Operation Minstead, the police officials successfully found Delroy and put him behind bars. In 2020, Operation Minstead was displayed in the second season of the dramatized British television series Manhunt.
Delroy’s story shows us how easy it is to deceive people. Therefore, one should always think twice before letting someone in their life.
