Alana Odysseus, a mother-to-be, was tragically murdered by the man who fathered her child. The brutality of the act has left a family shattered and questions swirling around a system seemingly unable to protect her.
The killer’s history of violence was far more extensive than revealed during the trial. Years before Alana’s death, he was convicted of murder for a fatal stabbing at a McDonald’s in south London, receiving a sentence for the 2000 crime when he was just 21 years old.
Released from prison in February 2018, he was still under the supervision of probation services. Crucially, those checks on Alana ceased when he falsely claimed the relationship had ended peacefully.
This deception allowed him to continue seeing Alana, and evidence suggests he relentlessly pressured her to terminate the pregnancy. The couple engaged in a heated argument about the abortion just hours before the horrific act of violence.
Witnesses overheard Alana desperately pleading, “I don’t want to kill my baby.” These were her final words before her life was brutally taken.
During the sentencing at the Old Bailey, the killer remained impassive, appearing via video link and refusing to confront Alana’s grieving family. His lack of remorse only deepened their pain.
Alana’s mother, Karen Cronin, delivered a heart-wrenching statement, describing her daughter as “beautiful, kind, and loving.” She condemned the killer as “evil and a coward,” questioning the extreme violence he inflicted.
The depth of her grief is immeasurable. Cronin confessed that the anger she feels has shaken her faith, stating she can no longer attend church and will never find forgiveness for the man who stole her daughter’s life.
Her plea for justice is stark and unwavering: she wants him to spend the rest of his life in prison, ensuring he can never harm another person.
The case raises profound questions about the effectiveness of probation monitoring and the protection of vulnerable women facing domestic abuse and coercive control.
