Welsh cameraman meets death row pen pal after 20 years

While searching for story ideas, news cameraman Rhys Williams came across an article entitled: 'Welshman on death row.' What followed was an unlikely 20-year-long friendship with killer Roderick Orme, which evolved as the pair exchanged hundreds of letters and emails. Now, for the first time, Williams has travelled thousands of miles to meet Orme face-to-face. But, as Orme, 64, waits to hear when he will be executed for the rape and murder of Lisa Redd, his victim's sister says she will "never forgive" the death row inmate - or Williams for his friendship with him. US citizen Orme, who has family roots in Llandudno, north Wales, was looking for a Welsh pen pal when Williams got in touch to ask the death-row inmate if he would be willing to take part in a TV programme. After a couple of months of silence, the murderer wrote back declining to take part in any filming, but said Williams, now a BBC cameraman, was welcome to keep in touch. Speaking to BBC Radio Cymru's Dros Ginio, Williams said: "I could have stopped it there, because he was no use to me then." However, not wanting to be "churlish", Williams opted to carry on writing to Orme for more than 20 years. "We just talk about n

Mar 10, 2026 → Mar 10, 2026