Lewis Daynes: The killer who groomed on video games
Killer Britain with Dermot MurnaghanBreck Bednar was a typical 14-year-old boy. His mother described him as relaxed and warm-hearted, with a passion for gaming. However, everything changed when the usually happy teenager met a new online friend.
What began as an innocent connection through the video game Minecraft would ultimately bring Breck into the orbit of Lewis Daynes, an older gamer whose influence would have devastating consequences.
Crime+Investigation examines how a friendship formed over a video game turned deadly, and the warnings missed along the way.
Breck Bednar: A kind, intelligent, thoughtful boy
Breck's family remembered him as a kind, intelligent and thoughtful boy. The conscientious teenager attended St Bede's School in Redhill, Surrey, and was a member of 135 Squadron Air Training Corps.
A family statement released after his death described him as confident and well-mannered with a passion for computing, electronics and engineering. His enthusiasm for technology extended to online gaming, a hobby that let him socialise with friends outside school.
This is how he connected with Lewis Daynes, an older gamer who ran the online server where the teens hung out.
A dangerous online friendship
Lewis Daynes was 18 years old at the time of Breck's murder. Despite his aptitude for computers, he struggled to connect with his peers outside of his carefully curated virtual worlds.
According to one report, he was an only child who moved between family members and spent time in the care system. By the time he was 16, he was living alone in a flat owned by his grandparents. Neighbours described him as reclusive.
But this was a far cry from his online persona. To Breck and his friends, Daynes portrayed himself as wealthy, intelligent and successful. Using the alias EagleOneSix, he claimed to work for the US government and boasted of owning a lucrative computer business.
Over their 13-month relationship, Daynes positioned himself as a mentor. But what initially seemed like a harmless friendship became increasingly controlling, to the point that Breck’s family noticed a shift in the teenager’s behaviour.
His mother, Lorin, told reporters: ‘His personality was changing and his ideology was changing and he was starting to refuse to attend church with us. I felt like it was because of the negative influence of this person.’
Concerned that her son was being groomed, Lorin contacted Surrey Police in December 2013. However, despite her concerns, the warning was not properly investigated.
The murder of Breck Bednar
On 17th February 2014, Breck told his family he was visiting a friend near their home in Caterham. Instead, the 14-year-old travelled to Grays, Essex, to meet his ‘mentor’ in person.
Breck couldn't have known that Daynes had planned the encounter for weeks, purchasing duct tape, condoms and syringes. In an email sent days earlier, Daynes sent instructions to Breck:
‘If your Father asks you where you're going on Sunday, say you're going to meet a friend who's 14, name: Edward Bingham…he's invited you over to his Dad's house for the day while he's visiting his Father in Redhill, who lives in Caterham. His Father also said that you might be able to stay the night depending on their plans.’
What happened inside the flat remains unclear. However, the court heard that Daynes had bound Breck's wrists and ankles with duct tape before fatally stabbing him in the neck.
After the murder, Daynes photographed Breck's body and shared the images with members of their online gaming community. He later called 999, falsely claiming that Breck had tried to take his own life.
Trial and aftermath
In November 2014, Daynes pleaded guilty to Breck's murder at Chelmsford Crown Court. Two months later, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years.
The case also exposed serious failings in how Lorin's earlier grooming concerns were handled. An Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation found that officers missed opportunities to protect Breck, prompting an apology from the force.
To help other families recognise the signs of online grooming, Lorin set up the Breck Foundation, a charity that helps young people stay safe online. She explained:
‘I created the Breck Foundation and the hashtag #playvirtuallivereal to attempt to get something good out of all this. Our aim is to open people’s eyes to how dangerous the internet can be…Breck spent time socialising and gaming in the safety and comfort of his own room, and yet this modern stranger danger took his life.’
For more on the cases that have shaped how we think about online safety, sign up to the Crime+Investigation newsletter. Every week, you’ll receive the latest articles, episodes and more from C+I delivered straight to your inbox.
