A detective who investigated a killer dubbed the Black Widow fears she may strike again as she is prepared for release.
Dena Thompson, 61, is serving a life sentence for murder after hiding anti-depressants in second husband Julian Webb’s curry at their home in Yapton, West Sussex, on his birthday in 1994.
His body was exhumed seven years later after Thompson was cleared in 2000 of trying to kill her third husband, Richard Thompson.
The Mirror can reveal she is currently in an open prison and is expected to be recommended for release after her next parole hearing in the coming weeks.
Sources with knowledge of her case said she was assessed as a high risk even before she was convicted of Julian’s murder.
Officials were concerned of any relationship she formed, given her history of manipulating, deceiving and grooming vulnerable men, the source said.
Sean McDonald, a former Sussex Police detective who investigated Thompson, said: “There’s a good chance she is going to come out quite soon and I think she will carry on where she left off.
"I believe she will reoffend, she won’t be able to stop herself.
"She has no remorse but will be the model prisoner and say all the right things.
“Her potential release concerns me and everybody who has been involved with her.”
Arrested in 1992 for taking money from Woolwich Building Society where she was a cashier, Dena was jailed for 18 months on 15 charges of deception.
She married British Telecom exec Mr Thompson in 1999, stole his life savings and ran up thousands on his credit cards while forging his signature to obtain loans.
He was naked and bound when she was said to have battered him with a baseball bat and stabbed him.
Charged with attempted murder, in August 2000 she told the jury at Lewes crown court she had acted in self defence when he turned violent after discovering she had stolen from him.
Cleared of attempted murder she was jailed for three years and nine months after pleading guilty to 15 charges of theft and dishonesty.
She was jailed for a minimum of 13 years for the murder of Mr Webb in December 2003 after a month-long trial at the Old Bailey.
This term was increased to 16 years by Mr Justice Ousely in 2007. He said: “Whether she is then released will be for the parole board to decide.
“At that stage it will consider the need for the public to be protected.”
She had committed cold and calculated murder, through trickery and without remorse, he said.
Detectives traced eight previous lovers, who may have lost £250,000 between them.
A Parole Board spokesman said: “We can confirm the parole review of Dena Thompson has been referred. A decision is expected later in May.”
