The shocking and mysterious case of Kim Avis, the man who faked his own death and went on the run in the US, has taken a new turn with revelations about his past as a teenage punk in Bury St Edmunds. A new podcast for BBC Sounds has uncovered the full strange and dark story of Avis, including his early days when he was known as Vince and fronted a punk band in West Suffolk.
The podcast investigation was sparked by an email from Paul Devine, a former bandmate of Avis in the 1980s. Devine described Avis as a local legend and a charismatic frontman who attracted a loyal following in Bury St Edmunds. Another acquaintance, Sonja Vandersteen Pyett, remembered the younger Avis with fondness until she learned of his crimes in Inverness.
As the podcast delved deeper into Avis’s past, it uncovered a history of drug possession and theft in West Suffolk, but no evidence of serious sexual crimes. Former teachers and friends described Avis as a loner and a rebel, with a dark side that became more apparent over time.
The story of Kim Avis is a three-tier tale, according to Devine, with the charming punk rocker he knew in Bury St Edmunds at one end, and the monstrous criminal he became at the other. The podcast aims to unravel the mystery of what happened in the middle, shedding light on the transformation of a local hero into an international fugitive.
