Karen and Nicola disappeared while playing outside their homes on the Moulsecoomb estate on October 9, 1986.
Their bodies were found in Wild Park the following day.
The perpetrator, Russell Bishop, was initially tried and acquitted in 1987. The case remained open until December 10, 2018, when Bishop was found guilty of the murders in a second trial.
The crimes became known as the ‘Babes in the Wood murders’.
The ceremony, held on Saturday, October 10, included the singing of hymns and the releasing of doves and was led by Father James Harding of St Andrew's Church in Moulsecoomb.
1. Vigil held to mark 40-year anniversary of Babes in the Woods murders
The families of nine-year-olds Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows gathered in Brighton’s Wild Park to honour the girls 40 years after their deaths. Photo: Eddie Mitchell
2. Vigil held to mark 40-year anniversary of Babes in the Woods murders
The families of nine-year-olds Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows gathered in Brighton’s Wild Park to honour the girls 40 years after their deaths. Photo: Eddie Mitchell
3. Vigil held to mark 40-year anniversary of Babes in the Woods murders
The families of nine-year-olds Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows gathered in Brighton’s Wild Park to honour the girls 40 years after their deaths. Photo: Eddie Mitchell
4. Vigil held to mark 40-year anniversary of Babes in the Woods murders
The families of nine-year-olds Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows gathered in Brighton’s Wild Park to honour the girls 40 years after their deaths. Photo: Eddie Mitchell