This episode explores two terrible crimes that left a lasting impression on Hull - and reveals how complex investigations into one case finally led to both mysteries being solved. The story begins with the apparent kidnap and murder of Christopher Laverack, a crime that initially had police stumped. It would remain unsolved for years. We also tell the story of the disappearance of Joanne Nelson, who vanished from the city on Valentine’s Day, 2005. It was a story that had the whole city on edge and led to the biggest search in Humberside Police history, before a breakthrough led police to finding her killer, and the whereabouts of her body. With contributions from the lead detective, forensic experts and members of the local community, this episode explores the devastating impact crimes can have, and how police will never stop in the search to identify a killer.
There are some crimes that leave a permanent mark on a place - and this episode tells the story of Dartford, and the shocking murder of Claire Tiltman. When her body was found with multiple stab wounds beside a busy main road, her friends and family were devastated. A murder enquiry was launched, but initially drew a blank. They suspected the killer was local, and Claire’s family feared the killer was someone they knew. But for years he remained in the shadows. This episode explores how a serial attacker was eventually snared by police, but it would be more than 20 years later that the details of Claire’s killer would finally be revealed. With contributions from senior police officers, Claire’s friends, and witnesses from the time, this episode is a revealing exploration into the most shocking murder ever to strike the community of Dartford.
When police received a call to a possible murder, in 2017, they could be forgiven for having a sense of deja vu. The details of a violent attack had all the hallmarks of an attack some twenty years earlier. But lightning couldn’t have struck twice. Could it? Dundee is an upcoming city, and growing tourist destination, but in the shadows are stories of bloodshed. And two attacks, decades apart, in some of the most iconic and picturesque parts of the city had everyone on edge. This episode examines how one man tormented the city of Dundee on two separate occasions. It hears from his latest victim, who miraculously survived, and reveals how police worked at speed to snare the attacker and ensure he was brought to justice. She tells the full story of how she feared for her life, and believed she would be the cities next murder victim, before passers-by rushed to her aid. With exclusive access to the senior officers involved in both investigations, this episode examines a shocking story which still hangs over the city.
When a killer strikes in any community, there’s always a sense of anger, disbelief, and sadness. But in this episode we explore the story of a killer who was able to strike, serve a sentence in prison, and then after his release, was able to do the same thing again. We find out about the murder of Irishman John Gogarty, a man so concerned about his safety that he would never open the door to strangers. And yet, when his body was found inside his home, it seemed that the killer had been invited in. A complex enquiry led police to CCTV, and a sudden realisation that the killer might already be known to them. The crime has extraordinary parallels to another murder, more than 20 years earlier, which saw an elderly man lose his life after apparently inviting someone into his home. But when police began to probe, they discovered that the similarities between the crimes weren’t a coincidence. With contributions from police, local reporters, and even a friend who found himself arrested on suspicion of the murder, this episode shines a light on the darkest chapter in Barnsley’s history.
All murders are tragic events which leave a trail of destruction in their wake. But there are some, for which the details are so unexpected, that they shock and dumfound even the police officers who are asked to investigate. In Pontypridd, a town once dubbed the murder capital of Wales, there have been two such cases in recent years. This episode tells the horrific story of Tracey Woodford, a woman who disappeared and sparked a massive police hunt. Police tracked her down using CCTV, and found that she’d last been seen in pubs in the town centre. But from there the trail went cold. We explore how police secured a breakthrough that led to a killer who lived within the same community, and had committed the most ghastly of crimes. We also explore one of the most bizarre murder investigations in Welsh policing history, a murder that for several days, the police had no clue as to who the victim might be. Leaving no stone unturned, police follow every lead until they reach the most unlikely, and puzzling conclusions; a killer that nobody ever suspected, and a crime hidden for more than 20 years. With contributions from the lead police investigator, friends and colleagues of the killers, this is an episode that proves the old adage that truth is always much stranger than fiction.
Every corner of the UK has played host to murder. But Tamworth, for many years, could rightfully claim it was a safe place to be. But all that changed, when a young girl went missing on her way to a dance class, and her body was discovered the following day. Police launched a nationwide manhunt, although they believed the killer was likely to be local. And they made a direct appeal through the local newspapers to try and unearth the clue that could unlock the case. This film reveals how a breakthrough came from the most unlikely of sources, and how police covered every angle in their pursuit of a killer. With contributions from the lead detective in the case, and reporters who helped them reach the community, this film profiles how a whole town can come together, and how modern forensic science left a killer with nowhere to go.
Most victims of murder know their killer. But when a violent crime is carried out by a complete stranger, it can often be much harder for the detectives to solve. In Watford, police found themselves on the backfoot when a womans body was found in a popular local park, with no immediate clues as to who was responsible. This episode reveals how a fleeting sight of a man running across a nearby motorway put police on the tail of a dangerous killer. And it probes how the efforts were initially thwarted as their suspect went into hiding. With contributions from the main detective and from local residents and reporters, this is an episode that gets under the skin of one of the most tragic episodes in Watford’s history.
When sex offender Robert Hind disappeared from his bail hostel in the town of Huddersfield, police and the community feared he was up to no good. But in fact – the truth was far more shocking than anyone realised. This film examines how the hunt for Hind quickly turned into a murder investigation and brought a suspect already known to the police back into their sights. And it reveals how even when a killer is locked up, there’s no guarantee that their criminal days are over. The episode also tells the heartbreaking story of polish student Tobiasz Minski – a man who disappeared shortly after arriving in Huddersfield to study – and found himself in the company of a man who had murder on his mind. With contributions from the lead detective, a former cell mate, and friends of the victim, this film explores three murders and two killers spread across Huddersfield.
When teenage boys began being found dead in the city of Sunderland in the early 90’s, police initially thought they were the victims of accidental deaths. But as their families campaigned for answers, more victims began to appear, and detectives realised their crimes were more than simply a coincidence. This episode looks at one of the most shocking cases of murder anywhere in the UK, and how it impacted the close knit communities in Sunderland. We learn how one man committed a murder spree that he nearly got away with, and how it was only the tenacious work of family members that ensured the killer was caught. The episode also tells the tragic story of Dean Pike, killed as he slept by bungling arsonists who targeted the wrong property and left a family in ruins. With contributions from victims, and their families as well as key reporters on the case, this is the first time these stories have been told in forensic detail.
When killers strike, they don’t usually want to be caught. But in Brighton, two murderers carried out despicable crimes and then went to the effort of confessing. In this episode we tell the story of Derick Marney, horrifically murdered in a crime that wasn’t detected for over a week. We meet the tarot card reader who saw the crime through her cards, and alerted police to what had happened. And we examine the tragic recent slaying of local woman Jill Howells – murdered in her own home trying to help a friend in need. With contributions from witnesses, friends and reporters, this is the story of horrific murder, and bizarre confessions in one of the UK’s trendiest cities.
Katherine Kelly examines a Middlesbrough murderer, described by criminal psychologists as one of the most dangerous men ever to be assessed.
This episode tells the story of the murder of 18 year old Louise Smith by David Frost.
This episode tells the story of the murder of 16 year old Elaine Doyle by John Docherty.
This episode tell the story of the murder and mutilation of Naomi Smith by Edwin Hopkins.
Katherine Kelly looks into the 2011 murder of Adam Vincent, a killing so brutal it sparked North Lincolnshire's biggest police investigation in more than a century.
This episode tells the story of the manslaughter of Cassandra McDermott and attempted murder of Kara Hoyte by footballer Mario Celaire.
Rachel Manning had been to a 1970s-themed fancy dress party and Chicago's nightclub with boyfriend Barri White before going missing in the early hours of 10 December 2000. The teenager was found dead in undergrowth at Woburn Golf Club two days later. She had been strangled and her face disfigured with a steering lock, which was located 500m (546 yards) from her body.
In 1994, Wendy Speakes was targeted by sadistic killer Christopher Farrow as she got off a bus and walked to her home after work. He managed to trick his way into the 51-year-old's home.
This episode tells the story of the murder of 15-year-old Louise Sellars, who went missing in 1995. The following day, her body was found five miles from her home in a field, strangled and severely beaten. Police immediately began questioning residents with a particular focus on the teenage population of Appley Bridge. The questioning allowed them to zero in on a suspect, Darren Ashurst, whose car was spotted on the evening in question, driving erratically.
17-year-old student Zoe Nelson was last seen on 22 May 2010 before residents reported seeing a fire in a nearby woods later that evening. The following day her body was found the next day badly burnt.
Melanie Road, 17, was murdered on her way home from a nightclub in Bath in 1984. She had been out with her boyfriend and friends, but Melanie had been sexually assaulted and brutally stabbed 26 times on her way back home. A milkman found her body the following day.
Pennie Davis' body was found with multiple stab wounds in a field where she rode her horse in the village of Beaulieu on 2nd September 2014. The case centered on Mrs. Davis' relationship with Benjamin Carr, 22, the son of her estranged partner, who had "lasting hate and anger" towards her.
Vikki Thompson went missing in Ascott-under-Wychwood, Oxfordshire, while walking her dog on 12th August 1995. The dog returned home without her, raising the alarm. After a frantic search, she was found alive but badly beaten - she died six days later in hospital.
Police found 72-year-old Jane Hings' body on Sunday, September 24th, 2017. DNA samples found at the scene found a match for then 25-year-old Craig Keogh, who was subsequently arrested.
In July 1999, the remains of Wendy Upton were found in nearby woods; she was identified using dental records. Upton had been reported as missing nine months previously. At the time, police launched a major campaign to find the missing 40-year-old even staging reconstruction of her movements on the day she disappeared with the help of the local community
In April 2012, Dawn and George Kibble visited the flat of Dawn's sister Julie Davison, concerned for her wellbeing after repeated phone calls went unanswered. On arrival, they found Julie's lifeless body on the blood-stained floor of her kitchen. She'd been attacked, stabbed multiple times, and left for dead
In April 2019, the body of Alena Grlakova was discovered by the police after she’d gone missing on Boxing Day the previous year. The investigation into her murder led to a suspect who’d been implicated in a similar crime back in 1997, the murder of Samantha Class in the city of Hull.
In May 1996, the murder of Stephen Cameron hit national headlines as one of the first examples in the UK of a road rage killing.
In April 2015, 24-year-old student Karen Buckley went missing whilst on a night out with friends in the West End of Glasgow. Emilia visits the location where Karen was last seen, the Sanctuary nightclub, and learns about the investigation that tried to find her.
Emilia visits Peterborough, where, in 1979, a young woman went missing, having last been seen in the city centre. The police assumed Sally Ann McGrath had simply run away, and it took nearly eight months for her body to be found. The investigation into her murder took even longer.
The quiet seaside town of Mablethorpe was an unlikely location for what appeared to be an organised hit on a couple in their 50s. Emilia travels to the Lincolnshire coast to learn about the violent murders of Joan and John Stirland in 2004.
Jordan Monaghan comes under suspicion when his girlfriend is found dead. Already being linked to two other suspicious deaths makes him a prime suspect.
Emilia uncovers details surrounding the brutal murder of Rosie Darbyshire. Witnesses and CCTV were key to solving the case which shocked the local community.
Emilia uncovers details surrounding Joshua Stimpson's murder of ex-girlfriend Molly McLaren, a case which shook the victim's family and community to its core
Emilia examines three murders which shook Beenham in the 1960s. One of the murders went unsolved for 40 years, until detectives vowed to finally seek justice
Emilia looks into the killing of Martin Decker, who had been bludgeoned with a hammer. Police would link the murder to a suspect dubbed the NR3 cat killer