PLEASE LISTEN TO ‘SEASON 8 - EPISODE 31’ FOR PART ONE OF THIS TWO-PART CASE. One of the most horrific murders in Birmingham’s history occurred two days before Christmas in 1959. During the seven weeks that followed, hundreds of officers interviewed thousands of men in what was then the most extensive murder inquiry the city had ever seen. The investigators utilised a number of unprecedented techniques to try and track down the killer, but it seemed as though a routine house call was all that was needed to break the case… (Part 2 of 2)
On the evening of December 23, 1959, a young woman named Margaret Katibeh was getting ready to leave her hostel lodgings to see her family for the festive period. As she was packing her suitcase, she heard a scream… (Part 1 of 2)
The Railway Tap on Bishops Bridge Road in West London was often the scene of drunken fights in the late 1970s and early 80s. Despite its reputation, it was one of the most popular pubs in the Bayswater area. When a barman failed to turn up to work, the pub landlord had an inkling that something didn’t seem right…
The latter years of a person’s life unfortunately involve making arrangements for when they die. These arrangements typically include organising their finances, writing a will, and planning a funeral. Thankfully, services exist that can assist in these situations, but as is often the case during this time, a vulnerable person can be susceptible to being exploited. Some people are willing to prey on the elderly in order to better their own situation, and some will go even further than taking money…
In February 1974, a two-and-a-half-year-old went missing. For four hours, dozens of police officers and relatives of the toddler searched the area. His older brother had been looking after him while they were out playing but came home not knowing where his sibling was. The youngster was eventually found, peacefully asleep in the long grass a short distance from his home. It was an incredible relief for his worried family. Unfortunately, this happy ending wouldn’t be granted in the case of another boy who went missing around 40 miles away, a day earlier…
Dan Brockley was driving along Woodside Road, close to Woodsome Hall Golf Club in Huddersfield, when a woman stumbled out of the tree line and into the road. It was dark and quiet when the female suddenly appeared, shortly before midnight on Saturday, May 28, 2011. Dan instinctively slammed his foot against the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt. The woman scrambled to the passenger side door and pleaded with him to let her in. She was visibly distressed and dishevelled. When Dan took a chance and opened the door, the woman said her name was Michelina, and someone had just tried to kill her…
PLEASE LISTEN TO ‘SEASON 8 - EPISODE 25’ FOR PART ONE OF THIS TWO-PART CASE. Michael Gilbert had been living with the Watt family on and off since 2001. At first, he believed he had found a haven, away from life on the streets, but Michael soon realised that his sanctuary was, in fact, a nightmare… (Part 2 of 2).
Arlesey has stood the test of time. It is mentioned briefly in the Domesday Book of 1086 and has been through many reinventions over the centuries. It has witnessed the births and deaths of thousands of fleeting occupants, but nothing in Arlesey’s varied history could compare to the horror of one man's murder in 2009… (Part 1 of 2).
There was no evidence that the stranger was alive — no slow rise and fall of the stomach or chest, not even a hint of cold morning air visible from his mouth. While one of the pair called for an ambulance, another rang a neighbour to tell them what they had found. That neighbour wasted no time in getting to the alleyway. She looked at the deceased man and immediately recognised him as a local, who lived on the estate...
The television series ‘Midsomer Murders’ has been on-air since 1997. In a fictional rural setting, each episode of the British crime drama sees an individual harbour dark secrets as part of the ongoing whodunnit murder mystery. In a curious twist of life imitating art, the picturesque village of Furneux Pelham in Hertfordshire became an unwitting backdrop for a real-life murder mystery in 2004. An elderly man had been found dead on the front doorstep of his Grade II listed cottage. News outlets dispatched reporters to Furneux Pelham, and the media began to draw parallels between the murder and the fictional television series. As time passed and the crime went unsolved, life in Furneux Pelham slowly returned to normal. However, sometime later, a jailhouse confession would thrust the village back into the spotlight…
The ceilings were low, and the space was cosy in the 15th-century Woolpack Inn pub. Two couples were enjoying their evening meal when a commotion caught their attention. A regular patron had just fallen off a tall wooden stool, knocking over other people's drinks in the process. She was clearly intoxicated and agitated. The woman got back up and was goaded into a car, but was never seen alive again…
PLEASE LISTEN TO ‘SEASON 8 - EPISODE 20’ FOR PART ONE OF THIS TWO-PART CASE. After the public release of a letter that was thought to be written by Colette Aram’s killer, the investigation seemed to slow down. Christmas was approaching, but Colette's family had no reason to celebrate. They decided to forgo the usual decorations — no Christmas tree, no tinsel, no presents. Colette's mother, Jacqui, expressed the sad reality of losing a child, "There is no joy in our house now, only a deathly silence"… (Part 2 of 2).