When a man died on a hillside, nobody knew who he was. But a local journalist was determined to find out. This was somebody’s son, somebody’s friend. Someone must be missing him. The eyes are the window to the soul. But the teeth hold many secrets. Could Caroline Wilkinson’s facial reconstruction be key to solving the case? This episode includes references to death, decay and dissection, which some listeners may find distressing. Our victim is fictional, but the science and the...

Fresh, Bloat, Active Decay, Advanced Decay and Dry Remains. There’s a rhythm and a pattern to decomposition. This body, found on a hillside, is in Active Decay. Flies are swarming, maggots wriggling. But could these unseen undertakers of the insect world tell us more about how long the body had been there? Forensic entomologist Clive Warsop and Forensic Odontologist Scheila Manica continue their investigations. This episode includes references to death, decay and dissection, which some...

For Carla Valentine, the mortuary has always been her place of sanctuary. The constant cold, the passing through of bodies, it can be a predictably ordered place. But sometimes, something a little different happens. A human jawbone, washed up on a shore near Dundee, has the locals in a state of confusion and concern. And the mortician eager to know more. Whose jawbone was it? And where was the rest of them? While forensic dentist Scheila Manica examines the jawbone for clues, the police...

One elderly victim. Two weapons. But only one person in custody. When Margaret Thompson was killed, it felt like an open and shut case. But new evidence suggests the key suspect didn’t do it alone. A killer could still be out there. So why’s Professor Ruth Morgan taking a casual walk in the park? This episode includes references to death, violence and dissection, which some listeners may find distressing. Our victim is fictional, but the science and the scientists are very real. A...

In the mortuary, Carla Valentine has been asked to remove a crucial clue from Mrs Thompson’s body. A section of her damaged skull. Because there could be more to these fatal injuries than meets the eye. And to see them in all their minutiae, could reveal that the devil truly is in the detail. This episode includes references to death, violence and dissection, which some listeners may find distressing. Our victim is fictional, but the science and the scientists are very real. A...

When Mrs Thompson said goodbye to her handyman, she knew he’d come back the next day. And he did. But she was lying in a pool of her own blood, dead on the kitchen floor. Or at least, that’s what he told the police. Could bloodstain pattern analysis help piece together Margaret final moments? This episode includes references to death, violence and dissection, which some listeners may find distressing. Our victim is fictional, but the science and the scientists are very real. A...

Tom Harris died a horrible death. But he wasn’t alone on the nature reserve. Was Tom’s companion an innocent witness or somebody more sinister? The smallest of clues may hold the answer. Enter Palynologist Beverley Adams-Groom. Could the proof be in the pollen? This episode includes references to death, suicide and dissection, which some listeners may find distressing. Our victim is fictional, but the science and the scientists are very real. A Whistledown production for BBC...

When the badly burned remains of Tom Harris were found in a nature reserve in East Anglia, initial signs pointed to suicide. His wife was distraught, but not surprised. But a death like this is always treated as suspicious. Was there more to the story than self-immolation? Perhaps a wet-nosed, waggy-tailed expert can help. Enter Reqs, a Fire Investigation Dog. This episode includes references to death, suicide and dissection, which some listeners may find distressing. Our victim is...

Like so many stories, it all starts with a body. And, in this case, a mortician who can’t leave a puzzle unanswered. Carla Valentine invites us through the doors of the mortuary. And, with each cut, she pieces together the last moments of this person’s life. The body is burnt beyond recognition. She’ll have to go to the scene of the crime to discover the full story. Because fire doesn’t destroy everything, as Fire Investigator Emma Wilson demonstrates. So who is the burning man? This...

A curious mortician. Determined forensic scientists. And one suspicious death. Welcome to Carla Valentine’s mortuary. A chilled, white, windowless room, where you cross the threshold into the world of the dead. From the first cut, to the final stitch, Carla examines how each body got to her slab. But it’s forensic science that joins the dots, as we venture to the scene of the crime and join the scientists on the frontline. Each case, told over three episodes, tells the story of one body,...