Aly Austin had a feeling that she was close. Entering the rapeseed field from the roadside next to the roundabout, she lowered her eyes and began to scan the ground. It was typically fresh for a May evening, with a slight breeze. In full bloom, the yellow flowers stretched as far as the eye could see. The leaves of each plant were woven to neighbouring stalks, making the terrain tricky to navigate. Just a few minutes into the search, Aly stumbled onto something concealed beneath the dense...

The sound of knocking on the front door roused Dr Alfred Leach from sleep. It had been just a few hours after he had celebrated the New Year. The doctor recognised the young woman waiting on his doorstep as a patient’s servant. Before Annie Fulcher had a chance to speak, Dr Leach groaned and wondered whether Edwin Bartlett was truly sick this time or if it was just another one of his “notions”. Annie replied, “I know nothing about it. Mrs Bartlett only tells me he is dead”... *** LISTENER...

PLEASE LISTEN TO THE REPLAY OF ‘SEASON 7 - EPISODE 43’ FOR PART ONE OF THIS TWO-PART CASE. Investigators from numerous police forces across the Midlands had been searching for a connection between the unsolved murders of sex workers in the 1990s. After exhausting all resources, a cold case review was held in 1998 in an effort to identify the killer of Samo Paull and Tracy Turner. DNA obtained during Tracy Turner’s post-mortem had been collected after her death. As part of the...

In February 2023, a man was convicted of sexually abusing a child during the 1980s. Aside from the harrowing details presented to the jury at Nottingham Crown Court, some information was kept from them. Jurors were unaware the defendant was already serving a life sentence or that he was suspected of being one of the worst serial killers in British history... (Part 1 of 2). *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This episode was researched and written by Eileen Macfarlane. Edited by Joel...

A motorist became curious when he noticed something in a lay-by on the A464 road east of Shifnal to Wolverhampton. It was 9.30 on a cold winter’s morning. In a split-second decision, the driver decided to pull in to get a closer look. When he explored the undergrowth, he came to the realisation that he was looking at a dead body. It appeared as though a half-hearted attempt was made to cover the remains. Bushes had been placed to shield some of the body from prying eyes. Whoever had done it...

PLEASE LISTEN TO ‘SEASON 9 - EPISODE 33’ FOR PART ONE OF THIS TWO-PART CASE. After Benjamin Atkins and Debbie Pereira were caught with their lodger’s severed arms in their back garden, they were charged with murder and brought to trial at Winchester Crown Court. The prosecution alleged that the couple had acted together to kill Simon Shotton, dismember his body, and scatter his remains around Boscombe. Although Atkins had admitted to causing Simon’s death, he claimed that he had acted in...

As she waited for a break in the downpour, something heavy landed with a thud next to her. Dana worried someone had purposely thrown something. Undeterred, she quickly ran the remainder of the way to her workplace and grabbed her coat. A short time later, as she returned down the steps, Dana saw something wrapped in black plastic and grey masking tape. It had been discarded in the exact spot where she stood not fifteen minutes earlier. As she got closer, she recognised the object's shape. It...

As Carlo approached the house, he found one of his children sitting outside. The boy explained to his father why he was lingering in the cold. 14-year-old Adrian had been waiting for over an hour. He couldn't get inside because the doors were locked, and no one was answering. Using his key, Carlo walked through the front door and immediately began looking for his wife. He went into the dining room. It took a moment for Carlo to comprehend what he was seeing… *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED...

The torchlight from the police boat was directed to the water surrounding the hired cruiser. An officer on board saw something gently swaying on the surface. At the same time, a man huddled in a blanket at the back of the cruiser noticed an object in the water next to the stern. He shouted, “Oh Lu Na, I see my wife!”… *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This episode was researched and written by Eileen Macfarlane. Edited by Joel Porter at Dot Dot Dot Productions. Script editing,...

Smeaton's Tower, a landmark on the waterfront, is a reminder of the city’s maritime heritage. Built in 1759, it originally served as a lighthouse on the Eddystone Reef before being decommissioned and meticulously rebuilt on Plymouth Hoe overlooking Plymouth Sound and the surrounding coastline. Standing 22 metres high, the red and white tower previously guided ships in the darkness. In late 2021, it was again illuminated, although this time, it was not to guide those at sea home safely, but to...

Police Sergeant John Ross then saw something at the side of the beaten path — a single black shoe. His pace quickened in the seconds it took to reach it. He also noticed something else: a school bag discarded close by, and educational books scattered beside the bag. Sergeant Ross followed the trail of misplaced items. He found what they had been looking for, but the outcome was not what anyone wanted. He saw the body of a teenage girl… *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED...

Some people are fortunate enough to find someone they can envision spending the rest of their life with. For the lucky few, their adoration for their partner can mean they will go to extraordinary lengths to prove their love. In some cases, people will do the unthinkable to keep a promise… *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This episode was researched and written by Eileen Macfarlane. Edited by Joel Porter at Dot Dot Dot Productions. Script editing, additional writing, illustrations and...

PLEASE LISTEN TO ‘SEASON 9 - EPISODE 26’ FOR PART ONE OF THIS TWO-PART CASE. Within 24 hours of moving into a house in Penge, Harriet Staunton was dead. A chance encounter in a post office meant that what could have been recorded as death by natural causes, was listed as a homicide. Harriet Staunton’s husband, his mistress, his brother, and his brother’s wife were accused of starving Harriet to death to prevent the truth from coming out. The prosecution had spent days presenting damning...

A telegram arrived unexpectedly. Mrs Butterfield hoped it was a sign that her daughter was finally ready to speak to her again. She hadn’t seen Harriet in over a year, although she had tried unsuccessfully several times since then. The short message in the telegram dashed all hope of reuniting with her daughter. It bluntly read: “Harriet Staunton died yesterday at 34 Forbes Road… Will be buried today, Sunday”… (Part 1 of 2). *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED...

The sound of music spilled out of the pub. The White Stag in Monkton was rammed for a Monday. It was karaoke night that attracted the crowd of around 100 people who were finishing off the long Easter weekend with a few drinks and a singalong. Mark McGurk was home a few doors down from the pub when he heard what sounded like an engine backfiring on the street. He got up to look out the window. Mark saw an eye-catching American-style car speeding away, so he decided to go outside to see what...

Richard glanced at the clock. His daughter Jo was never late, but it was after 4 pm, and there was no sign of her. It was quiet in the gift shop on South Street, so Richard saw no harm in stepping outside to see if Jo was nearby. He half expected to see her ambling home from work experience, probably with a smile on her face. When Jo wasn’t there, Richard grew concerned. Jo’s world consisted of just four places within the market town of Bridport, and she wasn’t at any of them… *** LISTENER...

PLEASE LISTEN TO ‘SEASON 9 - EPISODE 22’ FOR PART ONE OF THIS TWO-PART CASE. The town of Abertillery in South Wales had been rocked by the brutal murder of an eight-year-old girl. A 15-year-old shop assistant had been arrested and accused of killing Freda Burnell, but a jury found him not guilty. While many in the town felt that justice had prevailed when Harold Jones was acquitted, the declaration of his innocence meant that a child killer was still at large… (Part 2 of 2). *** LISTENER...

Rumours swirled about a group who were kidnapping children for rewards, but there was no trace of Willie. One year later, a small skeleton was found two and a half miles from the missing boy's home. Willie's father identified the remains when he saw the hobnails he had put in his son’s boots two weeks before Willie vanished. Willie Pincott was said to have died from exposure on the lonely mountainside. Fifteen years later, the tragedy was still in the minds of locals when another child went...

The website wasn’t indexed on any search engines, and for obvious reasons. The administrators of the site’s forum claimed to be members of the Sinaloa drug Cartel, an infamous crime syndicate based in Mexico. Services offered on the website ranged from drug deals to contract killings. Even though the forum appeared to be based in South America, there was an advertisement seeking someone to carry out a service in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. It read, “I am looking to hire for the murder of...

PLEASE LISTEN TO ‘SEASON 9 - EPISODE 19’ FOR PART ONE OF THIS TWO-PART CASE. The jury in George Ince’s first trial had been split 9 to 3, just one vote away from a majority verdict that would have likely seen him sentenced to life in prison. Despite Ince’s acquittal at the second trial, investigators felt that the case was closed and returned the exhibits to Robert Patience, including clothes and the cushions the bullets had been fired through… (Part 2 of 2) *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED...

It was one of the busiest nights of the year at The Barn restaurant in Braintree. The bonfire night two-for-£5 deal was going down well, attracting over 300 customers. 24-year-old manager David Patience was waiting for the band to wrap up their set. It was past two in the morning, and he was eager to get to bed. The Patience family home was nearby, less than 100 yards from the restaurant. When the intercom system between the buildings rang, David wondered if his father, who had left not long...

Shortly before 8 am, on March 30th, 2009, Craig Freear was getting ready to leave his home on Ashbourne Road in Bradford. While his partner Neville was still in bed, Craig quietly approached the front door to set off for work. As the door opened, Craig found himself face to face with a man holding a double-barrel shotgun. Taking a step back through the threshold of the house, Craig recognised the gunman’s eyes through the holes of his balaclava...  *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED...

People slowly became suspicious when they hadn’t seen Sheena’s baby for almost two years. Despite the mother’s insistence that the little girl was being well looked after by someone else, there was something troubling about the child’s disappearance. Sheena had been rambling about a Tibetan spirit guide in the sky that commanded her to do things. Her parents worried that Sheena’s interest in the occult had gone too far… *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This episode was researched and...

It’s unsettling to believe so many people sought out the footage. They typed in their card details and, with each click, got closer to the gruesome video they had paid to see. The image of a naked man strapped to a bed comes into focus; a masked figure steps into view, a red vegetable knife visible in his hand as he leans over the screaming man…  *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This episode was researched and written by Eileen Macfarlane. Edited by Joel Porter at Dot Dot Dot...