They Walk Among Us - UK True Crime

The brutal murder of a reclusive widow sparked one of the largest murder inquiries Liverpool had seen in years. After following numerous dead-end leads, the investigators turned their attention to a pair of petty thieves on the word of criminal informants. The case against them was purely circumstantial…  (Part 1 of 2). *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This&nbs...

A quiet nun in a central Aberdeen Cathedral was dealing with some paperwork when she had a visitor. She neither knew the person nor did she have any way of knowing she wouldn’t leave her office alive... *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***  This episode was written by Rosanna Fitton. Research by Benjamin Fitton. Edited by Joel Porter at Dot Dot Dot Productions. Script editing, i...

The weather was still warm at 2:30 am, and unusually, a married local couple decided it was a good time to go for a scenic stroll past the mansion and gardens in Valentines Park. They walked down Cranbrook Road until the pair reached the junction opposite Cranbrook Rise — that’s where they saw something that didn’t seem right amongst the large white houses that lined the street. The couple no...

The ground was too uneven for George to attempt to follow the route to the stream that flowed 30 feet below, so he watched as his dog sniffed the ground behind large rocks. The animal was fixated on a black bin liner, and from George’s perspective, two logs sticking out of it. A faint whimpering sound echoed up from the stream. George strained his eyes and realised that the bundle h...

It was a typical room for a teenage boy in the 1980s; football programmes on his desk with his homework, a well-used Amstrad HI-FI system with a tape cassette and radio, used to record the top chart hits on a Sunday, hitting the pause button before the DJ fades back in. Posters of his favourite musical acts covered the walls; Mel and Kim, T'Pau, Madonna, Samantha Fox — standard fare in 1988. His s...

Emergency responders arrived within minutes and approached the two-bedroom cottage. Joanne was waiting for them at the door, before leading them upstairs to her grandmother's bedroom. The paramedics pulled back the quilt and found the frail pensioner lying on bloody sheets. Blood spatter covered the walls near the bed. Due to the highly suspicious nature of Annie’s death, the police were...

The summer flowers were in full bloom when Edith Ford and her teenage daughter Doreen strolled to the bottom of the long and narrow communal garden to pick a bouquet of wildflowers. Their eyes were drawn away from the plants and foliage, towards the ground. Two tiny bare legs protruded from the other side of a hedge near a public works yard. Was this the child so many people had spent the nig...

Women in southwest London lived in terror after a string of sex attacks on lone commuters travelling from Waterloo to Kingston. The police were desperately trying to locate a man believed to be responsible for half a dozen rapes over a three-month period in late 1988. Just days before Christmas, it seemed the rapist had crossed another line: he was now a murderer… *** LISTENER CAUTION IS...

A man in his early twenties stood at the side of the road waving at the passing cars to get attention — eventually, a vehicle with two men inside parked up beside the desperate motorist. The would-be rescuers jumped out of their car and approached the man who stopped them. He opened his mouth to speak, something that he would come to regret. The smell of alcohol from his breath hit their...

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 t...

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) *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This episode was researched and written by Eileen Macfarlane. Edited by Joel Porter at Dot...

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…  *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This episode&n...

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 p...

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 incred...

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 th...

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). *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This episode wa...

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). *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This&...

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...

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 200...

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...

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 mothe...

As Halloween swiftly approached on October 30, the residents of Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, were busy preparing. Doorsteps displayed carved pumpkins, and bowls filled with treats were being stocked to hand out to trick-or-treaters the following night. On that same dark autumn evening, a teenage girl in Keyworth left her home to see her boyfriend. She had made the journey many times before, but ther...

PLEASE LISTEN TO ‘SEASON 8 - EPISODE 18’ FOR PART ONE OF THIS TWO-PART CASE. After serving 16 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, Stefan Kiszko was acquitted and released. He died less than two years later. Lesley Molseed’s killer was still unidentified, but as so much time had passed, there was little chance the murderer would ever be brought to justice, especially after most...

The murder of a vulnerable child causes sadness and unease throughout the country. The authorities are desperate to take a violent predator off the streets before they take another life. Within two months, it looks as though they have succeeded. But things are seldom straightforward, and rarely what they seem… (Part 1 of 2). *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This epi...

The Probation Service and Parole Boards are meant to safeguard our communities. However, no organisation or independent body is immune to errors or shortcomings. If they fail in their duty, then dangerous people can be released straight into the path of innocent victims… *** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED ***     This episode was researched and written by Emily G. T...