The crew manager was the first to get through the door of the burning bungalow. Other firefighters were gearing up on the quiet street outside. Christopher Barber led the way to the bedroom—thick smoke billowed and visibility was low. He dropped to the ground, and after dousing some of the flames with water, he began searching the area with an outstretched arm. Barber made contact with what he initially believed to be a cushion on the ground at the foot of the bed, but then he heard a frail voice whimper, “Help me”...

Emergency responders had been directed to a two-car collision on Abbey Road in Sandbach. When they saw that the injuries sustained by the victims were clearly not caused by a crash, the paramedics soon realised it was far from a standard traffic accident. Not long after the incident, on that cold January morning, a man approached an officer from the Cheshire Police. He made a startling confession as he gestured towards the road. The man said, “I shot them up there”...

His crimes were becoming more frequent and even more brazen—four people had been killed in a four-week period. Investigators finally got a break when palm prints discovered at the scene of two murders were found to match a petty criminal in the system… (Part 2 of 2).

Staff decided to make a routine check on the bedrooms closest to where the prowler had been seen, and it was then they were confronted with something truly terrifying. Two of the residents were dead, evidently murdered, confirming the investigators' fears: a serial killer was targeting the elderly… (Part 1 of 2).

Nisha woke up to the sound of screams. It took her a moment to realise where they were coming from. She thought her mother must have been having a nightmare, so she rushed into her bedroom. As Nisha entered the room, her husband ran past her, and she suddenly thought he must have been chasing someone. She then saw her mother lying on the floor, covered with a duvet, but before Nisha could react, her husband raised one of his arms and plunged a knife into her neck…

The landau driver stood outside Prestatyn railway station, watching the early morning commuters. His attention was drawn to a young woman darting down the high street. She stopped beside his carriage and asked him to take her to a nearby farm. Her behaviour was erratic, and William wasn’t sure he wanted to drive her anywhere until she told him, “My mistress is lying on the floor. She’s very ill”...

Following a call to the emergency services just before 5 PM on February 22nd, 2023, the police, and paramedics from the East Midlands Ambulance Service, were dispatched to a property on Queens Park Way in Leicester. They found an elderly man lying on the kitchen floor, bleeding profusely from a deep wound to his chest. His ex-wife had witnessed the attack, and the suspect had been seen fleeing the area by several other witnesses. Still, no one knew who he was or why he had targeted 79-year-old Gerald Wickes… 

The house finally fell silent. A few minutes later, Maria hesitantly opened her bedroom door and looked out onto the landing. Daniel, who also shared the property, was standing outside holding a mobile phone in a white-gloved hand. He locked eyes with Maria and told her: "Go back into your room and lock the door. I'm calling the police"...

The sound of his neighbour’s gates opening piqued Graham’s curiosity. He got out of bed and went to the window to see the Raggetts’ blue Jaguar reversing into the drive. The house on Chester Close was bordered by high walls and had enough space to park several vehicles. As soon as Lew Raggett stepped out of the car, two figures emerged from the shadows carrying a baseball bat and a knife…

Investigators wanted to get justice for the World’s End victims, but they would need the law to be changed in order for that to happen (Part 3 of 3)…

The murders of several women in Scotland in the 1970s went unsolved. During a case review into the 1978 murder of 17-year-old Mary Gallacher in 2000, a suspect was identified through DNA comparison. He was arrested and brought to trial (Part 2 of 3)…

Over the course of two years, several young women in Glasgow disappeared after nights out, echoing a terrifying period for women in the city a decade earlier when Bible John roamed the streets. After some of the missing women were found brutally murdered, investigators noticed glaring similarities, which led many to suspect that another serial killer was operating in Glasgow (Part 1 of 3)…

John McCullough had missed yet another doctor's appointment, which raised concerns for the receptionist at the GP practice in Chelmsford. Thinking back, she couldn’t recall the last time she had seen John or his wife Lois…

The dog seemed determined to get to something in the undergrowth, and much to his owner’s annoyance, he pulled relentlessly against the lead. Curiosity got the better of his handler. What was his pet so interested in? As he entered the copse, the officer almost stumbled over the partially naked body of a young woman…

Passing through the hotel's hallway, one guest noticed something strange — a figure slumped against the wall outside room 25. As they got closer, the guest saw, to their horror, that the young woman was covered in blood, and a trail led back to her room. Staff members were quickly alerted and ran down the corridor. When they entered room 25, they found another woman badly injured. She was alive but barely breathing…

A young woman lay motionless on the ground, curled up—her body halfway under a car. Steve asked her if she was okay, but she didn’t answer. Motorists, suddenly stuck behind Steve’s taxi, got out of their vehicles to see what was going on. In a team effort, one person called for an ambulance, while others rushed to get blankets or jumpers to help keep the injured woman warm…

Sparse details of an alleged exorcism emerged at Leeds Crown Court when Michael Taylor was found not guilty by reason of insanity for killing his wife, Christine. In an almost unprecedented move, the coroner decided it would be in the public interest to reopen the inquest so that the full story would be held on record... (Part 2 of 2).

Not a usual sight when minding your own business, a man appeared in the doorway, completely naked apart from socks on his feet. It took a few seconds for Thomas to realise that the man’s face, hands, and body were drenched in blood. Before Thomas could react, the man looked directly at him and spoke the words: “I rebuke thee in the name of Satan”… (Part 1 of 2).

Julia Beal was under the impression that her daughter was on a residential school trip in Cumbria. When she learned that wasn't the case and no one had seen her since March 6th, Fiona’s mother reported her daughter missing. A high-risk missing persons inquiry was launched. According to colleagues, Fiona Beal had been going through a tough time, and they were worried she would do something drastic…

Monday mornings were typically quiet. However, on August 23rd, 1971, four men wearing dark glasses and hats stormed into the shop. Joseph thought fast and ducked down—he hastily locked himself in the back room before the men could see him. He could hear the shop assistants being ordered to the floor at gunpoint, so Joseph pressed the silent alarm that alerted officers at Blackpool Police Station. It was 9:41 am. Within 15 minutes, three men would be fighting for their lives, and one of the largest manhunts in Lancashire history would be launched in search of one of the men responsible…