“Black was his uniform. He was the man in black, with black clothes, black thoughts, and the blackest deeds” 

— Alex Carlile QC, Mold Crown Court, November 1996… (Part 1 of 2) 

The Victorian era was an interesting time of development — advancements in machinery and modern medicine must have seemed like a new world. That said, it was also a time of great social inequality and hardship. Art was used to start a dialogue on the social issues that plagued Britain, and the period gave rise to some of the most notable artists and writers in history. While many artists were seen as eccentric characters, it was well-known that eccentricity lends itself to a creative mind. It was also well-known that a fine line existed between an extraordinary mind and a troubled one. As Aristotle once said, “There is no great genius without some touch of madness.”

The sun was starting to set on The Blackbird Leys estate at around 4:30 PM on December 10th, 1994. Henry Sheriff was decorating the back room at his home on Monks Close when he was interrupted by a loud bang, a noise that echoed throughout the nearby properties. Henry wondered if it was someone joyriding again or a car back-firing. A short time after the deafening sound, a 999 call was made to the police, but when the operator answered the phone, nobody spoke. All she could hear on the other end of the line was a man groaning and gasping for breath…

When mutilated human remains are found scattered across Richmond in London, a remorseless killer will go to extreme lengths to distance themselves from the crime. It would take over a century for the final piece of the puzzle to be found… 

"All the evidence indicates Mr Wood was a mild-mannered, inoffensive man. There was no evidence of him having attacked you or having the opportunity to defend himself. There was evidence of gratuitous violence and humiliation before the killing" 

- Judge James Fingret, Reading Crown Court, October 2004

Once the match finished, a gang of agitated spectators gathered outside and began to start trouble. At first, it was just quarrelling between opposing fans before bottles and rocks were hurled through the air. The police made their presence known to dissipate the crowd, and eventually, the officers successfully diffused the situation. With their job done, they left, but the next morning the police were contacted and asked to return to Abington. A woman had been walking down an alleyway around a mile from the County Ground. Something in the distance caught her eye, and as she edged closer, she could see that it was the body of a teenage boy…

As Britain began to recover from the great depression, the lack of employment led to a rise in crime, and gangs operated under cover of darkness, cracking safes in businesses across London. The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 plummeted the nation into a period of uncertainty and turmoil. While young soldiers fought valiantly on the front lines across Nazi-occupied Europe, each nation utilised its own secret network of spies, to try and infiltrate enemy forces and gather information using covert tactics in an effort to win the war…

After Peter Tobin was convicted of murdering Angelika Kluk and concealing her body under a church floor in 2006, investigators began looking into his murky past and uncovered links to numerous other unsolved crimes. Through inquiries by Operation Anagram — the task force established to investigate Tobin’s history — extraordinary developments were made in cases that had remained unsolved for over 15 years… (Part 2 of 2) 

For centuries a church has been seen as a place of refuge and sanctuary for some in desperate need of help and shelter. Many people who are down on their luck or require support go to their place of worship for guidance. They often hold the clergy in high regard, a group they entrust with their troubles and confessions. In 2006, a discovery in a Glasgow church demonstrated how evil can lurk in the most sacred places… (Part 1 of 2) 

In rural Kent, the chances of being a victim of violent crime are minimal. The chances of using fatal force to defend yourself are even more unlikely, and having to do it twice seems unbelievable. For over twenty years, one man from Kent appeared to be connected to a significant amount of criminal activity in the area, including the biggest gold heist in history and at least two deaths… 

At the start of 2003, three men were to stand trial for the murder of Arlene Fraser — her estranged husband, Nat Fraser, along with Nat’s friends, Hector Dick and Glenn Lucas. Arlene’s body had not been found, nor had any forensic evidence to show she had been harmed on the day of her disappearance. The trial opened at Edinburgh High Court on January 7th… (Part 3 of 3)

Arlene Fraser had mysteriously disappeared from her home in New Elgin without a trace, three and half months prior to her daughter's 6th birthday. The occasion — on August 5th 1998 — marked the 100th day since Arlene had been missing. While a scaled-down investigation was still ongoing, the Grampian Police were struggling to find any answers… (Part 2 of 3).

Arlene Fraser was at home in the Scottish suburb of New Elgin, one night in early April 1998. From her living room, she noticed something flickering in the darkness outside. Curiosity got the better of her, and Arlene glanced out of the window to see that her car was engulfed in flames. The fire service was alerted, and the blaze was extinguished. The cause was attributed to a mechanical fault. However, Arlene was doubtful. The relationship with her husband had turned violent. He had attacked Arlene the previous month. She suspected he may have been responsible for the fire, and things took an even darker turn two weeks later when Arlene Fraser seemingly vanished into thin air… (Part 1 of 3).