Double jeopardy is a legal principle that somebody cannot go on trial for the same crime more than once. The rule, over 800 years old, was put in place to protect the innocent against judicial misconduct that could see them convicted, even after being found not guilty. A pivotal shift occurred twenty years ago, with the UK's double jeopardy law undergoing a significant transformation through the Criminal Justice Act 2003. This introduced substantial reforms, particularly for serious crimes. The amendment allowed the possibility of retrial for someone previously acquitted, if "new and compelling" evidence surfaced…

A couple living on a farm in Kempsey, Worcestershire, had been having issues with their septic tank for some time. Two maintenance companies had been employed to fix the problem, but frustratingly, it was still blocked. On July 12th, 2019, a third company sent out a worker to drain the septic tank on the 500-acre farm. While emptying the tank, the pipe suddenly became blocked. When the worker cleared the obstruction, he discovered a mass of human hair was causing the problem. He thought it was an unusual amount to find, but continued with his duties. Work stopped once again when another object was found. This time, it was more than just hair; it was a human skull... 

At first glance, the Foster family possessed all the trappings of a picture-perfect life; a sprawling mansion worth £1.2 million nestled in the quiet expanse of Maesbrook, Shropshire, a privately educated daughter, and a fleet of luxury cars. In the summer of 2008, everything changed in an instant. As dawn broke on August 26th, an explosive eruption jolted the neighbourhood awake, drawing sleepy residents from their beds. Flames engulfed the Foster’s lavish home, and thick smoke penetrated the morning sky. An investigation into the inferno would unearth the unsettling truth that sometimes, appearances can be deceiving….

Early on an autumn morning, the emergency services received a call that a teenager was unresponsive in Newtown, Wales. It was Saturday, October 10th, 2020. What the panicked woman on the other end of the line described was a far cry from the typical teenage weekend drinking sessions that ended with alcohol poisoning or injury. The caller was the motionless girl’s grandmother. She contacted the emergency services as she had received a call from her son, Alun Titford. Alun was panicked. There was something seriously wrong with his 16-year-old daughter Kaylea. The caller relayed all the information she had to the operator. Her son told her that Kaylea was cold to the touch…

A milkman was going about his early morning rounds in St. Stephen’s Court in Bath. June 9th, 1984, was a day he would never forget. As he journeyed along his usual route, he noticed something on the ground. He followed what appeared to be a trail of blood, which led him to the source — the body of a teenage girl. She wasn't moving. She had been brutally stabbed a short distance from her home…

On the morning of May 15th, 1979, three boys were playing by the Wyken Basin when they noticed something floating in the water. Curious, they went to take a closer look. They approached the reeds on the water's edge, and the object came into focus. It dawned on them that it was a body. Panicked by their discovery, the boys ran to the first adult they could find. They told him what they had seen in the water and in turn he hurriedly contacted the police…

On this episode of They Walk Among America… The rural roadside was illuminated by the flames consuming the trailer, and the blue and red flashing lights of the emergency vehicles. It was a chaotic scene as people desperately tried to rescue the teenage girls believed to be trapped inside. As firefighters dashed towards the blaze, someone on the road noticed a girl lying face down in the mud. When paramedics noticed a gaping 6-inch wound in her abdomen, they believed she had been injured in the fire somehow, but when a surgeon found a shotgun wad inside her body at the hospital, it was clear that the fire had been set intentionally to cover a horrific crime…

In 1952, Cardiff was a bustling industrial hub, a Welsh city that was in the midst of post-war construction. Cardiff docks were the main economic driver, and they welcomed ships from all across the globe, trading goods and raw materials. This trade led to the city quickly becoming a hub of multiculturalism. In particular, it became home to many Somali sailors who had sought new pastures. That same year, one of those sailors would find himself at the centre of a murder investigation that would highlight the dangers of a biassed justice system...

The Newborough family had gathered together at their home in Nuneaton. They had just finished their dinner, when 23-year-old Megan said she was going out to meet a “friend” from work. His name was Ross McCullam, and she described him as a gentleman. Her words were meant to reassure her family, to give the impression of a harmless, platonic encounter, since they had not met this “friend”. She waved her family goodbye as Megan climbed into her Citroen C3 and set off into the night…

Saturday, April 18th, 1998. In the early hours of the morning, two police officers were dispatched to the scene of a disturbance at a car park near Dolphin Square and Oxford Street in Weston-Super-Mare. PC Clive Golding-Ellis and PC Robert Deville were expecting a standard weekend drunken brawl. They saw something much different and considerably more disturbing. A woman was lying on the ground. Her skin blistered and distorted with extensive burns that covered her head and upper body. As the officers urgently called for an ambulance, they spoke to a man standing nearby, drinking from a can of lager. He was drunk and told the officers, "I tried to put her out. The flames kept going back again”…

In the early hours of July 14th, a resident of Highfield Road in Neston heard banging on his front door. On his doorstep, he saw a middle-aged woman in a state of distress. The homeowner didn’t know her well, but he knew she lived further down the street. Through heaving sobs, his neighbour said: "I've hurt him. I've hurt him really bad. I think I’ve killed him…"

Wedding days are often cherished as one of life's most memorable occasions, filled with anticipation for a bright future. In October 2021, Dawn Walker embarked on this journey as she married her partner of three years, Thomas Nutt. In a registry office, Dawn skipped traditional white or ivory, choosing a vibrant red dress. The couple exchanged vows, but Dawn had some reservations. She confided in friends that she feared something “bad” would happen to her. On a day that was meant to represent the pinnacle of happiness, this eerie premonition came true…