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 there was no way of knowing this night was different… (Part 1 of 2).

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 of the evidence had been destroyed… (Part 2 of 2)

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).

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…

Easter weekend 1998. An 18-year-old goes missing on the way to see a relative in Leeds. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, she was approximately 14 times more likely to become a victim of violent crime. The race was on to find the vulnerable young woman, but no one could be prepared for what they saw when they found her… 

Most parents would do almost anything to save a child's life. Some are fortunate enough to be able to afford whatever treatment is needed, but money can’t buy everything. In 2023, a landmark case highlighted just how far one family was willing to go to help their child, even at the cost of someone else's...

Advancements in technology and home security have allowed people to feel safer than ever in their homes. CCTV systems are more accessible, and mobile phone apps can be used to receive alerts within seconds regarding movement outside a property. Generally, these notifications are triggered by a delivery driver or a welcomed guest, but sometimes that visitor has bad intentions. Home security systems can assist users to raise the alarm. However, in October 2021, a furious father to a young child took matters into his own hands. A jury would have to decide if the accused never intended to take a life or was enacting revenge on someone they felt deserved the ultimate punishment…

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…