Within 24 hours of moving into a house in Penge, Harriet Staunton was dead. A chance encounter in a post office meant that what could have been recorded as death by natural causes, was listed as a homicide. Harriet Staunton’s husband, his mistress, his brother, and his brother’s wife were accused of starving Harriet to death to prevent the truth from coming out. The prosecution had spent days presenting damning evidence against the defendants, and due to the laws at the time that prohibited the accused from testifying in their own defence, they could only hope that their counsel would save them from the hangman’s noose… (Part 2 of 2).

A telegram arrived unexpectedly. Mrs Butterfield hoped it was a sign that her daughter was finally ready to speak to her again. She hadn’t seen Harriet in over a year, although she had tried unsuccessfully several times since then. The short message in the telegram dashed all hope of reuniting with her daughter. It bluntly read: “Harriet Staunton died yesterday at 34 Forbes Road… Will be buried today, Sunday”… (Part 1 of 2).

The sound of music spilled out of the pub. The White Stag in Monkton was rammed for a Monday. It was karaoke night that attracted the crowd of around 100 people who were finishing off the long Easter weekend with a few drinks and a singalong. Mark McGurk was home a few doors down from the pub when he heard what sounded like an engine backfiring on the street. He got up to look out the window. Mark saw an eye-catching American-style car speeding away, so he decided to go outside to see what the commotion was about. The noise from the White Stag wasn’t loud enough to drown out the hysterical cries of a woman, which sounded like they were coming from the house next door. Mark could hear her screaming, “It’s a gun! It’s a gun!”... 

Richard glanced at the clock. His daughter Jo was never late, but it was after 4 pm, and there was no sign of her. It was quiet in the gift shop on South Street, so Richard saw no harm in stepping outside to see if Jo was nearby. He half expected to see her ambling home from work experience, probably with a smile on her face. When Jo wasn’t there, Richard grew concerned. Jo’s world consisted of just four places within the market town of Bridport, and she wasn’t at any of them…

The town of Abertillery in South Wales had been rocked by the brutal murder of an eight-year-old girl. A 15-year-old shop assistant had been arrested and accused of killing Freda Burnell, but a jury found him not guilty. While many in the town felt that justice had prevailed when Harold Jones was acquitted, the declaration of his innocence meant that a child killer was still at large… (Part 2 of 2).

Rumours swirled about a group who were kidnapping children for rewards, but there was no trace of Willie. One year later, a small skeleton was found two and a half miles from the missing boy's home. Willie's father identified the remains when he saw the hobnails he had put in his son’s boots two weeks before he vanished. Willie Pincott was said to have died from exposure on the lonely mountainside. Fifteen years later, the tragedy was still in the minds of locals when another child went missing… (Part 1 of 2).

The website wasn’t indexed on any search engines, and for obvious reasons. The administrators of the site’s forum claimed to be members of the Sinaloa drug Cartel, an infamous crime syndicate based in Mexico. Services offered on the website ranged from drug deals to contract killings. Even though the forum appeared to be based in South America, there was an advertisement seeking someone to carry out a service in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. It read, “I am looking to hire for the murder of a woman”...

The jury in George Ince’s first trial had been split 9 to 3, just one vote away from a majority verdict that would have likely seen him sentenced to life in prison. Despite Ince’s acquittal at the second trial, investigators felt that the case was closed and returned the exhibits to Robert Patience, including clothes and the cushions the bullets had been fired through… (Part 2 of 2)

It was one of the busiest nights of the year at The Barn restaurant in Braintree. The bonfire night two-for-£5 deal was going down well, attracting over 300 customers. 24-year-old manager David Patience was waiting for the band to wrap up their set. It was past two in the morning, and he was eager to get to bed. The Patience family home was nearby, less than 100 yards from the restaurant. When the intercom system between the buildings rang, David wondered if his father, who had left not long before, had forgotten something. Robert Patience’s voice was panicked. He told his son, “Come over quickly, there has been a bit of an accident”... (Part 1 of 2)

Shortly before 8 am, on March 30th, 2009, Craig Freear was getting ready to leave his home on Ashbourne Road in Bradford. While his partner Neville was still in bed, Craig quietly approached the front door to set off for work. As the door opened, Craig found himself face to face with a man holding a double-barrel shotgun. Taking a step back through the threshold of the house, Craig recognised the gunman’s eyes through the holes of his balaclava... 

People slowly became suspicious when they hadn’t seen Sheena’s baby for almost two years. Despite the mother’s insistence that the little girl was being well looked after by someone else, there was something troubling about the child’s disappearance. Sheena had been rambling about a Tibetan spirit guide in the sky that commanded her to do things. Her parents worried that Sheena’s interest in the occult had gone too far…

It’s unsettling to believe so many people sought out the footage. They typed in their card details and, with each click, got closer to the gruesome video they had paid to see. The image of a naked man strapped to a bed comes into focus; a masked figure steps into view, a red vegetable knife visible in his hand as he leans over the screaming man… 

Marley pulled on the lead, eager to get to the shrubs at the side of the pathway. Even after being corrected, the dog continued to struggle towards the bushes. Curious to understand why Marley was so desperate to explore that particular spot, Victor parted a section of the hedge. The former RAF Firefighter was not easily alarmed, but he could not believe what he was seeing. It was a severed head...

Following the end of World War II, many projects that had been put on hold were resumed. Trewidden Vean and Nanquitho, areas between Penzance and Land’s End in Cornwall, were flooded to create Drift Reservoir. The 65-acre reservoir provides drinking water for West Penwith, and, over the years, has become increasingly popular with bird watchers. In 2018, record temperatures and a heat wave caused the water level to drop by almost three metres. The remnants of the Lost Valley were partially uncovered, but three years later, something much more sinister was brought to the surface of Drift Reservoir…. 

Emergency responders were relieved to find there were no casualties. The car had been abandoned. Puzzlingly, the vehicle was traced back to a mother who had left Inverness with her three-year-old son hours earlier. What initially seemed to be a burnt-out vehicle left after a joyride turned out to be so much more. It remained a mystery for over four decades…

It was cold and damp on the banks of Loch Lomond on the morning of December 6th 1999. Specialist officers from an underwater search unit of Central Scotland Police were preparing to take part in a training exercise in the highland lake northwest of Glasgow. Loch Lomond is the largest lake by surface area in Great Britain, spanning 22 miles between Central Scotland and the Highlands. The deep water at Rowardennan Pier reflected the sloping green hills surrounding the lake, but as divers went beneath the surface, they made a horrifying discovery… 

It was early on a warm Sunday morning, and very few cars were on the A22 road between Eastbourne and London. A motorcyclist pulled in on the grassy verge and ventured a few yards behind the tree line of Ashdown Forest. The sun shone down between the tall oak trees, casting shadows on the leafy ground. Something stood out amidst the earthy tones of the undergrowth. As the motorcyclist walked closer to the blue fabric that was poking out of the soil, he was overwhelmed by a foul smell...

Ellie and her partner Marcus walked around to the large conservatory at the back of the house. Through the glass doors, they could see the silhouettes of two familiar figures sitting in their favourite armchairs, although something did not seem right with Carol and Stephen Baxter…

The Burton Mail published the article in March 1990. A local couple had the good fortune of winning a Vauxhall Astra with two years' worth of free petrol. The accompanying picture is fuzzy. Sandra and Ryan James pose almost formally and rigidly while standing behind the vehicle with the garage owner poised to hand over the keys. The next time the couple were mentioned in the newspaper, it would not be for such joyous reasons…

The officer called out to identify himself, but there was no response from behind the closed door. He tried to open it but was met by resistance. After managing to wedge the bedroom door a few inches, PC Francis saw the body of an elderly man on the floor. Blood and brain matter were pooling around his head. As PC Francis radioed for support and the London Ambulance Service, he heard a voice say, “You’re too late. He’s been dead for an hour”...