麻豆社

The first case in this episode starts in 1993, in Reading, Berkshire, when the body of David Watkins, is discovered, lying face down in remote woodland. The father of two young boys had been shot, execution-style, when an apparent drug deal went wrong.

When police quickly arrest a suspect, he pleads not guilty at trial a year later and ultimately walks free, with the knowledge that the double jeopardy law, which prevents suspects from being retried, will protect him. The law was overturned in 2005.

Fast forward over two decades later, and the case is reopened. This time, expert witness, fibre analyst Tiernan Coyle, is drafted in to re-examine evidence found in the suspect鈥檚 car, and at the retrial, justice is finally served. The programme includes interviews from 麻豆社鈥檚 Sima Kotecha and John Price KC.

The second case on the programme looks at one of the most serious miscarriages of justice in British history.

In 1986, the body of 22-year-old Teresa de Simone is found in her car outside a pub in Southampton. She had been raped and strangled. Investigators collect biological material but are only able to specify the offender鈥檚 blood type. A year later, police are stunned when Sean Hodgson, a petty thief and prison inmate, confesses to killing her. He later retracts his confession but is found guilty and sentenced to life in prison. After serving 26 years, he reaches out for help to prove his innocence.

With the technology of DNA analysis now available, detectives seek the expertise of forensic science consultant Dr Colin Dark. His work not only proves that Hodgson is an innocent man, but using ground-breaking familial DNA analysis, he also identifies the real killer. The programme includes fascinating interviews with crime scene manager Martin Chudley and forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes.