True Crime Storytime

Crime Special: The Stopwatch Gang

Welcome to True Crime Storytime, and thank you for joining us. Please remember to follow our podcast and share it with your friends! Thank you! In this episode, we explore the story of one of the most disciplined and methodical robbery crews in modern criminal history. This is the case of The Stopwatch Gang, a group of bank robbers known for precision, planning and an almost military approach to crime. Important: If you don't want to know what happened before listening to our podcast, do not read this description! The Stopwatch Gang operated primarily in Canada during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Their name came from their strict timing methods, with robberies often completed in under a minute. The group’s core members included Stephen Reid, Patrick Mitchell and Lionel Wright, each playing a specific role in carefully orchestrated heists. In this True Crime Storytime episode, we examine how the gang carried out a series of high-profile bank robberies, targeting institutions across Canada and, at times, beyond. Their approach relied on speed, coordination and minimal violence. Disguises, rehearsals and precise execution allowed them to enter, control the situation and escape before police could respond. We also explore how their success drew increasing attention from law enforcement. Despite their efficiency, the gang could not remain undetected indefinitely. Arrests eventually followed, leading to convictions and lengthy prison sentences for key members. Beyond the robberies themselves, the story of the Stopwatch Gang took an unusual turn. Stephen Reid, one of the central figures, later became a writer and playwright while in prison, bringing a different kind of notoriety to the case. His later life added a layer of complexity to a story already defined by discipline and contradiction. The Stopwatch Gang remains a striking example of how organisation and timing can be used to carry out crimes with remarkable efficiency, while still leaving a lasting impact on both the criminal justice system and popular culture. Thank you for joining us on True Crime Storytime. If you enjoy true crime stories, unsolved crimes, cold case files and strange mysteries, follow our podcast channel!

Unsolved Crime: Kirsty Jones

Welcome to True Crime Storytime, and thank you for joining us. Please don't forget to follow our channel for more true crimes, unsolved murders and real life mysteries. In this episode, we examine a tragic and deeply troubling case involving a young British traveller whose death abroad raised serious questions about justice, investigation standards and unanswered truths. Important: If you don't want to know what happened before listening to our podcast, do not read this description! In August 2000, 23-year-old Kirsty Jones from North Wales was travelling in Thailand as part of a backpacking trip. She was staying in a guesthouse in the city of Chiang Mai when she was found dead in her room. Initial reports suggested she had been strangled, and signs at the scene indicated a violent struggle. In this episode, we explore how the investigation quickly focused on a local man who worked at the guesthouse. He was arrested, charged and later convicted of Kirsty’s murder in a Thai court. However, concerns soon emerged about the reliability of the evidence used to secure that conviction, including issues surrounding forensic handling and inconsistencies in the case presented by the prosecution. We examine how Kirsty’s family, supported by British officials, challenged the outcome of the trial. Their efforts led to an appeal, and in 2002 the conviction was overturned due to insufficient evidence. The suspect was released, leaving the case officially unsolved and raising difficult questions about whether the real killer was ever identified. The case has continued to trouble investigators and campaigners for years. Reviews have been carried out, and calls for further investigation have persisted, but no one has since been brought to justice for Kirsty Jones’s death. This episode looks at what is known, what remains uncertain and how a case that began with a conviction ultimately returned to unanswered questions. It is a story not only of loss, but of a family’s long fight for clarity and accountability in a foreign justice system. Thank you for joining us on True Crime Storytime.

True Crime - The Securitas Heist

Welcome to True Crime Storytime, and thank you for joining us. In this episode, we examine one of the largest cash robberies in British history, a crime that combined meticulous planning, deception and sheer scale. Important: If you don't want to know what happened before listening to our podcast, do not read this description! In February 2006, a group of criminals carried out a robbery at the Securitas cash depot in Tonbridge, Kent. The operation began with the kidnapping of the depot manager, Colin Dixon, who was stopped by men posing as police officers while driving home. His family was then taken hostage, and he was forced to cooperate with the gang under threat to their safety. Later that night, the attackers gained entry to the depot by using Dixon’s credentials. Once inside, they restrained staff and systematically loaded cash into a lorry. By the time the robbery was complete, approximately £53 million had been stolen, making it the largest cash theft ever carried out in the UK. In this episode, we explore how the gang planned and executed the robbery, exploiting insider knowledge and carefully timing their actions. We also examine the massive investigation that followed, involving multiple police forces and international cooperation. While several members of the gang were eventually arrested and convicted, a significant portion of the stolen money has never been recovered. The case also revealed the lengths organised criminals are willing to go to, particularly the use of threats against family members to ensure compliance. It led to increased scrutiny of security procedures at cash handling facilities and changes in how such operations are managed. This episode looks at how the robbery unfolded, how the perpetrators were tracked down and why the case remains one of the most remarkable examples of organised crime in the UK. Thank you for joining us on True Crime Storytime. Subscribe to our podcast for more true crimes, unsolved murders, cold cases and criminal stories from around the world.

True Crime: The Shocking Murder Of Sarah Everard

Welcome to True Crime Storytime, and thank you for joining us. In this episode, we examine a case that shocked the United Kingdom and sparked a nationwide conversation about safety, trust and policing. Important: If you don't want to know what happened before listening to our podcast, do not read this description! In March 2021, 33-year-old Sarah Everard disappeared while walking home in South London. She had spent the evening visiting a friend in Clapham and was travelling on foot towards her home in Brixton. When she failed to arrive, concern quickly grew among her family and friends, and a major police search operation began. What initially appeared to be a missing person case soon became one of the most disturbing criminal investigations in recent British history. Police inquiries and CCTV evidence led investigators to a serving Metropolitan Police officer, Wayne Couzens. His arrest sent shockwaves through the public, raising deeply troubling questions about trust in authority and the abuse of power. In this episode, we explore how the investigation unfolded and why the case resonated so strongly across the country. The disappearance and murder of Sarah Everard prompted widespread public grief and anger, particularly around the issue of women’s safety in public spaces. Vigils were held across the UK, including a large gathering on Clapham Common near where she was last seen. Wayne Couzens later pleaded guilty to kidnapping, rape and murder. In September 2021 he was sentenced to a whole life order, meaning he will spend the rest of his life in prison. Beyond the criminal case itself, the events triggered intense scrutiny of policing standards and vetting procedures within the Metropolitan Police. Independent reviews and official reports followed, examining how Couzens had remained in the force despite previous concerns about his behaviour. This episode looks at the facts of the case, the investigation that followed and the profound impact Sarah Everard’s death had on public debate across the UK. Thank you for joining us on True Crime Storytime.

True Crime: The Killer Landlady

Welcome to True Crime Storytime, and thank you for joining us. Please remember to follow our podcast if you like true crime stories, unsolved criminal cases and cold case files. In this episode, we examine the chilling case of a woman who appeared to offer shelter and care to society’s most vulnerable, while hiding a far darker reality. This is the story of Dorothea Puente, often referred to as the Killer Landlady. Important: If you don't want to know what happened before listening to our podcast, do not read this description! Dorothea Puente ran a boarding house in Sacramento, California, during the 1980s. Many of her tenants were elderly, disabled or struggling with addiction. On the surface, she presented herself as a kindly caretaker who helped residents manage their finances and daily needs. In truth, she was systematically exploiting them. In this episode, we explore how suspicions first arose when a social worker began asking questions about a missing tenant in 1988. A subsequent search of Puente’s property uncovered a horrifying discovery: multiple bodies buried in the garden of the boarding house. Investigators ultimately linked her to the murders of nine tenants, though she was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder in 1993. Evidence presented at trial showed that Puente had drugged her victims and forged or cashed their benefit cheques after their deaths, continuing to collect income in their names. Despite maintaining her innocence in court, she was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. The case shocked the United States not only because of the crimes themselves, but because of how long Puente was able to operate without detection. It exposed gaps in oversight, particularly concerning vulnerable adults receiving state benefits. Dorothea Puente died in prison in 2011, but the questions her case raised about trust, exploitation and systemic failure remain relevant today. In this episode, we examine how she gained the confidence of those around her, how the investigation unfolded and how a quiet residential property became the centre of one of California’s most disturbing murder cases. Thank you for joining us on True Crime Storytime.