Crimes That Haunt Us

Brutal Unsolved Murder of Kate Bushell – 14-Year-Old's Throat Slashed While Walking a Dog

On a quiet Saturday afternoon in 1997, 14-year-old Kate Bushell left home to walk her neighbour’s Jack Russell terrier, Gemma, along a peaceful lane in Exwick, Exeter. She never made it back.  Hours later, her own father found her body in a field just 300 yards from their front door – her throat savagely slashed in a single, ferocious knife attack. No sexual assault. No clear motive. Just pure, random horror. This is one of Britain’s most haunting unsolved murders.  Operation Deakin became one of Devon & Cornwall Police’s biggest investigations: over 5,000 interviews, thousands of DNA samples, nationwide Crimewatch appeals, and a mysterious blood-soaked “running man” seen fleeing the scene.  A silent blue car in the lay-by. A possible link to another dog-walker murder the following year. Yet the killer has never been caught. In this episode of Crimes That Haunt Us we reconstruct Kate’s final hours, examine every chilling clue, the eyewitness sightings that went nowhere, and why – nearly 29 years later – advances in DNA might still hold the key. If this case has haunted you too… drop your theories in the comments. Could the killer still be living locally? Was it random or part of something bigger?  For the documentary version see here https://youtu.be/0TDEjU27sIA [https://youtu.be/0TDEjU27sIA] (00:00) The Haunting Case of Kate Bushell (1:06) Who Was Kate Bushell? (03:31) The Day of the Murder (4:02) Kate Sets Off on the Fatal Walk (6:25) Kate is Murdered (8:20) The Killer is Seen Fleeing (10:14) Investigation Begins (14:36) Blue Car Sought (15:45) William Lambert (19:51) Lyn Bryant is Murdered (23:05) Multiple Further Knife Attacks (27:49) Partial DNA Profile Isolated in Bryant Case

The Horrifying Hitchhiker Murder of Barbara Mayo

In 1970, Barbara Mayo vanished while hitchhiking along Britain’s M1 motorway, sparking one of the most chilling and mysterious cases in UK true crime history.  Months earlier, 18 year old Jacqueline Answell Lamb also vanished whilst hitchhiking the same stretch of motorway. Both women would be viciously killed and dumped off the motorway. Barbara’s story remains unsolved decades later — a haunting reminder of the dangers lurking on seemingly ordinary roads. In this deep-dive investigation, we uncover the timeline of events, the witness accounts, and the shocking details surrounding her disappearance and murder.  Was it a random attack, or the work of a serial killer roaming Britain’s motorways?  We also explore possible connections to other unsolved hitchhiker murders of the era, including links to notorious killers like the Yorkshire Ripper. Join us as we revisit Barbara Mayo’s last known journey, uncover the haunting evidence left behind, and examine why this cold case still captivates true crime fans around the world.  For the documentary version see here https://youtu.be/ACsZr08di-Q [https://youtu.be/ACsZr08di-Q] (00:00) The Haunting Case of Barbara Mayo  (1:00) Who Was Barbara Mayo? (03:16) Jackie Ansell-Lamb Murder (5:56) Barbara Goes Hitchhiking (7:47) Barbara Has Vanished (9:04) Barbara’s Body is Discovered (10:58) The Post Mortem (12:15) The Investigation Begins (15:54) Wendy Sewell is Murdered (18:37) Ansell Lamb & Mayo Cases Linked (20:46) DNA Breakthrough (25:29) The Early Suspect

The Chilling Murder of Jackie Ansell-Lamb

On 8 March 1970, 18-year-old Jackie Ansell-Lamb stood alone on the northbound M1 slip road in London, thumb out, hoping for a ride back to her tiny attic flat in Manchester.  Hours later she was found raped, beaten and strangled with electrical flex in isolated woodland just off the M6 near Mere, Cheshire. This is the full, gripping story of Jacqueline Susan Ansell-Lamb — her final weekend, every chilling sighting, the smartly dressed man at the Poplar café, the desperate police hunt, carpet fibres from Earl’s Court, and the DNA that still matches no one after more than 55 years. A vibrant 60s teenager who loved parties and music, Jackie’s life was cut short in one of Britain’s most haunting motorway cold cases. The killer — long suspected to be the Monster of the M1 — has never been caught. Rest in peace, Jackie. May justice one day come.  For the documentary version see here https://youtu.be/-wBm8H6scYY [https://youtu.be/-wBm8H6scYY] (00:00) The Haunting Case of Jackie Ansell-Lamb  (0:55) Who Was Jackie Ansell-Lamb ? (03:59) Jackie Goes to London (5:52) Jackie Hitchhikes North (8:00) Jackie is Last Seen (10:04) Jackie’s Body is Found (12:30) The Manhunt Begins (17:47) Barbara Mayo Vanishes (20:53) Both Cases Linked (22:45) The Canadian Suspect (23:29 DNA Breakthrough

Was Gloria Booth the Yorkshire Ripper's FIRST Victim? | 1971 Unsolved Murder

In the early hours of June 13, 1971, 29-year-old Gloria Booth was found brutally murdered in Stonefield Park, Ruislip — naked, bitten, mutilated, and strangled in an attack of shocking savagery.  Her case remains unsolved to this day. But what if Gloria was the first victim of one of Britain's most notorious serial killers — Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper? Decades later, explosive theories from investigators like Chris Clark suggest striking similarities: the ligature strangulation, distinctive bite marks matching Sutcliffe's teeth gap, hammer blows, industrial grease and dust on her body, and his documented presence in the London area. This gripping podcast explores Gloria's final hours, the botched investigation, chilling forensic details, local rumours, and the persistent claims that she was an early, unacknowledged victim of the Ripper's reign of terror. From her ordinary life in West London to the desperate family pleas for answers — even as Sutcliffe lay dying in 2020 — this is the full untold story of a murder that still haunts Britain. Was Gloria Booth the Yorkshire Ripper's hidden first kill? Watch until the end for the evidence that refuses to go away.  For the documentary version see here https://youtu.be/r3eeykal5ls [https://youtu.be/r3eeykal5ls] (00:00) The Haunting Case of Gloria Booth (01:04) Who Was Gloria Booth? (03:30) Day of the Murder (4:16) The Phonecall (5:44) Last Sighting of Gloria (7:14) Crime Scene Investigation (8:54) Post Mortem (11:26) The Killers Profile (14:46) A Local Monster? (15:36) The Yorkshire Ripper (18:42) Sutcliffe Ties to Ruislip

Stabbed & Thrown From the Train – 1973 Unsolved Case

In this episode of Crimes That Haunt Us, we dive into one of the most chilling unsolved murders of the 1970s: the brutal killing of 17-year-old German au pair Heidi Mnilk in London, 1973.  On July 8, 1973, Heidi boarded a train at Charing Cross Station after a day of sightseeing. Minutes later, as the train sped past London Bridge, screams echoed through the carriages.  Witnesses saw a man flee her compartment as her body was hurled onto the tracks near Bermondsey. A post-mortem revealed she had been stabbed multiple times with a 5-7 inch knife before being thrown to her death. Was this a random act of violence, or something more sinister?  Just months earlier, a similar attack on the same route targeted a German woman, with the assailant professing hatred for Germans.  Serial killer Patrick Mackay later confessed to the crime during his spree of 11 alleged murders—but he retracted it, and inconsistencies left the case open.  Despite eyewitness descriptions and a massive police hunt, Heidi's killer has never been caught, leaving this cold case to haunt investigators and true crime enthusiasts alike. Join us as we explore the timeline, evidence, suspects, and theories behind this tragic unsolved mystery. Why does it remain unsolved after over 50 years? Could anti-German sentiment or a serial killer be the key?  For the documentary version see here https://youtu.be/AGm3XysVtB0 [https://youtu.be/AGm3XysVtB0] (00:00) The Haunting Case of Heidi Mnilk (0:59) Who Was Heidi Mnilk? (03:51) Heidi Boards Murder Train (4:55) Heidi is Attacked (7:26) Heidi’s Body is Found (8:30) Investigation is Launched (10:28) Murder Weapon Located (13:19) The Earlier Shocking Encounter (17:05) The Coroners Inquest (19:55) More Train Stabbings (24:56) Deborah Linsley Murder