麻豆社

In this episode, we delve into an old murder mystery in the village of Beenham in Berkshire. Modern forensic science covers a huge area of expertise- blood, DNA, soil, pollen, data but 50 years ago, it was little more than fingerprints and fibres. Which is why one murder investigation from 1966 eventually ran cold. Decades later, an expert witness used brand new science to crack the case.

The programme's second case explores the analysis of tiny clues found on the body of murdered Leicester solicitor, Vina Patel. When she was found dead at the bottom of a staircase it looked like murder, but DNA could find no definitive proof of who the killer was. Then, a scientist with an expert knowledge of fibres found an intriguing clue.

The murder of Stephen Lawrence shocked the nation. After the police鈥檚 investigation into the killing failed to bring justice, an inquiry led to widespread changes in policing practices. One of the recommendations of the inquiry was the introduction of a dedicated crime scene manager, crucially a role to be carried out by a civilian and not a police officer. We learn from one of the country鈥檚 leading crime scene managers about the importance of this role and of the type and scale of crime scenes that are visited.