True crime documentaries

The documentary is now available to stream on BBC iPlayer, but there is a strong viewer warning

BBC viewers have struggled to watch a heartbreaking documentary that they say “cuts deep” as a strong warning has been issued.

Just last night (Monday, October 5), BBC Two took viewers back to 2000 in a cast that shocked the UK. Damilola Taylor was just 10 years old when he was stabbed and killed in what became one of the country’s most high profile killings.

He was stabbed in the leg just metres from his home whilst leaving an after school club. For the first time for some, Damilola’s friends and family speak out about that tragic event, sharing previously unheard testimony, including that from Star Wars actor John Boyega.

Damilola: The Untold Story revisits the young boy’s killing, 26 years on as it premiered on BBC Two last night (October 5). However, for those that missed it, it can be streamed on BBC iPlayer, but viewers have warned it is a hard watch.

Taking to X, one person wrote: “I watched the documentary on bbc (yes bbc) on the senseless murder of Damilola Taylor, Rip poor little lad, heart breaking, although the documentary was focal on Damilola and the those immediately impacted, it also drew the lens back to show the amount of kids murdered.”

Another said: “I’m not sure I have it in me emotionally to watch this Damilola Taylor documentary”, as a third admitted: “That Damilola Taylor documentary is so heart wrenching.”

A fourth added: “This Damilola Taylor documentary cut deep. Imagine stabbing a 10 year old innocent boy and leaving him to bleed to death. Those two brothers are evil with so much hate in their hearts.”

A fifth replied: “It was a very hard watch. I had to pause a few times. RIP Damilola, Mr Richard and Mrs Grace Taylor.” Another penned: “The ending of the Damilola Taylor documentary, I can count my family members and school friends in that montage of lost souls. I started watching the doc as a mother, ended it as a child, if that doesn’t speak to the cycle… and its longevity then idk what does.”

Taking to TikTok to share the recommendation, one true crime fan admitted it was a “heartbreaking watch”, adding: “Be warned because it’s quite shocking.”

One person replied: “Just watched this last night… so sad.” Another commented: “Absolutely heartbreaking you’re right, so incredibly sad.” A third wrote: “This will be a hard watch.”

Taking viewers back to the final 24 hours of his life, the documentary also explores the years it took to bring a conviction. Two brothers, who were themselves aged 12 and 13 at the time, were convicted of manslaughter.

An official synopsis reads: “Made 26 years after the murder of 10-year-old Damilola Taylor shocked Britain, this documentary returns to his story with new testimony that sheds fresh light on what happened to him.

“Actor John Boyega, who was eight when Damilola died and was one of the last people to see him alive, joins Damilola’s childhood friends to return to his final months and the years of youth violence that followed his death.”

Damilola: The Untold Story can be streamed on BBC iPlayer

The true crime documentary will return to screens sooner than you think

Channel 5’s gripping true crime series will return with new chilling episodes – and it’s coming sooner than you think.

First aired in 2023, Murder Scene: The Incident Room is a true crime series that explores real-life murder investigations across the UK, but with a twist. The investigations are told through the eyes of real detectives who worked on the cases.

The series, which has seen two seasons so far, plunges viewers into the centre of police investigations, revealing how officers gather evidence and make critical conditions. Channel 5 has teased: “Inside the nerve centre of murder inquiries, revealed through the detectives themselves.”

Featuring first hand accounts as well as heartbreaking interviews with family members of the victims, the series also shows real archive footage as well as using reconstruction sequences.

Murder Scene: The Incident Room will return to Channel 5 tonight (September 30) with yet another harrowing case. Airing at 8pm on Channel 5, the brand new episode will transport viewers back to a horrific event on Christmas Eve in 2022.

Taking viewers behind the scenes of a murder investigation, tonight’s episode will explore the heartbreaking murder of 26-year-old Elle Edwards, who was killed by a gunman armed with a submachine gun outside of a pub in Wirral, Merseyside.

After firing the weapon into a group of people on Christmas Eve, the gunman fled the scene as CCTV revealed this was not a random act, with detectives working around the clock for justice.

An official synopsis reads: “The Incident Room is the place where Britain’s toughest murder cases are cracked. Behind closed doors, detectives work against the clock, piecing together the clues, chasing down suspects, and searching for the breakthrough that will bring a killer to justice.”

About tonight’s episode, it continues: “Christmas Eve 2022: a packed pub, a burst of gunfire. Within seconds, six people are shot outside the Lighthouse Pub in Wallasey.

“Twenty-six-year-old Elle Edwards dies at the scene. A gunman armed with a military-grade machine gun has opened fire on innocent bystanders – and he’s still out there.

“CCTV reveals this was no random act. As pressure mounts, a crucial breakthrough changes the direction of the case, triggering a nationwide manhunt for a dangerous and desperate fugitive.

“This is the story of a community shattered, a family devastated, and the relentless pursuit of a killer who believed he could disappear into the night.”

New episodes will air every Wednesday on Channel 5, with the next instalment dropping on October 7 at its usual 8pm slot. Episodes can also be streamed on Channel 5 online. Previously praising the show, one person said episodes were “too good to miss” as another admitted it was a “must watch”.

Murder Scene: The Incident Room returns tonight at 8pm on Channel 5

The series is hosted by BBC Silent Witness expert Jo Millington

True crime fans do not want to miss a brand new chilling documentary series, plunging viewers into the heart of a crime, and it’s coming sooner than you think.

UK Forensic Breakthroughs is a brand new release, dropping today (September 22) on the True Crime channel. Spanning across 10 episodes, each instalment will focus on its own murder case where scientific breakthroughs and microscopic evidence secured justice for grieving families.

From the murder of a Witney local, whose investigation was the first time in the UK fibre mapping technique was used, and the conviction of a serial arsonist in Cornwall, forensic scientist Jo Millington will give exclusive access to the experts behind the investigations.

Jo Millington has been a forensic scientist for over 30 years, even working behind the scenes on BBC’s Silent Witness. An official synopsis teases: “A rare in-depth dive into the unseen world of forensic science – from ballistics and fibre analysis to forensic ecology and fire investigation. Firsthand testimony from detectives and leading forensic experts directly involved in the cases.

“Ten real UK murder cases where scientific breakthroughs and microscopic evidence secured justice for grieving family, friends and all those impacted by the crime.”

Premiering at 10pm tonight on the True Crime channel, the series will show how forensic science continues to shape major criminal investigations across the UK.

Speaking exclusively to Reach ahead of the show’s new launch, Jo Millington said UK Forensic Breakthroughs stands out from other crime shows, adding: “The first difference is that it puts forensic science at the heart of the show, which normally sits on the periphery in the shadow.

“Over a 10 part series, we’re using the programme to kind of assure a spotlight on forensic science. And more importantly, the scientists that do forensic science, every single day.”

Giving unprecedented access into the world of a forensic scientist, dubbed the “unsung heroes of investigations”, tonight’s episode will explore the story of Edwin Hiles who was found murdered in his own home, but a pioneering fibre mapping technique was used to link one suspect to the crime.

With episodes released weekly, one particular instalment viewers do not want to miss is episode 8 where teams take a deep dive into the world of forensic archaeology and forensic anthropology.

Jo added: “The teamwork that was involved in recovering Natalia Doherty’s body from a clandestine burial site is one of the most painstaking tasks that I have encountered in forensic science.

“Every layer of soil, every root system, and every fragment of evidence had the potential to reveal how her grave had been created, when it was dug and whether it had been disturbed over time.

“Caroline Sims’ archaeology team worked centimetre by centimetre – to record the grave’s construction, the position of the remains and to methodically recover every item from within it.

“Their meticulous approach ensured that the burial itself became evidence, allowing detectives to understand not only where Natalia had been hidden, but how her body had been concealed for so many years.”

TRUE CRIME is available on Sky, Virgin Media, Freeview, Freesat and Freely as well as for streaming via TRUE CRIME UK (FAST), accessible on platforms including Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Pluto TV, Plex, LG Channels, Samsung TV Plus, ITVX and 5.

UK Forensic Breakthroughs premiers tonight at 9pm on True Crime

999: What Happened Next has finally returned to Channel 4 with new chilling investigations

A brand new season of Channel 4’s “unflinching” true crime documentary has today returned to television screens with yet another chilling case.

Titled 999: What Happened Next, the documentary series goes beyond an initial 999 call as viewers hear from police officers who open up about the difficult policing work they do to bring those guilty to justice. Focusing on crimes across the UK, the series explores everything from fatal confrontations to random acts of street violence.

Now, brand new episodes have finally arrived on Channel 4, with the first instalment airing tonight at 9pm on Channel 4 (September 7). Subsequent episodes will air every Monday at 9pm, with four expected so far.

It comes after the series made its premier earlier this year, with viewers branding it the perfect watch for fans of landmark series 24 Hours in Police Custody.

An official synopsis reads: “The Channel 4 true-crime documentary series is back this September and follows frontline detectives as they investigate some of the most shocking and complex crimes across the UK. From fatal confrontations on quiet driveways to random acts of street violence, from stalking campaigns driven by obsession to devastating cases of impaired driving, each episode presents two gripping investigations where the truth is buried beneath fear, lies, and chaos.”

With CCTV footage and forensic breakthroughs, the logline adds: “Unflinching, emotionally charged and grounded in real lives forever changed, this series is a compelling exploration of modern policing and the human cost of violent crime.”

Tonight’s episode plunged viewers into a “deeply disturbing case” when one train passenger was forced to contact the British Transport Police after seeing what was on another traveller’s phone.

What happened to David Johnson?

Johnson was arrested after watching indecent videos of children on his mobile phone when the act was caught by another train passenger – who contacted the British Transport Police text messaging service.

He was apprehended at London Euston station with detectives uncovering a dark reality in their investigation. He was later charged for multiple offences and was subsequently jailed in April of this year.

In the episode, it confirmed: “David Johnson was charged with: Arranging a child sex offence, 6 counts relating to indecent images of children in categories A, B and C, 2 counts of attempting to engage a child in sexual communication.”

It then added: “David Johnson pleads guilty to all the charges against him. He is sentenced to two years and three months in prison. He will be on the sex offenders register for 10 years.”

Earlier this year, the Home Office took to social media to share a clip of David’s arrest as they wrote on Facebook: “This predator was spotted on a train viewing indecent images of children.

“David Johnson has been jailed after a member of the public reported him to @britishtransportpolice. Officers immediately rushed to meet the train at London Euston to make the arrest.

“His phone was found to contain nearly 200 indecent images of children. That swift action by both the public and BTP officers put a dangerous predator behind bars. If you witness something concerning on the railway, text 61016.”

The episode also hears from the witness who reported David Johnson to the BTP who said: “I’m definitely glad I decided to take action, definitely, 100%.”

999: What Happened Next airs Mondays at 9pm on Channel 4