True Criminals

Twenty years after the Moors Murders, Myra Hindley finally began to confess. But was she genuinely remorseful, or simply hoping to secure parole? Helen Fospero and Martin Brunt are joined by journalist and author Jean Ritchie, who investigated Hindley's life and worked closely with Detective Chief Superintendent Peter Topping, the man who persuaded her to talk. Jean reveals what happened behind the scenes, how police finally discovered Pauline Reade's remains, why Keith Bennett was never found, and the extraordinary legal battle surrounding Topping's controversial autobiography. Books featured: Myra Hindley: Inside the Mind of a Murderess — Jean Ritchie Topping: The Autobiography of the Police Chief in the Moors Murder Case — Peter Topping, with Jean Ritchie Listen ad-free, access our full catalogue and get a True Criminals coffee mug on Patreon. Support our independent podcast with a PayPal donation. Follow True Criminals Instagram: @true.criminals TikTok: @truecriminalspodcast Martin Brunt: Twitter @skymartinbrunt Read Martin's book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason. Helen Fospero: Instagram @helenfospero Listen to The Convex Conversation. True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global. www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals Executive Producer: Lee Mann Producer: Russell Barnes Audio Production, Music & Artwork: BLEACHED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One man was tortured at Guantánamo Bay. The other was an American investigator who fought to stop it. Today, they're friends. In this extraordinary episode of True Criminals, Helen Fospero and Martin Brunt speak to Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who spent nearly 15 years imprisoned without charge, and Mark Fallon, the senior US counterterrorism investigator who challenged the government's brutal interrogation programme from within. Mohamedou reveals the horrifying torture he endured, the threats against his mother and the false confession he was driven to make. Mark exposes what was happening behind closed doors, why he challenged his own government, and how torture undermined the pursuit of justice. Their remarkable friendship is explored in the documentary Leaving Hotel California. Two men. Opposite sides of Guantánamo. One extraordinary story of courage, survival and friendship. Content warning: This episode contains discussions of torture, physical and sexual abuse. Official Trailer:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK64eofOxD4 Instagram: @leavinghotelcaliforniahttps://www.instagram.com/leavinghotelcalifornia/ TikTok: @leavinghotelcaliforniahttps://www.tiktok.com/@leavinghotelcalifornia Director Chimène de Jonge – Film Information:https://www.chimenedejonge.com/film Official Website:https://www.markfallon.us/ Unjustifiable Means – Amazon US:https://www.amazon.com/Unjustifiable-Means-Pentagon-Government-Conspired-ebook/dp/B01EG7A6VK Unjustifiable Means – Amazon UK:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unjustifiable-Means-Mark-Fallon/dp/1942872798 Instagram: @clubfedhttps://www.instagram.com/clubfed/ Facebook: @unjustifiablemeanshttps://www.facebook.com/UnjustifiableMeans/ X: @glynco Official Website:https://mohamedououldslahi.com/ Guantánamo Diary – Amazon US:https://www.amazon.com/dp/0316328685 Guantánamo Diary – Amazon UK:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guant%C3%A1namo-Diary-Mohamedou-Ould-Slahi/dp/1782112855 Instagram: @mohamedououldsalahihttps://www.instagram.com/mohamedououldsalahi/ Facebook: @mohamedououldsalahihttps://www.facebook.com/p/Mohamedou-Ould-Salahi-100013967859228/ X: @MohamedouOuldhttps://x.com/MohamedouOuld Listen ad free and access our full catalogue, including a True Criminals coffee mug, on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/truecriminals As an independent podcast, we rely on listener support. You can also donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YQVFJR5766BJE Instagram: @true.criminals TikTok: @truecriminalspodcast Follow Martin on Twitter at @skymartinbrunt. Discover more about his career and the cases he's covered by reading his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter, available here: https://amzn.eu/d/g1WisSY Follow Helen on Instagram at @helenfospero and check out her podcast, The Convex Conversation, here: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-convex-conversation/id1510209575 True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global. Visit https://www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals for more information. Executive Producer: Lee MannProducer: Russell BarnesAudio Production: BLEACHEDMusic Composition: BLEACHEDArtwork: BLEACHED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After more than five decades behind bars, Charles Bronson is once again fighting for his freedom. With another crucial parole hearing approaching, True Criminals hosts Martin Brunt and Helen Fospero discuss the latest developments in the extraordinary case of one of Britain's most notorious prisoners. In this episode, Martin reveals details of a personal letter he has received directly from Bronson, offering a rare insight into the man behind the headlines. Together, Martin and Helen examine Bronson's troubled history, his ongoing battle for release, and the difficult questions facing the Parole Board as it considers whether he can safely return to society. Has Charles Bronson genuinely changed, and could Britain's most notorious prisoner finally walk free? As an independent podcast, we rely on listener support. You can also donate via PayPal: Donate here. Instagram: @true.criminals TikTok: @truecriminalspodcast Follow Martin on Twitter at @skymartinbrunt. Discover more about his career and the cases he's covered by reading his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter, available here. Follow Helen on Instagram at @helenfospero and check out her podcast, The Convex Conversation, here. True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global. Visit www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals for more information. Executive Producer: Lee Mann Producer: Russell Barnes Audio Production: BLEACHED Music Composition: BLEACHED Artwork: BLEACHED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In February 1990, seven-year-old Rachel Watts went out on her roller skates to buy sweets near her home in Brighton. On her way back, she encountered Russell Bishop — the man acquitted three years earlier of murdering Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows. Bishop abducted Rachel, drove her to Devil's Dyke, sexually assaulted and strangled her, and left her for dead. Miraculously, Rachel survived. Her extraordinary courage and detailed evidence helped put Bishop behind bars. But for Karen and Nicola's families, the fight for justice was far from over. In Part 2 of this two-part True Criminals special, Martin Brunt and Helen Fospero are joined once again by journalist and author Jean Ritchie, co-author of My Girl: The Babes in the Woods Murders — A Mother's Fight for Justice with Karen's mother, Michelle Hadaway. We examine Rachel Watts' remarkable survival, the conviction that followed, and the decades-long campaign to overturn the legal barriers preventing Bishop from being tried again. We explore the historic changes to the double jeopardy law, the breakthrough DNA evidence recovered from exhibits preserved since 1986, and the crucial role of the blue Pinto sweatshirt in securing Bishop's conviction at the Old Bailey in 2018 — exactly 31 years after his original acquittal. Jean reveals the deeply personal story behind the families' fight for justice: Michelle's determination never to give up, the emotional ordeal of the second trial, the devastating impact on Barry Fellows, and the extraordinary moment when the guilty verdict was finally delivered. We also investigate the subsequent perjury conviction of Bishop's former girlfriend Jennifer Johnson, Bishop's death in 2022, and the unresolved controversy surrounding Karen's missing clothes, handed to BBC journalist Martin Bashir in 1991 and never returned. After more than three decades, the families of Karen and Nicola finally had the justice they had fought so hard to achieve. This is the story of a remarkable survivor, a mother's relentless determination, and the forensic breakthroughs that finally brought one of Britain's most notorious child killers to justice. SPECIAL GUEST: JEAN RITCHIE READ THE BOOK My Girl: The Babes in the Woods Murders — A Mother's Fight for Justice by Michelle Hadaway with Jean Ritchie. https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/454786/my-girl-by-hadaway-michelle/9781804943526 SUPPORT TRUE CRIMINALS Listen ad free and access bonus content and our full catalogue on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/truecriminals As an independent podcast, we rely on listener support. You can also donate via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YQVFJR5766BJE FOLLOW TRUE CRIMINALS Instagram: @true.criminals TikTok: @truecriminalspodcast FOLLOW MARTIN BRUNT Twitter/X: @skymartinbrunt Discover more about Martin's career and the cases he has covered in his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter. Buy Martin's book: https://amzn.eu/d/g1WisSY FOLLOW HELEN FOSPERO Instagram: @helenfospero Listen to Helen's podcast, The Convex Conversation: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-convex-conversation/id1510209575 PRODUCTION CREDITS True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global. Website: https://www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals Executive Producer: Lee Mann  Producer: Russell Barnes  Audio Production: BLEACHED  Music Composition: BLEACHED  Artwork: BLEACHED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did you know True Criminals is on Patreon? You can listen ad free and enjoy exclusive bonus content, just like the episode you’re listening to right now. Please enjoy this exclusive Patreon bonus teaser of True Criminals. If you would like to listen to the full episode and access our complete catalogue of exclusive content, head over to: https://www.patreon.com/truecriminals In the early hours of September 14, 2003, seven year old Toni Ann Byfield was shot in the back in a cramped North London bedsit. An innocent child caught in the middle of a violent drug war, Toni Ann had witnessed the murder of the man she called her father, Bertram “Blacker” Byfield. In this exclusive two part investigation, True Criminals is joined by Neil Basu, the former Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police and the Senior Investigating Officer who led Operation Trident’s investigation into the murder of Toni Ann Byfield. In Part 1, Neil Basu takes us inside the investigation and reveals the extraordinary pressure surrounding a Category A murder, the importance of the broken cigarette lead, the devastating reality of dealing with grieving families while managing multiple homicide investigations, and the moment a national television appeal helped change the course of the case. Neil Basu is one of Britain's most distinguished former senior police officers. During his career he served as Head of UK Counter Terrorism and became one of the UK's leading specialists in organised crime, gang violence, counter terrorism and national security. This is a rare and deeply personal insight into the Toni Ann Byfield murder investigation, told by the senior detective who led the hunt for her killer. If you are interested in true crime, British true crime, UK murder cases, police investigations, criminal investigations, Scotland Yard, the Metropolitan Police, Operation Trident, gang violence, organised crime and the stories behind some of Britain's most notorious cases, this is an episode you will not want to miss. SUPPORT TRUE CRIMINALS Listen ad free and access our full catalogue of exclusive content, including a True Criminals coffee mug, on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/truecriminals As an independent podcast, True Criminals relies on the support of its listeners. You can also support the show via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=YQVFJR5766BJE FOLLOW TRUE CRIMINALS Follow us on Instagram @true.criminals Subscribe to True Criminals on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@True-Criminals CONNECT WITH MARTIN BRUNT Follow Martin on Twitter @skymartinbrunt Discover more about Martin's career and the cases he has covered in his book, No One Got Cracked Over the Head for No Reason: Dispatches from a Crime Reporter: https://amzn.eu/d/g1WisSY CONNECT WITH HELEN FOSPERO Follow Helen on Instagram @helenfospero Listen to Helen's podcast, The Convex Conversation: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-convex-conversation/id1510209575 CREDITS True Criminals is produced by Audio Bleach Global. Visit www.audiobleachglobal.com/truecriminals for more information. Executive Producer: Lee Mann Producer: Russell Barnes Audio Production: BLEACHED Music Composition: BLEACHED Artwork: BLEACHED Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices