Bang to Rights

In August 2021, Leila Borrington contacted emergency services, claiming her 3-year-old stepson had fallen and hit his head at her home in Nottingham, England. Tragically, the toddler subsequently died from his injuries. However, medical opinion concluded it had been no accident, but rather the culmination of a history of abuse inflicted on a defenceless, vulnerable child, whose disability meant he could not communicate the pain and fear he was in. This is what happens when a predator abuses their position of care. This is the killing of Harvey Borrington.

On a summer’s day in July 2011, Oslo was subjected to two horrific terror attacks, acts of mass murder, perpetrated by one man – someone who believed in male superiority, Christian fundamentalism and a white Europe, and who was vehemently opposed to the Labour government’s stance on immigration and multiculturalism. It was the worst attack on Norwegian soil since the Second World War and claimed the lives of 77 people – many of them teenagers. This is what happens when nature and nurture creates a monster without empathy or remorse. This is the case of Anders Breivik,

In May 2020, a young woman in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, posted a graphic account onFacebook, detailing the years of abuse.The post, complete with photos of the serious injuries she had suffered, rapidly went viral. These latest allegations followed earlier scandals in the north of England, increasing racial tensions and incidences of hate crime at a time of heightened unrest due to Covid lockdown. However, as police investigated these latest allegations, they quickly discovered that everything was not as it seemed. This is what happens when baseless lies and false accusations lead to trial by social media. This is the case of Eleanor Williams!

In May 2008, an 18-year-old man vanished whilst walking in forests near his home in Woodland Park, Colorado. His disappearance remained a mystery for 7 years, until his body was finally found. However, this discovery only raised more questions – this time about how he died. Was it, as the coroner concluded, an accident, or was his demise something far more sinister? This is what happens when fact proves stranger than fiction. This is the mysterious death of Joshua Maddux.

In October 2020, a 16-year-old disabled girl was found dead at her home in Powis, Wales. The smell of human waste and rotting flesh in her bedroom made even the most hardened of emergency responders physically sick, whilst the police investigation revealed she had suffered 6 months of appalling neglect at the hands of her own parents. This is what happens when Covid lockdown causes the most vulnerable in our society to be forgotten. This is the killing of Kaylea Titford.

In March 1987, a private investigator was found dead in the car park of the local pub. It would become the most investigated unsolved murder in the history of the Metropolitan Police. Multiple enquiries into the killing would reveal evidence of police cover-ups and corruption – it was a case which authorities wouldn’t, rather than couldn’t, solve. More than 3 decades on, no one has been convicted for the crime. This is what happens when law enforcement’s reputation ranks higher than justice. This is the unsolved murder of Daniel Morgan.

In November 2001, Columbia, Missouri, a sports editor was strangeled and beaten in the carpark of his workplace. With little forensic evidence and no leads, the case went cold – until 2 years later, when a teenager claimed responsibility for the crime and, in the process, implicated one of his friends. Both were subsequently imprisoned for murder – but had the right men been convicted, or had there been a miscarriage of justice? This is what happens when a prosecutor will do whatever it takes to win, regardless of the cost. This is the case of Ryan Ferguson.

In April 1999, a famous TV personality was gunned down on the doorstep of her home in Fulham, London. Whilst a nation reeled in shock, a murder inquiry was launched that would become the biggest ever conducted by the Metropolitan Police and the largest criminal investigation since the hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper. This is one of the most notorious unsolved crimes of the 20 th century. This is the murder of Jill Dando.

In August 1972, a teenage girl vanished after leaving her home in Springfield, New Jersey, USA. The discovery of her decomposed remains 6-weeks later would lead to decades of speculation as to how she died, along with rumours of witchcraft and the occult. 50 years on, the cause of her death remains unsolved and has become the stuff of urban legend. Was the girl a victim of ritual sacrifice, a serial killer, a drugs overdose or did she take her own life? You decide. This is what happens when unsupported rumours become fact. This is the mysterious case of Jeannette DePalma.

In 2021, Dundee, Scotland, a young Filipino mum and her daughter were murdered. The police investigation and judicial process that followed uncovered details that would rank among the most harrowing in Scottish criminal history – the full facts of which will never be disclosed to the public. This is what happens when a predator goes online to hunt their perfect victim. This is the case of Andrew Innes.

In Cardiff, 2010, a teenager was killed in his home by 2 masked men. It was a brutal crime that shocked a community, and a nation, and which seemed to have no motive. The investigation that followed would prove one of the most complex ever undertaken in Wales and reveal a botched hit and a tragic case of mistaken identity. This is what happens when money and drugs cause the lives of decent people to collide with the criminal underworld. This is the murder of Aamir Siddiqi.

In June 2015, Missouri, a 48-year-old woman was found brutally stabbed to death in her home. Her disabled, wheelchair-bound daughter was missing, and neighbours feared the worse. Their concern, however, turned to disbelief after police quickly arrested 2 people. Not only was the missing teenager one of those under suspicion, but she was also able to walk. This is what happens when a mother’s love isn’t what it seems. This is the case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.

In Anchorage, Alaska, 2019, a 19-year-old woman was murdered – killed execution-style, shot in the head. The subsequent police investigation became a media sensation, uncovering a sinister plot to rape and kill, a fake identity, plus allegations of blackmail and child abuse. This is what happens when catfishing turns deadly. This is the murder of Cynthia Hoffman.

In May 2018, County Kildare, Ireland, the body of a 14-year-old girl was discovered in an abandoned farmhouse. A lonely teenager, she had only craved friendship, but instead had been mercilessly bullied in school and online, before being brutalised and murdered. It was a horrific crime, made even more shocking when the perpetrators were identified – the youngest people ever to be charged with murder in Ireland. This is what happens when children kill children. This is the murder of Ana Kriégel.

In November 2021, Sussex, UK, a female escort worker disappeared. After a male suspect was identified, the police investigation discovered that another female escort had vanished 6-months earlier and was linked to the same man. The search for bodies would focus on an area of remote farmland, leased by the suspect, and police would soon build a picture of the horrors that had occurred there. This is what happens when a psychopathic predator preys on the vulnerable. This is the case of Mark Brown.

In January 2018, the dismembered remains of a young woman were found in Macerata, Italy. The suspected perpetrator – an African immigrant. Allegations of voodoo sacrifices and connections to the Nigerian mafia, combined with the politicisation of the murder by the country’s right-wing parties, inflamed tensions around the contentious issue of immigration – with devastating consequences. This is what happens when a terrible crime is used to justify a terrible retribution. This is the murder of Pamela Mastropietro.

In June 1983, Houston, Texas, 2 people were killed with a pickaxe – the kind of grisly double murder that would dominate the headlines any day of the week. But this crime captured more attention than usual – because the killer was a 5 foot 3, 121-pound woman. Her brutal slayings, and her subsequent reformation as a Born-Again Christian, divided a nation when it came to her fate. This is what happens when rehabilitation isn’t an option.This is the case of Karla Tucker

In September 2018, a white police officer fatally shot a black man in Dallas, Texas. Allegations of institutional racism and police violence in the US had been rife for decades, but the circumstances of this case made it all the more shocking. The officer in question was not on duty at the time, and the victim was in his own home. This is what happens when mistakes cost lives. This is the murder of Botham Jean.

It’s believed 1% of the population is a psychopath. The vast majority of these individuals will not be violent during their lifetime. A minority, however, will use their anti-social personality disorder to fulfil horrific warped fantasies – fantasies often formed in childhood and played out in their minds 1000s of times. This is the story of one such individual. This is the disturbing case of Kevin Davis.

A recent study by the Femicide Census found that a woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK. In June 2022, a violent predator was prowling the streets of Ilford, East London, looking for a victim. The brutal encounter that followed shocked the nation and added volume to a growing voice – a voice calling for action to address the serious issue of femicide in the UK. This is what happens when a night out with friends ends in a chance encounter with evil. This is the murder of Zara Aleena.

Some murders are so horrific they live long in the memory. In 1995, Knoxville Tennessee, such a killing occurred. Victim and perpetrators were just teenagers, and the sadistic brutality of the crime caused a media sensation. It would only be after trial that the truth of the ringleader’s dysfunctional past would be revealed, dividing opinion across a nation. Should she pay the ultimate price in the electric chair, or should the courts show her clemency? This is what happens when nature and nurture create a cold-blooded killer. This is the case of Christa Pike.

In August 1993, a mother kissed her 4-year-old son goodbye as he set off to make the short journey to a park in the tiny, close-knit village of Savona, New York. 5 minutes later, he was deceased. The killing was shocking enough, but when the perpetrator was finally identified, it caused a national sensation – the shockwaves from which still reverberate today. This is what happens when damaged children find unimaginable outlets for their anger. This is the case of Eric Smith

In September 2021, in Killamarsh, Derbyshire, 2 children, their friend and their mother were brutally murdered in the place they should have been safest – their own home. A subsequent investigation uncovered catastrophic failings by the Probation Service – failings that had deadly consequences. This is what happens when a drug-abusing, violent predator enters the world of a happy family. This is the case of mass murderer, Damien Bendall

In March 2020, two men agreed to settle a dispute in an arranged fight at a remote beauty spot in Cornwall. What was supposed to be a one-on-one fight would end in a brutal assault on a vulnerable young father of one, who would be left for dead both by his attackers, and by those he thought were his friends. This is what happens when a dispute turns deadly. This is the murder of Callum Hill.

In October 2013, a 14-year-old boy went missing after leaving his high school in Danvers, Massachusetts. The same evening, his 24-year-old maths teacher was also reported missing. Whilst the boy would soon be found alive and well, his teacher would not be so fortunate. The subsequent police investigation would uncover a brutal, senseless murder that would send shockwaves through a community. This is what happens when children kill. This is the murder of Colleen Ritzer.

In November 1990, the body of a 17-year-old First Nation boy was found on the outskirts of Saskatoon city, Canada. It would not be until a decade later that the truth behind the teenager’s death would be officially acknowledged, exposing systematic racism within the city’s police department and its lethal practice of the ‘Starlight Tour’. This is what happens when those tasked with your protection do not value your life. This is the killing of Neil Stonechild!

In 1970s Denver, Colorado, USA, a serial killer was on the loose. Over the course of 2 years, 4 women had killed in similar circumstances. When police failed to link the killings and separate investigations produced no suspects, the cases went cold. The families of the victims would have to wait 40 years to find any form of closure via an unlikely link between latest DNA profiling techniques and the 1981 killing of a rookie Denver cop. These are the crimes that took 4 decades to solve. This is the case of Joe Ervin.

In 2011, a young Arkansan girl escaped abuse at the hands of her stepmother and drug-abusing father. Back in the full time care of her loving mother, she began putting the past behind her and was enjoying a happy childhood. But that all changed when a predator, hiding in plain sight, entered her world. This is the tragic story of a young life, marred by abuse, cut brutally short.This is the murder of Jersey Bridgeman.

In 2014, a pregnant teenager was found dead in her home in Pearland, Texas.The police investigation focused on the victim’s 16-year-old boyfriend – the father of her unborn children. Teenagers can sometimes be accused of being egocentric, but one young man took narcissism to a whole new level. This is what happens when you interfere in the plans of a sociopath. This is the murder of Arrijana Hill.

Between 2010 and 2017 in Toronto, Canada, men were disappearing from the city’s gay village. The subsequent police investigations were criticised and It would take years for authorities to realise that the disappearances were linked, and they were hunting the deadliest serial killer in Toronto’s history. This is the story of a ruthless man hiding in plain sight. This is the case of the Santa Claus Killer, Bruce McArthur!

In November 2004, an intruder broke into a couple’s Delmar home in the US, brutally axe- murdering a man as he slept, and critically injuring his wife. What appeared to be a burglary gone wrong soon turned into something even more sinister, as police identified a family member as prime suspect. This is what happens when a cold-blooded sociopath is raised as a member of the family. This is the case of Christopher Porco.

In September 1978, a teenager hitchhiking through California narrowly avoided death after accepting a lift from a middle-aged man in a blue van. Whilst she would escape with her life, she would be left horrifically mutilated. Meanwhile, shortfalls in the criminal justice system would mean that, after a short term behind bars, her attacker would be released – free to hunt another unsuspecting victim. This is what happens when the system fails to protect the public. This is the case of the Mad Chopper, Larry Singleton.

In 2014, a wealthy California woman met the man of her dreams online. After four failed marriages, she finally thought she’d found Mr Right. Her dream man, however, soon turned out to be her worst nightmare, as the sinister truth about him was revealed. What’s more, her own children would find themselves in his line of fire. This is the story of a psychopathic con man living a web of lies. This is the case of Dirty John Meehan!!

HE AUSTRALIAN UNSOLVED CASE OF MR CRUEL !The unsolved Australian case about a man dubbed Mr Cruel is this weeks True Crime episode deep dive. Mr Cruel is an Australian child rapist and killer who attacked girls in the northern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, in the 1980s.

KIDNAPPED BY MICHAEL LEE KINGDenise Amber Lee was known as a most loving mother and partner. When she wasn't home and her two young children left in their cribs her husband Nathan knew there was something extremely wrong. Join me in my latest true Crime episode where I take you through this tragic story.

Sebastian Malinowski had only lived in the UK for less than a year with his mother and her partner, Agnieszka Kalinowska and Andrzej Latoszewski . Join me in this new Bang to Rights True Crime episode where I go through this tragic story and how events unfolded.

JEMMA MITCHELL -THE MURDER OF MEE KUEN CHONGJemma Mitchell is an Australian-born English former osteopath who murdered Mee Kuen Chong (Deborah Chong) and dumped her body in Devon. Was she an organised or unorganised killer? Let me take you through this very recent UK True Crime case.

The Ivan Milat story is an Australian case of a killer who murdered backpackers!! Wolf creek in real life!

Junko Furuta was a highschool student who was kidnapped and tortured in the late 1980s. Her captors were Hiroshi Miyano, Jō Ogura,Shinji Minato and Yasushi Watanabe. Join me in my latest True Crime bang to rights episode where I go through the truly horrible story of ‘The concrete-encased high school girl murder case’.

Ed Kemper AKA The Co-Ed killer is 6' 9" American serial killer who murdered his paternal grandparents and then went on to become one of the most prolific serial killers ever known. Emma shines the spotlight on his journey to becoming the killer that he is today.

Joanna Dennehy went on a 2 week killing rampage cross the UK.She wanted to be more notorious than Bonnie and Clyde. Join Emma Kenny in this riveting episode where she discusses what made Dennehy and how the tale unfolded.

Join Emma Kenny in another episode of True Crime where she delves into the life and crimes of Bobby Joe long. The Classified Ad Rapist.Long began driving around areas known for prostitution and bars. Long claimed his victims approached him for ‘work’. He would take them back to his apartment and bind them with rope. Long stated to the police that he derived sadistic pleasure from the abduction, rape and murder of his victims. He strangled, bludgeoned or cut the throat of his victims and ‘displayed’ the bodies in particular ways when he dumped them.

John Wayne Gacy was an American serial killer who went by the name of the Killer Gacy murdered at least 33 young men and boys. Gacy dressed as a clown and want by the names of "Pogo the Clown" or "Patches the Clown", .This sadistic killer will go down in history as one of America's worst criminals.

Gemma Finnegan was let down on so many levels by authorities. After meeting Daniel Johnson and becoming a couple Gemma was not aware of his background and prior behaviour and that it was being kept from her. Join me in my latest True Crime episode where I take a deep dive into a sad case which could have been avoided if there were not so many failures.

This episode of Bang to rights is an unsolved and still open to this day case. It is the case of Kate Bushell. A young girl that was murdered by someone who to this day is still at large.

Maury Travis became known as the Bi-State strangler. His obsession with making videos where he hurt people saw him kill around 17. Join me in my latest True Crime episode where I take you into the world of this serial killer.

Warfield Ray Wike Jr was a monster who had managed to escape the police for many years. Join me in my latest True Crime episode to find out how and why he was finally apprehended. This is story of bravery and strength.

Christopher Scarver was the man who killed Jeffrey Dahmer in prison. Who was this man and why did he kill Dahmer? Join me in my latest True Crime episode where I take a deeper look at a man who some call a hero.

Vanessa George was known to many as "Angel" but in reality she was more a demon. She abused and molested children whilst working within Little Teds nursery in Plymouth. Vanessa George was involved in Paedophile rings across the UK and executed her barrage of abuse alongside two others named Colin Blanchard and Angela Allen. She is now free and walks amongst us on licence. Join Emma Kenny where she dissects how and why this was allowed to happen alongside as why she thinks this woman should still be locked up in one of Her Majesty's finest.

When Lynsey Wilson met Mitchell Quy she wasn’t aware of how controlling and abusive he was going to be. Join me in my latest True Crime episode where I take a deep dive into a story that will shock you to the core.