Kent: The Tunbridge Wells Bedsit Murders

Explicit content warning

09/10/18 • 22 min

In 1987 in Tunbridge Wells, just south of Dartford, two young women were murdered five months apart. Both lived alone in bedsits less than a mile from one another, both worked on Camden Road, both ate lunch at the same cafe. The women didn’t know each other, but they will forever be remembered together for their murderer was never caught. In 2007, with advances in forensics, a full DNA profile was obtained from minute evidence from one of the crime scenes. But would the killer be caught or is he still out there?

Following each episode of Katherine Kelly's brand new TV series Murdertown, Benjamin Fitton from They Walk Among Us unpicks a new case from each location. Watch Murdertown exclusively on Crime+Investigation in the UK every Monday at 9pm from 3rd September and then straight after listen to a brand new story right here with the Murdertown podcast. You can get in touch using #Murdertown on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Crime+Investigation's Murdertown podcast is hosted by Benjamin Fitton, written by Anna Priestland, produced by Sam Pearson and Chloe Frost, and edited by James Collopy.

SOURCES

2007 APPEAL:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/8453919.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/6957446.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/6954760.stm

25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/serial-killer-murdered-wendy-knell-905508

https://www.heart.co.uk/kent/news/local/appeal-over-25-year-old-murder/

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-18532610

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/serial-killer-murdered-wendy-knell-905508

www.mirror.co.uk/news/serial-killer-murdered-wendy-knell-905508.amp

BLOG:

http://wolfiewiseguy.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-unsolved-murders-of-wendy-knell.html

CRIMEWATCH:

https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/crimewatch-coming-end-two-shocking-local-cases-appear-show-one-yet-solved/

DNA:

The Guardian: Case Closed 17th Jan 2008

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/jan/16/ukcrime.forensicscience

PCR:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crime+Investigation's Murdertown podcast is hosted by Benjamin Fitton, written by Anna Priestland, produced by Sam Pearson and Chloe Frost, and edited by James Collopy.

SOURCES

2007 APPEAL:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/8453919.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/6957446.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/6954760.stm

25 YEAR ANNIVERSARY:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/serial-killer-murdered-wendy-knell-905508

https://www.heart.co.uk/kent/news/local/appeal-over-25-year-old-murder/

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-kent-18532610

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/serial-killer-murdered-wendy-knell-905508

www.mirror.co.uk/news/serial-killer-murdered-wendy-knell-905508.amp

BLOG:

http://wolfiewiseguy.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-unsolved-murders-of-wendy-knell.html

CRIMEWATCH:

https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/crimewatch-coming-end-two-shocking-local-cases-appear-show-one-yet-solved/

DNA:

The Guardian: Case Closed 17th Jan 2008

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/jan/16/ukcrime.forensicscience

PCR:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymerase_chain_reaction

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Hull: The Selby Street Arsonist

In December 1979 a fire broke out while four boys and their mother slept in their two story council house in Hull, Yorkshire. Edith Hastie and young Tommy escaped with their lives but three of the brothers would not survive. Police realised quickly that the fire was deliberately lit and chased rumours all over Hull until an unlikely source gave himself away. But this wasn’t the end, it was just the beginning.

Crime+Investigation's Murdertown podcast is hosted by Benjamin Fitton, written by Anna Priestland, produced by Sam Pearson and Chloe Frost, and edited by James Collopy.

SOURCES

Hull, Hell & Fire written by Detective Sergeant Ronald Sagar and published by Highgate Publications (Beverley) Ltd, 1999.

Various historical newspaper articles from The Guardian, The Observer, The Liverpool Echo and The Newcastle Journal.

http://criminalminds.wikia.com/wiki/Bruce_George_Peter_Lee http://web.archive.org/web/20150209235314/http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/classics/bruce_lee/1.html http://crimefeed.com/2017/06/31074/

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/analysis/a-city-s-memories-branded-in-fire-of-killer-s-reign-of-terror-30-years-ago-1-2314856/amp

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.thesun.co.uk/news/1402897/sister-of-three-boys-burned-to-death-by-serial-killer-bruce-lee-in-1970s-outraged-after-his-release-from-psychiatric-unit/amp/

http://www.robertkellerauthor.com/2015/10/serial-killers-bruce-peter-george-lee.html?m=1

http://crimefeed.com/2017/06/31074/

http://criminalminds.wikia.com/wiki/Bruce_George_Peter_Lee

https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/history/horrific-care-home-fire-claimed-1128122.amp

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Dundee: The Good Samaritan

Thirty year old Lynda Hunter woke up one Friday in August 1987 with morning sickness and was glad she and her husband Andrew had that day off. They had been married less than a year and she was thrilled about the baby who was six weeks along. Lynda and Andrew went to the pharmacy and then onto the doctor for some relief. When she got home later that morning she packed a bag for her nightshift which wasn’t until the following day and said she had decided to go to her parents— she would tell them about the baby. According to Andrew, she was in a bit of a mood. He asked for a lift into town but before he could gather his things she and Shep the dog were gone. When Lynda’s sister arrived at the couples cottage later that day for a visit she had arranged, there was still no sign of her, in fact Lynda had never gone to her parents at all— so where was she?

Crime+Investigation's Murdertown podcast is hosted by Benjamin Fitton, written by Anna Priestland, produced by Sam Pearson and Chloe Frost, and edited by James Collopy.

SOURCES

Crimewatch:

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/dundee/527370/crimewatch-axed-tayside-fife-cases-featured-hit-bbc-show/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuiyOTaXvsc&index=2&list=PL5LzvOWSLAydUtcxVJkl5w3-UR3i1tMGi

https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/crimewatch-coming-end-two-shocking-local-cases-appear-show-one-yet-solved/

Articles:

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/angus-mearns/694627/landmark-dog-lead-strangler-crimewatch-murder-trial-remembered-30-years-on-by-community/

https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/fp/crimewatch-coming-end-two-shocking-local-cases-appear-show-one-yet-solved/

Smith, Murray. Trainspotting. London: British Film Institute, 2002. Stollery, Martin. Trainspotting. London: York, 2001.

https://philosophyinfilm.com/2014/04/18/trainspotting-and-the-dilemma-of-scottish-national-identity/

http://bygone.dundeecity.gov.uk/bygone-news/july-1988

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/11922460.Husband_loses_murder_appeal/