The Big Cases Season 1, Episode 27: The Missing Mum

The Murder of Sabina Nessa

Primary school teacher Sabina Nessa was killed at random by a man with a history of violence.

15 min

Stabbed in a Sanctuary

Sir David Amess MP was murdered by an IS fanatic, at a meeting in a church in Southend-On-Sea in Essex, UK.

16 min

The Abuser Working for MI5

This is the story of a dangerous MI5 agent, which the government tried to keep secret.

11 min

27 Years to Catch a Killer

Rikki Neave left for school but never came home. Decades on his killer has been jailed.

25 min

Logan Mwangi: A Boy Betrayed

Logan Mwangi was five years old when he was murdered by the people he trusted.

27 min

Deadly Browsing: The Lorry Driver

How a lorry driver, looking at dating sites while driving, went on to kill three.

24 min

My Baby: Taken, Failed, Killed

Leiland-James was taken from his mother in hospital and placed in care. He went on to be killed by the woman who wanted to adopt him.

16 min

The Suitcase Murderer

Revealing the killer who decapitated her friend and dumped her body.

23 min

Catching The Cult Movie Killer

Jacqueline Kirk was badly disfigured after being set alight in 1998 by her ex-boyfriend Steven Craig. She then died in 2019 from complications relating to the injuries she suffered.

22 min

The Doorstep Murder

It's one of Scotland's longest unsolved murder cases. Alistair Wilson was shot on his doorstep almost 20 years ago. Are police any closer to finding who killed him and why?

23 min

Killing My Children's Abuser

Sarah Sands stabbed to death a convicted paedophile who was accused of abusing three more young boys. BBC News can reveal, for the first time, that they were all her children. Now all three boys have become adults, they speak, alongside their mum about the killing, and subsequent events.

24 min

Killed Walking Home

Zara Aleena was killed walking back from a night out by a sexual predator, only recently released from prison, labelled a "danger to any woman".

22 min

Groomed, Radicalised, Gone

The schoolgirl charged with terrorism, but found to have been exploited. Rhianan Rudd, 15, was the youngest girl to be charged with terrorism offences in the UK. She took her own life in 2022. Her mum says investigators should have seen her daughter as "a victim rather than a terrorist".

14 min

Found Under The Floor

The story of Bennylyn and Jellica who were murdered after starting a new life in the UK.

23 min

Twenty Minutes of Terror

A gunman kills five people within minutes. Could the shootings have been prevented?

20 min

Homegrown Terrorist

How was Salman Abedi from Manchester radicalised to the point where he could kill, and could the Manchester Arena bombing have been stopped?

24 min

The Lie That Destroyed a Town

The story of false accusations about being the victim of a grooming gang and how it sent shockwaves through a small town in the North of England.

30 min

Caught In The Crossfire

Nine year old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed when shots were fired into her family home.

28 min

30 Years For Justice

Nikki Allan's murder shocked Sunderland. Why did it take so long to catch her killer?

26 min

Stephen Lawrence: The Sixth Suspect

This BBC News investigation by reporter Daniel De Simone identifies a new suspect in the Stephen Lawrence murder. Stephen’s killing in 1993 changed policing and race relations in Britain forever, and its shadow hangs over the Metropolitan Police to this day. For decades, five men have been suspected of the attack, and in 2012 two of them were found guilty. Daniel De Simone has seen secret evidence and spoken to dozens of witnesses to publicly identify a sixth suspect for the first time. Evidence uncovered in this investigation also further implicates other suspects in the attack, and raises serious question of the police handling of the case over many years.

28 min

Sunshine Scammer

Lyne Barlow is a bogus travel agent from County Durham, conning hundreds of holidaymakers and her family in a £2.6 million scam, which also saw her lie about a cancer diagnosis.

28 min

Killed on Christmas Eve

Elle Edwards was shot dead as she celebrated Christmas Eve, in a murder that shocked the UK. We follow her dad Tim as he deals with the devastation of his daughter’s death.

32 min

The Killing in the Lane

Lilia Valutyte died from a single stab wound in her chest. Her killer was found unfit to plead, but a jury determined in a trial of the facts he killed the nine-year-old.

17 min

Killed on Duty

Sgt Matt Ratana was shot and killed on duty by a handcuffed prisoner just three months before he had been due to retire.

21 min

Unmasking a Fugitive

The story of Nicholas Rossi - the US fugitive who came to the UK with a new identity after faking his own death. He claims he is called Arthur Knight and is a victim of mistaken identity, but a sheriff in Scotland is sending him back to Utah to face rape charges. We speak to the people who knew Nicholas Rossi in his previous life in America and chart his story from there to his discovery by police in a hospital bed in Glasgow.

30 min

Deadly Influence

The story of a social media influencer, her mum and a murder plot.

26 min

The Commons Criminal

The MP who rose from obscurity to being imprisoned for fraud. The story of Jared O'Mara.

23 min

Killed By My Boyfriend

The story of a young mum killed by her boyfriend of eight weeks. When Christopher McGowan was released on bail from a prison in Scotland, a court ordered he should stay at the home of his new girlfriend, Claire Inglis. He was a known criminal with a string of previous convictions and within weeks Claire was dead.

22 min

The Doping Ward

The hospital unit where patients were drugged to keep them "quiet and compliant".

26 min

The Student Who Never Came Home

Kidnapped and murdered in France while on a university placement. Is it finally time for justice for 20 year old Joanna Parrish?

25 min

Killed In The Park

Brianna Ghey was stabbed to death - two teenagers tried to get away with murder.

26 min

Held Captive And Left To Die

Shakira Spencer was 35 years old when her body was found by the police. She had been tortured and starved by people she considered friends.

23 min

The Nottingham Attacks

Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates were killed in a series of stabbings by one man on the streets of Nottingham in the summer of 2023.

29 min

The Executioner Next Door

The quiet Irishman behind the high hedge had a history his neighbours could have never guessed: the man they knew as 'Frank' was really Freddie Scappaticci, a man with many secrets. Not only had he been an Irish Republican Army killer, he was at the same time an agent for the Army – perhaps their most important source inside the IRA, with access to their most sensitive secrets.

25 min

The Dance Floor Murder

The story of footballer Cody Fisher who was stabbed to death in a nightclub in Birmingham.

26 min

Killer in the Attic

When Michael Riddiough-Allen is stabbed to death outside a nightclub in Cornwall, armed police track down his killer to a nearby house where he was found hiding in the attic.

25 min

The House Party Murder

How a house party turned into a murder scene - the fatal stabbing of Mikey Roynon.

28 min

Crushed: The Six Year Nightmare

Monika had moved to the UK from Poland for a better life. She had work, a new place to stay but then was hit by a drink driver. He served time for injuring her so badly she could never walk or talk again. Six years later, Monika died. It was time for justice, again.

21 min

The Abuser Headteacher

North Wales headteacher Neil Foden abused children over a four-year period, but could he have been stopped?

29 min

Trying to Kill Holly

The case of a plot to kidnap, rape, and murder TV presenter Holly Willoughby.

15 min

Stabbed After School

The shocking story of how a teenage relationship ended in murder. 15-year-old Holly Newton was stalked and murdered by her 'jealous' ex-boyfriend in Hexham in Northumberland. We speak to Holly's family and the police who pieced together what happened, and hear calls for a change to the law.

28 min

Tortured Behind Closed Doors

The tragic story of Sara Sharif, who was just 10 years old when she was burned and beaten by her father and stepmother. Her body was found with dozens of injuries at the family home in Surrey.

35 min

My Husband the Monster

The story of Gisele Pelicot has shocked the world. She's a wife and a mother who was drugged and then raped by strangers. All were invited to do so by her husband at their home in Avignon, France. The trial of Dominique Pelicot and fifty other men has led to a huge outpouring of support across France and beyond as Gisele refused to hide away as her life unfolded in court and in public.

29 min

Killed By Kids: The Machete Murder

What happens when kids become killers? The shocking story of two 12 year old school boys who brutally murdered Shawn Seesahai with a machete.

26 min

The Mistaken Identity Murders

A shocking story of two teenage boys from Bristol, Max and Mason, who went out for pizza and never came home. They were killed in a case of mistaken identity. We hear from the families who have faced unimaginable loss and see the consequences of children carrying weapons on the street.

30 min

Neighbour, Friend, Killer

Wendy Buckney knew about her neighbour Brian Whitelock's past and wanted to give him a second chance. But were opportunities missed to protect the public from this triple-killer?

21 min

The Bus Stop Murder

The shocking story of Elianne Andam, a 15-year-old schoolgirl who was stabbed to death at a bus stop outside a shopping centre in Croydon, south London, in a row about a teddy bear.

27 min

The Predator Who Fled to Paradise

The shocking tale of a predator who went on the run for almost three decades. He lived a life in paradise while his victims wondered if they would ever get justice.

25 min

The Aristocrat, the Convict and the Missing Baby

When an aristocrat and her convict partner vanish with their newborn baby, a nationwide manhunt begins. Fears for the baby’s welfare grow - until the case finally ends in tragedy. Through interviews with family, friends and witnesses, and exclusive research, we uncover the hidden backgrounds of this couple on the run.

29 min

The Sycamore Gap - From Roots to Ruin

A single sycamore tree, growing in a natural dip in the countryside along Hadrian's Wall, came to symbolise a community. When the people of Northumberland wake to discover it has been chopped down overnight, it leads to a news story that makes headlines around the world. Who destroyed the tree at Sycamore Gap and why?

26 min

Murdered by his Grandparents

A police investigation unravelled a horrific story of brutal abuse by those who should have cared for and nurtured him.

29 min

The Bodies in the Suitcases

When two suitcases are abandoned by a man behaving strangely on a bridge in Bristol, the shocking contents lead police to a brutal double murder scene.

29 min

The Killer They Called Family

A young couple, killed on an ordinary morning by a man they welcomed into their home. This is the story of young parents Chloe and Josh Bashford. How did a family friendship go so wrong?

27 min

Bribes, Lies and the British Politician

A politician close to Nigel Farage takes bribes to make statements in support of Russia. His texts reveal pro-Russian interference reaching right to the heart of Europe’s democracy.

30 min

Liverpool Parade: Seven Minutes of Chaos

More than 130 people were injured when Paul Doyle drove his car through crowds celebrating Liverpool Football Club's Premier League win. This is how seven minutes of 'calculated violence' changed the lives of everyone that was there.

24 min

Undercover: Exposing a Terror Plot

Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein planned to shoot Jewish people in what police say could have been the deadliest terror attack on UK soil. But they didn't know their friend was an undercover operative.

The Man with the Money

Peter Murrell, the husband of former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, embezzles £400,000 from the party he runs as SNP CEO, using a trail of lies to cover up a spending spree on luxury goods.

29 min