Blood Ties Podcast

In September 2012, a quiet forest road in the French Alps became the scene of one of Europe's most baffling unsolved murders. Three members of the British French al Hilli family and a local cyclist were shot dead near the village of Chevaline, close to Lake Annecy. Miraculously, the couple's two young daughters survived, one hidden beneath her mother's body for eight hours before being discovered.More than a decade later, the so called Chevaline massacre remains a mystery. Investigators explored possible links to Saad al Hilli's Iraqi background, his professional work, family disputes and the possibility of a random attack. Yet despite years of inquiries, arrests and international attention, no one has been charged and no clear motive has emerged.Geoffrey and Molly Wansell examine the evidence, the theories and the unanswered questions behind this chilling case.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

In October 2020, a series of brutal murders shocked the Midlands and sparked one of the region's largest manhunts. When Julie Williams reported her son David missing, she could not have known she would become one of Anthony Russell's victims. Within days, Julie and David were dead, and Russell was on the run.As police closed in, he continued a violent trail of robbery, assault and murder across Coventry, Kenilworth and Leamington Spa. His final victim was Nicole McGregor, a 31 year old woman who was eighteen weeks pregnant when she was raped and killed. In this episode of Blood Ties,Geoffrey and Molly Wansell examine the life and crimes of Anthony Russell, the devastating impact on the families left behind, and the police investigation that brought one of Britain's most dangerous killers to justice.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

In August 2010, Gareth Williams, a brilliant Welsh mathematician working for GCHQ and on secondment to MI6, was found dead inside a padlocked sports bag in a London flat linked to the security services. His death quickly became one of Britain's most perplexing unsolved mysteries.An inquest concluded that Gareth's death was unnatural and likely involved a criminal act. Yet a later Metropolitan Police review suggested it was probably a tragic accident. The conflicting conclusions only deepened the mystery.As investigators examined Gareth's final days, reports emerged that his highly sensitive work involved tracking international money laundering networks and monitoring Russian organised crime interests.In this episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell explore the life, secret work and unexplained death of a gifted codebreaker. Was Gareth Williams murdered, or is there another explanation behind this enduring mystery?CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

When two vulnerable women vanish from the streets of East London within weeks of each other, detectives uncover a chilling predator hiding in plain sight. Derek Brown, a convicted rapist and serial sex attacker, targeted Xiao Mei Guo, a mother selling DVDs to support her family, and Bonnie Barrett, a young woman struggling on the margins of society. Both were last seen with Brown before disappearing forever.Despite extensive searches, neither woman's body has ever been found. Inside Brown's flat, investigators discovered traces of blood, evidence of a frantic clean up, and purchases suggesting careful planning. As police piece together the case, they begin to fear Brown was seeking infamy, deliberately hunting victims in Whitechapel, the infamous territory of Jack the Ripper.A haunting story of loss, vulnerability and a killer who may have been stopped before striking again.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

In this episode of Blood Ties, Geoffrey and Molly Wansell examine one of the most controversial criminal cases of the 21st century: the killing of Reeva Steenkamp by South African Paralympian Oscar Pistorius. On Valentine’s Day 2013, Steenkamp was shot dead at Pistorius’s home in Pretoria.Pistorius claimed he believed an intruder was hiding in the bathroom, but prosecutors argued the shooting was intentional. The case gripped the world, leading to a highly publicised trial that initially resulted in a conviction for culpable homicide rather than murder.Following appeals, the verdict was overturned, and Pistorius was ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison, less time served. Geoffrey and Molly explore the events leading up to the shooting, the courtroom drama, and the lasting impact on all those involved.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey

On the remote Orkney island of Sanday, a love triangle would end in brutal violence. In June 2009, Yorkshireman Robert Rose disappeared after beginning a relationship with the former girlfriend of local man John "Jack" Campbell. When Rose failed to return home, a major search operation was launched. Two weeks later, his body was discovered hidden among sand dunes on the island.Investigators uncovered a deadly act of jealousy and revenge. Campbell, then in his fifties, had violently beaten Rose to death before attempting to conceal the crime. A court later found him guilty of murder and ordered that he serve a minimum of 16 years in prison. More than a decade later, Campbell, originally from the Falkirk area, was released on compassionate grounds. This episode examines the events that led to a killing that shocked a close knit island community.CREDITS: Presenters: Geoffrey and Molly WansellProducer: Peter Shevlin https://pod60.com/Artwork: George LeighMusic: Dan WansellCONTACT: Twitter: @BloodTies_PodInstagram:@bloodtiespodcastEmail: bloodties.podcast@gmail.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@bloodtiespodcastSupport: patreon.com/bloodtiespodcastPlease complete our survey if you have time: http://bit.ly/bloodtiespodcast-survey