Murdertown

Sunderland (1x9)

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When teenage boys began being found dead in the city of Sunderland in the early 90’s, police initially thought they were the victims of accidental deaths. But as their families campaigned for answers, more victims began to appear, and detectives realised their crimes were more than simply a coincidence. This episode looks at one of the most shocking cases of murder anywhere in the UK, and how it impacted the close knit communities in Sunderland. We learn how one man committed a murder spree that he nearly got away with, and how it was only the tenacious work of family members that ensured the killer was caught. The episode also tells the tragic story of Dean Pike, killed as he slept by bungling arsonists who targeted the wrong property and left a family in ruins. With contributions from victims, and their families as well as key reporters on the case, this is the first time these stories have been told in forensic detail.