Wireless Studios has launched new True Crime brand, Reporter, with its debut podcast series, Murder in the Graveyard, exploring what could be the longest miscarriage of justice in British legal history - the murder of Wendy Sewell.
In September 1973 Stephen Downing was convicted and indefinitely sentenced for the murder of Wendy, a young legal secretary in the town of Bakewell in the Peak District.
She was attacked in broad daylight in Bakewell Cemetery. Stephen Downing, the 17-year-old groundskeeper with learning difficulties and a reading age of 11, was the prime suspect. He was immediately arrested, questioned for nine hours without a solicitor present, and pressured into signing a confession full of words he did not understand.
Twenty-one years later local newspaper editor Don Hale was thrust into the case. Determined to take it to appeal, as he investigated the details, he found himself inextricably linked to the narrative.
Now, 17 years later, Don features in Wireless Studios’ new podcast series Murder in the Graveyard linked to his new book published by HarperCollins, shedding fascinating light on his long, dedicated and often dangerous campaign to rescue a long-forgotten victim.
Through this series of brand new interviews, listeners will be given a unique insight into Don’s fight for justice, with members of the Bakewell community coming forward for the first time to reflect upon a case that remains unsolved.
The 8 episode podcast series will be released weekly and available on all well-known podcast platforms (listen here) from Monday June 24. The episodes will also be broadcast on talkRADIO on Saturday nights at 10pm starting from Saturday June 29.
Podcast producer and narrator Lucy Dichmont said: “The murder of Wendy Sewell may have been over 40 years ago but its effects are still felt by the people of Bakewell today. The twists and turns of this podcast, as we dig into the untold stories behind this brutal crime, make it a fascinating listen.”