"They chopped him." Those three words from the parents of Shawn Seesahai starkly describe their teenage son's death at the hands of two machete-wielding boys aged just 12, during a confrontation in a park in Wolverhampton, England.

So, are murderers getting younger? Broadly speaking, the answer is 'yes'.

Figures from the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) show the percentage of homicide convictions going to under-16s compared with other ages doubled over 10 years, from about one in 50 in 2012/13 to one in 25 in 2022/23.

Sky News reports that the 2022/23 figure is the highest since at least 2008/09. But they caveat – since the percentage of under-16s is low overall, the averages can be heavily skewed by relatively few convictions.

In this podcast, former major crime detective Jacques Morrell is joined by broadcaster Karl Cooper. They look at three murders carried out by children and discuss how the law balances retribution and rehabilitation.


Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the following news organisations for the illustrative clips used in this podcast:

• BBC Archive
• BBC News
• Channel Five News
• Channel Four News
• Sky News
• Thames Television
• West Midlands Police

The song, 'Just Know That I Bleached That', was performed by stackban6z.28
(Casper Caponè) on TikTok.

Watch the complete video recording of Mrs Justice Tipples' sentencing remarks in the Shawn Seesahai murder trial.

Learn more about reporting restrictions for children in criminal cases with this plain English guide.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/psycho-killer-shocking-true-crime-stories--5005712/support.

Join Jacques and Simon in the green room as they chat about future Psycho Killer true crime podcasts. If you'd like to hear more content like this – or there's a case you'd like us to cover – please let us know in the comments. And don't forget to like, share and all those other good things that help us to grow the podcast. Thank you, Psycho Killer fans everywhere!

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/psycho-killer-shocking-true-crime-stories--5005712/support.

Spring, 1945. As Italy collapsed into anarchy and the Allies drove north, the fate of fascist dictator, Benito Mussolini, was in the hands of a partisan militia claiming to represent the country's legitimate government.

The death of Il Duce and his mistress Claretta Petacci marked the end of his rule, but not the end of Italian fascism. As Jacques Morrell discovered, the far right remains influential in present-day Italian politics.

So what exactly happened in those chaotic days in April 1945? Did Mussolini receive justice, or were his executioners just as bad as he was? In an age dominated by posturing tyrants, did lesser psychopaths go unpunished?

Acknowledgements
The Associated Press/British Movietone
The United States Signal Corps/Footagefarm
War Life

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/psycho-killer-shocking-true-crime-stories--5005712/support.

Benito Mussolini was a textbook psycho – arrogant, grandiose and heartless. He established a fascist dictatorship in Italy by brutally repressing his political opponents.

Mussolini invaded Ethiopia and Libya, where his troops committed extensive war crimes, including civilian massacres and the use of chemical weapons. He took Italy into World War Two, a national catastrophe that led to widespread death and suffering.

In the first of two podcasts, journalist Simon Ford and retired detective Jacques Morrell explore the events surrounding Mussolini's fall from power. How can a psycho enthral a nation – and are there lessons for our time in the story of Mussolini: Italy's psychopathic dictator?

Acknowledgements
The Associated Press/British Movietone
The United States Signal Corps/Footagefarm
War Life

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/psycho-killer-shocking-true-crime-stories--5005712/support.

People don't vanish into thin air, but it sometimes seems that way. Australia has a reputation for mysterious disappearances, but folk go missing everywhere, and families all over the world are left fearing the worst.

Sometimes foul play is afoot: a serial killer snatching victims off the street, or a stalker with a score to settle. In those cases, it can be decades before evidence of a crime comes to light.

The fear of sinister figures lurking in the shadows has inspired generations of horror movies. The most chilling, as you're about to hear, are based on real events. These cases are the ultimate true crime mysteries.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/psycho-killer-shocking-true-crime-stories--5005712/support.

The podcast looks at the police investigation into the murder of Alfred Swinscoe, a coal miner who vanished without a trace in 1967. What do the police do when faced with a 50+ year-old cold case? The Psycho Killer team investigates.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/psycho-killer-shocking-true-crime-stories--5005712/support.

Jack the Ripper. The unknown serial killer murdered and mutilated at least five women in the East End of London in 1888.

Every time he gave the police the slip. He only made one mistake – dropping a piece of apron ripped from his fourth victim.

Catherine Eddowes was murdered in Mitre Square in the City of London. A copper found the apron piece in Goulston Street, less than half a mile away in Whitechapel.

So, what was the East End like at the time of the killings? And how would a modern homicide team investigate them?

Jacques Morrell and Simon Ford joined Ripperologist, Mick Priestley, on a tour of Jack the Ripper's backyard.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/psycho-killer-shocking-true-crime-stories--5005712/support.

Jack the Ripper – the serial killer who murdered at least five women in London's East End in 1888 – is the subject of a special Psycho Killer investigation.

M.P. Priestly is the author of 'Jack the Ripper – One Autumn in Whitechapel' and Jack the Ripper tour guide.

Mick kindly agreed to answer some questions from former major crime detective Jacque Morrell about the reliability of the witnesses who came forward.

Were they attention seekers? Were they profiteers? Or were they, perhaps, covering their tracks?

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/psycho-killer-shocking-true-crime-stories--5005712/support.

Warning: graphic content

Mystery surrounds the mass murderer known as Jack the Ripper. He prowled the back streets of London's East End preying on the poor and the vulnerable.

This devil butchered his victims and left their mutilated corpses down dark alleys, on doorsteps, and in doss houses. Then, the killer vanished, seemingly into thin air.

What spurred the Ripper on his rampage? Some believe he was driven by dark forces conjured from hell itself. The evidence, they say, is plain to see––if you know what to look for.

In this podcast we go to Whitechapel – Jack the Ripper's hunting ground – in search of answers.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/psycho-killer-shocking-true-crime-stories--5005712/support.

Contains very strong language

Some said Mad Billy Hughes was born bad. He was a misogynist who let his fists do the talking.

But Mad Billy was worse than a knuckle-headed bully.

He was a psychopath — cunning, resourceful and ruthless.

And when he was cornered, he'd stop at nothing.




Location recording by Karl Cooper, Podcast Partners UK.

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