In this final episode we’re discussing forensic searches: searches for bodies, searches for evidence, searches for criminals.

Lynda and Cass focus on the tragic case of April Jones, the 5-year-old who went missing in Wales in 2012. The police search was one of the largest ever mounted. It lasted six months, and though an arrest was made, of Mark Bridger, April’s body was never found. In this episode we reunite two forensic search experts who worked in different capacities on this harrowing and challenging case.

Julie Roberts is a hugely experienced forensic anthropologist and archaeologist with some 20 years of practitioner experience in the location, recovery and identification of human remains from scenes of crime, war zones and mass fatality incidents. She and her team examined bone fragments that were suspected to be April’s, recovered from Mark Bridger’s house. Julie is currently Scientific Advisor at Alecto Forensic Services: https://alectoforensics.com/  

Peter Faulding is a world-leading confined space rescue and forensic search specialist. Peter has worked on many high-profile missing person and ‘no body’ murder investigations including the serial killer Peter Tobin and the mysterious death of MI6 officer Gareth Williams. In 2012 he helped to coordinate the search of the woods around Mark Bridger’s house. https://www.specialistgroupinternational.com/

Lynda's new novel Vanished is out on March 31st 2022 in hardback, ebook and audiobook. 

Discover more at: www.lyndalaplante.com/listening-to-the-dead/

  This podcast was made by Bonnier Books UK

  Host & Director: Jon Watt

  Producer: Laura Makela

  Sound Engineer: Chris Attaway

  Theme music: Game Over by Magic in the Other

  End music: Sweeney by Mike Relm