The Detective (we have moved)

This is the fourth and final episode of The Murder of Lee Boxell. By now, Mark has clearly established the main suspect amidst the chain of lies and false information. A key witness confirms having seen Lee at St Dunstans church and Mark decides it is time to pay a visit to the main suspect's home to confront him.

Lee Boxell was 15 when he disappeared. On the morning of Saturday 10 September 1988, Lee left his home in Cheam, to meet with a friend at 11am in nearby Sutton. Despite extensive appeals on television and in the press, no one has come forward with any confirmed sightings of Lee.

Following extensive inquires the police found out that several paedophiles were operating in the area at the time Lee disappeared, one of whom ran the unofficial youth club and was jailed for eleven years in 2011, aged 75, after sexually abusing several girls who attended the club.

Our investigation in to Lee's disappearance has taken almost three years and our findings are revealed in this podcast. We uncover new witnesses, new evidence and, for the first time, interview two of the suspects, who have never spoken publicly before.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses the murder of a teenage boy and the sexual abuse of children

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In this third episode, two of the four people arrested on suspicion of Lee's murder agree to give Mark interviews, both speaking publicly about their involvement in the case for very the first time. Three of the children of the main suspect also agreed to give Mark interviews about their father, including taking Mark to the spot where one of them believes that their father disposed of Lee's body. And a brand new name is introduced in to the investigation; that of a corrupt police officer who is also a convicted paedophile.

Lee Boxell was 15 when he disappeared. On the morning of Saturday 10 September 1988, Lee left his home in Cheam, to meet with a friend at 11am in nearby Sutton. Despite extensive appeals on television and in the press, no one has come forward with any confirmed sightings of Lee.

Following extensive inquires the police found out that several paedophiles were operating in the area at the time Lee disappeared, one of whom ran the unofficial youth club and was jailed for eleven years in 2011, aged 75, after sexually abusing several girls who attended the club.

Our investigation in to Lee's disappearance has taken almost three years and our findings are revealed in this podcast. We uncover new witnesses, new evidence and, for the first time, interview two of the suspects, who have never spoken publicly before.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses the murder of a teenage boy and the sexual abuse of children

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this second episode, Mark introduces new evidence and interviews several witnesses who used to attend The Shed at St Dunstans Church. Two victims of child sexual abuse came forwards and gave Mark detailed interviews about what happened to them, which some listeners may find upsetting.

Lee Boxell was 15 when he disappeared. On the morning of Saturday 10 September 1988, Lee left his home in Cheam, to meet with a friend at 11am in nearby Sutton. Despite extensive appeals on television and in the press, no one has come forward with any confirmed sightings of Lee.

Following extensive inquires the police found out that several paedophiles were operating in the area at the time Lee disappeared, one of whom ran the unofficial youth club and was jailed for eleven years in 2011, aged 75, after sexually abusing several girls who attended the club.

Our investigation in to Lee's disappearance has taken almost three years and our findings are revealed in this podcast. We uncover new witnesses, new evidence and, for the first time, interview two of the suspects, who have never spoken publicly before.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses the murder of a teenage boy and the sexual abuse of children

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first of four episodes, Mark Williams-Thomas describes the circumstances around Lee's disappearance and looks at the initial police investigation. He speaks with Lee's parents about the events that took place in 1988 and finds out key information and dates from Mike Platt, an investigator with the Missing People charity.

Lee Boxell was 15 when he disappeared. On the morning of Saturday 10 September 1988, Lee left his home in Cheam, to meet with a friend at 11am in nearby Sutton. Despite extensive appeals on television and in the press, no one has come forward with any confirmed sightings of Lee.

Following extensive inquires the police found out that several paedophiles were operating in the area at the time Lee disappeared, one of whom ran the unofficial youth club and was jailed for eleven years in 2011, aged 75, after sexually abusing several girls who attended the club.

Our investigation in to Lee's disappearance has taken almost three years and our findings are revealed in this podcast. We uncover new witnesses, new evidence and, for the first time, interview two of the suspects, who have never spoken publicly before.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BONUS EPISODE: Mark Williams-Thomas talks to CrimeConVersations, the True Crime podcast brought to you by CrimeCon UK. CrimeConVersations Episode 2 features both The Detective and UK True Crime podcasts.

CrimeCon: London 25th & 26th September 2021, visit www.crimecon.co.uk for tickets and further information

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Mary Flanagan was aged just 16 when she disappeared from her London home on New Year's Eve, 1959. She is the UK's longest missing person’s case.

In this episode Mary's sister, Brenda, reveals a significant sighting of a woman who went into a police station in Scotland in 2016, could this have been Mary?

And a further sighting from a neighbour and someone who knew Mary, who saw here wearing a new pair of glasses.

The forensic artist Tim Widden explains how he sets about creating an age progression image.

Brenda discusses some of her theories about Mary; was she pregnant, did she run away to start a new life or has she been murdered.

Ultimately, Mark Williams-Thomas provides a breakdown of what is known and gives an overview of what he believes has happened to Mary.

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Mary Flanagan was aged 16 when she disappeared from her London home on New Year's Eve, 1959. Mary is the UK's longest missing persons case.

Mary was brought up in a strict London-Catholic family and had two sisters, Eileen and Brenda, and a brother, Kevin. 

At the time of her disappearance, she was working at the Tate and Lyle sugar refinery in Plaistow. 

In episode 1 Mary’s sister Brenda explains how close they were as a family and what it was like growing up in West Ham in the 1950’s and 60’s 

Brenda provides a valuable insight into how Mary was engaged to a person who was introduced to her by her father.

This person was known as Tom, and he worked at the docks.

As the episode continues, we hear how Mary was pretending to go work at Tate & Lyle in the two weeks prior to her vanishing and how none of the family can remember Tom’s surname or where he lived.

What is very significantly is how the original police file was destroyed, the police say in a flood; a police file that almost certainly would have held significant information about Mary’s disappearance.

During the podcast Mary’s case manager from the Missing People charity gives a valuable insight into the case and explains why some people go missing. 

In episode 2 we explore some of the sightings, the creation of an age-progression image of Mary by a forensic artist and explore what the family think could have happened to Mary.

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This episode opens up by looking closely at some of the evidence that was heard at court and considering in detail why the police formed the view that this was a murder planned to look like suicide. In order to examine this, the police officer that led the investigation is asked to explain this theory. 

We carefully consider the nature of all of Sana’s injuries, how they occurred and how they were recorded by the pathologist. In addition, we consider the new research that has been done worldwide about suicides by sharp force instruments.

We ask again, did Mindy really turn up at the scene with a full forensic suit and with two pairs of gloves, which the police say she wore during the frenzied knife attack on Sana. Even the highly experienced forensic pathologist Professor Di Vella, did not believe that Mindy had carried out such an attack in a full forensic suit.

All the evidence is pulled together to allow you, the listener, to decide if you agree that Mindy brought with her and wore a full forensic suit or if his is a fanciful theory dreamt up by the Police to try to explain the murder charge.

We examine and consider what evidence the police had to prove that the knife, which was left at the scene alongside Sana, was actually owned by Mindy, who the police claim was highly skilled and very forensically aware.

I question the senior investigating police officer over the issues regarding the homicide theory, as opposed to the suicide reports that originally came in.

Mark: Could it be this, and the one thing I always come back to, is that when it looks like it’s something it probably is 

Senior Investigating Police Officer: If it looks like a duck and it quacks then it probably is a duck 

Mark: If it looks like suicide, the knife laying there beside them, it probably is suicide 

Senior Investigating Police Officer: Well that’s your theory

We consider reports from Muslim mental health professionals about the deep-rooted stigma around suicide in Islam and how Dr Hendin describes suicide as self-punishment.

The reveal of this episode is the new evidence uncovered, with two reconstructions, that are available to view on out website, www.the-detective.co.uk, showing the significant failings of the initial pathologists’ evidence.

And ultimately this episode ends the run of Series 2, that is for now, by asking you to consider all the evidence from both sides and decide one of the following: That Mindy is a very dangerous killer, or that Sana’s death was a tragic suicide leading to a Miscarriage of Justice.

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By this stage of the investigation you should now have reached one of the following conclusions:

1)    That the evidence stacks up - as per the prosecution case and Mindy was correctly convicted, or

2)    That you have some concerns about the evidence, but not enough to feel that Mindy is the subject of a miscarriage of justice, or 

3)    That you have serious concerns about the evidence that convicted Mindy and like her family and friends believe that Mindy’s conviction is unsafe.

The police’s theory was that Mindy travelled to see Sana with the intention of killing her and making it look like suicide. 

In this episode we explore this theory to see if it stands up to scrutiny or if any other evidence exists that could cast it in serious doubt.  

We also consider the belief held by the police that Mindy attended the house and put on a full forensic suit without being noticed, that Sana was fully compliant whilst she did this and made no attempt to leave the bedroom.

Mindy’s timeline and recollection of events also come under close scrutiny. We piece together her movements by using CCTV footage and mobile phone data to see if her account is accurate. We also consider how she behaved before going into the house to see Sana and immediately afterwards. Was Mindy telling the truth about how she left the house or does evidence exist that shows she must have left via the kitchen window?

We hear vital evidence from Sana’s close friends and relatives about Sana’s state of mind, which shows just how low and unhappy she was.

This episode highlights the failings of another case, an unsolved murder in which the pathologist‘s findings were clearly wrong.

We also hear from an Italian forensic pathologist, Professor Di Vella, about a very similar case.

TEASE next week 

·      Challenge the police officer in charge of the case over some of her theories

·      Try to track down Sair 

·      Hear more about the impact the case had and continues to have on the family.

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