The Detective’s Dilemma

It took five years for Halliwell’s trials to conclude. By then, Steve Fulcher had left the police force—leaving behind the biggest question of all: When a killer confesses, do you listen?

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With controversy around Fulcher’s actions on the night of the confession, his career soon fell apart—he faced disciplinary hearings over his conduct during Chris Halliwell’s arrest.

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It was argued that although Fulcher could invoke the ‘urgent interview’ provision for Sian, once Halliwell suggested there could be a second victim, Fulcher should have ignored that confession and taken him directly to the station.

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Fulcher couldn’t ignore a potential confession from a self-confessed killer. After Halliwell was taken to the police station, Fulcher was hailed as a hero. But in court, if he had broken procedure, were Halliwell’s confessions admissible?

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Followed by a large surveillance team, Halliwell led Fulcher to the location where he had taken Sian. He had killed her, he told Fulcher. Fulcher would’ve taken Halliwell in—but then the killer said, “Do you want another one?”

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Halliwell said, “Have you got a car? We’ll go.” Instead of taking him to the police station (with access to a lawyer), Fulcher agreed—Sian could still be alive. Fulcher used an exception to the rule for urgent interviews when a life is at stake.

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Fulcher had to navigate the minefield of an active investigation and intense media interest. The minute police saw Halliwell buy a large quantity of pills (overdose amount), the game was effectively over—he was arrested.

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Halliwell had a police record and looked like a strong suspect. Fulcher made the decision to place him under covert surveillance, hoping he still had Sian and could lead them to her. Police teams followed him for several days.

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The car stopped next to Sian, and a minute and four seconds later, it drove off—with her in it. But it didn’t make sense: Sian didn’t live that far away. More CCTV footage showed it was a taxi. The driver: Christopher John Halliwell.

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22‑year‑old Sian O’Callaghan was reported missing after a night out with friends. Detective Inspector Steve Fulcher was the lead investigator. CCTV cameras showed her getting into an unidentified vehicle—then she was gone.

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