True Crime with Elli Mac

In 1986, the brutal murder of 21-year-old Diane Sindall sent shockwaves through Birkenhead. She had been beaten, and left in a dark alleyway — a horrifying crime that triggered the largest manhunt Merseyside had ever seen.

29-year-old Peter Sullivan was arrested, and soon after, convicted. Despite an initial series of apparent confessions and retractions during intense police questioning, Peter insisted he was innocent. For more than 38 years, he and his defence team fought to prove that the police had the wrong man.

In May 2025, the Court of Appeal agreed and ruled him an innocent man. Peter Sullivan’s conviction was quashed, ending what is now believed to be the longest-running miscarriage of justice in British history.

But if Peter didn’t kill Diane Sindall… then who did?

This is the case of a young woman’s tragic death — and a man’s decades-long battle to clear his name.

On the weekend of March 1st, 2019, Dr. Preethi Reddy, a respected dentist attended a dental conference in St Leonards, Sydney.

After the conference, Preethi met up with her ex-partner, Dr. Harshwardhan Narde, a man from her past who had struggled to accept their breakup.

The two spent the evening together, and in the hours that followed, Preethi disappeared without a trace and her family immediately grew concerned.

As they desperately searched for answers, the mystery deepened.

Days later, a chilling discovery was made - two bodies were found, leading to questions about what had really happened during that fateful weekend.

When sisters Mildred Bowman, 62, and Alice Wardle, 68, flew to Benidorm on July 30, 2005, they were ready for a sun-soaked holiday in the Costa Blanca. Staying at the Levante Club Apartments, they made plans to meet Alice's daughter and her family the next day.

But when the sisters never showed up, concern quickly turned to panic. Their loved ones searched tirelessly, retracing their steps through their favourite spots - until the hotel manager delivered devastating news 4 days later.

Mildred and Alice had been found dead in their holiday apartment.

What had happened to the two sisters?

And how did their dream vacation turn into a nightmare?

When a 999 call came in from Penelope Jackson's residence, claiming she had just stabbed her husband and was planning to stab him a bit more, the police were left horrified by her chillingly calm demeanour.Upon arriving at the scene, officers found David Jackson lying on the floor, bleeding to death.Despite the urgency of the situation, Penelope seemed unfazed, even urging paramedics not to help him.But why had Penelope stabbed her husband? Was it a desperate act of self-defense, or was it a cold-blooded murder?

When Jack and Paul received a text from their father inviting them over to play with the new train set he'd bought, they were filled with excitement. It seemed, for once, that Darren Sykes was making an effort to bond with his sons.

But when the boys arrived for their custody visit, what started as a seemingly innocent gesture quickly turned sinister.

Darren led his sons to the attic, where the train set awaited - but once all three were inside, he sealed the hatch, trapping them.

Moments later, flames erupted, rapidly consuming the house and creeping toward the attic where the boys were held captive.

What could have driven Darren Sykes to lure his own children into such a horrifying trap?

And would any of them make it out alive?

On Friday, January 30, 1976, in Troyes, France, 7-year-old Philippe Bertrand left school, ecole pont-saint-marie at midday. He walked a short distance with his friends before they parted ways.Every day, Philippe would pick up his younger brother, Christophe, from a nearby school just around the corner, and together they would wait at a florist just 50 meters away for their father, Gérald Bertrand, to pick them up for lunch.But on this day, something was wrong.When Gérald arrived at the florist, expecting to see both boys, they were nowhere to be found. The florist told him they had never arrived. Rushing back to the school, he found Christophe—but there was no sign of Philippe.

Concern quickly turned to fear. Gérald took Christophe home, hoping for answers. Just minutes later, the phone rang.On the other end of the line was a man demanding a ransom of 1 million French francs. His chilling instruction: Do not contact the police.In the span of just 20 minutes, Philippe Bertrand had vanished without a trace.

On the evening of July 13, 2020, Corinna Smith seemed like any other wife returning home after a day out with her daughter. But beneath the surface, something had shifted.

After a tense conversation, a long-buried family secret had been revealed — one that would change everything.

Consumed by emotion, Corinna made a phone call, then another. Her mind raced as she tried to piece together the past and the horrifying implications of what she had just learned.

As the hours passed, she grew more agitated. Then, just before midnight, she walked into her kitchen, filled a kettle, and turned it on.

Twice, she boiled the water. Then, with a steady hand, she poured in bag after bag of sugar, creating a thick, scalding syrup mixture.

When it was ready, she carried the bucket into the bedroom where her husband, Michael, lay sleeping — completely unaware of what was about to happen.

When 26-year-old Anna Repkina met Will Hargrove on a dating site, she believed she had found the love of her life. She had recently ended a seven-year relationship and was eager for a fresh start.Without hesitation, Anna left her life in back home and moved to Oregon to be with Will, convinced they would build a future together.However, what awaited Anna was not the fairy tale she had envisioned. Instead, a tangled web of love and betrayal led to her tragic fate.On Monday, April 17, 2017, in Alsea, Oregon, a local caretaker and timber company groundskeeper was walking his dog along a remote, dead-end logging road when he noticed Anna lying on the ground.Her feet were facing the road and her torso angled toward the forest. Anna was wearing blue jeans, black running shoes, a grey hoodie, and a black jacket.Police arrived shortly after and began their investigation. Near the body, officers also found scattered trash, including empty cans and papers.What had happened to Anna Repkina? And how did Anna end up alone on a desolate road?

On January 5, 2023, the quiet neighbourhood of St. Thomas Square in Tulsa, Oklahoma, became the site of an unthinkable tragedy. Just before midnight, a 12-year-old girl woke her mother, April Lyda, with a chilling confession: she had attacked her 9-year-old brother, Zander Lyda, three times.

On the morning of the 15th August, 1975, 8 year old Gretchen Harrington, left her home, heading to summer vacation Bible school class.

The Trinity Chapel Christian Reform Church was less than half a mile up the road and she had done this walk many times, but unfortunately, on this fateful day Gretchen never made it.

2 months later, on the 14th October 1975, skeletal remains were found by a passing jogger in Ridley Creek State Park and they were devastatingly identified as Gretchen’s.

Her clothes were found neatly folded nearby and her underwear was found hung in a tree branch.

Her death was ruled a homicide as it was found that she had injuries to her head, but with no other leads, Gretchen Harrington’s murder case remained unsolved for nearly 48 years.

That was, until 2023, when somebody came forward with knew information, implicating none other, than one of the towns Pastors.