7 episodes
Three doors down Tortoise
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- News
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4.6 • 128 Ratings
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Full series out now
Three doors down: a murder, a mother and a thirty year investigation
In May 2023 David Boyd was found guilty of the brutal murder in 1992 of seven year-old Nikki Allan. Sharon Henderson, Nikki’s mother, called for a public inquiry into why it had taken the police so long to find and convict her daughter’s murderer.
When Nikki was murdered, Sharon was a single mother of four living in Wear Garth, a rundown housing estate in Sunderland. David Boyd lived a few floors above Sharon in the same block. He was known to the police. He was the kind of offender who should have been caught.
Three doors down tells the astonishing story of Sharon Henderson’s thirty year campaign to get justice for her daughter’s killing. It shines a light on police behaviour and their treatment of working class women. It’s a personal tale of trauma and resilience in the face of systemic police failure, that couldn’t be more timely.
For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. For early and ad-free access to Tortoise podcasts, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode one - Missing
In 1992 on a council estate in Sunderland a seven year old girl is murdered. It took the police 30 years to find the killer, a convicted child sex offender who lived three doors away from where Nikki Allan went missing. What happened on the night of her disappearance?
For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.
For early and ad-free access to all our podcasts, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Episode two - Rumours
Rumours choke the case and a vulnerable suspect is arrested. The first 48 hours after a crime are crucial: what did the police get so wrong in the days after Nikki went missing?
For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.
For early and ad-free access to all our podcasts, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Episode three - Confession
The number one suspect is interrogated by police until he confesses but it's not until 30 years later that the right man is put on trial.
For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.
For early and ad-free access to all our podcasts, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Episode four - Conviction
Sharon's case should be extraordinary but it isn't. A few miles away from Sharon another mother was left to solve her own daughter's murder after being let down by police.
For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.
For early and ad-free access to all our podcasts, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Episode five - Inquiry
The police say they are not looking for any more victims of David Boyd but we met other women who were confronted by the killer. This episode contains descriptions of child sexual abuse.
This is the final episode of a 5-part series from Tortoise. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.
For early and ad-free access to all our podcasts, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. -
Introducing: Three doors down
Full series available now
Three doors down: a murder, a mother and a thirty year investigation
In May in a packed room at Newcastle Crown Court, David Boyd, was found guilty of the brutal murder in 1992 of seven year-old Nikki Allan. Sharon Henderson, Nikki’s mother, called for a public inquiry into why it had taken the police so long to find and convict her daughter’s murderer.
When Nikki was murdered, Sharon was a single mother of four living in Wear Garth, a rundown housing estate in Sunderland. David Boyd lived a few floors above Sharon in the same block. He was known to the police. He was the kind of offender who should have been caught.
Three doors down tells the astonishing story of Sharon Henderson’s thirty year campaign to get justice for her daughter’s killing. It shines a light on police behaviour and their treatment of working class women. It’s a personal tale of trauma and resilience in the face of systemic police failure, that couldn’t be more timely.
For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app.
For early and ad-free access to all our podcasts, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts.
If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Customer Reviews
Important and vital journalism
Testament to the bravery, courage, tenacity and guts of this mother if a murdered child who was not listened to by police, and mothers everywhere who are not listened to. Excellent journalism from Tortoise and Julie Bindel, this is extremely well-told and clear to follow story-telling with heart and an actual moral compass. It does not sensationalise and it does not look away. Journalist Julie Bindel was not listened to by police when she encountered Peter Sutcliffe, but as that was over 40 years ago you would think things had changed. This podcast shows that they have not changed. With confidence in policing at an all time low, this podcast sets out in every minute how and why policing must change.
Exceptional
I binged this over the Christmas period and was so moved by the two powerful stories of the mothers featured, their strength and determination. I was also angered by the way that judgements made about people on low incomes essentially led to perpetrators of violence to women and girls being able to carry on committing horrendous acts.
Terribly sad
It’s such a sad story on so many levels……can’t believe that the media and police were so cruel to the mum.