Murder Most British

Rachel & Zach

A British-American couple unearth the UK’s most haunting murders — one file at a time. Deep dives, dark humour, and cases that linger long after the verdict. Welcome to Murder Most British.

  1. 1D AGO

    Ep 29 — A Night in Butetown - The Murder of Lynette White

    On Valentine’s Day 1988, in Cardiff’s dockside district of Butetown, Lynette White was murdered inside a flat above a betting shop. The killing shocked the neighbourhood and placed detectives under immediate pressure to make arrests. Within days, five local men were taken in for questioning. Three would become known as the Cardiff Three. But as the case moved forward, doubts began to surface — about the investigation, the evidence, and whether the right people had been accused at all. This week, The Archivist reopens the Butetown file: a murder that unsettled a community and a prosecution that would come to define one of the most controversial chapters in Welsh criminal history. Links to where to follow and join our Discord! https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish   SOURCES Official reports & judgments  Mouncher Investigation Report (Horwell QC, 2017) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a82d6cd40f0b6230269cfa0/mouncher_report_web_accessible_july_2017.pdf Court of Appeal / High Court Judgment — Mouncher & Others v Chief Constable of South Wales Police https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Moucher-v-SWP-full-judgment.pdf Contemporary and retrospective media reporting  BBC News Killing led to miscarriage of justice http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3038672.stm Lynette White case: Police officers’ trial collapses https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-15981541 Lynette White: Corruption inquiry review after civil case https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-33718653 The Guardian Murder appeal in prostitute case https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1991/jun/21/cardiff-three-wales Cardiff murder appeal man ‘beaten over head verbally’ https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1992/dec/10/cardiff-three-wales Security guard admits 1988 prostitute murder https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/jul/04/ukcrime1 Policemen face charges over Cardiff Three case https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/mar/03/cardiff-three-police-charges Cardiff Three are completely innocent, says convicted killer https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jul/13/cardiff-three-innocent-lynette-white Eight former police officers accused of fabricating Lynette White murder case https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/jul/06/lynette-white-case-eight-policemen-accused The Cardiff Three: the long wait for justice https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2012/sep/17/cardiff-three-five-wait-justice Police were within rights to investigate Cardiff Three officers, judge rules https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/14/judge-rejects-wrongful-prosecution-claims-of-cardiff-three-ex-officers Trial of Cardiff Three police collapsed due to human error, inquiry finds https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jul/18/trial-of-cardiff-three-police-collapsed-due-to-human-error-inquiry-finds The Independent Police in court over framing of Cardiff Three https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/police-in-court-over-framing-of-cardiff-three-2308189.html An injustice that won’t go away https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/an-injustice-that-won-t-go-away-8034860.html       Wales Online Lynette White vanished for five days before body found, corruption trial told https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/lynette-white-vanished-five-days-1820989 Urgent review ordered as £30m Lynette White police corruption trial collapses https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/urgent-review-ordered-30m-lynette-1798844 Wikipedia — Murder of Lynette White https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Lynette_White

    1h 9m

  2. FEB 4

    Ep 28 - The Last Hanging - Robert McGladdery

    “A murder in rural Northern Ireland in 1961 became something larger — and left a permanent mark on the justice system.” In the early 1960s, a young woman vanished from her community, sparking fear in a place where crimes of this kind were rare and deeply unsettling. What followed was a rapid investigation and a case that would come to carry significance far beyond the events that first drew police attention. As the story unfolded, it raised uncomfortable questions — not only about responsibility, but about punishment, finality, and the moment when the power of the state reaches its limit. This week, the Archive examines a case remembered not just for what happened — but for what followed, and why it still echoes decades later. Where to follow and links to Discord https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish   SOURCES Case & Historical Detail CapitalPunishmentUK — McGladdery case summary https://capitalpunishmentuk.org/robert-andrew-mcgladdery-northern-irelands-last-hanging/ Belfast History Project — Last execution in Northern Ireland https://www.belfasthistoryproject.com/belfastexecutions/ ExecutedToday — McGladdery execution entry https://www.executedtoday.com/tag/robert-mcgladdery/ Contemporary & Retrospective Reporting Independent.ie (The Indo Daily) — Pearl Gamble story https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-indo-daily/the-indo-daily-the-pearl-gamble-story-and-the-last-man-to-hang-in-northern-ireland/a927411546.html Belfast Telegraph https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/the-last-man-to-be-hanged-in-ulster/28263256.html  Harry Allen (executioner of McGladdery) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Allen_(executioner)   Robert McGladdery (Wikipedia) — Last hanging in NI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_McGladdery   The Newry Journal https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/pearl-gamble-missing/  https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/mcgladdery-as-chief-suspect/  https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/mcgladdery-walks-the-route/  https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/mcgladdery-cleans-his-trail/  https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/mcgladdery-buys-murder-weapon/  https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/mcgladdery/ https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/history/living-history/the-long-wait-mcgladdery/ https://www.newryjournal.co.uk/reminiscence/characters/dickie-talks-of-mcgladdery/

    49 min

  3. JAN 28

    Ep 27 - The Torture and Murder of Lynda Spence

    “A disappearance in Glasgow became something far more disturbing — and left questions that have never fully settled.” In April 2011, Lynda Spence vanished after an ordinary day in the city. At first, there was no sign of struggle, no clear explanation — just absence. As police worked to trace her final movements, the picture that emerged grew darker, pointing toward confinement, control, and a level of cruelty rarely encountered even in the most serious investigations. This week, the Archive examines a case defined not by speed, but by duration — where what happened after the disappearance matters more than the moment she was last seen. Links to where to follow and Discord  https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish   Sources Appeal Against Conviction And Sentence By Philip Wade And Colin Coats Against Her Majesty's Advocate https://vlex.co.uk/vid/appeal-against-conviction-and-878398540 Police Scotland - Update - Lynda Spence murder - 2011 https://www.scotland.police.uk/what-s-happening/news/2022/march/update-lynda-spence-murder-2011  The Kidnap and Murder of Lynda Spence (Channel 5)  https://www.channel5.com/the-kidnap-and-murder-of-lynda-spence The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/apr/08/lynda-spence-murder-two-convicted BBC News — Missing persons enquiries and initial disappearance reporting https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-22013752  BBC News — Follow-up reporting on sightings and investigation details https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-22064366  BBC News — Coverage of the case in later years https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-22068323  BBC News — Recent coverage (2022) https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-60765214  Sky News https://news.sky.com/story/lynda-spence-two-jailed-for-torture-murder-10449357

    50 min

  4. JAN 21

    Ep 26 — A Smile Before the Knife - Joanna Dennehy

    “She laughed at the crime scenes — and smiled through the blood.” In March 2013, Joanna Dennehy carried out a series of killings later known as the Peterborough Ditch Murders — three men murdered in just ten days, their bodies left in remote Cambridgeshire ditches. This episode traces the violence from its quiet beginnings to its abrupt end, examining a case defined not by rage or desperation, but by intention. A rare and unsettling insight into a killer who described murder as something she wanted to feel. Where to follow us and our Discord!  https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish Court Records & Legal Reporting (Primary / Authoritative) The Queen v Dennehy, Stretch, Layton & Moore — Sentencing remarks of Mr Justice Spencer (28 February 2014) https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/JCO/Documents/Judgments/the-queen-v-dennehy-sentencing-remarks-28022014.pdf  High Court of England and Wales — Judgment on Joanna Dennehy v Secretary of State for Justice (2016) https://www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/dennehy-v-ministry-of-justice-1.pdf The Guardian — Serial killer loses claim for rights violations over solitary confinement (26 May 2016) https://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/may/26/serial-killer-loses-claim-for-rights-violations-over-solitary-confinement The Guardian —https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2013/nov/18/woman-admits-murdering-men-stabbed-ditches? BBC News — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26124076 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35840866 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25669206  Media Coverage (Referenced for Context Only) Daily Mail, New York Post, and related tabloids Referenced only to acknowledge post-trial media fascination and public narratives; not treated as primary factual sources.

    1 hr

  5. JAN 14

    Ep 25 - Saturday Night Strangler - Joseph Kappen

    “For years, the streets of Port Talbot whispered of a killer who vanished with the dawn.” In the early 1970s, three young women were murdered after nights out in South Wales — attacks that left a community fearful and police without answers. Decades later, new questions would emerge about what truly happened on those Saturday nights… and the man who escaped justice for so long. This week, the Archive returns to South Wales, where three Saturday nights cast a shadow that lingered for decades. Links for where to follow us! https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish  SOURCES The Guardian – Kevin Toolis (18 January 2003) The hunt for the Saturday Night Strangler https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/jan/18/wales.kevintoolis  The Guardian – Kevin Toolis (18 January 2003) DNA profile points to killer https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2003/jan/18/weekend.kevintoolis  The Independent (7 June 2002) DNA evidence ends 30-year hunt for killer and rapist https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/dna-evidence-ends-30year-hunt-for-killer-and-rapist-179326.html  BBC News (2 November 2000) DNA breakthrough in murder case http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1002648.stm  BBC News (29 October 2001) Woodland murders ‘breakthrough’ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1626078.stm  BBC News (11 June 2002) Missing girl ‘link’ to murders http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2038433.stm  Wikipedia – Joseph William Kappen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kappen (Used as a tertiary reference only; facts verified against primary reporting.)

    1h 1m

  6. JAN 7

    Ep 24 - The Shankill Butchers - Belfast's Bloodiest Gang

    *Audio updated to remove silence gaps*  “They prowled the streets of Belfast by night — blades in hand, and hatred in their hearts.” During the height of the Troubles, a loyalist gang led by Lenny Murphy turned sectarian terror into ritual murder. Their victims were chosen at random, their cruelty unmatched — a reign of blood that left even hardened detectives shaken. This week, the Archive returns to Belfast in the 1970s, where the line between war and murder was carved in steel. Links to where to follow us, Discord, and more!! https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish

    59 min

  7. 12/31/2025

    Ep 23 - Britain’s Forgotten Serial Killer — Stephen Akinmurele

    “He looked like the boy next door — until the doors began to close for good.” Between 1995 and 1998, Stephen Akinmurele was linked to a string of brutal murders across the North West of England and the Isle of Man — crimes that exposed a quiet, calculating killer living behind an ordinary façade. What began in Manchester’s suburbs would widen across the Irish Sea, leaving behind a legacy of unanswered questions and silent victims. This week, the Archive journeys from Manchester’s quiet cul-de-sacs to the misted streets of the Isle of Man, where ordinary life masked a gathering darkness. Links to where to follow and Discord channel!  https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish   This episode is based on contemporaneous reporting and official police statements relating to this case. The suspect died in custody before the case could be heard in court, so there was never a trial and no court record to draw on.

    53 min

  8. 12/24/2025

    Ep 22 - Ghosts of Justice Past: The Holyhead Christmas Murder

    “On a cold Christmas night in Holyhead, the season of goodwill turned to grief.” In December 1909, the body of Gwen Ellen Jones was found near her home on Anglesey — a brutal killing that shocked a quiet Welsh community. Over a century later, her case remains an echo of sorrow, a reminder that even in times of celebration, darkness has a way of finding its place. This week, the Archive steps back to a frozen Anglesey shore, where a single Christmas Night left a shadow no season could thaw. Links to where to follow and join the Discord channel!! https://linktr.ee/MurderMostBritish    Correction: In this episode, we state that Gwen Ellen Jones’s body was discovered by two residents crossing a field near Newry Street. Contemporary police records and later historical research indicate that the body was located by police after William Murphy surrendered and stated where he had killed her. We regret the error.

    53 min
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About

A British-American couple unearth the UK’s most haunting murders — one file at a time. Deep dives, dark humour, and cases that linger long after the verdict. Welcome to Murder Most British.

Information

  • Creator
    Rachel & Zach
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    31
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Murder Most British
  • Show Website
    Murder Most British

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