About

Criminologist Prof David Wilson conducts a series of interviews with convicted murderer Bert Spencer, the man suspected of - yet never charged with - killing paperboy Carl Bridgewater in 1978.

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Episodes

1. The Man in the Blue Car

Professor David Wilson is a world renowned criminologist. He travels to Lincolnshire to meet Bert Spencer. In 1976, Bert was the number one suspect in the murder of a 13-year-old newspaper boy – Carl Bridgewater. Despite never having been charged for the crime, suspicion still lingers over Bert. Not least of all because the 4 men who were jailed for the crime were declared innocent after spending 20 years in prison, in what was one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in modern times. In another twist, Bert was convicted less than a year later for the murder of farmer Wilkes – who was killed in exactly the same way as Carl – executed at point blank range with a shotgun. Wilson digs deep into Bert's psyche to try and find out if the two crimes – and the killer - were related.

2. Daddy's Boy

Ann Whelan was the mother of Michael Hickey (one of the Bridgewater 4). She campaigned tirelessly for twenty years to get her son freed from jail. During that period, she accumulated an archive of legal documents. Believing the identity of the killer of Carl Bridgewater to be amongst her papers, she hands them over to Professor David Wilson to assist him in his investigation.

3. Broken Silence

Barbra was Bert's secretary 38 years ago. Even though in her 90's, she is alive and well and pleased to see Bert who she has not seen since he was jailed for murdering Hubert Wilkes. However, after some gentle questioning by Professor Wilson, it quickly becomes apparent she could not account for Bert's whereabouts for the whole of the day that Carl was killed – Bert's cast iron alibi is no more. Professor Wilson now believes he has enough information to formally confront Bert with his findings. In the final showdown between the men. Professor Wilson tells Bert that he believes that without his alibi, there is enough information to re-open the case; he believes Hubert Wilkes was murdered because Bert had to silence him because he knew something about Bert's involvement in Carl's death: and that Bert demonstrates many of the signs of psychopathy. Bert Dismisses Wilsons charges as being unfounded. However, when it looks like there is no more to be said, a witness breaks their silence after 38 years.