Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 56 i Crime Monthly

A London man who killed his wife and told police his son had done it after watching a TV show has been convicted of murder. Amidu Koroma, 48, from Brixton, killed wife Mariam Kamara, 46, as she slept in their home in January 2022, then set her body alight in a bid to cover up his crime. When an autopsy found she had been stabbed, Koroma blamed his son, saying he had been inspired by a scene from the Netflix show You. Koroma was jailed for life with a minimum of 29 years. DCI Chris Wood said, “Our thoughts are with Ms Kamara’s family and friends, and in particular with her son, who we continue to support through this trauma.”…

A little over a year ago, Sam Bankman-Fried was worth billions. The co-founder and CEO of cryptocurrency exchange and hedge fund FTX, he was the 41st richest man in America, with a net worth estimated at $26billion. But by November 2022, the money was all gone, and Bankman-Fried’s companies had been declared bankrupt. But that wasn’t the worst news for the entrepreneur. One month later, he was arrested at his luxe home in the Bahamas and extradited to the US facing multiple charges, including money laundering, wire fraud and securities fraud. Accused of stealing billions from his FTX clients to cover loans and losses incurred at his trading firm Alameda Research, he has pleaded not guilty to all charges, but faces up to 115 years behind bars if convicted. WITNESSES…

Neighbours in the northern Polish village of Czerniki had long had suspicions about Piotr Gierasik. The dad of 12 had raised his kids alone after his wife Hanna died 15 years ago, but screams were often heard coming from their ramshackle home, and there was something unnatural about his close relationship with daughter Paulina. However, nothing could have prepared the villagers for the aftermath when father and daughter were arrested last month. After social services tipped off the police, detailed reports of Gierasik’s monstrous life began to emerge, Police believe his incestuous relationship with one daughter and the rape of another resulted in the births of at least three babies who were believed to have been killed soon after they were born, their bodies dumped in the cellar of the…

3.711 BILLIONS OF POUNDS IN 2011-22 PAID INTO THE SINGLE INTELLIGENCE ACCOUNT, A POT OF MONEY SPLIT ANNUALLY BETWEEN MI5, MI6 AND GCHQ 67 Percentage of MI5’s annual budget spent on international counter-terrorism 9 Percentage of staff who are black or from an ethnic minority background 43 Percentage of the agency’s full-time staff who are women 94 The section of the Data Protection Act that says anyone has the right to access information about them being processed by MI5 75% The amount of the agency’s time and officers focused on combatting Islamic terrorism 4 Main operational departments within MI5: international counter-terrorism, the National Security Advice Centre, Irish and domestic counter-terrorism, and technical and surveillance operations 4,400 Approximate number of employees, boosted by hundreds more on loan from other domestic law…

BACK INSIDE TIME BBC1, SUNDAYS, 9PM/BBC IPLAYER Series one of Time was one of the best TV dramas of 2021. It was created and written by the legendary Jimmy McGovern (Cracker, The Street), and starred the formidable duo of Sean Bean and Stephen Graham as a prisoner and prison officer respectively, brought together in the most intense and extreme circumstances. It was a searing, unflinching look at life in prison and the prison system. Now, here’s a second series, with a totally new cast and setting, in a women’s prison, with Helen Black (Life And Death In The Warehouse) joining McGovern on writing duties. And it’s every bit as powerful. DREAM CAST The dream cast of series two features Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) as Orla, imprisoned after not showing up…

PREVIEW From Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the brains behind The OA, comes this murder mystery set in the world of AI. When tech-savvy hacker Darby Hart (Emma Corrin) is invited by billionaire Andy (Clive Owen) to join eight other guests at his enclave in Iceland, it seems like the perfect retreat. But when one of the guests is found dead, no one wants to admit it was murder, and Darby soon finds her skills tested to the max as she tries to stop a killer striking again. The first two episodes drop today, followed by a new episode weekly.…

Crime+ Investigation Play is the UK’s only dedicated true-crime streaming service and is packed with the latest premieres and box sets. From Cops Who Kill with Will Mellor to Homicide Hunter, Meet, Marry, Murder to The First 48, all the shows you love are available to stream. With brandnew shows every month, there are thousands of hours of true crime to investigate. Download the app from Google Play or the Apple App Store and watch on your Apple TV, iOS device or Android device. It’s also available on Amazon Firestick through Amazon Prime Video Channels. As an exclusive offer, Crime Monthly readers can get their first three months for free. Head to crimeandinvestigationplay.co.uk and enter the promotion code CRIMEMONTHLY. T&Cs apply. EXCLUSIVE OFFER GET THREE MONTHS FOR FREE…

Unnatural Death PATRICIA CORNWELL (LITTLE, BROWN, £22) In the Northern Virginia wilderness, two campers have met a grisly end, savaged beyond recognition. Now, it’s up to chief medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta to find out who could commit a crime this dreadful. Terrifying. The Wolf SAMUEL BJORK (BANTAM PRESS, £18.99) In Norway, two boys have been murdered, their bodies posed after death. But this isn’t the first time - years ago, Sweden had an eerily similar crime scene. Now, old hand Munch and trainee Krüger must find a killer. Compelling. His Favourite Graves PAUL CLEAVE (ORENDA,E9.99) In the small town of Acacia Pines, Lucas Connor has been abducted. For Sheriff Cohen, it’s a chance to show those around him that he’s up to the job, maybe even win back his…

CAPTIVATING CASE Proving that the most gripping podcasts don’t always need to be filled with gory details. The Missing Madonna is a nail-biting story filled with unexpected twists and turns. The BBC Radio Scotland podcast tells the tale of Britain’s biggest art theft, which took place in August 2003, when the tiny artwork Madonna of the Yarnwinder by Leonardo da Vinci was stolen from Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. Despite being worth up to £40million, selling such an infamous painting would be near impossible, so what was the motivation for the obviously well-planned and consequently well-executed robbery? Hosted by Olivia Graham - who has a very special connection to this crazy crime because her dad Robbie Graham was a private investigator working on the case - The Missing…

Finding fame on TV reality show Shipwrecked in 2011, former scaffolder and labourer Stephen Bear seemed to have built himself a showbiz career when he went on to win Celebrity Big Brother five years later. But although his Jack-the-Lad persona had won him many fans, his life was about to tip over into seediness and criminality. As his celebrity started to wane. Bear reinvented himself as an adult entertainer. And, in August 2020, he secretly filmed a video ofhim having sex in his garden with ex-TOWIE star Georgia Harrison. He shared the footage with friends and, despite his former girlfriend asking him to delete it when she was made aware of it, went on to upload it to OnlyFans, something Georgia later described as “deeply violating”. Bear was arrested in…

A Lidl supermarket worker has been convicted of planning to launch a gun attack at a primary school. Reed Wischhusen, from Somerset, was found guilty of having an explosive substance with intent to endanger life, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, possessing a prohibited firearm without a certificate and possessing ammunition with intent to endanger life. The court heard how Wischhusen had plotted to launch a “hit man-style attack” on his former school, and written a “kill list” of teachers. A tip-off led police to his home before he could carry out his plan, where they found a sub-machine gun, ammunition, bombs and grenades. He was injured by armed police after running at officers carrying a gun. The 32 year old, who was said to be obsessed with…

The unsolved deaths of three Scottish women, dubbed “the Bible John murders”, are to be re-examined following the success of a BBC podcast on the crimes. Patricia Docker, Jemima MacDonald and Helen Puttock, and were killed in Glasgow in the 1960s, but no one was ever convicted. Now, families of the victims have confirmed they have been contacted by officers. A police spokesperson said, “We are assessing the contents of a recent podcast in consultation with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. The murders remain unresolved, but… they are subject to review and any new information about their deaths will be investigated.” Jemima’s son Allan Mottley said, “When the police officer phoned and said they were going to reinvestigate, that was a bit of a bombshell. I never imagined…

22 MARCH 1978 KAREN SCHILT, 22 Karen had been approached by Cottingham in a bar when he spiked her drink, then bundled her into his car and drove her to New Jersey. She was discovered the following morning in a sewer. Cottingham had beaten and assaulted her, leaving her partially clothed. 10 OCT 1978 SUSAN GEIGER, 19 After giving Cottingham her phone number, she arranged to meet him for a date in Manhattan. He plied her with drugs and drove her to an airport motel in New Jersey. Cottingham inflicted multiple wounds during an evening of violent torture, and Susan sustained injuries all over her body. He also tore gold earrings from her ears. 12 MAY 1980 PAMELA WEISENFELD, 19 Cottingham picked Pamela up in Times Square after telling her…

In the old days, potential new officers were offered a job via a discreet conversation, usually while studying at a top university. Today, while the agencies remain secretive, the application process is more transparent. People join from a variety of backgrounds with a range of technical, vocational or professional qualifications, from IT to electronics and carpentry to accountancy. There’s also a two-year operational data analyst training programme – working across GCHQ/ MI5 and SIS (MI6), you’ll require an interest in technical-related issues and turning raw data into meaningful insights. For more on both agencies, visit Sis.gov.uk/explore-careers.html and Mi5.gov.uk/careers…

ON JOINING TIME… “Whenever you’re sent any script, it’s incredibly exciting, because you’re in a position where you’re lucky enough to read all that hard work, especially when it follows something that has been so impactful, important, and of such high quality like Time series one. The fact that this is being told, not as a season two, but as another standalone piece covering different storylines and characters is amazing.” ON THE SERIES’ AIMS… “What series one did, and hopefully what this series will do, is give a face to the statistics or the problems. You can say there’s a wrong or a right, there’s a baddie and a goodie, or there’s a situation where there’s a bad decision and a good decision, but we all live in a grey…

ITV’s latest three-part documentary series gives us the inside story behind a trio of shocking true-life scams. “The Search For Instagram’s Worst Con Artist” looks at Belle Gibson, a 21-year-old social media influencer who claimed to have miraculously cured her terminal cancer through wellness and healthy eating. Her brand crumbled when her claims came under scrutiny and she confessed that she had misled millions of her followers, with none of her story true. “The Great Erection Deception: The Stiff Nights Story” tells the jaw-dropping case of vegan Erb Avore and Mormon Kelly Dean Harvey, who created an all-natural sexual supplement to rival Viagra. But the pair’s con ended when they were busted by the FDA, who discovered the ingredients weren’t as they claimed. And former footballer Medi Abalimba features in…

What was the inspiration behind your new novel? I can’t give too much away, but suffice to say, I really wanted to write a thriller with two intertwining plots from a number of different points of view, and have them come together over a very short space of time. I also wanted to have a twist in the first chapter that turned the whole story on its head, which I hope I’ve managed. What attracts you most about writing thrillers? The sense of pace, first and foremost. I love to write at full throttle, with short chapters and plenty of cliffhangers, and the thriller format really lends itself to that. I might be sat at a desk, but the writing gets my adrenaline going. I also enjoy the fact I…

Baroness Newlove has been appointed as the new Victims’ Commissioner, with the aim of “scrutinising the Victims and Prisoners Bill as it progresses through Parliament, ensuring it serves its purpose to improve victims’ experiences of the criminal justice system”. Baroness Newlove has been an advocate for victims since her husband Garry was murdered outside their family home in 2007. She said, “I know first-hand the emotions and the pain victims experience on their journey through the criminal justice system. I am also aware of the many challenges they have faced in recent years,” adding, “I want to see their needs and rights at the forefront of our criminal justice system. I want to see this Bill transform the victim experience, so victims feel heard, respected, and supported.”…

Advanced DNA testing has finally named a “Jane Doe” believed to be the last unidentified victim of serial murderer Keith Jesperson. The skeletal remains were found in Holt, in Okaloosa County, Florida, in September 1994, an area where long-distance truck driver Jesperson, known as the Happy Face Killer, had previously confessed to disposing of bodies. The DNA was sent to Othram Inc in 2022 - the lab involved in identifying the killer of Carla Walker and forensic genetic genealogists were able to identify Suzanne L Kjellenberg, 34. It’s thought she was the sixth of Jesperson’s eight victims, and that he picked her up in Tampa.…

Nic Edwards has been fascinated by true crime and unsolved mysteries since he was a child. After creating the successful podcast True Crime Garage, he turned to writing a book. The case he focused on was the February 2017 murders of Abigail Williams and Liberty German in Delphi, Indiana, known as the Snapchat Killings, after the teenagers managed to upload footage they took of a man trailing them on the Monon High Bridge that day. Here, Nic tells us about the hunt for “Bridge Guy”, and what he thinks of the latest news surrounding the arrest of Richard Allen, who has denied all charges. What made you want to write about this case in particular? I chose Delphi because of a personal obsession I had with it. I just couldn’t…

In 2009, Cottingham decided to confess to the crimes he had pleaded not guilty to for over 30 years. He said, “It was a game to me. It was mainly psychological. I was able to get any woman to do what I wanted them to do. It was godlike… you are in complete control of someone’s destiny.” He would go on to give gruesome details about the night of the Travel Inn killing. He said he left the hotel at 3.30am in the morning, carrying the decapitated heads in a bag over his shoulder. Two police officers stopped him to ask why he was out so late and he told them he was just going to get something to eat and they let him go. Cottingham admitted, “It was always…

SURVIVAL STORIES After my divorce, I started dating Andrew Thomson in 2017, after matching with him on a dating app. I was a mum of two and had my own company called The Breath Effect, where I work with men and women around the world as a stress and resilience coach. Andrew was also a successful businessman and we had lots in common, such as travelling and skiing. Andrew said he had built up and sold a truck company, using the capital to buy five restaurants, which he’d also sold on. Now, he was looking for some new opportunities. I was impressed and thought we had a genuine connection. Andrew was my shoulder to cry on when a friend’s husband passed away and, in time, he met my family -…

1914 Just 24 hours after the outbreak of WW1, the Home Secretary announces the Secret Service Bureau has already detained 21 spies. 1916 The bureau splits into what will be known as MI5 and MI6. 1919 After World War 1, MI5’s annual budget is slashed from £100,000 to £35,000. The number of serving officers drops from 800 to 12. 1939 During WW2, the service relocates to Wormwood (above) Scrubs to avoid the Blitz over London. 1952 Overall control of MI5 passes from the Prime Minister to the serving Home Secretary. 1961 The agency exposes the Portland Spy Ring, who are stealing military secrets from a naval weapons research facility and sending the information to Moscow. 1964 An investigation is launched into whether Sir Roger Hollis, Director General between 1956 and…

REAL MYSTERY In 1987, 15-year-old Jennifer Pandos disappeared from her home in Williamsburg, Virginia. Her mum and dad, Margie and Ron, said that she had run away, and there has been no trace of her since then. But one person who does not believe she would just up and leave like that is her brother Stephen – and he believes his parents killed her. Filmed over seven years, this four-part docuseries follows Stephen’s own investigation to find out what happened to Jennifer. With contributions from Margie and Ron themselves, it makes for eye-opening viewing.…

HOT NEW PICKS SUBURBAN SECRETS The Square CELIAWALDEN (SPHERE,£16.99) Putting a group of characters into a shared domestic setting and slowly letting out all their secrets and lies isn’t an original concept - but it almost always proves to be a fun ride. That’s the case here, in journalist Walden’s enticing follow-up to the gripping Payday. The scene is the exclusive enclave of Addison Square, home to a number of wealthy residents. Uniting them all is Colette, a freelance IT consultant who is called upon constantly to fix the sort of issues people without money to burn would sort out themselves. But she is our gateway into this community, and though no one even bothers to remember her name, she knows all aboutthem - helping lonely widow Sylvia sort life…

This month’s podcast picks Foul Play: Crime Series (Black Label) This extensive pod series looks at some of the most disturbing unsolved cases. One such case explored by host Shane Waters is an account of the McMartin Family Trials. It’s a horrific story about a daycare centre that operated in the 1980s in California, where the family at the helm were charged with hundreds of acts of sexual abuse. The case lasted seven years and was the most expensive of its kind in US history. With it’s monotone narration, this might not be for you if you like a bit of colour, but if you’re someone who cares more about the substance of a story than the way it’s told, it’s an interesting series well told. Nikki Peach Murder, She…