Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 58 i Crime Monthly

A mother has been charged with four counts of manslaughter after her sons perished in a house fire in December 2021. Deveca Rose, 29, reportedly clutched a child’s toy in the dock at Bromley Magistrates’ Court as she was charged over the deaths of twins Leyton and Logan, three, and twins Kyson and Bryson, four. They died of smoke inhalation when their home in Collingwood Road, Sutton, was engulfed in flames at around 7pm on 16 December. It’s believed the children had been left home alone at the time, and Rose, who was granted bail, also faces a charge of child abandonment. The case was referred to the Old Bailey and Rose is due back in court on 8 January.…

In the news Alissa McCommon, a primary school teacher from Tennessee, is currently behind bars awaiting trial after it was alleged that she raped a 12-year-old male student at her home. In the wake of her shock arrest, multiple others also came forward to inform authorities that the teacher had contacted them via social media and invited them to play video games with her. On 24 August 2023, following information provided to the school district by a pupil’s parent, McCommon was suspended from her position at Charger Academy without pay. McCommon, who is married with two children, was then arrested on 8 September after news of her suspension reached the authorities, but was released on bail. During that time, she is alleged to have contacted the student to tell him…

On 6 September 2023, Simon Murch – once a finalist on TV show Britain’s Brainiest Teacher – pleaded guilty to the rape of a child under the age of 13. The former teacher at Monteney Primary, near Parson Cross, Sheffield, was sacked from his position as soon as the allegations came to light, though his victim was not a pupil at the school in which he was employed. The rape occurred on Sunday 16 July 2023 and was reported to police, who arrested Murch the following day. Due to the age of the victim, their identity remains protected. As well as his teaching position, Murch held a coveted role as joint branch secretary of Sheffield and District National Education Union. A statement from the union read, “He has shamed us…

When the first series of this anthology crime drama dropped, it became a cult hit. Starring Holly wood heavy weights Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey as two murder detectives on the trail of a serial killer in Louisiana, it was the perfect mix of neo-noir, intrigue and horror, all brilliantly acted. Two more series followed, both with stellar casts featuring stars such as Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams and Mahershala Ali. Now, season four is here and Jodie Foster heads the cast. She plays Liz Danvers, a detective working in the icy winter perma-night of Arctic Circle Alaska. W hen eight men working at a research station vanish, she reunites with former colleague Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) to solve the mystery. Though previous series met with mixed reviews, all were captivating…

Mark Wahlberg’s big brother Donnie returns for a fourth run of the series that looks at some of the most frightening killers in recent history. Cases covered include the “Ken and Barbie Killers” Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka, who drugged, raped and murdered at least three girls. Another episode looks at Jesse Matthew Jr, who raped and killed 20-year-old student Morgan Harrington, while others look at Mafia boss Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, and serial killer Glen Edward Rogers, aka “The Cross Country Killer”.…

Why Can't We Talk About Amanda's Mom? (ID) Renee Bergeron – who also worked under the alias of Maria Martinez –was a 26-year-old sex worker, whose decapitated and blood-drained body was discovered in 1993 on a dirt road close to the town of Mobile in Alabama. But who killed her, and why? After a really strong start, in which host Sarah Cailean addresses the discrimination that murder victims can face, Why Can’t We Talk About Amanda’s Mom? struggles to come to any conclusions. But despite the eventual frustration, this podcast is well worth a listen, especially since Sarah acknowledges all of the blind spots in the original investigation 30 years ago, and brings new information to light that could hopefully lead to justice at last. Daisy Hall California True Crime (Spreaker)…

Helle & Death OSK AR JENSEN (VIPER, £16.99) When art historian Torben Helle is invited to a remote mansion for a university reunion, things take a dramatic turn. Soon, it’s up to Torben to work out if one of his old friends is capable of murder. Atmospheric. The Spy Coast TESS GERRITSEN (BANTAM, £20) Maggie Bird lives a quiet life in Purity, Maine, attending her book club and farming chickens. Then a body is left on her drive and she knows her past is coming back to haunt her. But who wants the former CIA agent dead? Thrilling. Cover The Bones CHRIS HAMMER (WILDFIRE, £20) In the Outback town of Yuwonderie, a body has washed up. A clear case of murder, detectives Lucic and Buchanan investigate, but it isn’t long…

AUS teenager who killed four students in a mass school shooting has been sentenced to life without parole. Ethan Crumbley was 15 when he opened fire at Oxford High School in Michigan on 30 November 2021, using a gun his parents had bought him for Christmas. Hana St Juliana, 14, Tate Myre, 16, Justin Shilling, 17, and Madisyn Baldwin, 17, were killed, and seven others, including a teacher, were injured. Crumbley pleaded guilty to 24 charges, including terrorism, first-degree murder, assault with intent to murder, and possession of a firearm. His parents, Jennifer and James Crumbley, are currently awaiting trial for involuntary manslaughter. Both have pleaded not guilty.…

On a press conference in late November 2023, the local police force in Canton, Ohio, were forced to admit that the body of 53-year-old Nicole Jones will likely never be found. The statement came after Nicole’s son, Jonathan Jones, and his teen lover, Kaitlyn Coones, allegedly confessed to murdering her and throwing her remains in a dumpster destined for landfill. With Jones and Coones now in custody, the true horror of Nicole’s final hours have been revealed. Seventeen-year-old Coones was a ward of Stark County Children Services and had been living in a group home when she was reported missing in April 2023. In reality, she had fled to meet her “boyfriend” Jones, 33, who she had been in a relationship with since she was 15. By the time Coones…

As the ferry rolled across the Irish sea, my small hand clutched the handle of my suitcase. Nine years old, I was heading to London to live with my biological mum. The trouble was, she was pretty much a stranger. Mum had been just 17 when she had me. She’d split up with my dad a few months later, and I’d been sent to live with family in Belfast. But now, my surrogate mum Aunt Madge had died of cancer, and I was being sent back to London to live with my birth mum. I’d been a good kid, but now it felt as if everything I loved had been taken away. I became deeply angry, and my mother and I fought like cat and dog. Eventually, I ended up…

Fifty times more powerful than heroin and with the potency to kill as quickly as cyanide, fentanyl is an incredibly strong synthetic opioid similar to morphine. Although it has numerous medical applications, it is principally prescribed for managing severe pain because of its ability to suppress the central nervous system, slow breathing and lower blood pressure. Potentially fatal problems arise when too much fentanyl hits the system, causing respiratory failure and heart attacks. Fluid fills the lungs, a lack of oxygen turns the fingertips and the lips purple and blood can often seep from the nose. Those who survive a fentanyl overdose are also at risk of brain damage. Perhaps the greatest danger is the fact the majority of those taking the drug don’t even know it. American dealers are…

TIMELY TALE CRIMINAL RECORD APPLE TV+, FROM 12 JANUARY When an anonymous phone call claims that a man has been wrongly imprisoned for the murder of his girlfriend years earlier, Detective Sergeant June Lenker (Cush Jumbo, The Good Fight) – a young, black, female officer at the start of her career – begins digging into the case, much to the chagrin of one of the original investigators, now Detective Chief Inspector Daniel Hegarty (Peter Capaldi, Doctor Who). Keen to protect his legacy, Hegarty will apparently use whatever methods are available to him in order to prevent the truth from coming out. And not only is DS Lenker forced to battle the well-connected senior officer, she’s also seemingly working within an institution that’s set against her, as Hegarty certainly isn’t the…

BBC4 has long been a home for superior international dramas, and one of the original – and the best – was brilliant Danish crime drama The Killing. It made a star of Sofie Gråbøl, who played Inspector Sarah Lund, a dogged detective with a natty line in Faroese jumpers. Now, the actress makes a welcome return to our screens in this award-winning six-part drama revolving around the lives of four prison officers, whose personal challenges intertwine with the complexities of their workplace. Miriam (Gråbøl), Henrik (David Dencik), Sammi (Youssef Wayne Hvidtfeldt) and Gert (Charlotte Fich) work in an institution that is plagued by bad press, hierarchy issues among the gangs of inmates, and an all-toothriving drugs trade that sparks violence and unrest. But when they are faced with the imminent…

CELEBRITY CASES If you’re looking for a pod that’s equal parts an in-depth study of courtroom practices and a gossip session about celebrities, then Courtroom Drama is the one for you. Host Jackie Adedeji is joined by barrister Grace Rose Gwynne and a revolving array of guests to examine exactly what happened during various high-profile celebrity court cases, and investigate how the courtroom system operates. It’s the perfect combination of breaking down legal jargon and delving into salacious intrigue, examining how these celebrities ended up in court. The hosts also answer all your burning questions, such as why was the Daily Mail so obsessed with Kate Winslet’s Pilates routine? And why was the world so enamoured with Gw yneth Paltrow’s courtroom looks? Said question comes from standout episode “Sanderson Vs…

What was the inspiration behind your new novel? I got the idea after visiting a castle museum in Sussex. I noticed the most unusual pair of items in a display case: a mummified rat and a silver spoon. It was a memorial to a servant girl who’d worked in the castle and had been accused of stealing a spoon, for which she was fired. Years later, when builders renovated the fortress, they found a rat’s nest with a mummified rat – and the missing spoon. I began thinking about hasty judgments, about the invisible workers in our midst, and how the voices of the departed sometimes grow stronger after death. What attracts you most about writing mysteries? The beats and twists that propel the story. What’s tricky is that mysteries…

Best known as the flamboyant lead singer of Culture Club, Boy George – real name George O’Dowd – is a cultural icon, but he’s had a few brushes with the law in the past. The first came in July 1986, when he was arrested for possession of heroin as part of a police raid named Operation Culture. The singer’s escalating drug addiction had been splashed all over the tabloids, and in response, the Met raided five properties belonging to George and his associates. He was released on bail and no charges were brought after he received treatment for his addiction. Then, in October 2005, the star was arrested in New York for falsely reporting a burglary. He pleaded guilty and was fined $1,000, ordered to attend drug rehab, and sentenced…

An unnamed 16 year old has been charged with murder and two counts attempted murder after a triple shooting in London left a woman dead. Lianne Gordon, 42, was shot in Hackney in December, when a gunman armed with a 9mm pistol and wearing a balaclava tried to force his way into her home. Two others – 20-year-old A mani Adams-McGuire and a 16-year-old boy – were shot and injured. The accused has also been charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and possession of class-A drugs with intent to supply. A plea hearing is set for 8 March, with a provisional trial date set for later in the year. Lianne’s family and friends paid tribute to the devoted mum, with one friend saying, “She was…

Jon Venables has had his latest bid to be released rejected, after the Parole Board ruled it was “not satisfied release would be safe for the protection of the public”. At time of press, he had 21 days to appeal, and a source told The Sun, “He’s insisting he was the victim of a miscarriage of justice”. Venables, now 41, was released in 2001 after serving eight years for the murder of two-year-old James Bulger in February 1993. He was recalled to prison in 2010 for possession of indecent images of children, and released in 2013, but was once again recalled in 2017 for the same crime. While he will be eligible for another bid in two years’ time, changes to the law currently being considered could see him caged…

An eyewitness has come forward with fresh evidence in the case of Cheryl Grimmer, who went missing from an Australian beach in 1970. The man, whose identity has been protected, believes he witnessed the three year old being abducted from a changing room. Speaking on BBC podcast Fairy Meadow, he claimed to have seen a teenage boy carrying a child from the beach, saying, “This baby in his arm [was] just screaming and yelling. I heard this screaming… turned around and that’s what I saw.” Witnesses reported a teenage boy loitering in the area at the time. NSW Police are in touch with the man, and one former detective told reporters, “He sounded credible to me and what he says he saw on that particular day is very important and…

A 27-year-old Christian school teacher from South Carolina has been charged with two counts of sexual battery against a 17-year-old student. After Reagan Anderson’s arrest, it was alleged that she pressured the teen into a sexual encounter, and sent naked photos of herself to him. According to a warrant, mother-of-two Anderson engaged in sexual activity with the student on at least two occasions, in her home and in the car park of a pizza restaurant. Anderson was fired from her job at Holly Hill Academy as soon as rumours began circulating on 8 November this year. At her court hearing, the alleged victim’s emotional mother read a statement saying, “A trusted coach, teacher and friend that abused our trust and violated her oath as an educator. She has ruined our…

MUST-LISTEN PODCAST Like many teenage girls in 2012, Megan Bhari was obsessed with One Direction. But unlike most teenage girls, she met them, befriended them, and the fivesome would name check her at their concerts. She had come to the wildly popular boy band’s attention via her mother Jean, who had bombarded the social media accounts of Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik with posts begging them to message Megan, as she was desperately ill and needed a boost. At just 17, Megan was battling idiopathic intracranial hypertension – a build-up of pressure on the brain – as well as a brain tumour. But despite her health woes, she set up the charity Believe In Magic with her mum, which arranged events for sick children,…

Cush Jumbo as DS June Lenker Young and ambitious, June is fed up with being thought of as a token recruit and wants to make a real difference in the police force. Peter Capaldi as DCI Daniel Hegarty A veteran cop. Whether he is a part of the problem or merely a symptom of the corruption within the force remains to be seen. Tom Moutchi as Errol Mathis Despite confessing and currently serving 24 years for the crime, could Errol actually be innocent of the murder of his girlfriend? Rasaq Kukoyi as Patrick Burrowes After his mum was killed when he was a child, Patrick had an unconventional upbringing. Thanks to DS Lenker, he’s now being forced to confront his past. Stephen CampbellMoore as Leo Hanratty Leo is unsure of…

DUPLICITOUS THRILLS First Lie Wins ASHLEY ELSTON (HEADLINE, £16.99) When a book already has a TV show in development before it even hits the shelves, it has a hell of a lot of hype to live up to. Fortunately, this highly entertaining cat-andmouse thriller in the vein of Alias and The Americans delivers. Evie Porter seems to have everything – her boyfriend Ryan adores her, she’s moving into his fancy house, and (most of) his friends have taken her into their inner circle. But her perfect life is shaken when a woman called Lucca Marino walks into town on the arm of an old friend of Ryan’s. Lucca could be her double in every way, which is unnerving because Evie knows something no one else does: Lucca is not who…