British Murder Mysteries on Sky Crime: The Case of Russell Bishop
Documentary series about the murders of Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway in Wild Park
Quick Facts
What is the series about?
British Murder Mysteries on Sky Crime UK dedicates this episode to one of Britain's most notorious criminal cases, known as the 'Babes in the Wood' murders. The series examines the tragic events of October 1986, when two nine-year-old friends, Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway, disappeared after playing in Wild Park in Brighton. The documentary highlights the investigative failures, the lost forensic evidence, and the legal battle that spanned over three decades to bring the guilty party to justice. Through interviews and archival material, Russell Bishop's profile as a pathological liar and violent criminal is mapped out.
The real case
The real case began on October 9, 1986, when the bodies of the two girls were found in dense underbrush by local boys. The local man Russell Bishop quickly became the police's main suspect. Bishop exhibited suspicious behavior and made detailed statements about the girls' whereabouts that only the perpetrator could have known. Despite strong evidence, he was acquitted in 1987, triggering one of the largest legal scandals in British history. The case remained unsolved for years while the bereaved families fought for justice against a system that was then constrained by the 'double jeopardy' law, which prevented a person from being tried twice for the same crime.
Timeline of the case
The investigation against Russell Bishop is marked by dramatic twists. In 1990, just a few years after his acquittal for the Wild Park murders, Bishop abducted and attempted to murder another young girl at Devil's Dyke. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for this assault, but justice for Nicola and Karen was still delayed. It was only with the advent of advanced DNA technology and a change in British legislation in 2005 that Sussex police could reopen the case. In 2018, a blue sweatshirt owned by Bishop became the crucial evidence when microscopic traces of the girls' DNA were found on the clothing. This led to a new trial at Old Bailey, where Bishop was finally found guilty.
