BBC2’s Catching Britain’s Killers: The Crimes That Changed Us looks at murder cases that helped change the law and revolutionised police investigations
BBC2’s Catching Britain’s Killers: The Crimes That Changed Us re-examines cases that led to changes in the way crimes are investigated.
The first episode reveals how Alec Jeffreys (pictured top) developed DNA profiling techniques that led to the arrest of the murderer of schoolgirls Dawn Ashworth and Lynda Mann.
In November 1983, 15-year-old Lynda from Leicestershire was murdered after taking a shortcut home from babysitting.
Three years later, the body of Dawn, also 15, was discovered in a nearby area – and detectives immediately knew they were on the hunt for a serial killer.
The story was adapted by ITV in the 2015 drama Code of a Killer.
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This documentary tells the story of the complicated investigation, and how the struggle to find the killer, local baker Colin Pitchfork, led to the very first use of DNA fingerprinting.
This will be shown in Wales at 11.15pm.
TV Times rating: ****
