The Russell Murders: Who Killed Lin and Megan? release date and all we know

Lin and her six-year-old daughter Megan Russell
Lin and Megan Russell were murdered near their home in July 1996 (Image credit: Alamy)

The Russell Murders: Who Killed Lin and Megan? could cause quite a stir when it arrives on Sky Documentaries and NOW later this month. 

The three-part series will re-examine one of the most shocking crimes of the 1990s and ask whether Michael Stone, the man who was found guilty of killing Lin and Megan, could actually be innocent. 

After two trials and an appeal, doubts still remain for some over Stone’s conviction due to the lack of any physical evidence linking him to the crime. 

The series features interviews from those closest to the case, many who have never spoken before, including the police officer who discovered the bodies and saved the life of Megan’s sister Josie, to a former prisoner who claims evidence against Stone was based on the lies of a fellow inmate.

Yet The Russell Murders: Who Killed Lin and Megan? also includes exclusive interviews with Michael Stone, via the legal team fighting to clear his name for the last 20 years. 

The opening episode tells of how Lin Russell and her two daughters, nine-year-old Josie and six-year-old Megan, were attacked by a man with a hammer as they walked home through the Kent countryside in July 1996. 

Lin and Megan were killed, yet miraculously, Josie survived the attack and became a key witness in the police's hunt for the killer. 

Meanwhile, in recent years, convicted killer Levi Bellfield allegedly confessed to the Russells' murder (a confession he has since withdrawn).

Here's everything we know about The Russell Murders: Who Killed Lin and Megan?

The Russell Murders: Who Killed Lin and Megan? release date

The three-part series will be premiering on Sky Documentaries and NOW at 9 pm on Sunday, September 17. The second and third episodes will air on subsequent Sundays.

The Russell Murders: Who Killed Lin and Megan? What's it about? 

Michael Stone

Michael Stone continues to maintain his innocence (Image credit: Sky)

A synopsis from Sky reads as follows... 

"Sky Documentaries will re-visit one of the UK’s most brutal killings this Autumn with The Russell Murders: Who Killed Lin and Megan? The definitive series explores and re-examines the murder of Lin and Megan Russell and the legal team fighting to clear the murderer’s name.

"In 1996, Lin Russell and her six-year-old daughter Megan were brutally killed in broad daylight, the murder remains one of the UK's most shocking murders of the '90s. Remarkably, Lin’s nine-year-old daughter, Josie Russell, survived the attack. After a year, the police finally charged local drug addict Michael Stone primarily on a ‘confession’ to a former cellmate. Now, Stone, who has a long history of violent crime has served 25 years and continues to maintain his innocence.

"This series re-examines the evidence with exclusive access to Michael Stone in prison via interviews with his legal team as they prepare one last appeal. After two trials and an appeal, doubts remain over Stone’s conviction due to the lack of any physical evidence linking him to the crime. 

"With interviews to those closest to the case, many who have never spoken before, from the police officer who discovered the bodies and saved the life of Megan’s sister Josie, to a former prisoner who claims evidence against Stone was based on the lies of a fellow inmate, the series unpacks this complex and troubling case in granular detail."

The Russell Murders: Who Killed Lin and Megan? Is there a trailer?

There's no trailer for this one yet, we'll be sure to post it here when it lands. 

Sean Marland

Sean is a Senior Feature writer for TV Times, What's On TV and TV & Satellite Week, who also writes for whattowatch.com. He's been covering the world of TV for over 15 years and in that time he's been lucky enough to interview stars like Ian McKellen, Tom Hardy and Kate Winslet. His favourite shows are I'm Alan Partridge, The Wire, People Just Do Nothing and Succession and in his spare time he enjoys drinking tea, doing crosswords and watching football.