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In September 1973 Wendy Sewell, a young legal secretary, was murdered in the town of Bakewell in Britain's Peak District. Wendy was attacked in broad daylight in Bakewell Cemetery. Stephen Downing, the 17-year-old groundskeeper with learning difficulties and a reading age of 11, was the prime suspect. He was immediately arrested, questioned for nine hours without a solicitor present, and pressured into signing a confession full of words he did not understand.

Twenty-one years later local newspaper editor Don Hale was thrust into the case. Determined to take it to appeal, as he investigated the details, he found himself inextricably linked to the narrative. Through a series of brand new interviews, listeners will be given a unique insight into Wendy Sewell's murder, with members of the Bakewell community coming forward for the first time to reflect upon a case that remains unsolved.

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In the first part of a major new true crime series we introduce the story of Wendy Sewell, who was murdered in the picturesque English town of Bakewell, in the Peak District National Park, in 1973. Wendy was attacked in broad daylight in the town's cemetery. Stephen Downing, the 17-year-old groundskeeper with learning difficulties and a reading age of 11, was the prime suspect. He was immediately arrested, questioned for nine hours without a solicitor present, and pressured into signing a confession full of words he did not understand.

Twenty-one years later local newspaper editor Don Hale was thrust into the case. Through a series of brand new interviews, listeners will be given a unique insight into Wendy Sewell's murder, with members of the Bakewell community coming forward for the first time to reflect upon a case that remains unsolved.

More information can be found at our website; reporterpodcast.com

Follow us;

Twitter @reporter_pod

If you want to read Don Hale's account of the murder, and his campaign to free Stephen Downing, it's available on Apple Books here;

https://books.apple.com/gb/audiobook/murder-in-the-graveyard/id1466731625

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Don Hale digs deeper into the conviction of Stephen Downing for Wendy Sewell's murder, and examines the police evidence that put Stephen inside.

More information on the case can be found at our website; reporterpodcast.com

Follow us;

Twitter @reporter_pod

If you want to read Don Hale's account of the murder, and his campaign to free Stephen Downing, it's available on Apple Books here;

https://books.apple.com/gb/audiobook/murder-in-the-graveyard/id1466731625

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bakewell gossip presents a very different picture of Wendy Sewell than the one told to the court at the murder trial.

Rumour suggests there may have been people and events in Wendy’s past that may have given people reasons to want to hurt or silence her. People other than Stephen Downing

More information on the case can be found at our website; reporterpodcast.com

Follow us;

Twitter @reporter_pod

If you want to read Don Hale's account of the murder, and his campaign to free Stephen Downing, it's available on Apple Books here;

https://books.apple.com/gb/audiobook/murder-in-the-graveyard/id1466731625

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don Hale finds witnesses who deliver vital new evidence in the case.

More information on the case can be found at our website; reporterpodcast.com

Follow us;

Twitter @reporter_pod

If you want to read Don Hale's account of the murder, and his campaign to free Stephen Downing, it's available on Apple Books here;

https://books.apple.com/gb/audiobook/murder-in-the-graveyard/id1466731625

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Newspaper editor Don Hale is an unlikely sleuth and even less likely crusader. He has previous no police background, isn’t a PI and has no previous investigative experience. We discuss his background, motivation and unique approaches to this case...

Follow us;

Twitter @reporter_pod

If you want to read Don Hale's account of the murder, and his campaign to free Stephen Downing, it's available on Apple Books here;

https://books.apple.com/gb/audiobook/murder-in-the-graveyard/id1466731625

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don Hale joins forces with TV and national ews teams to generate international attention for his campaign for the release of Stephen Downing. His tactics uncover some vital evidence, gain the support of the government - and Prime Minister Tony Blair - but have some unfortunate consequences in Bakewell.

Follow us;

Twitter @reporter_pod

If you want to read Don Hale's account of the murder, and his campaign to free Stephen Downing, it's available on Apple Books here;

https://books.apple.com/gb/audiobook/murder-in-the-graveyard/id1466731625

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.