The Big Cases

The chilling story of Hull’s funeral home horror. How an undertaker drowning in debt betrayed hundreds of grieving families. Robert Bush hoarded bodies, sold fake funeral plans and presented families with the ashes of strangers. His shocking crimes went undetected for years. The discovery led to one of the most complex investigations in Humberside Police’s history, with help from the National Crime Agency. At the heart of this are grieving families. In their darkest days, they fought for laws to regulate the funeral industry so that others never suffer their pain - or guilt - again.

Peter Murrell, the husband of former Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, embezzles £400,000 from the party he runs as SNP CEO, using a trail of lies to cover up a spending spree on luxury goods.

Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein planned to shoot Jewish people in what police say could have been the deadliest terror attack on UK soil. But they didn't know their friend was an undercover operative.

More than 130 people were injured when Paul Doyle drove his car through crowds celebrating Liverpool Football Club's Premier League win. This is how seven minutes of 'calculated violence' changed the lives of everyone that was there.

A politician close to Nigel Farage takes bribes to make statements in support of Russia. His texts reveal pro-Russian interference reaching right to the heart of Europe’s democracy.

A young couple, killed on an ordinary morning by a man they welcomed into their home. This is the story of young parents Chloe and Josh Bashford. How did a family friendship go so wrong?

When two suitcases are abandoned by a man behaving strangely on a bridge in Bristol, the shocking contents lead police to a brutal double murder scene.

A police investigation unravelled a horrific story of brutal abuse by those who should have cared for and nurtured him.

A single sycamore tree, growing in a natural dip in the countryside along Hadrian's Wall, came to symbolise a community. When the people of Northumberland wake to discover it has been chopped down overnight, it leads to a news story that makes headlines around the world. Who destroyed the tree at Sycamore Gap and why?

When an aristocrat and her convict partner vanish with their newborn baby, a nationwide manhunt begins. Fears for the baby’s welfare grow - until the case finally ends in tragedy. Through interviews with family, friends and witnesses, and exclusive research, we uncover the hidden backgrounds of this couple on the run.

The shocking tale of a predator who went on the run for almost three decades. He lived a life in paradise while his victims wondered if they would ever get justice.

The shocking story of Elianne Andam, a 15-year-old schoolgirl who was stabbed to death at a bus stop outside a shopping centre in Croydon, south London, in a row about a teddy bear.

Wendy Buckney knew about her neighbour Brian Whitelock's past and wanted to give him a second chance. But were opportunities missed to protect the public from this triple-killer?

A shocking story of two teenage boys from Bristol, Max and Mason, who went out for pizza and never came home. They were killed in a case of mistaken identity. We hear from the families who have faced unimaginable loss and see the consequences of children carrying weapons on the street.

What happens when kids become killers? The shocking story of two 12 year old school boys who brutally murdered Shawn Seesahai with a machete.

The story of Gisele Pelicot has shocked the world. She's a wife and a mother who was drugged and then raped by strangers. All were invited to do so by her husband at their home in Avignon, France. The trial of Dominique Pelicot and fifty other men has led to a huge outpouring of support across France and beyond as Gisele refused to hide away as her life unfolded in court and in public.

The tragic story of Sara Sharif, who was just 10 years old when she was burned and beaten by her father and stepmother. Her body was found with dozens of injuries at the family home in Surrey.

The shocking story of how a teenage relationship ended in murder. 15-year-old Holly Newton was stalked and murdered by her 'jealous' ex-boyfriend in Hexham in Northumberland. We speak to Holly's family and the police who pieced together what happened, and hear calls for a change to the law.

The case of a plot to kidnap, rape, and murder TV presenter Holly Willoughby.

North Wales headteacher Neil Foden abused children over a four-year period, but could he have been stopped?

Monika had moved to the UK from Poland for a better life. She had work, a new place to stay but then was hit by a drink driver. He served time for injuring her so badly she could never walk or talk again. Six years later, Monika died. It was time for justice, again.

How a house party turned into a murder scene - the fatal stabbing of Mikey Roynon.

When Michael Riddiough-Allen is stabbed to death outside a nightclub in Cornwall, armed police track down his killer to a nearby house where he was found hiding in the attic.

The story of footballer Cody Fisher who was stabbed to death in a nightclub in Birmingham.

The quiet Irishman behind the high hedge had a history his neighbours could have never guessed: the man they knew as 'Frank' was really Freddie Scappaticci, a man with many secrets. Not only had he been an Irish Republican Army killer, he was at the same time an agent for the Army – perhaps their most important source inside the IRA, with access to their most sensitive secrets.

Barnaby Webber, Grace O'Malley-Kumar and Ian Coates were killed in a series of stabbings by one man on the streets of Nottingham in the summer of 2023.

Shakira Spencer was 35 years old when her body was found by the police. She had been tortured and starved by people she considered friends.

Brianna Ghey was stabbed to death - two teenagers tried to get away with murder.

Kidnapped and murdered in France while on a university placement. Is it finally time for justice for 20 year old Joanna Parrish?

The hospital unit where patients were drugged to keep them "quiet and compliant".

The story of a young mum killed by her boyfriend of eight weeks. When Christopher McGowan was released on bail from a prison in Scotland, a court ordered he should stay at the home of his new girlfriend, Claire Inglis. He was a known criminal with a string of previous convictions and within weeks Claire was dead.

The MP who rose from obscurity to being imprisoned for fraud. The story of Jared O'Mara.

This is the story of Linda Razzell who vanished on her way to work more than 20 years ago. Her husband was found guilty of her murder. Now, in 2023, will he reveal where her body is in order to be released on parole?

The story of a social media influencer, her mum and a murder plot.

The story of Nicholas Rossi - the US fugitive who came to the UK with a new identity after faking his own death. He claims he is called Arthur Knight and is a victim of mistaken identity, but a sheriff in Scotland is sending him back to Utah to face rape charges. We speak to the people who knew Nicholas Rossi in his previous life in America and chart his story from there to his discovery by police in a hospital bed in Glasgow.

Sgt Matt Ratana was shot and killed on duty by a handcuffed prisoner just three months before he had been due to retire.

Lilia Valutyte died from a single stab wound in her chest. Her killer was found unfit to plead, but a jury determined in a trial of the facts he killed the nine-year-old.

Elle Edwards was shot dead as she celebrated Christmas Eve, in a murder that shocked the UK. We follow her dad Tim as he deals with the devastation of his daughter’s death.

Lyne Barlow is a bogus travel agent from County Durham, conning hundreds of holidaymakers and her family in a £2.6 million scam, which also saw her lie about a cancer diagnosis.

This BBC News investigation by reporter Daniel De Simone identifies a new suspect in the Stephen Lawrence murder. Stephen’s killing in 1993 changed policing and race relations in Britain forever, and its shadow hangs over the Metropolitan Police to this day. For decades, five men have been suspected of the attack, and in 2012 two of them were found guilty. Daniel De Simone has seen secret evidence and spoken to dozens of witnesses to publicly identify a sixth suspect for the first time. Evidence uncovered in this investigation also further implicates other suspects in the attack, and raises serious question of the police handling of the case over many years.

Nikki Allan's murder shocked Sunderland. Why did it take so long to catch her killer?

Nine year old Olivia Pratt-Korbel was killed when shots were fired into her family home.

The story of false accusations about being the victim of a grooming gang and how it sent shockwaves through a small town in the North of England.

How was Salman Abedi from Manchester radicalised to the point where he could kill, and could the Manchester Arena bombing have been stopped?

A gunman kills five people within minutes. Could the shootings have been prevented?

The story of Bennylyn and Jellica who were murdered after starting a new life in the UK.

The schoolgirl charged with terrorism, but found to have been exploited. Rhianan Rudd, 15, was the youngest girl to be charged with terrorism offences in the UK. She took her own life in 2022. Her mum says investigators should have seen her daughter as "a victim rather than a terrorist".

Zara Aleena was killed walking back from a night out by a sexual predator, only recently released from prison, labelled a "danger to any woman".

Sarah Sands stabbed to death a convicted paedophile who was accused of abusing three more young boys. BBC News can reveal, for the first time, that they were all her children. Now all three boys have become adults, they speak, alongside their mum about the killing, and subsequent events.

It's one of Scotland's longest unsolved murder cases. Alistair Wilson was shot on his doorstep almost 20 years ago. Are police any closer to finding who killed him and why?