The Murder of Rachel Nickell: How Robert Napper Was Finally Caught - with special guest Bill Clegg KC

In Part One, Bill Clegg KC revealed how the case against Colin Stagg collapsed, leaving Rachel Nickell’s real killer free. In Part Two, the story turns to the man who actually murdered her: Robert Napper.

Helen Fospero and Martin Brunt are once again joined by Bill, who found himself in an extraordinary position. Having defended Colin Stagg, he later represented Napper after he was charged with the brutal murders of Samantha Bissett and her four-year-old daughter Jasmine.

Within an hour of reading the case papers, Bill became convinced Napper was also the man who had killed Rachel. He explains the striking similarities between the crimes, the warning signs and missed opportunities surrounding Napper, and why police tunnel vision may have allowed the real killer to remain free.

Years later, advances in forensic science finally linked Napper to Rachel’s murder. Sixteen years after her death, he admitted killing her on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Bill also reflects on the wider lessons of the case: the pressure on police to find a suspect in high-profile investigations, the danger of assumptions taking the place of evidence, and the devastating human cost when an investigation goes wrong.

Bill Clegg KC's book, Under the Wig: A Lawyer's Stories of Murder, Guilt and Innocence:

https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/titles/william-clegg/under-the-wig/9781529401240/

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